ESPN3: UMES Hawks Face 7-foot -6 Tall Order Against 6-1 Central Florida at 5 PM ET

ORLANDO, Florida  -- When the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (1-8) takes on Central Florida (6-1) Saturday (Nov. 10) at 5 p.m., the Hawks will be facing their biggest challenge of the season — literally.

At and 7-foot-6 and 290-pounds, sophomore center Tacko Fall is the largest player in Division I basketball. The Senegalese national is third on the team with 13.9 points per game and leads the club with 12.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. He ranks second in the country in rebounding and in the top 20 in blocks. Fall’s best game this year came last month against Mississippi State as he netted 20 points and pulled down 13 boards in an 86-61 Knight win.

GAME NOTES
LIVE VIDEO
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“You cannot teach size,” Hawks assistant coach Ace Custis said. “He has all the size attributes of a real true center — especially for college basketball and the professional level.”

Custis, who is 6-8, spent some time with the Dallas Mavericks and then played 14 years professionally in the U.S. and overseas after a Hall of Fame career at Virginia Tech.

“One of my former teammates, Shawn Bradley, was 7-6 in Dallas and I recall playing against him in practice and just his size a lone you have to respect. At 7-6, (Fall) will change the game just by being that size because a lot of shots in the paint and around the basket he will alter or block. You can’t get the same shots you normally do.”

A key for the Hawks will be to respect his size, while not getting intimidated.

“You are always going to notice his size no matter who you are on the court and whether you have seen someone his size on the court before,” Custis said. “You will always notice him and be aware of where he is at, but with a guy his size you have to attack his body, get in close to his body and take his length away from him.”

No player on the Shore roster is bigger than Isaac Taylor’s (Wachapreague, Virginia) 6-foot-8, while Derrico Peck (Atlanta, Georgia), Tyler Jones (Atlantic City, New Jersey), Deven Dorsett (Lithonia Georgia) and Bakari Copeland (Decatur, Georgia) are the only other Hawks 6-6 or bigger.

“Our guys I’m sure will be looking at his size early on and it is going to be a factor mentally,” Custis said. “But as the game goes on and they continue to play against him, they’ll relax and get back to normality.”

But as impactful as Fall will be with his size, Custis also pointed out that there are ways to counter it. It will just take execution.

“His size limits what he can do defensively,” Custis said. “You need to put him in situations where you can use his size to your advantage.”

That means among other things setting ball screens where he can’t switch or come out and hedge like a smaller quicker center would be able to should bring the Hawks some success.

But the Knights are not a one-man team. Sophomore point guard B.J Taylor leads the team in scoring (16.3 pg.), assists (5 pg.) and steals (1.4 pg.). Senior shooting guard Matt Williams is second on the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game and has made 23 3-pointers.

Junior shooting guard Ryan Andino (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) has led The Shore in scoring in three straight games. He comes into the battle in his home state averaging a team-high 14.6 points per game, while also shooting 48 percent (38-of-80) from 3-point land.

Copeland is second with 13.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 5.7 per game. Logan McIntosh (Atlanta, Georgia) is third in scoring and leads the team in assists at 4.1 per game.

At 6-1, Central Florida is off to its best start since 2010-11 when it opened up at 14-0. The Knights’ only loss this season came against top-ranked defending national champs Villanova on Nov. 20.

The last matchup between the two squads happened Jan. 12 1987, when the Knights welcomed the Hawks to the old Education Gymnasium and won by a margin of 100-70. UCF had also previously played Eastern Shore at home in January of 1985, winning 70-58, before the series went on a freeze of nearly 30 years.

Games can be heard locally on Fox Sports Radio 960 AM WTGM or on www.EasternShoreHawks.com. Will DeBoer will have the call from Orlando Saturday at 5 p.m. on The Shore Sports Network.

Season tickets for the 2016-2017 season are on sale now starting at just $125, for all men’s and women’s home games. Did you know that a purchasing a season ticket helps all sports at Maryland Eastern Shore, not just basketball? To purchase season tickets, click here. For more information about the 1ticket Drive, log on to the web at easternshorehawks.com or call 410-651-6499. It’s time to show your #HawkPride!

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ESPN 3: Buffalo to Face Coppin State at 2 PM ET

GAME NOTES     VIDEO    LIVE STATS      LIVE AUDIO   

Buffalo (4-5, 0-0 MAC) vs. Coppin St. (0-11, 0-0 MEAC)
December 10, 2016
Alumni Arena - 2:00 pm ET

Bulls on the Air
Radio - ESPN 1520-AM WWKB

Television - ESPN3

The Opening Tip...
• For just the second time this season the University at Buffalo men's basketball team will play inside the friendly confines of Alumni Arena when the Bulls host Coppin State on Saturday afternoon. UB is coming off a six-game road trip that saw the Bulls span the entire length of the United States, playing games in Alaska, Nebraska, New York, and Pennsylvania.

• According to the latest Kempom.com rankings, the Bulls have played the sixth toughest non-conference schedule in the nation in games played through Dec. 8. Of the top 10 teams in strength of schedule, the Bulls and Northwestern State have the most victories with four.

• Sophomore CJ Massinburg made his regular season debut on Wednesday night after missing the first eight games of the season due to mononucleosis. Massinburg played 25 minutes off the bench against Pitt, finishing the night with 14 points, three rebounds, and five assists. Freshman Quate McKinzie also made his return to the lineup after missing four games with a concussion. McKinzie had six points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Opponent
• Coppin State is 0-11 on the season after an 87-63 loss at Akron on Wednesday night. The Eagles have played one of the tougher schedules in the country and like the Bulls have played just one home game up until this point. Earlier this year, Coppin State lost a close game to Ball State 79-77.

• Coppin State is led by Josh Treadwell, who is averaging 9.8 points per game. The Eagles do not have a single play averaging double figures, but they have five players averaging at least 7.4 points per game. Tre' Thomas is averaging 9.7 points per contest and Dejuan Clayton averaged 8.5 points. Trey Harris and Blake Simpson are tied for the team-lead in boards with 4.9

• Coppin State ranks 14th in the nation in 3-pt field goal attempts (255) and 30th in total rebounds (385). They lead the MEAC in both of those categories and they are third in offensive rebounding at (12.18). Coppin State shot a season-best 47% from behind the arc in the game against the Zips.

