Gold Rush shoot 50 percent but drop exhibition at SLU

HAMMOND, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana played one its best stretches of basketball this season before falling 89-72 at Southeastern Louisiana Monday.

The Gold Rush (2-4), ranked 25th in the NAIA, counted the game as an exhibition. It was a regular-season contest for the Lions (3-1) of NCAA Division I.

XULA shot 50 percent from the floor, and four players -- Innocent Kukulu, Seth Jackson, Leland Alexander and Donovan Armstrong -- combined to made 19-of-26 shots.

XULA trailed 17-6 in the sixth minute before getting 3-pointers from Kukulu, Lucas Martin-Julien and Jalen David during a span of 95 seconds. Those treys fueled a 21-9 rally, and XULA grabbed its first lead, 27-26, on Kukulu's basket at 4:28. An Armstrong basket at 3:55 gave XULA its final lead, 29-28.

The Lions took the lead for good, 31-29, on a pair of Moses Greenwood free throws at 2:46 and led 41-33 at halftime.

In the second half the Gold Rush closed to 51-45 on Jackson's basket at 14:37 and 55-48 on Kukulu's 3-pointer at 13:13. But two Michael Corchiani free throws at 9:55 gave the Lions a double-digit lead thereafter. A Greenwood jumper in the final minute made it 89-67.

Kukulu led XULA with 18 points and made 3-of-4 3-pointers. Alexander (6-of-8 floor) had 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals, and Jackson scored 13. Mike Williams' 3-pointer on the final XULA possession moved him into double figures with 11 points. Armstrong had seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Greenwood led SLU with 23 points and 10 rebounds and was 9-of-13 from the floor. Davon Hayes and Chris Mejia scored 17 apiece -- Mejia made 5-of-6 3-pointers -- and Marlain Veal had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

SLU shot 56 percent from the floor and made 11 3-pointers to XULA's seven. The Lions outrebounded the Gold Rush 37-24. SLU made 22-of-32 free throws to XULA's 11-of-20. The Gold Rush committed 31 fouls, and two fouled out.

XULA will visit NAIA No. 5 LSU-Alexandria at 7 p.m. Nov. 29. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 against Paul Quinn at the Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Southern rides opportunistic defense during 8-game winning streak; can it keep it going vs. Grambling?

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Southern is riding an eight-game winning streak heading into this week’s Bayou Classic showdown against Grambling, and there is one theme that has continued to play out during the course of that streak.

In its past eight games, all against Southwestern Athletic Conference foes, Southern has forced 26 turnovers that have directly led to 117 points. Ten of those turnovers were forced when the Southern defense was playing in its own territory, and on seven of those instances, the Jaguars turned those turnovers into points.

If you think about turnovers like a budget, the Jaguars have been in the black since Week 3 — the beginning of the streak — and now have a hefty surplus on their hands.

They have been on the right side of the turnover margin in all but one game this season, and during their streak they’ve finished at least plus-2 six times. They are plus-17 in turnover margin for the season and are plus-19 during their eight-game win streak.

Those statistics paint a clear picture: Southern’s defenders not only are adept at capitalizing on other team’s mistakes, but they also have found a consistent way to keep making those mistakes happen.



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A Winners Journey: Tuskegee University's pioneering Olympian, Theresa A. Manuel dies at 90

Manuel made history as the first black woman from Florida to compete in the Olympics, running the hurdles, a relay and throwing the javelin in London in 1948.

TAMPA, Florida — Theresa A. Manuel, who soared over hurdles both on the track and off as the first black woman from Florida to compete in the Olympics, died Monday (Nov. 21, 2016) in Tampa. She was 90.

A longtime teacher and coach at Middleton and Hillsborough high schools, Ms. Manuel had been in the hospital last week and was discharged Saturday but stopped eating on Sunday and declined quickly.

"She just slipped away," said Cynthia Flowers, her cousin and caregiver.

"The Tampa community has lost a history-maker," U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, said Wednesday.

As a track star in the 1948 Olympics in London, Ms. Manuel "shattered barriers," Castor said. Later, she motivated students "to win on the field and in life."


Olympian Theresa A. Manuel is a graduate of Tuskegee University Class of 1949.  She never lost a basketball game or track meet in 4 years of college.  Her 50-meter indoor hurdles record still stands today.  Manuel coached girl basketball teams won 3 state championships in Florida.

Born in Port Tampa, Ms. Manuel grew up there and in West Tampa. At Middleton High School, her sport was basketball.

"The basketball court was outside," she said in a recent interview with Florida Trend. "We didn't have lights. At night, the neighbors would set up lamps with long extension cords and flood the court with light so we could practice."

