NEW ORLEANS — Hannah Lawing, head coach of women's volleyball at Xavier University of Louisiana, has resigned after four seasons to pursue non-coaching opportunities.
Lawing was 81-39 (.675) as coach of the Gold Nuggets, winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships four times apiece and qualifying for four NAIA National Championship tournaments. Lawing was GCAC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016.
Against GCAC opponents, Lawing was 48-2 (.960) in the regular season and 9-0 in tournaments.
"Many thanks to coach Lawing for her work and her success with our program," said Jason Horn, XULA director of athletics & recreation. "Our volleyball program is on a solid foundation that we can continue to build upon to gain national recognition and contend for championships. Best wishes to coach Lawing in her future endeavors."
The Gold Nuggets broke the XULA season record for digs per set every year during Lawing's tenure. This season XULA averaged 18.62 digs per set, a nearly 10-percent increase from 2015. Lawing's program earned NAIA Scholar-Team awards in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Lawing joined the XULA staff as an assistant coach in 2012 and succeeded Christabell Hamilton following that season.
XULA will conduct a national search to find a new head coach.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Virginia State Trojans Welcomes Coach Wilbert Johnson
ETTRICK, Virgnia -- The Virginia State University Athletics Department would like to welcome new Head Cross Country/ Track and Field Coach, Wilbert Johnson, to the Trojan Family.
"I feel wonderful being a new addition to VSU Athletic," said Johnson. "The opportunity was there and I sought it, so I think it will be a wonderful year. Since I know some of the student-athletes personally, it has been a very smooth process."
Johnson comes to VSU with a wealth of knowledge after coming off of several great seasons at Virginia Union University.
In his 7 seasons at VUU, Johnson made history by collecting 3 consecutive men's cross country champions. Along with securing numerous top 3 finishes on both the men's and women's side in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field; Johnson guided countless student-athletes to the All-Conference and All-American list. In 2015, Johnson made VUU history to have the first female to be a NCAA Division II National Champion after she dominated the 60M indoor dash.
His dedication to the sport earned him 3 consecutive CIAA Coach of the Year honors.
Being known to combine the talents of old and new student-athletes as well as develop methods to have a successful season, Johnson is on a quest to move the Trojans in the right directions.
"I look to bring additional pride to the cross country/ track and field programs as well as update the sprints and distance corps," expressed Johnson. "Hopefully bringing in additional student-athletes from other schools will help us move forward."
Prior to his time at VUU, Johnson was the Assistant Track & Field Coach at Florida A&M in Tallahassee, FL. During Johnson's tenure at FAMU, he coached and assisted the men's team to several MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. He also coached countless regional and national qualifiers.
Johnson reached back to his high school alma mater, Blanch Ely High School in Pompano Beach, FL, to build a powerhouse program for 10 years prior to his collegiate coaching career.
Although born in Sanford, NC, Johnson was raised in Pompano Beach, FL. He is a Florida Memorial University graduate and a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
The VSU Trojans are eager for the upcoming seasons that Coach Johnson will be leading.
"I am very pleased to have Coach Johnson to join our staff and he will do a fantastic job," said Athletic Director Peggy Davis. "His work ethic is unbelievable and his professional and leadership guidance for the student-athletes is impeccable."
The Trojans began their indoor track and field season on December 4 at the CNU Holiday Invite in Newport News, VA. VSU will return to action on January 7, 2017 for the Father Diamond Invite in Fairfax, VA.
For more information on Coach Wilbert Johnson and the VSU track and field programs, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN3: Chicago State Women's Basketball vs. Loyola-Chicago at 1 pm ET
| Chicago State (0-8) at Loyola (0-8) | |
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016 |
| Time | 12 p.m. |
| Location | Gentile Arena - Chicago, Ill. |
| Video | ESPN3 |
| Radio | N/A |
| Live Stats | http://statb.us/b/150062 |
| Social Media | @ramblerwbball (Twitter) |
Loyola Game Notes
OPENING TIP – Chicago State women's basketball makes a trip to Rogers Park on the city's north side on Saturday afternoon to battle rival Loyola in an city showdown that will be broadcast live on ESPN3 beginning at 12 p.m.
SCOUTING CSU – CSU is looking for its first victory of the season after dropping its first eight contests after falling last Sunday at Northwestern by a score of 75-42 as sophomore guard/forward Kaylee Allen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) led all scorers in the contest with 16 points and added eight rebounds. Leading the Green and White is sophomore forward/center Sh'Toya Sanders (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne), who is averaging 16 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots per game to go along with five double-doubles. Allen is second on the team with averages of 14 points and 1.6 steals a game while dishing out a team-leading 3.1 assists per contest and is shooting a team-high 83 percent from the free throw line. Junior guard Destiny Harris(Crete, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) is grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game and redshirt junior guard Jessica Cerda (Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood) is third in scoring at 6.3 points a game.