• Michael Grant embarks on his third season as the head men's basketball coach at Coppin State University. He is the sixth head men's basketball coach since 1964. In 2015-16, the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2016 MEAC Basketball Tournament for the second straight season after upsetting NC A&T in double overtime in the opening round. He has also been the coach at Stillman College, Southern University and Central State University. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Grant also coached at Kentucky State University, Alleghany College, Cleveland State University, and the University of Toledo.

Home Cooking Awaits Bulls
After spending the last three full weeks playing on the road, Buffalo returns to Alumni Arena a six-game road trip where UB finished 2-4, with losses coming to teams in the Big East, ACC, Mountain West, and Atlantic 10.
UB returns home to face a Coppin State squad that is still looking for their first victory of 2016-17 and a team that has not won a non-conference game vs. a Division I team since December 11, 2013. The Bulls and Eagles have met just once in the all-time series, a 69-52 victory for Coppin State back in 1993.

Mystery, Alaska
The Bulls finished in third place at the Great Alaska Shootout with a 2-1 record over their three contests in Anchorage. Senior Blake Hamilton led all scorers in the field averaging 24.3 points per game. He had a career-high 36 points against Alaska-Anchorage, tied for the eighth most in the 39-year history of the tournament. Sophomore Nick Perkins was also named to the All-Tournament team following his first career double-double in the win over Weber State.

3-Peat After Me
The Bulls are looking to do something that no Mid-American Conference school has ever accomplished and that is win three straight MAC Tournament titles. Buffalo has already become the first team since Kent State to go in back-to-back seasons when the Golden Flashes did it in 2001 and 2002, but a third straight trip would make conference history. No Big 4 school has gone to three straight NCAA Tournament since Canisius in 1955-57.
Buffalo is one of only five programs to have won conference titles in both 2014-15 and 2015-16 joining Hampton (MEAC), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Kentucky (SEC), and Gonzaga (WCC). Of that group, Gonzaga is the only one to have received three straight automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament.

Road Warriors
The Bulls will be traveling over 9,000 miles during non-conference play this season, having played eight of their first nine regular season games away from home, a stretch that concluded Wednesday at Pittsburgh. UB opened the season with a 76-66 win at Niagara before falling at nationally-ranked Xavier. Following a victory over Nazareth in the home opener, UB made the long trek to the Great White North when Buffalo played in Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout. UB made a quick stop in Omaha, NE on the way back to face nationally-ranked Creighton and then returned to Western New York before making a trip down to St. Bonaventure this past Saturday afternoon. The road trip concluded Wednesday night at Pittsburgh. It will be the first of two straight trips to the Steel City for UB, who will face Robert Morris down there on Dec. 21.

For The Record
The Bulls had quite the historical evening during their home-opening victory against Nazareth. In the 85-38 win, UB allowed its fewest points in a game since Feb. 1, 1979 against Fredonia State. The Bulls also allowed 47 points fewer in the win over Nazareth than they did three days earlier at Xavier. The 47-point margin between two games is Buffalo's largest since the 1987-88 season when they allowed 125 points to St. Anselm in the season-opener and followed that up by allowing just 67 points in the next game against Queens College.

Easy Blake Oven
Senior Blake Hamilton begins his final season after being one of five players named to the All-MAC East Division squad in the preseason. Hamilton was named to the All-MAC Third Team last season and enters 2016-17 as the Bulls returning leading scorer and rebounder at 13.7 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per contest. Hamilton had a stellar first season with UB in 2015-16, but it will be his shot at the end of the MAC Championship game that will always be remembered by Bulls fans.
Hamilton missed most of the preseason due to a broken non-shooting hand, but he returned to the starting lineup for the regular season opener at Niagara where he had 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes of action. Hamilton recorded a career-high 11 assists in the win over Nazareth, the most by a UB player so far this season. He then showed his scoring touch in the opener of the Great Alaska Shootout with a career-high 36 points against Alaska-Anchorage, including 29 of those in the second half. The 36 points are tied for 10th in school history for a single game and the most since current teammate CJ Massinburg had 36 last season against Ohio. The 36 points are also tied for eighth most in a single game in the 38-year history of the Great Alaska Shootout. Hamilton added 23 points and eight rebounds in the win over Weber State and he led all scorers in the Great Alaska Shootout field. Hamilton added 21 points against Creighton and 20 points at St. Bonaventure and he scored over 20 points in four of the six games on the previous road trip.

UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: ACC Regional Sports Networks: #11 Louisville Hosts Texas Southern at 2 pm ET

Date: Dec. 10, 2016
Time: 2:04 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (104-14 in 7th year)
Television: ACC Regional Sports Networks Wes Durham, play-by-play; Jason Capel, analyst.
Radio: WKRD (790 AM) - Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (Sirius channel 134, XM 193, Internet 955)
Series History: First meeting
UofL National Ranking: 13th USA Today, 11th Associated Press
Officials: Ted Valentine, Jeb Hartness, Bill McCarthy
Next UofL Game: Dec. 17 vs. Eastern Kentucky, Billy Minardi Classic, KFC Yum! Center, Noon ET (Regional Sports Networks)

Louisville will play its second of five straight at home in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face the Texas Southern Tigers on Saturday. Louisville prevailed 74-51 over Southern Illinois on Wednesday after the Cardinals bolted out to a 19-4 lead in about the first eight minutes of the game. Louisville limited the Salukis to 35.2 percent shooting from the field, 12 percentage points below their average entering the game and the sixth time this season that UofL has held an opponent below 36 percent accuracy from the field.

Two Cardinals are averaging double figures after the first three games of the season. Sophomore Donovan Mitchell leads Louisville in scoring with 11.3 points per game while Quentin Snider is second on the team with 10.3 points. Deng Adel is the third leading scorer with 9.9 points per game. Jaylen Johnson leads the team on the boards with 8.2 rebounds per game while also averaging 9.2 points per game. Snider leads the team with 32 assists on the year.

As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from behind the arc. UofL is averaging 44.1 rebounds per game while holding opponents to just 34.8 rebounds a game.

Texas Southern fell 74-70 over Southern Illinois -- UofL's opponent on Wednesday – on Dec. 3 in its last outing as Zach Lofton led the Tigers with 26 points and four steals. The Tigers have had the week off before visiting Louisville, the eighth straight road game for Texas Southern. TSU led by two with 1:30 remaining before SIU scored the last six points of the game.

The Tigers have had the week off before visiting Louisville, their eighth straight road game. Texas Southern (4-4) posted an 18-15 record last year, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship and participated in the postseason NIT. Sophomore forward Derrick Griffin, the SWAC Player of the Year last season, averages 12.1 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds while shooting 77.1 percent from the field, sixthbest
in the nation. Junior guard Zach Lofton is the Tigers' top scorer, averaging 21.0 points per game (36th in the nation). Highly regarded freshman guard Demontrae Jefferson is expected to make his debut for Texas Southern against Louisville on Saturday.