She went on to play basketball at Tuskegee Institute (now university) in Alabama, earning the nickname "Trick Shot." Seeing her run, college teammates urged her to go out for track, a sport Middleton didn't have.

She excelled, setting a record for the 50-meter hurdles on a dirt track. While she was at Tuskegee, the women's teams were undefeated in both basketball and track. That led to her joining the Olympic team, where she competed in the 80-meter hurdles, threw the javelin and ran the third leg in the 440-yard relay.

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ESPN3: ASU Hornets And MC Golden Bears Prep For Turkey Day Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Alabama State head football coach Brian Jenkins and his Hornets are making their final preparations for the last football game of the 2016 season when it hosts Miles College on Thursday for homecoming and to rekindle the Turkey Day Classic tradition at ASU Stadium with a 3:02 p.m. scheduled kick off.

Alabama State (3-7) will look toward continued success against the Golden Bears, whom it defeated 26-7 in last year’s Turkey Day Classic.

The Hornets were able to hold Miles to just 176 total yards of offense and force two turnovers in last season’s meeting.

Kourtney Berry thrived at linebacker as he shared the team lead in tackles with 10.
Alabama State chewed up 287 yards on the ground.

Returning senior Khalid Thomas ran for 78 yards and a touchdown as well.



ASU will aim to tighten their discipline as it committed a season-high 16 penalties for 216 yards in their last game, a 21-0 defeat at the SWAC’s top team Grambling State on Nov. 12.

The Golden Bears (5-4) are coming off a 13-10 loss to Tuskegee at Legion Field, in which it gave up the winning touchdown with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter on a two-yard touchdown run.

“We have to protect the football,” said ASU head football coach Brian Jenkins.

“We have to be a disciplined team. They’re [Miles is a disciplined team. They’re going to throw everything at us. They’re going to line the box and be ready to try to stuff our run. We have to capitalize on the opportunities when they present themselves. When there were opportunities there, we have not got it done. You think about the Grambling game where we were on the 1-yard line and we didn’t score. That’s been our season.”

The Hornets have lost four games this season by seven points or fewer including three games by four points or fewer.
“It’s a very testing and trying season, “ Jenkins said.

“It’s had a lot of ups and downs I don’t know how our season could have got any worse. We lost four games by seven or fewer points. We’ve had personal issues with our families’ health. But I have total confidence that this program can get it done, but there are some areas where we need to have it corrected. But, I’m not going to make any excuses. It’s just been a faith-testing season to the coaches and the players. Through it all, you’ve got to find thALAe good. We’ve been able to teach these guys how to preserve and not let life beat you down.”

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

DII Football Games to Watch: North Greenville,Tuskegee compete in playoffs

TIGERVILLE, South Carolina -- Making the NCAA Division II playoffs each year is tough, so only on rare occasions will a team with four losses reach the second round and play at home. North Greenville (S.C.) is in that rarified air.

The Crusaders, 8-4 and the No. 6 seed in Super Region Two, will take on Tuskegee, 9-2 and the No. 7 seed, at noon ET Saturday at Younts Stadium in Tigerville, S.C.

A week ago, North Greenville traveled to Florida Tech and pulled off a 27-13 victory over the No. 3 seed. Tuskegee also nabbed a road, upset victory, knocking off second seed Newberry 35-33.

“Going to Florida was a three-day trip,” said North Greenville sophomore quarterback Will Hunter. “It was a nine-hour drive. We split it up into two days. I am not a big fan of riding the bus all day long. It is more comfortable playing at home and not having to travel. It is really exciting playing at home.”

Based on the Crusaders’ 2016 resume, if they had to play round two on the road, they would be just fine. The Crusaders are a resilient group. It even starts before the first game.

As an independent, North Greenville coach Jeff Farrington has the chore of finding 11 games to play. It became more difficult last season when an alliance with the South Atlantic Conference ended. North Greenville went 7-3 in 2015 and one of those losses was to a FCS team.

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Tennessee State Improve to 5-0 with 72-58 Victory at Canisius

BUFFALO, N.Y. --- Double-doubles from Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Jordan Reed (Philadelphia, Pa.) lifted the Tennessee State men’s basketball team to a 72-58 road victory over Canisius at the Koessler Athletic Center on Wednesday night. TSU, which received one vote in this week’s Associated Press Top 25, is 5-0 for the first time since moving to Division I prior to the 1977-78 season.

Martin finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Reed concluded the night with 13 points and 11 boards for the Tigers. TSU also received double-digit scoring efforts from Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds to go with 12 points from Delano Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.).



A fast start by Canisius (1-4) put TSU in a 13-7 hole in the opening 3:30 of the game. The Tigers tightened up on defense and battled back to take their first lead at 17-16 with 11:28 left in the half on a three from Spencer.