SCOUTING LUC – Like CSU, Loyola is searching for its first win of 2016-17 as it enters Saturday's contest with an 0-8 season record following an 81-43 road defeat at No. 14 Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday that concluded a five-game road swing. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Williams leads the Ramblers with averages of 9.9 points, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game in addition to shooting 39 percent from three-point range. Junior guard/forward Katie Salmon is grabbing a team-leading 4.9 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team in scoring with 8.9 points a game, and freshman guard/forward Kiana Coomber is producing a scoring average of 8.1 points per contest.
SERIES HISTORY – Loyola leads the all-time series with Chicago State by an 11-3 margin and it has been victorious in the last five meetings. The Ramblers won the last contest between the two teams by a score of 77-63 at the Jones Convocation Center on Dec. 31, 2013. CSU has three players score in double figures in the contest with Layne Murphy (Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Central) recording a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
WAC LEADER...PART ONE – Sanders ranks first in several statistical categories in the WAC as she leads the league in total rebounds, blocked shots and defensive rebounds (6.3 dprg). The Fort Wayne, Ind., native also ranks second in offensive rebounds (3.6 orpg) and third in scoring.
UP NEXT – CSU closes out its road swing on Wednesday, Dec. 14 as it heads to Wisconsin to battle Horizon League foe Milwaukee at the Klotsche Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with a start time of 7 p.m.
CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN3: Edward Waters to Face North Florida at 1 pm ET
JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- After spending the last five contest away from its home court, the North Florida women's basketball team comes back to UNF Arena to host Edward Waters on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game is presented by Waychoff's Air Conditioning.GAME DAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Edward Waters at North Florida
WHERE: UNF Arena (5800)
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10 - 1 PM (ET)
THE SERIES: UNF leads 11-0 // H: 11-0 | A: 0-0 | N: 0-0
LAST MEETING: UNF last met the TIgers in 2014 and escaped with a 62-57 win.
FOLLOWING THE ACTION
TV/WEB: ESPN3 (Watch ESPN app)
LIVESTATS: SIDEARM Stats
TWITTER: @OspreyWBB
ABOUT NORTH FLORIDA (5-4 / 0-0 ASUN)
Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Game Notes
ABOUT EDWARD WATERS (9-4)
Roster | Schedule | Statistics
LAST TIME OUT...
- North Florida dropped a 78-52 decision at NC State... The Ospreys recorded season-high 27 turnovers leading to 29 points for the Pack... Sierra Shepherd led the team in scoring for the second straight game as she recorded 13 points... Claire Ioannidis and Simone Brownjoined her in double figures.
- Edward Waters took him a 71-62 victory against Keiser University on Dec. 7 and is currently on a four-game win streak...The Tigers host Florida Memorial on Friday.
NOTABLE
- Today is the first game at UNF Arena since November 20 when UNF took down FAU in double overtime.
- The Ospreys 5-4 mark is the best through nine games in Division I history.
- It is the second time that UNF and Edward Waters have played on December 10. UNF beat the Tigers on this date in 1994.
- For the second straight season, UNF opened its season with a win.
- Senior Claire Ioannidis recorded her 10th career 20+ point game as she went 7-for-10 from long range against Nicholls State (Nov. 26).
-The last time the two teams met in 2014, North Florida snuck out a five-point win.
-The Ospreys return 84% of their scoring from 2015-16.
- UNF is 1-3 on December 10th. UNF last played on this date in 2012 and lost to Savannah State. Its lone win is actually against Edward Waters in 1994, 96-57.
- The Ospreys have made at least one 3-pointer in 41 consecutive games dating back to 2/25/15 when FGCU held them without a longball (0-8).
- Claire Ioannidis (14.9), Tesh Hanson (12.8) and Sierra Shepherd (10.1) are one of only three teammates to average 10.0 or more points per game this season so far in the ASUN.
- In three home games this season, North Florida is undefeated and is scoring 89.7 PPG compared to 50.0 in road games. UNF connects on 47.9 percent of field goals on their home court.
AN OSPREY WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD...
- Be the 328th win in program history
- Be the Ospreys fourth straight win at home
- Be the 12th straight win against Edward Waters
- Be the 6th non-conference victory of UNF
UP NEXT
- The Ospreys stay at home to host Morehead State on Tuesday, Dec. 13 before taking to the road to wrap the contests before the holidays. UNF travels to Bethune-Cookman on December 15 and follows it up with a road trip over to No. 7 Florida State on Monday, Dec. 19.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
TV: FOX Sports: TSU Tigers Ready for Road Test at NC State, 4 pm ET
TENNESSEE STATE (7-1)
at NC STATE (6-2)
Saturday, Dec. 10 | 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
Reynolds Coliseum | Raleigh, N.C.
at NC STATE (6-2)
Saturday, Dec. 10 | 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
Reynolds Coliseum | Raleigh, N.C.