Texas Southern is the second first-time opponent for the Cardinals this season (Baylor was the other). Louisville has a 47-3 record in first-time meetings with opponents under coach Rick Pitino, including an 18-1 record since the 2010-11 season.

• LOUISVILLE GAME NOTES
• TEXAS SOUTHERN NOTES
• LIVE STATS

CARD FILE

• UofL Coach Rick Pitino, who has a 399-163 record in his 16th season at Louisville, will be seeking his 400th victory with the Cardinals on Saturday. He won his 750th career collegiate victory when the Cardinals beat Wichita State on Nov. 24. He is one of five active coaches with at least 750 victories.
• Louisville has a 28-4 record during the month of December over the last five years, winning 16 of its last 19 in that month.
• Attendance at the KFC Yum! Center surpassed the 2.5 million mark in its last game. A total of 2,515,173 fans have flocked to the arena to watch UofL play in the Cardinals' seven seasons, an average of 21,315 fans per game.
• Louisville has won 51 of its last 52 non-conference games at home in the KFC Yum! Center, spanning the last seven seasons. UofL has an overall 104-14 record in the spectacular arena, including a 60-3 record against non-conference opponents. The Cards have won their last 15 home games vs. non-conference opponents.
• Donovan Mitchell leads the ACC and is 21^st in the nation in steals (2.4 per game). His seven steals against Old Dominion matched the fourth-most ever at UofL. His 22 steals in nine games is just three less than he had his entire freshman year.
• Louisville's 154 victories over the last six years are the fifth-most wins in the nation in that stretch. The Cards are one of just three teams to win at least 30 games in three of the last five seasons (30-10 in 2011-12, 35-5 in '12-13, 31-6 in '13-14).
• Louisville is one of just four schools which have won 20 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons (also Kansas, Duke and Gonzaga).

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

MSU promotes Fred T. Farrier to full-time head coach

FRED T. FARRIER

BALTIMORE, Maryland  – Morgan State University has removed the interim tag and Fred T. Farrier will assume the full-time position as Morgan State's head football coach, announced Friday by Director of Athletics Edward Scott.
 
Farrier, a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, becomes the 14^th head football coach in MSU history. 
 
"In my assessment of the football program it became clear to me that Coach Farrier is committed to the values of Morgan State University and the athletics department," said Scott. Fred has shown a true commitment to the overall student-athlete experience and he provides much needed stability for our program moving forward."
 
"I am confident that under Coach Farrier's leadership our young men will make us all proud, in the classroom, community and on the field."
 
Since taking over as interim coach in February, Farrier has guided the Bears to a 3-8 overall record and a 3-5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference mark. The Bears completed the season with four student-athletes recognized to the All-MEAC Team and 15 selected to the MEAC's All-Academic Team.
 
"It is an honor and a privilege to be named the permanent head football coach at Morgan State University," said Farrier. "I want to thank my family, Danita, India and Fred II for their love, support and understanding."
 
"I want to thank Dr. David Wilson [President], Dr. Kevin Banks [V.P. of Student Affairs] and Ed Scott for their support and trust and the opportunity to return this program to greatness. Our goal is to create men that are prepared for life and graduate with a degree from Morgan State University. Our goal is to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and to play in the Air Force Reserves Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. There is a lot of work to do and I am confident we can accomplish our goals."
 
"Morgan State football has a bright future and I am excited to be a part of it to contribute to the legacy of those that have come before me and those that will continue to walk this beautiful campus long after my time here is completed."
 
Farrier originally joined the Bears in 2014 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He oversaw the development of quarterback Moses Skillon, who was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's No. 5 leading passer in 2015.
 
Under Farrier's watch, Skillon completed 50.5 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards and 7 touchdowns and rushed for 420 yards and five scores in 2015. In 2014, Skillon passed for 1,392 and 11 touchdowns and led the Bears to its first MEAC championship in 35 years and its first ever FCS playoff appearance.
 
Farrier, a 16-year veteran of college football coaching ranks, joined the Bears after spending a pair of seasons as the passing game coordinator at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Farrier served four seasons as the head coach of Kentucky State (2005-09), where he coached the Thoroughbreds to an average of over 30 points and 375 yards per game.
 
Prior to that, he was the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Shaw University in 2004, where he led the Bears to a CIAA championship and Pioneer Bowl.
 
Farrier also served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Tennessee Tech from 2001-03.  Farrier broke into coaching at Michigan State University where he served two seasons (1998-99) as a graduate assistant coach under head coach Nick Saban, now head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
 
Farrier was an all-conference athlete in football and basketball during his prep career at Cleveland Heights High School, and played wide receiver at the College of the Holy Cross. Farrier also played basketball for two seasons and received his bachelor's degree in economics and accounting in 1994, and earned his master's degree from Tennessee Tech in 2004.
 
Farrier, 44, and his wife, Danita, have a son, Fred II, and daughter, India.

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified Doctoral Research Institution offering more than 70 academic programs leading to bachelor's degrees as well as programs at the master's and doctoral levels. As Maryland's premier public urban research university, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. More information about the university is available at www.morgan.edu.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Fobbs: Celebration Bowl buzz is 'amazing'

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The renewed relevancy of Grambling football is becoming so strong that coach Broderick Fobbs can't go out in public without being ambushed — in a good way.

Just a few years removed from consecutive losing seasons, the Tigers will play on the biggest stage of black college football next weekend in the Celebration Bowl against North Carolina Central.

And everyone seems to have noticed.



"The buzz is amazing. I was in the grocery story (Wednesday) just picking up something and a 70-year-old woman just bear hugged me and almost knocked me down. I almost signed her up," Fobbs joked at Thursday's Celebration Bowl press conference in Atlanta. "But it's exciting and we're excited about the direction we're headed."

Encounters like what Fobbs saw in the grocery store are common place. There's plenty of pride from Grambling fans in Louisiana and across the country with the roll the Tigers are on.

Grambling (10-1) just won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2011 and has dropped just two conference games in Fobbs' three years at the helm.

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Celebration Bowl gets set for its 2nd year

ATLANTA, Georgia -- John Grant, the executive director of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, is excited about the potential of the annual contest between the winners of MEAC and SWAC and has already noticed how the game is growing in popularity, he said at a news conference Thursday.