Trailing later in the half, TSU used a 7-0 run for a 26-21 advantage with 6:30 remaining before halftime.

The Tigers held the Golden Griffins without a field goal for eight minutes and took a 40-27 lead into halftime behind 64 percent shooting (16-for-25) from the field.

TSU continued to play well in the second half, taking a 49-30 lead on a thunderous putback dunk by Reed with 15:39 to play. The TSU lead grew to as much as 21 points on two occasions the rest of the way.

The Tigers’ dominance on the glass again played a factor as TSU held a 45-31 rebounding edge and outscored Canisius by a 36-16 margin in the paint.

Next up, TSU will make its home debut on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Gentry Center versus Reinhardt at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES: Tennessee State received one vote in the most recent Associated Press Top 25 and is ranked 20th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25… TSU is 5-0 for the first time since moving to Division I prior to the 1977-78 season… TSU held a 40-27 halftime lead. The 13-point advantage tied for the biggest for the Tigers this season, matching TSU’s lead over Santa Clara through 20 minutes… TSU improves to 2-0 in the all-time series versus Canisius. It was the first meeting between the two sides since Jan. 11, 1964… Wayne Martin recorded his third double-double of the season and 13th of his career… Jordan Reed picked up his 24th career double-double and first in a TSU uniform… It is the first time TSU has had two players with double-doubles since Wayne Martin and Demontez Loman accomplished the feat on Dec. 14, 2015 at Stetson… Jordan Reed now has 994 career points in his Division I career after scoring 931 during his three seasons at Binghamton before transferring to TSU.

BOX SCORE

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Football Coach Gary Harrell Era Ends at Howard University

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In an official announcement made by the Office of the President, Head Football Coach Gary Harrell’s tenure with Howard University will conclude when his contract ends later this month.  

Harrell joined Howard University in January 2011 and has led the football team for six seasons. This announcement comes after the football team gained a victory against Delaware State University 26-21 at home during Senior Day, Saturday, Nov. 19. The team concluded its 2016-2017 season with a 2-9 record.

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ASU’s Jenkins focuses on positives in rough year

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- It has been a long and disappointing season for Alabama State. The Hornets and their fans raised expectations after six wins in the last eight games of 2015.

The 2016 season hasn’t gone as people might have expected. Alabama State was picked to finish second in the SWAC East, but close losses on the road kept the Hornets out of title contention.

Still, ASU coach Brian Jenkins said he’s trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

“We’re beat up pretty bad, along with being young and inexperienced,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to try to get a lot of rest and try to patch together a football team. We’re going to work on capitalizing on opportunities.”



There has been a lot of good that has taken place off the field during the first two seasons of Jenkins’ tenure.

Since Jenkins has taken over, there have been no major arrests. That’s something neither Alabama nor Auburn can say during that time.

The team earned 10 days of spring practice and the full 20 hours of practice time for the 2016 season after posting a 932 APR score for 2014-15.

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Bayou Classic a SWAC showdown

NEW ORLEANS -- The Grambling-Southern matchup in this year's Bayou Classic is shaping up as an Ali-Frazier type of bout.

Grambling and Southern sport identical 8-0 records in the Southwestern Athletic Conference thanks to mirror image eight-game win streaks. To date, Grambling is receiving more exposure with a No. 14 ranking in the latest FCS Coaches Poll, but Southern's play has forced a potential matchup for the ages with a SWAC title berth on the line.

"It’s better than a heavyweight title fight," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said Tuesday at Bayou Classic media day in New Orleans. "All season long I’ve been pulling for Southern University as well as pulling for ourselves to make sure we could get to this point like this.

"I think it gives us an opportunity to have a huge game and a huge draw. We’re looking forward to this. I wouldn’t have it any other way than for both teams to be undefeated and to settle it on the field."

The stakes are straightforward: the winner plays Alcorn State in the Dec. 3 SWAC title game in Houston. All Grambling has talked about is getting back to the championship and taking care of business.

Only Southern stands in the way.

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Oldest Living Member Of The Famous Tuskegee Airmen Squadron, Willie N. Rogers Dies At 101

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- Willie N. Rogers, the oldest living member of the renowned Tuskegee Airmen air squadron, died Friday evening (11/18/16) in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Rogers served as master sergeant of the squadron of World War II fighter pilots. They became famous as the first black aviators in U.S. history. Rogers was the backbone of the organization, coordinating the ground logistics for the squadron.

“He recognized that we as people and he as a black man have come a long way but that there is still more to go,” Rogers’ daughter Veronica told the Tampa Bay Times. “But in God’s eyes there is no color, he’d say. We are all one and he lived by the greatest commandment — to love one another.”