TV: RSN/ACC Network Extra - Bob Rathbun (pxp) and Mike Gminski (Analysis) on the call
VIDEO STREAM: ACC Network Extra / WatchESPN
LIVE STATS: SidearmStats.comVIDEO STREAM: ACC Network Extra / WatchESPN
GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter - @TSU_Tigers | Instagram - @TSUTigers | #BigBlueRising
OPENING TIP: The Tennessee State men’s basketball team travels to Raleigh, N.C. to take on NC State on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Tigers are 7-1 for the first time since making the jump to the NCAA Division I level prior to the 1977-78 season.
HOW TO WATCH: Saturday’s game will stream live on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN app. The game can also be seen on FOX Sports South/FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Sun, FOX Sports Midwest Plus/FOX Sports Indiana Plus, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, YES, NESN, ROOT Sports Pittsburgh, SportsTime Ohio, FOX Sports Detroit, FOX Sports North, FOX Sports Wisconsin, FOX Sports Southwest Plus, FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports San Diego, FOX Sports Prime Ticket, ROOT Sports Rocky Mtn and ROOT Sports Northwest.
LAST TIME OUT: Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) hit the game-winning jumper with 8.4 seconds left in a 72-71 win at Lipscomb on Dec. 3. Six TSU players scored in double figures highlighted by double-doubles from McCall (10 p, 11 r), Wayne Martin (16 p, 12 r) and Jordan Reed (11 p, 14 r).
ABOUT NC STATE: Selected sixth in the ACC Preseason Poll, NC State is 6-2 on the season. Dennis Smith, Jr., a freshman named to the Preseason All-ACC team, leads the Wolfpack offense with 18.3 points and 4.9 assists per game. Four NC State players are averaging 13.0 points or more per game. The Wolfpack is coming off a 77-73 win over Boston University on Dec. 3 to bounce back from a road loss at Illinois.
TSU VS. THE ACC: TSU has gone 0-14 versus teams that currently make up the ACC. Included in the record is five games versus Louisville and one versus Virginia Tech prior to joining the ACC.
IN THE NATION: For the second week in a row, TSU is ranked 17th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, which was released on Dec. 5. In the AP Top 25 Poll, the Tigers received votes in the Nov. 21 and Nov. 28 polls.
UP NEXT: TSU hosts Alabama State at the Gentry Center on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. as the second game of a basketball doubleheader. TSU’s women’s team will host Fisk at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday to kick off the doubleheader.
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN3: Samford 'Dogs Ready To Face Miles College Saturday At 7 pm ET
Video (ESPN3) | Audio | Live Stats | Tickets | Game NotesBIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Samford University basketball team will conclude play in its brief two-game homestand Saturday at 6 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs welcome the Miles College Golden Bears to the Pete Hanna Center for a non-conference, cross-town rivalry game.
Samford (5-3) enters the matchup with a full head of steam after earning back-to-back victories against Saint Louis, 68-64, and Jacksonville State, 81-77, last week. The Bulldogs own a 2-1 record at home this season and are averaging 92.3 points per game when playing at the Pete Hanna Center.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Samford used career-high scoring performances from both junior point guard Christen Cunningham and junior forward Alex Thompson on Sunday to snap the Jacksonville State Gamecocks' four-game winning streak in an in-state duel held at the Pete Hanna
Center, 81-77.
With the win, Samford notched its seventh straight victory over Jacksonville State and remained undefeated in the series dating back to Dec. 8, 2005.
Cunningham scored a career-high 29 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Even more impressively, Samford's talented floor general knocked down all 13 of his attempts from the free-throw line. Cunningham is shooting 90 percent (27-of-30) from the charity stripe this season. He also added five steals, four assists and two rebounds.
As a team, the Bulldogs shot 53.8 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from long range and 82.6 percent (19-of-23) from the free-throw line.
Thompson, Samford's 6-foot-8 stretch forward transfer from Auburn, tallied a career-high 26 points. He opened the game by draining three straight 3-pointers and ended up 5-of-8 from long range. Thompson finished 9-of-14 from the field and added a rebounds and an assist.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Miles College's (2-4) E. Reginald Smalls dropped a career-high 22 points Tuesday, but the Golden Bears' interior defense and shooting could not keep pace with a more aggressive North Alabama squad in an 86-74 defeat held at Flowers Hall.
The Lions scored 40 points in the paint, shot 50 percent from the floor in the second half and held a 47-36 advantage on the glass over the Golden Bears, who shot just 37 percent from the field.