Grant along with No. 18 North Carolina Central (9-2, 8-0 MEAC) coach Jerry Mack, No. 14 Grambling State (10-1, 9-0 SWAC) coach Broderick Fobbs and MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas gathered at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce to discuss the second installment of the Celebration Bowl.

The game, which will be hosted in the Georgia Dome, is the next in a long line of contests that pit the nation’s best HBCUs against each other. Grant and Thomas said this game is just following in the tradition of those before it and is providing a chance to give these HBCUs even more visibility than before.

“We had a over 11.8 million viewers of this game last year,” Grant said. “That means we had a lot of people … tuned into this fantastic football game and they got to see a quality, competitive game.”

Fobbs echoed that sentiment and said he thinks the Celebration Bowl can grow to be an even bigger matchup than the Bayou Classic, the annual game between Grambling and Southern.

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NCCU Eagles Soar past LIU Brooklyn

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University seniors Patrick Cole (Newark, N.J.) and Del'vin Dickerson (Houston, Texas) combined for career-high games as the Eagles picked up a decisive victory over LIU Brooklyn, 79-56 on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at McDougald-McLendon Arena.

Cole served out a career-high 13 assists, which is good for the fifth-most in a single game, and bested his previous mark of 11 that he set against Jackson State during his triple-double. Dickerson picked up a career-high 23 points, and shot 11-for-17 from the field, becoming the third Eagle to score over 20 points in a game.

Cole also had 18 points for his fourth double-double of the season with five rebounds.



NCCU (6-3) was tied twice with LIU (6-3), but the Eagles never conceded the lead and held an advantage for 38 minutes of the 40. The Eagles took a 15-point lead to the break at 39-24, and later expanded the lead to as many as 25 in the late stages at 75-50.

NCCU made over 50 percent of its shots for the fourth time this season, shooting 56.1 percent, and the Eagles held LIU to just 33.3 percent shooting while allowing just one made three-pointer.

Dajuan Graf (Charlotte, N.C.) was the third Eagle to score in double figures with 14 points and three assists, and Pablo Rivas continued his efficient shooting with nine points on 4-for-5 shooting with seven rebounds. Will Ransom (Fort Worth, Texas) protected the paint once again with a game-high three blocks.

LIU was led by Iverson Fleming (North Brunswick, N.J.) who put up a team-high 16 points, and Jerome Frink (Jersey City, N.J.) was close to a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Eagles return to the road to start a three-game trip on Saturday, Dec. 10 at Coastal Carolina University.

BOX SCORE

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Strong start breeds strong finish

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- A good indication of which Div. I black college basketball teams will do well once conference play starts is how well they do in non conference play.

Given that metric, not many teams are going to be good this year.

On the NCAA Div. I level, only two HBCU teams – 7-1 Tennessee State out of the Ohio Valley Conference and 5-3 North Carolina Central out of the MEAC – can boast winning records so far.

The Tigers, under third-year head coach Dana Ford, have built their record with six wins on the road against mid-major competition. Their only blemish so far is an 83-59 loss at crosstown Nashville foe Vanderbilt of the SEC.

Ford, 32, the youngest Div. I head basketball coach, won the 2015 OVC Coach of the COYear award after leading the Tigers to a 20-11 record last year and a berth in the postseason CollegeInsider.com Tournament. They return several of the key components in last year’s run.

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Celebration Bowl: NCCU quarterback Malcolm Bell and the Eagles strategize for upcoming GSU matchup

ATLANTA, Georgia -- On December 17, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta will be filled with talent and determination as some of the best college athletes and coaches in the country compete in the 2016 Celebration Bowl matchup.

The game is based upon the final regular season teams standing in the MEAC football championship and the SWAC championship games. North Carolina Central University 9-2 overall, (8-0) will represent the MEAC and Grambling State University 10-1 overall, (9-0) will represent the SWAC.

“This is the first Celebration Bowl for us,” Malcolm Bell, NCCU’s quarterback said. “Honestly, it’s nothing different about this game besides the huge audience and atmosphere, but at the end of the day football is football.” It all comes down to who wants it more and who executes the best.”

The Virginia native says in order to defeat the Tigers that it’s vital that they come out with energy, effort, execution and enthusiasm.

“Those things a lone can give us the winning edge along with discipline,” he said.

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Peabody's Price commits to Grambling

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Peabody senior running back Bruce Price knew where he wanted to continue his career, but wanted to wait until the time was right.

The bruising 6-foot-1 and 235-pound back took to Twitter to give his verbal commitment to Grambling Monday.

"I loved the atmosphere," Price said. "The coaches and I have grown a bond over the time and they have a saying out there that is 'Where everybody is somebody.' I loved the people there and I figured that was a good choice for my family and I."



Price helped the Warhorses reach the second round of the Class 2A playoffs as he rushed for 1,632 yards and 29 touchdowns on 240 carries.

Peabody went 8-4 this season and finished third in District 3-3A, while recording the school's first home playoff victory since joining the LHSAA when it rallied from trailing 27-7 after one quarter to defeat St. James, 41-33, in the first round of the playoffs.

Similarly, Grambling rallied back from a 17-0 halftime deficit against Alcorn in the SWAC Championship game on Dec. 3 in Houston to win 27-20 and earn its first SWAC title since 2011.

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SCSU's Leonard Tabbed as MEAC Defensive Player of the Year

NEW YORK CITY -- South Carolina State redshirt junior linebacker Darius Leonard received one of the highest league honors this season by being named MEAC Defense Player of the Year, Tuesday (Dec.6) morning at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

North Carolina A&T State running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Offensive Player of the Year, the league announced.
The conference announced the award winners in New York City, in a partnership with the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame, during the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner.

All honors were voted on by the MEAC's head football coaches and sports information directors.



"It was an honor to win this award, I'm glad that I can uphold the tradition by bringing the defensive player of the year award back to South Carolina State for the fourth year in a row, "said Leonard. "I would like to think my coaches and my teammates for helping me accomplish such a prestigious honor."

Leonard (6-3, 220) led the conference in tackles, as he collected 124 this season (6th in FCS). He was selected the 2016 Preseason All-MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the 2016 All-MEAC First Team. A three-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, Leonard finished the season with 78 solo tackles (4th in FCS), 14.5 tackles for a loss of 64 yards, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass deflections, four forced fumbles (8th in FCS) and two blocked kicks. Leonard notched a season-high 19 tackles against #3 Clemson on Oct. 15. The Lake View, S.C. native has 281 total tackles in three seasons of play with one remaining. Leonard is also a finalist for the 2016 Buck Buchanan Award.