The Tuskegee Airmen existed at a time when the U.S. military was still segregated. Formally called the U.S. Army Air Corps 99th Flying Squadron, the Tuskegee Airmen were also known as the “Red Tails,” due the trademark bright red tails painted on their P-40 Tomahawk and P-51 Mustang fighter planes.

The squadron trained at Tuskegee University in Alabama. While the existence of an all-black fighter squadron was controversial at the time, the Tuskegee Airmen proved themselves as remarkable pilots during the war. The squadron’s 335 pilots deployed overseas during the war lost bombers in only seven out of 179 escort missions, compared to an average of 46 among their peers. The Red Tails also destroyed a total of 262 enemy aircraft and obliterated 950 rail cars and various other vehicles.

Rogers was reportedly quite humble about his service with the groundbreaking squadron, so much so that some of his family was not even aware of it. He received a Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush in 2007 for his service, but did not attend the ceremony. Rogers’ family had known he was a veteran, but he did not reveal his place in history until 2012.

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Palmer Sets New Career Scoring High In Chicago State's Win Over EWU

Trayvon Palmer (15) led CSU in Tuesday night's win over East-West with a
career-best 34 points and 15 rebounds
Courtesy: CSU Athletics

CHICAGO, Illinois -- The Chicago State men's basketball team received a big effort from senior Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) tonight as it handled visiting East-West at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center by a score of 103-75.

Palmer recorded his first double-double of the season with a career-high 34 points and a season-best 15 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end. He shot 16-for-20 from the field while also dishing out three assists.

Leading 41-34 after a battle with the visitors in the first half, CSU (2-2) would dominate in the second half via a 62-41 margin. The Green and White also held advantages in several statistical categories, including field-goal percentage (.582-.446), rebounding (48-28) and assists (23-15).

Sophomore Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale) added 21 points and tied a career high with six rebounds, while senior Clemmye Owens V (Toledo, Ohio/Rogers) contributed 15 points. Graduate student Brian Greene, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./Thornton) dished out a game-high five assists and junior Glen Burns (West Memphis, Ark./West Memphis Christian) finished with top game honors in steals with four.

Devontae Smith paced East-West with 22 points and Carl Moore added 14 points with eight boards.

The Cougars begin a month-long road swing on Saturday, Nov. 22 when they head to Notre Dame, Ind., to face the Fighting Irish in an ESPN3 broadcast beginning at 6 p.m.

Box Score

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Florida A&M Baseball Announces 2017 Schedule

HEAD COACH JAMEY SHOUPPE
Courtesy FAMU Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M baseball officially announces its 2017 schedule that will total 30 home games at Moore-Kittles Field and will begin on February 17 with a three-game opening series against Wofford College. FAMU will start the season playing 16 of its first 20 games at home at Moore-Kittles Field. The Rattlers will also play 14 games against in-state competition and eight games against opponents who played in the 2016 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

“Our staff and players are extremely excited for the upcoming season and the level of competition we’re able to face on our schedule in 2017, “head coach Jamey Shouppe said. “The players have put in a lot of time this fall and worked extremely hard, both on and off the field, this fall to prepare for the upcoming season. We’re extremely fortunate to have 30 home games this spring, which allows our fans to have the opportunity to come see up play more often and also gives our student athletes the ability to stay in class more during the spring semester.”

FAMU will host non-conference series against Wofford, George Washington, Mercer, East Tennessee State and Jackson State, while having single games versus Jacksonville, Alabama State and North Florida at Moore-Kittles Field. Florida A&M will also travel to Auburn, Florida, South Florida, Jacksonville, Mercer, Alabama State, and North Florida as part of its out of conference schedule.

The Rattlers begin their MEAC schedule the weekend of March 11-12 at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla. and the first home conference series is the following weekend, March 18-19, against Savannah State. FAMU will wrap up the regular season at North Carolina A&T on the weekend of May 12-13.

2017 FAMU Baseball Schedule

The 2017 MEAC Baseball Championship will once again be held in Salisbury, Maryland at Perdue Stadium, home of the Baltimore Orioles Single A team the Delmarva Shorebirds. The top three teams in each division of the MEAC will advance to the MEAC Baseball Championship.

Florida A&M is returning 16 players from a 2016 team that finished the regular season as the overall number one seed in the MEAC. Florida A&M also recorded its first 30-win season since 2003 and just the third 30-win season since becoming a Division I program in 1980. 2016 posted a strong offensive season as the Rattlers finished ranked in the top 10 nationally in three categories. FAMU also set program records in seven categories and finished in the top three of 19 different categories in program history.