South Carolina State now becomes the first school in MEAC history to have four consecutive Defense Player of the Year Award honorees. The past four winners including Leonard are linebacker Joe Thomas in 2013, and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave in 2014 & 2015.He is the 16th Bulldog to earn the honor.

For more information on South Carolina State Athletics visit www.scsuatheltics.com or call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Big South Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Football to face both NCA&T and NCCU in 2017

BOILING SPRINGS, North Carolina -- Gardner-Webb announced its 2017 football schedule Tuesday afternoon, featuring five home games in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will face six FCS teams next season that were ranked in the top-25 during the 2016 regular season.

Gardner-Webb will open its season on Saturday, September 2 against North Carolina A&T in Boiling Springs – the first meeting between the two schools in football. The Aggies were ranked as high as ninth during the regular season and made an appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2016.

The Runnin' Bulldogs will fly to Laramie, Wyo., on S2ndeptember 9 to face a Wyoming squad that won eight games this season and is set to make an appearance in the Poinsetta Bowl against BYU. Gardner-Webb will return home to face Western Carolina (9/16) and will travel to face FCS playoff squad Wofford (9/23) one week later.

A home date with Division II Shorter awaits on October 7, before a two-game road swing that begins at MEAC champion North Carolina Central (10/14). The Eagles are ranked in the top-20 nationally and will play in the Airforce Reserve Celebration Bowl against SWAC champion Grambling State on December 17.

Gardner-Webb opens Big South Conference play on the road at Kennesaw State (10/21), then hosts 2016 co-champions Liberty (10/28) and Charleston Southern (11/4) in back-to-back weeks.

The 'Dogs will close out the 2017 regular season slate on the road with consecutive dates at Monmouth (11/11) and Presbyterian (11/18). The finale marks the first time since 2013 that GWU has closed the regular season with the Blue Hose.

Game times will be finalized in July 2017, once television dates are determined.

2017 Gardner-Webb Football Schedule
09/02 NORTH CAROLINA A&T
09/09 at Wyoming
09/16 WESTERN CAROLINA
09/23 at Wofford
09/30 OPEN DATE
10/07 SHORTER
10/14 at North Carolina Central
10/21 at Kennesaw State *
10/28 LIBERTY *
11/04 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN *
11/11 at Monmouth *
11/18 at Presbyterian *

* Denotes Big South Conference Game

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North Carolina A&T's Cohen Wins Third MEAC Offensive POTY Honor

NEW YORK CITY -- Senior Tarik Cohen (5-foot-6, 179, Bunn, N.C.) added to his legacy on Tuesday, becoming the first player in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history to win offensive football player of the year three times.

The conference made the announcement at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in partnership with the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame during the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner. South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard was named defensive player of the year.

Cohen closed out his career at N.C. A&T with an exclamation point as his final rushing tally was 5,619 yards. In addition, he finished fifth in the national voting for the Walter Payton Award given to the top FCS offensive player in the country. The top three vote getters are invited to the awards banquet and presentation in Frisco, Texas on Jan. 6.

The star back ran for a single-season school record 1,588 yards, breaking his own record from the previous season when he ran for 1,543 yards. He did not stop there, however, when it came to shattering records in 2016. In a nationally-televised game against Norfolk State on Oct. 6, Cohen broke the all-time MEAC rushing record on a 62-yard touchdown dart down the middle of the field to give him not only the record but 200 yards rushing for the game. Two hundred yards rushing would be a theme for Cohen in 2016. He ran for 200-plus yards in four games this season including three weeks in a row from Sept. 29-Oct. 15. Three consecutive 200-yard games are a school record.

There was also a period during the season where Cohen had a consecutive offensive player of the week streak going. He won the honor five weeks in a row from Oct. 3-Oct. 31 and won it two other times including on Sept. 12 following the Aggies historic win over Division I-FBS Kent State when Cohen had 133 yards rushing and 125 yards receiving. In the 46 weeks Cohen played for the Aggies, he won offensive player of the week 16 times. In two additional weeks, he was named rookie of the week by the MEAC.

“With all the talk about what a great player he is, and he is a tremendous player. But he has also been a great representative for this university, and that’s what I’m most proud of,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway. “Our great university has received so much publicity because of Tarik Cohen, and he handled it with grace, humility and dignity and made the university proud. It’s what you expect out of him because he is a great person.”

Cohen has been the subject of several SportsCenter highlights on ESPN. He also visited the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., to do three different live segments on a Saturday morning SportsCenter in May of 2015. He earned the opportunity after a video of him catching footballs while coming out of a backflip went viral. Cohen was also featured in national video post by The Undefeated, ESPN’s newest website.

But it is his many records that will have a lasting legacy for the running back who had only one scholarship offer (N.C. A&T) coming out of Bunn High School. Cohen broke the single-season touchdown record this season with 19. He tied Stoney Polite for the single-season rushing touchdowns record (18). There are a two other touchdown records he holds. His 56 rushing and 59 total TD’s are both school records.

With two touchdown passes, Cohen was responsible for 61 touchdowns which ranks him second behind Alan Hooker with 66. His 339 points scored is also tops in N.C. A&T history. Cohen also took over the school’s career all-purpose yards record with 6,564 (5,619 rushing, 945 receiving). His 868 carries are also a record. His 98 receptions tie him for 10th all-time in school history.



NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Grambling State University Punches Ticket to Second Annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl

Tigers to Face North Carolina Central Eagles on December 17

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The last invitation to the second annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl – to be played on Saturday, Dec. 17, at noon ET from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta – has been extended to the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) college football champion, Grambling State University. The FCS No. 14 Tigers have now won 10 games in a row after defeating Alcorn State University, 27-20. Executive Director of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, John Grant, was on-site at the SWAC Championship in Houston last Saturday, Dec. 3, and presented Grambling State Coach Broderick Fobbs with the official invitation.

"Congratulations to SWAC champion Grambling State for punching their ticket to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl," said Grant. "We are excited for the Tigers to join us in this historic match-up against the North Carolina Central Eagles."

The bowl will feature a Top 20 matchup, as North Carolina Central rose to No. 18 in the final FCS Coaches Poll behind a nine game win streak. They defeated rival and then No. 9 North Carolina A&T on Nov. 19 to win the MEAC title outright. Eagles Coach Jerry Mack and Fobbs have both been nominated for the Eddie Robinson Award, which is awarded annually to the top head coach in FCS.

Establishing itself as the first bowl game of the season, the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl is a postseason football game owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. It is a championship-style game between the MEAC and SWAC champions and will be televised on ABC. ESPN Events collaborates with 100 Black Men of Atlanta to organize the game's ancillary events which include a youth symposium, robotics showcase, gospel night, fan experience and more. North Carolina A&T defeated Alcorn State 41-34 in the inaugural game last year in front of over 35,000 fans.

Fans can purchase tickets to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl online at ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or in person at the Georgia Dome box office. Prices range from $15 to $60, plus applicable taxes and fees. A full list of events surrounding the game are available on the event's website. For more information, visit www.TheCelebrationBowl.com, and follow the event on Twitter and Facebook.

For MEAC fans, a special rate of $104/night is being offered at the Marriott Marquis, and is available for December 17-19. Please visit the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl website for more details.

For SWAC fans, a special rate of $95/night is being offered at the Hilton Atlanta, and is available for December 17-19. Please visit the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl website for more details.

How AAMU's Anthony Lanier II went from an undrafted free agent to a potential premier player with the Washington Redskins

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For months now, Anthony Lanier II has been staring a lot. He knows it, too. And he has tried to stop. Oh, man, has he tried. But he can’t. At the Washington Redskins’ team complex, something invariably catches his eye. Even late into his first NFL season, the defensive end is still blown away by the weight room. All of that state-of-the-art equipment to use whenever he pleases. Shoot. Nothing’s better to help him stay on the grind. The food at Redskins Park is also legit. A brother can maintain his playing weight on that dope spread. The locker room, though, gets Lanier the most. Often, he catches himself gazing at the nameplates above the dressing stalls. His is there, too. His. He shares his work space with millionaires. Maybe he’ll never get over that.

“There was a time when I never thought I would be here. I could have been working a regular nine-to-five [job],” Lanier said. “All of a sudden, I’m here?”

The Redskins will tell you Lanier is where he belongs.



The undrafted rookie free agent from Alabama A&M, one of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), was once considered a long shot to make the roster. Of course, that proves again there’s no telling how far a nonstop motor and gobs of raw talent will take you. Lanier has gotten some run recently in the defensive-line rotation and made every moment count. A fumble recovery here, an eye-opening quarterback pressure there. It all adds up. Talk to Lanier’s teammates on Washington’s defense, and you’ll learn he’s the only one who’s surprised. The young fella needs to be on the field. Ballers know ballers.


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Jackson State Specks' 27 Points Leads Tigers Past Southern Miss

JACKSON, Mississippi – Yettra Specks scored a career high 27 points to lead the Jackson State men’s basketball team to a 75-64 victory over in-state opponent Southern Miss Sunday evening at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center.

With the win JSU (2-6) snapped a six game losing streak and improved to 2-1 on its home court this season. Southern Miss fell to a 3-3 mark with the loss.

Specks, whose previous career high was 23 points was recorded at Prairie View A&M last season, made timely baskets for the Tigers for the entire game. He was an efficient 8-13 from the floor, including going 3-6 from three point range and 8-9 from the free throw line. He also had a game-high six assists and was one of three Tigers to finish with four steals.



Edric Dennis, who finished with 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in 25 minutes of action, was the only other double-digit scorer for the Tigers. JSU did have a balanced scoring effort as seven other Tigers put points in the score book. Paris Collins scored eight points to go along with a game-high seven rounds, three assists and four steals. Maurice Rivers also added eight points and six rebounds and Janarius Middleton chipped in seven points on 3-8 shooting from the field.

Quinton Campbell led USM with 22 points on 7-11 shooting from the field.

JSU led 43-30 at halftime, but the Eagles opened the second half with a 10-1 run to cut the Tigers’ lead to 44-40. By the 15:09 mark USM had cut JSU’s lead down to three points. On the next possession Specks knocked down a three to give the Tigers a little breathing room at 46-40. USM would trim JSU’s lead down to four points but would get no closer.

The Tigers went on to increase the lead to 13 points with 1:18 minutes left in the game. JSU had one of its better shooting games as the Tigers connected on 44.8% of its shot attempts (26-58). JSU connected on 35.3% of its threes (6-17). USM connected on 52.5% of its shot attempts (21-40) and 40.0% of its threes (16-27). Both teams struggled from the line with JSU going 17-26 (65.4%) and USM going 16-27 (59.3%).

JSU also led in points in the paint (30-22) and points off turnovers (21-10). The Tigers forced 17 USM turnovers and recorded 14 steals.

Up Next for JSU: The Tigers travel to Des Moines, IA to face Drake on Dec. 10, before returning to the AAC to face Blue Mountain College on Dec. 15. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. Call the JSU Athletics Ticket Office at 601-979-2420 to purchase tickets or for more information.

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Maryland Eastern Shore Baseball Announces 2017 Schedule

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- First-year head coach Charlie Goens will face plenty of challenges over the 2017 season, as the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks play 52 contests, starting in February and ending in May. The Shore will host 19 of these games at Hawks Stadium in Princess Anne.

"We are excited about our 2017 schedule." Goens said. "We embrace the opportunity for our student-athletes to play against great competition. I feel this schedule is going to challenge our young men and help prepare us for a run at a MEAC championship."

The season begins on Feb. 17 with a trip to Macon, Georgia to face the Mercer Bears in a three-game series--the first meeting between the two teams. Highlights in the early part of the season beyond the opening series includes two trips to Greensboro and the Hawks' home opener March 11 and 12 against Iona.

Conference play begins the following Friday in Baltimore, when the Hawks face the Eagles of Coppin State for three games beginning March 18. Following a spring break trip to North Carolina, Maryland Eastern Shore returns home for the next three MEAC weekends. Norfolk State comes to The Shore on March 25-26 and Delaware State faces the Hawks April 1-2. Another three games with Coppin will take place April 8-9.

After the three MEAC weekends at home, the Hawks host one more midweek matchup on April 12 against Navy before playing 13 of the next 14 contests on the road. Beginning in Norfolk and ending in Pittsburgh, The Shore will also make stops in Dover and Baltimore. The Hawks finally return home May 6 to wrap up MEAC play against Norfolk State.

For the third straight year, Maryland Eastern Shore will host the 2016 MEAC Baseball Championship. The four-day tournament begins May 18 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland.

The Hawks finished out the 2015-16 campaign with a 16-32 mark to earn the most victories over a two year span since the 1994 and 1995 seasons.