With 21 newcomers to the fall roster, there has been plenty of competition for positions in the middle infield and in the outfield that was left vacant from graduating seniors following the 2016 season. With the addition of many talented new arms to help fill out the pitching staff, 2017 is poised to build off the success of 2016.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook. Updated news is also always available at FAMUAthletics.com.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Culver: Lincoln grad Gallon shines on FAMU’s defense

Quenteze Gallon
LB, 5'-10" 205 lbs.
Sophomore
Courtesy FAMU Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Stanley received plenty of attention and accolades from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this season, but there’s another member of Alex Wood’s 2015 signing class who should get some All-MEAC consideration this year.

Sophomore linebacker Quenteze Gallon made his mark as one of FAMU’s best defenders this season.

The Lincoln grad picked up 45 total tackles (29 solo) and 7 tackles for loss during the 2016 season. He was second on the team in both stats and was one of the best defenders on the field in FAMU’s loss to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.

“I’m just playing hard for my pride and where I’m from,” he said. “All of my people that surround my like my family, it’s just my motivation. You could say it’s a good thing I’m playing in my hometown in Tallahassee.”

Gallon led all players with 13 total tackles (10 solo, also a game-high) and tallied two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Gallon played in all 11 games for the Rattlers this season after playing in just six games last year and spending most of his time on special teams duty.

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FCS First Round: North Carolina A&T vs.Richmond

ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

FCS Playoffs First Round

The Matchup - North Carolina A&T (9-2) at Richmond (8-3)

Kickoff - 2 p.m. ET Saturday at Robins Stadium (8,700) in Richmond, Virginia

Coverage - ESPN3

Series - First meeting

Players to Watch - North Carolina A&T: RB Tarik Cohen (1,518 rushing yards, 339 receiving yards, 19 total TDs), DE Marquis Ragland (44 tackles, 9 TFL), LB Jeremy Taylor(75 tackles, 4 INTs, 8 PBU); Richmond: WR Brian Brown (67 receptions, 1,179 yards, 9 TDs), DT Winston Craig (47 tackles, 7.5 sacks), LB Omar Howard (77 tackles, 8 TFL)

The Skinny - While MEAC teams have lost 18 straight FCS playoff games, North Carolina A&T's one win in four previous appearances was a huge one - it beat No. 1 Tennessee State in 1999. The Aggies seek to recover from last week's 42-21 loss at rival North Carolina Central, which ended their bid to win the MEAC championship and return to the Celebration Bowl. Cohen has 5,549 career rushing yards, the conference record and more than any active player in the FCS. Backup quarterback Oluwafemi Bamiro, who pulled out a four-overtime win at FBS member Kent State in September, has started the last two games because Lamar Raynard has a chest injury. The Aggies have 37 sacks, and 10 different players have at least a pair (DE Angelo Keyes' six are the high). 

Richmond has faced adversity from 12 season-ending injuries, the latest suffered by No. 1 quarterback Kyle Lauletta (torn ACL). If backup David Broadus remains out for a third straight game, untested Jake Clise or Reid Chenault will step in for Lauletta. And if the play calling is scaled back, redshirt freshman running back Deontez Thompson (five 100-yard performances in last six games) will get a big workload. The Spiders defense is ranked third in the FCS in passing yards allowed (156.5 ypg), although the focus will be on stopping Cohen. The Spiders, one of six teams in this year's field to have won an FCS title (2008), opened the season by beating Virginia.

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They said it: Southern's Dawson Odums, Grambling's Broderick Fobbs meet with media at the Superdome

NEW ORLEANS — Five days before their undefeated football teams meet for the 43rd annual Bayou Classic, Southern's Dawson Odums and Grambling's Broderick Fobbs took turns answering questions from assembled media on the turf at the Superdome.

Here is a full transcript of everything they had to say, with the questions that were posed to them in parentheses.

Dawson Odums, Southern University head football coach

When you get to this point of the season, you want to be playing really well as a football program. To get here undefeated is a monumental task. Both teams have had adversity, they’ve played well, and we’re going to decide everything here at the Bayou Classic.

It really reminds you of the heyday when the Bayou Classic was sold out and many fans were coming to watch two great programs compete for that weekend. It’s on display, there’s two fine institutions … playing for an opportunity to play for the SWAC championship. It don’t get any better than that.

(On the offensive firepower on both teams)

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With a lot on the line, Bayou Classic could set attendance record

NEW ORLEANS -- All signs point to record attendance at the 43rd annual Bayou Classic football game this year, a match-up that will determine who gets a shot at a conference championship.

And organizers say they have several new features planned to help fans of Southern University and Grambling State University enjoy the event.

"What we are doing is blending the best of the best," said Dottie Belletto of New Orleans Convention Co. Inc., the company that runs the Bayou Classic.

One of the additions is a mobile app that will give fans game updates and an event schedule and let them vote for the game's most valuable player.

That app also will let users choose the winner of Friday's fraternity and sorority step show, one in a series of events leading up to the game at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Launched in New Orleans in 1974 after a 1973 test run in Shreveport, the annual showdown between the two historically black Louisiana universities brings thousands of visitors to the city over Thanksgiving weekend.

Although the nationally televised game is the highlight of the five-day affair, other big events will include a Thanksgiving day parade, a Friday Battle of the Bands and Greek Show and a Sunday gospel brunch.



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XULA's Salwan, Setodji rank 3-4 in ITA/NAIA men's singles

NEW ORLEANS — Five from Xavier University of Louisiana, including two newcomers, were in the 2016 Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis NAIA Fall Rankings announced Tuesday.
     
XULA's ranked players are:
     •  Karan Salwan, third nationally and third in the South in men's singles.
     •  Thomas Setodji, fourth nationally and fourth in the South in men's singles.
     •  Charlene Goreau, 30th nationally and 11th in the South in women's singles.
     •  Lacee Ancar and Emma Kranendonk, 10th in the South in women's doubles.
     
Salwan, Setodji and Goreau were ITA/NAIA All-America last season. Salwan and Setodji this past May helped the Gold Rush finish second in the NAIA National Championship — XULA's highest-ever NAIA team finish in any sport.
     
Salwan is a senior from New Delhi, India, and a graduate of Modern School. Setodji is a sophomore from Domont, France. Goreau is a sophomore from Toulouse, France, and a graduate of Raymond Naves School. Ancar is a freshman from the New Orleans suburb of Harvey, La., and a graduate of John Curtis Christian School. Kranendonk, a senior from Heemskerk, The Netherlands, and a graduate of Kennemer College, is in her first season at XULA after transferring from NCAA Division I's University of South Dakota. 
     
XULA has concluded its fall tournament schedule and will resume competition in late January with dual matches. Coach Alan Green will announce soon the spring-semester schedule.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
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Gold Nuggets win 64-56 at William Carey, end streak

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — Six Xavier University of Louisiana players made first-half 3-pointers Tuesday in a 64-56 women's basketball victory at William Carey.

The Gold Nuggets (4-5), playing on the road for the fourth time in five days, snapped a five-game losing streak.

XULA led 39-17 at halftime and 54-34 through three quarters. The Lady Crusaders (1-2) rallied to get as close as six points in the final 80 seconds.

Maya Trench — a 5-foot-2 freshman point guard from Edgard, La., and a former West St. John High School standout — had 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists for XULA. She led the Gold Nuggets in those categories for the second time in four games.

Making 3-pointers in the first half for XULA were Mikayla Bates, Essence Wells, Kelsey Joseph, Rosie Davis, Jalyn Hodge and Ireyon Keith. Davis and Jordan Coleman each made second-half treys, and the Gold Nuggets finished with a season-high-tying eight. Coleman's 3-pointer was her first of the seaaon.

Fourteen Gold Nuggets scored. Aliyah Bell scored seven points, and Bates, Davis, Keith and Terriel Ross had six apiece. Wells had three steals.

Teshia Jones had 13 points, four steals and six rebounds for William Carey (1-2), but she also had eight of the Lady Crusaders' 25 turnovers. Courtney Epting had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Caroline Lumpkin scored nine.

XULA outshot William Carey 41 to 29.5 percent from the floor. It was the third consecutive game and the fourth time this season that a XULA opponent shot less than 30 percent.

The Gold Nuggets won for the second time in their last five trips to William Carey and extended their series lead to 53-22. The teams will meet again Feb. 1 in New Orleans.

Next for the Gold Nuggets will be the 15th Xavier Classic at the Convocation Center. On Thursday, Langston will play Dillard at 5 p.m., and XULA will play LSU-Shreveport at 7 p.m. On Friday, LSUS will play Dillard at 1 p.m., and Langston will play XULA at 5 p.m. Sandwiched between the Friday college games will be a 3 p.m. girls prep matchup between East St. John and Ellender.

BOX SCORE

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

Prudhomme hits double-double again to score Southern's first win

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Shawn Prudhomme is nothing if not consistent.

For the second straight game, the Southern guard posted a double-double, except this time, his performance carried the Jaguars to its first win of the season.

Southern snapped its three-game losing streak Tuesday night, beating Tennessee Tech 80-68 in the team’s home opener at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“I was feeling good,” Prudhomme said. “I just like to come out with a lot of energy, and the guys on the team did a good job of getting me shots, and it’s just my job to knock them down."

By the final buzzer, Prudhomme posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of steals.