2017 Baseball Schedule

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Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl: North Carolina Central Eagles vs. Grambling State Tigers

WATCH IN 1080p60 HD, WIDE SCREEN

Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl: North Carolina Central Eagles vs. Grambling State Tigers
Date: Dec. 17, Noon ET 
TV: ABC Network
Location: Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Georgia

North Carolina Central

Best moment: The Eagles beat then-No. 9 North Carolina A&T 42-21 to win the MEAC title outright. It is the third consecutive season that North Carolina Central has won at least a share of the MEAC, but this is the first such season in that span that it has the title to itself. The Eagles were dominant, taking a 35-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, and it was their 15th consecutive victory over a MEAC opponent.

Lowest moment: North Carolina Central’s only two losses came to FBS teams at the beginning of the year: a 49-6 loss to Duke followed by a 70-21 loss to unbeaten Western Michigan.



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Wiley Wildcats Rally in Final Minutes to Top Concordia-Austin

George Page scored 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Courtesy: Wiley College Sports Information

AUSTIN, Texas – The Wiley College men's basketball team found itself on the ropes but found a way to rally in the last two minutes for a 101-96 victory over Concordia University-Austin Saturday.

The Wildcats (8-1) led by eight at halftime but allowed it to slip away in less than five minutes. Wiley College trailed by as many as 10 with 3:12 left in the game. Ricardo Artis (SR/Austin, Texas) took advantage of a second chance opportunity and hit a 3-pointer. A minute later, Kevondric Davis (JR/Shreveport, LA) hit a three-pointer to cut the lead in half. Cory Jones (SR/Houston, Texas) stole the in-bounds pass and dished it to Artis, who easily converted a layup and cut Concordia's lead to 94-93.

"Davis is a starter, and he has the ability to spark a run and defend practically anyone with his athleticism," head coach Jameus Hartsfield said. "I'm just happy he played through the foul trouble and hit a clutch 3-pointer."

After the Tornados converted a layup, Jones found George Page (SR/Winnfield, LA), who put up a layup. Jones took advantage of a Concordia-Austin turnover and gave the Wildcats a 97-96 lead on a layup with 25 seconds remaining. Davis got a steal and converted a layup to expand Wiley College's lead. The Tornados' 3-point attempt was off the mark and Page grabbed the rebound with four seconds left. He was immediately fouled and converted both free throws.

"Our guys were determined to get the job done," Hartsfield said. "I'm proud of how hard they fought to get a win."

The Wildcats went on an 11-0 run to take a 46-34 lead with 2:56 left in the first half. Artis scored nine points during the run. Wiley College took a 54-46 lead into the halftime locker room. The Wildcats made 36 of 61 field goal attempts for a 59 shooting percentage. Wiley made 26 of 34 free throw attempts.

Page led all scorers with 33 points – hitting 12 of his 14 field goal attempts. He was the Wildcats' top rebounder with eight. Artis contributed 14 points, three rebounds and two steals. Jones was also in double figures with 12 points, three steals and two assists.

Wiley College will begin Red River Athletic Conference play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Jarvis Christian College.

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Show Me State Classic: Rally Comes Up Short as Lincoln Falls to Harris Stowe Hornets

ST. CHARLES, Missouri -- The Lincoln women's basketball team out-scored Harris Stowe 36-29, in the second half, but the Hornets held off a later Blue Tiger comeback as HSSU beat LU, 68-64, in the Show Me State Classic on Saturday (Dec. 3).

Lincoln faced a 39-28 deficit at halftime, but shot .412 from the floor over the final two quarters and forced 11 turnovers to get back in the game. The Blue Tigers came within one point of the Hornets, 48-47, with 2:47 remaining in the third, but Harris Stowe used a quick 5-0 run to keep Lincoln from taking the lead.

In the fourth quarter, Harris Stowe (5-4) took a 10-point lead on a pair of free throws with 1:20 remaining in the game, but Lincoln (1-5) was not ready to call it a night. Azaria Nave made a pair of shots at the line, then caused a steal and passed the ball to Hunter Yoakum, who hit a layup to pull LU to within 66-60. Harris Stowe then attempted a quick layup on its ensuing possession, but missed the shot, which led to a Tempary Gunter layup on the other end of the court.



With just eight seconds remaining, Yoakum created another turnover and made a layup to pull the Blue Tigers to within 66-64. Lincoln then quickly fouled, but Harris Stowe made both of its free throws. LU tried a three-pointer on the following possession, but Harris Stowe grabbed the rebound and held onto the ball to run out the clock.

Erica Gibbons had a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to go with four steals, three blocks and an assist. Nave led all scorers with 20 points and dropped four dimes while tallying four boards and a pair of steals. Yoakum scored 17 points and finished with six rebounds.

Lopez added five points, three boards, a pair of assists and two steals while Tyler Brown-Henderson scored four points and Gunter chipped in three. Brown-Henderson additionally had six rebounds while Gunter pulled down five. Kailey Foster contributed an assist and Shamirah Johnson recorded three rebounds.

The Blue Tigers will open MIAA play at home on Thursday (Dec. 8), as Lincoln hosts Missouri Southern at 5:30 p.m. CST. It will be Parochial Schools and Heroes Night, and all kids, EMT workers, firefighters, police officers, current and veteran members of the military, and all faculty and staff members at Jefferson City's parochial schools will receive free admission.

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Smith Scores 34 as Lincoln Wins Show Me State Classic

ST. CHARLES, Missouri -- Jaylon Smith scored 34 points and Tacourrus Mattox pulled down 11 rebounds as the Lincoln men's basketball team defeated Harris Stowe, 80-57, to win the Show Me State Classic on Saturday (Dec. 3).

Lincoln (6-2) out-scored the Hornets 46-22 in the first half after shooting .457 from the floor and .786 at the free throw line. The Blue Tigers ended up shooting .443 for the game and finished with a 44-32 edge in rebounding and a 14-24 advantage in turnovers. Harris Stowe (2-6) was held to .240 shooting in the first half and .321 for the game.

Smith, who finished just one point shy of his career-high total of 35, had 24 points by the end of the first half. Smith, who also grabbed seven rebounds and had a pair of steals, was 12-for-25 from the floor and a perfect 7-for-7 at the line. Mattox, meanwhile, added six points and a pair of blocks.



Anthony Virdure and O'Shai Clark each also had six points apiece, with Virdure also tallying three boards, a pair of assists, two steals and a block. Clark provided three assists to the winning effort. Chase Morfeld also had three assists and made a pair of free throws to go with two rebounds.