Prudhomme’s productive showing was all the more crucial to Southern’s success, considering Tre’lun Banks was battling small virus in his system.

Southern coach Roman Banks was happy his son was able to suit up at all against the Golden Eagles after sitting out practice for most of the week.

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Union men fall for first time on season with 78-72 loss to Lane

JACKSON, Tennessee – The Union University men's basketball team fell for the first time this season in a 78-72 loss to crosstown and South Region foe Lane College Tuesday evening.
 
GAME DETAILS
Final: Lane 78 | Union 72
Records: Union 3-1 | Lane 2-3
Location: Fred DeLay Gymnasium – Jackson, Tenn.
Series: Union leads 28-9
Social: @UUAthletics  |  #WeAreUU  |  UUAthletics.com
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Union pulled out to an early lead in the opening minutes of the first half pulling out to a 17-10 lead with help from threes from Tray Boyd and KC Goodwin.
• Lane gained the momentum in the closing minutes rattling off a 14-1 run to close out the period and to head into the locker room leading 29-23.
• Union finally pulled back and regained the lead with long three from Jarad Scott to lead 42-40 with 13:56 left in the second half.
• Over the next six minutes, neither team was able to gain more than a two point advantage with both Union and Lane trading shots. Union eventually gained some momentum with a 7-0 run to push their lead to 55-50.
• Lane returned the favor going on a nine point run of their own to regain the lead, 64-60, with 3:59 remaining. The Dragons pushed their lead to 10 points on a three from Maurice Alexander.
• Union pulled within three points of the Dragons with just 0:16 seconds left in the game with back-to-back three balls from Tray Boyd, but the effort was not enough with Union falling 78-72.

 
STAT OF THE GAME

• Union turned the ball over 19 time in the game compared to just six for Lane. The Bulldog turnovers translated to 19 points for the Dragons, while Union converted just eight points.

• TEAM STATS
• Despite falling in the game, Union outshot crosstown foe Lane 53 percent to 49 percent from the field. 
• The Bulldogs hit 12 threes, good for 41 percent and shot 61 percent from the free throw line.
• Lane out rebounded the Bulldogs 31 to 27 in the game, while Union did not grab a single offensive board.

PLAYER STATS

• Tray Boyd led the all scorers with 29 points hitting seven three pointers in the game.
• Jarad Scott recorded his fourth straight double-double of the season scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
• Lane had three players in double figures with Maurice Alexander leading the Dragons with 17 points.

 
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs move on to their final non-conference matchup taking on Brewton Parker College on Saturday, November 26th, in The Fred. Union kicks off Gulf South Conference action next Tuesday, November 29th, against Christian Brothers at 8:00 p.m. in Jackson.

UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

HBCU Basketball Judgment Day Scoreboard

November 22, 2016  

MEN

CIAA 
Winston-Salem State 85, Morris College 63
Virginia State 74, Bluefield State 49
Lees-McRae 70, Johnson C. Smith 66
Queens (NY) 76, Lincoln (Pa,) 71

SIAC
Lane 78, Union 72
Miles 74, West Georgia 69
Montevallo 67, Tuskegee 58
West Florida 74, Spring Hill 56
Claflin 85, Saint Augustine's 78
Augusta 79, Benedict 70
Georgia College 63, Albany State 49
Shorter 75, Clark Atlanta 70
Kentucky Wesleyan 120, Kentucky State 81

MEAC 
San Diego 96, Bethune-Cookman 91
Richmond 65, Hampton 52
East Carolina 82, Florida A&M 62
Western Kentucky 77, North Carolina A&T 56
Syracuse 101, South Carolina State 59

SWAC 
Alcorn State 83, Blue Mountain 57
Southern 80, Tennessee Tech 68
Prairie View A&M 84, Jarvis Christian 69
Kennesaw State 79, Alabama State 72
#7 Virginia 90, Grambling State 34
UMass-Lowell 76, Mississippi Valley State 71

GCAC
Edward Waters 110, Webber International 79
#12 Dillard 92, Huston-Tillotson 69
Loyola 81, SUNO 69
Philander Smith 77, Paul Quinn 61

RRAC
#18 Oklahoma City 90, Langston 86

WOMEN

CIAA 
Claflin 75, Livingstone 65
Winston-Salem State 70, Morris 53
UDC 65, Lincoln (Pa.) 63
Francis Marion 67, Elizabeth City State 47
Saint Augustine's 74, Newport News Apprentice 69

MEAC
Hampton 58, Maine 49
Cornell 67, Howard 55
Iowa State 74, Savannah State 51
Hofstra 64, Delaware State 44
Campbell 61, North Carolina Central 30
West Virginia 80, North Carolina A&T 64
Eastern Illinois 66, Florida A&M 50