The two teams opened the game by trading shots, but Lincoln broke a 4-4 tie with a 23-0 run, capped off by back-to-back dunks by Darrius Spencer. The closest Harris Stowe came to a comeback afterwards was a 63-47 deficit with 6:04 left in the game, as Lincoln which led by 27 at one point, held a 20-point advantage for most of the afternoon. Four-straight points by Smith put Lincoln back up by 22, and Maurice Mason hit a trey to stifle the Hornet rally.

Mason scored nine points, pulled down six rebounds and had a pair of steals while Spencer finished with four points, three boards and an assist. Kevin Bolen also scored four while Richie Lewis added four points, five rebounds, two three steals, a pair of assists and a block. Rod Ollison provided three points and five boards while Alexander Nailes closed out the scoring with two points. Deionte Wilson also represented Lincoln on the court with a rebound.

The Blue Tigers will return to Jason Gym on Thursday (Dec. 8) to open MIAA play against Missouri Southern at 7:30 p.m. CST. That will be Parochial Schools and Heroes Night, and all kids, EMT workers, fire fighters, police officers, current and veteran members of the military and all Jefferson City parochial school staff and faculty members will receive free admission.

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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU Men Need Strong Second Half

DWIGHT FLOYD
GAME REPORT

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Reaching back to the years of Coach Mike Gillespie and beyond, FAMU men’s basketball saw this time of the year as a period when the team gained valuable experience against top Division 1 opponents while cashing in on away games. It is much like the football games played against the Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes except that in this case FAMU is in the same division as the away opponent. Down in the valley the FSU Seminoles would play powder puff teams to tune up and prepare for the serious conference play. What better way to tune up than to pad the win-loss record while practicing against lesser teams.

For the past two years a win, any win, was important. With a team of walk-ons and players under development, Coach Samuels’ Rattlers dared to be competitive, but could not hold weight against most other teams. They just didn’t have the talent. Playing against former SWAC Conference Champion Southern University on Saturday afternoon, the Rattlers weren’t just competitive, they almost won the game. They were right there in the first half and even gained the lead in the first minutes of the second half. With a foul here, a forced play there, and a financial drought, excuse me, poor shooting down the stretch, the Rattlers couldn’t maintain. That has been the case through the last four games this season.

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Claflin Lady Panthers Remain Unbeaten in SIAC

Senior NaBresha Hughes scored 12 points in the win

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The Claflin University women's basketball team ran their Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) record to 3-0 with a 72-54 win over Lane College Saturday at the Tullis Arena.

This is the second straight season Claflin has opened conference play with three straight wins.

The Lady Panthers improved to 7-2 overall.

Jhontay Giles led Claflin with 13 points and nine rebounds. NaBresha Hughes chipped in 12 points, while Joclyn Ramos had nine points in the win.

Dionna Marcus and Briana Chisolm came off the bench to contributed eight points apiece.

Lane, now 1-7 overall and 0-1 in the conference, was led by Tashara Jones with a game-high 18 points.

A defensive change at the beginning of the second quarter jump started the Lady Panthers on both ends of the court. Tied at 17-all at the end of the first, Claflin Coach Deont'a McChester made the defensive adjustment which proved to be what the Lady Panthers needed.

McChester decided to apply pressure on the defensive end. The move saw the Lady Panthers hold the Lane offense to just six points in the second quarter.

On the offensive end, Claflin opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run for a 27-19 lead at the 4:12 mark. During that period, the Lady Panthers forced eight turnovers and six missed shots.

Brittany McWaine halted the run for Claflin with a layup with 3:19 showing on the clock.

Claflin would outscore Lane 6-2 the rest of the way for a 33-23 halftime lead.

"It's was our defense," McChester said. "The defensive pressure got us going on both ends of the court. We played very well defensively, especially in the second quarter. Our defense pressure forced turnovers that we were able to capitalize on offensively.

"Our defense has really been a big weapon for us this season."

The Lady Panthers defensive unit forced 14 of their season high 26 turnovers in the first half. Claflin previous best this season was 23 against North Alabama (11/12/16).

The Lady Panthers had four players that scored six points each in the opening half.
The second half was pretty much the story as Claflin outscored Lane 23-18 in the third quarter to increase its lead 56-41. Hughes' three-pointer at the 1:39 mark of the quarter provided the Lady Panther with their biggest lead at 56-36.

Claflin racked up 16 points in the fourth quarter to 13 for Lane.

The Lay Panthers will return to the hardwood Saturday, Dec. 12, playing host to Virginia Union in a 5:30 p.m. contest. The Lady Panthers will remain at home for two more games, Livingstone College (Dec. 15) and Limestone (Dec. 17) before hitting the road Dec. 19 to close out the calendar season at Florida Southern.

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WSSU rolls past Virginia Union

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- If coach James Wilhelmi can convince his Winston-Salem State team that every day is his birthday, it might never lose again.

The Rams, behind the inspired play of Willie Crandell, cruised to an 87-73 win over Virginia Union on Saturday night at the Gaines Center. It was Wilhelmi’s 46th birthday and he broke out his trademark bow tie, and his Rams broke out a can of defensive pressure that was fun to watch.

“I think it had more to do with getting T.J. Wilson back and Willie Crandell’s play than it had to do with it being my birthday,” Wilhelmi said about picking up the nonconference victory. “I’m just really proud of how the guys responded tonight, especially after the game the other night.”

While the Rams did get Wilson back after he missed two games because of an ankle injury, they did not have the services of Jamel McAllister, who suffered a groin injury in Wednesday night’s blowout loss to UNC Pembroke.

Picking up the slack was Crandell, who scored a career-high 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting. He added eight rebounds and two steals in the best overall performance of his two-year career.

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Future appears bright for McNair, Alcorn

ALCORN STATE, Mississippi -- The Alcorn State Braves may have come up short, but the 19.5-point underdogs gave the Grambling State Tigers all they wanted in Saturday’s 27-20 loss in the SWAC Championship.

The Braves were beating the Tigers 17-0 and had held FCS Offensive Player of the Year candidate Devante Kincade to minus-2 total yards at one point in the first half.

They came into the game not minding the underdog role. Coach Fred McNair’s team had become accustomed to the practice of overcoming adversity.

The first-year head coach took some time to reminisce over the game and his squad’s 5-5 regular season.

“We played a heck of a game,” McNair said. “I just can’t say enough about this group of young men who came out and fought hard all season, not just in football but as young men. … I just have to thank them for what they’ve done.”

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