SWAC 
Alabama A&M 61, Concordia-Selma 58
Southern 61, Bethune-Cookman 59
Texas Christian 83, Grambling State 47
Nicholls 83, Jackson State 76
Southern Methodist 61, Prairie View A&M 54

SIAC 
Clark Atlanta 71, Shorter 65
Cedarville 77, Central State (Ohio) 71
Georgia College 45, Albany State 44
West Florida 81, Spring Hill 51
Lynn 78, Tuskegee 74
Claflin 75, Livingstone 65
Augusta State 73, Fort Valley State 47
Union 97, Lane 56

GCAC
Philander Smith 78, Paul Quinn 40
Huston-Tillotson 69, Dillard 67
Xavier 64, William Carey 56

RRAC
McNeese State 72, Wiley 56
#19 Oklahoma City 85, Langston 49

NCAA Football Playoffs: Ticket Information - North Greenville Crusaders vs. Tuskegee Tigers

North Greenville will host Tuskegee in the 2nd round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

VIDEO   AUDIO   LIVE STATS   TICKETS   TU MEDIA GUIDE   TU AUDIO

TIGERVILLE, South Carolina -- The North Greenville University football team will play host to Tuskegee University on Saturday, November 26th in the second round of the NCAA Division-II Playoffs. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 pm.

Tickets for Saturday’s game will be available on Saturday, two hours before the scheduled kickoff time. Tickets will ONLY be available at the ticket booth in front of Younts Stadium.

Cost of the tickets is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under. All tickets are general admission and will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. For questions or inquiries about playoff tickets, contact Associate Athletic Director Micah Sepko at micah.sepko@ngu.edu.

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Unstoppable force, meet un-moveable object: Southern's Danny Johnson, Grambling's Chad Williams set to clash

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Saturday’s matchup between Southern and Grambling is a meeting of what are clearly the two best teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, but there are also intriguing games within the game, maybe none of which are more interesting than the one that will happen on the boundaries.

On one side, there’s Grambling wide receiver Chad Williams, who has been virtually un-guardable the past two seasons. He led the SWAC with 1,067 receiving yards as a junior and has ramped up the production this season with league-leading totals in receptions (70), receiving yards (1,102) and receiving yards per game (122.4).

On the other is Southern defensive back Danny Johnson, who is widely regarded as the top defensive back in the SWAC. Johnson is a former high school wide receiver and has shown off his knack for finding the ball with a league-best seven interceptions this year.

It’s the type of matchup that Southern coach Dawson Odums usually refers to as “our good guys against their good guys.” If Southern’s good guys win, Odums will say, he likes Southern’s chances in the game itself.

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Backup quarterbacks at heart of A&T-Richmond playoff matchup

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Who’s the quarterback?

That’s the legitimate question for both teams when No. 17 N.C. A&T (9-2) plays at No. 12 Richmond (8-3) in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championships on Saturday.

Will the Aggies get starter Lamar Raynard back in time?

“No,” Coach Rod Broadway said today. “He’s out.”

Meanwhile, the Spiders lost junior Kyle Lauletta with a season-ending right knee injury in their final game of the regular season, a 34-13 loss at William & Mary.

The loss likely cost Richmond a first-round bye in the 24-team FCS playoffs. And the Spiders were winning 13-6 when Lauletta slid at the end of a scramble with 6:12 left in the first half. He didn’t get up.

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Richmond Spiders go outside, then in, beat Hampton Pirates in matinee

RICHMOND, Virginia -- With 14 minutes left, eight of Richmond’s 12 baskets were 3s. That may appear a bit trigger-happy on the Spiders’ part, but the shooting led to a 65-52 win over Hampton Tuesday afternoon at the Robins Center.

From the outside, Richmond (3-1) shot the Pirates (1-3) out of their zone, taking a 44-25 lead with 12:40 left, and then put them to sleep behind the floor leadership of senior guard ShawnDre’ Jones.

The Spiders finished with nine 3-pointers on 28 attempts. Three came from 6-foot-8 senior Marshall Wood (10 points) and three came from senior forward T.J. Cline (17 points).



For Richmond, this was the fourth of four home games that started the season. This was the second game of the Barclays Center Classic for both teams. Richmond now moves on to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., for a Friday meeting at 9:30 p.m. with Maryland, which is among others receiving votes in the AP Poll, and a Saturday date with Kansas State or Boston College.

Jones (9 points), on whom the Spiders rely for direction and scoring (23 ppg before HU’s visit), got into some foul trouble and was off the floor more than usual. Richmond struggled for offensive rhythm against Hampton’s zone while Jones was out.

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