Miles held an early lead and was tied at 29 with just more than three minutes left in the first half, but North Alabama would score the next eight points to take the lead for good. Smalls would score the last seven points of the half for the Golden Bears, the last of them coming on one of his four 3-pointers, to cut the deficit to 41-36 at the half.
Miles, though, would not get any closer the rest of the night. The team was unable to get any traction offensively while North Alabama was able to assert its will, going to the bucket for a lot of easy points and holding a double-digit advantage for most of the second half.
Dimario Jackson scored a game-high 24 points while Sharwyn McGee (nine points, game-high 13 rebounds) also contributed for the Lions. Carl Garcia (11 points, six rebounds) and Aron Stewart (10 points, nine rebounds) scored in double figures for Miles College.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES - - SAMFORD vs. MILES COLLEGE
The Bulldogs will be playing Miles College on the hardwood for only the second time in school history Saturday. After facing each other a number of times in preseason exhibition play over the years, Samford hosted the Golden Bears in the regular season for the first time in history last season Dec. 29, 2015. In the matchup, the Bulldogs earned a 104-76 triumph held at the Pete Hanna Center.
RECAP OF LAST YEAR'S MATCHUP
At the time, Samford's 104-point scoring output proved to be the program's highest total since Jan. 2, 1999, when the Bulldogs posted a 105-75 victory at Troy.
SCORING IS KEY
Since the beginning of last season, Samford has registered a 9-2 record when scoring at least 80 points. On Nov. 14, the Bulldogs opened the 2016-17 season with a dominant 83-65 road victory at San Diego and turned in a 46.9-percent shooting performance from the field, including a welcome 10-of-25 (40 percent) outing from 3-point range.
On Sunday, Samford jumped out to an early lead against Jacksonville State and held on for a key 81-77 victory against the Gamecocks.
CHAMBERS' CAREER DAY
Samford's Triston Chambers turned in a career performance against Nicholls State on Nov. 27. The Bulldogs' true freshman sharpshooter from Cold Springs scored a personal-best 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. All six of his field goals came from 3-point range as he finished 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Chambers also handed out five assists.
KNOCKING DOWN THE THREE
Heading into Saturday's home matchup against Miles College, the Bulldogs boast four players shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range this season, including junior guard Demetrius Denzel-Dyson, who is shooting a sizzling 51.2 percent from beyond the arc this season.
Denzel-Dyson is ranked No. 22 in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage at 51.2, while Samford is ranked No. 56 in the country in the category at 38.8 percent.
Along with Denzel-Dyson's remarkable 3-point shooting percentage, the Bulldogs' Thompson is shooting 44.8 percent, while Chambers owns a 40.0 mark. Additionally, Samford's Wyatt Walker is shooting 50 percent from long range at a 1-for-2 clip this season.
SAMFORD'S WALKER IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Bulldogs' Walker heads into Saturday's game ranked first in the nation with seven double-doubles. He is also ranked No. 4 in the county in rebounds per game (12.0) and No. 6 in total rebounds (96). Additionally, Samford's Walker is ranked eighth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (8.4) and 22nd in the country in offensive rebounds per game (4.1).
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Saturday's intra-city showdown against Miles College, the Samford University basketball team will next be in action Friday at 7:05 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs begin a huge two-game road trip against the South Alabama Jaguars in a highly-anticipated, in-state showdown to be held at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala.
The Bulldogs will then travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to square off against the Florida State
Seminoles at 1 p.m., on Dec. 19, from the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
For quick score updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordHoopsFOE and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.
SAMFORD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN3: Chicago State vs. Bradley at 9 pm ET
| Chicago State (3-4) at Bradley (4-5) | |
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016 |
| Time | 8 p.m. |
| Location | Carver Arena - Peoria, Ill. |
| Video | ESPN3 |
| Radio | http://www.1470wmbd.com/ |
| Live Stats | http://www.sidearmstats.com/bradley/mbball/ |
| Social Media | @bradleyumbb (Twitter) |
Bradley Game Notes
OPENING TIP – Chicago State men's basketball continues its 12-game, month-long road swing on Saturday night when it heads to downstate Peoria, Ill., for an in-state battle against host Bradley at Carver Arena in an ESPN3 live broadcast with the opening tip set to begin at 8 p.m.
SCOUTING CSU – Chicago State brings a 3-4 season record into the weekend and snapped a two-game losing skid on Dec. 3 with a tough 83-76 overtime win at Western Illinois with three players scoring in double figures, led by a career-best 30 points from sophomore guard Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale) The Green and White are paced by Sims, Jr., who is currently averaging a Western Athletic Conference-leading 21.1 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and has also posted a team-high 1.4 steals per contest. Senior guard/forward Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points a game in addition to grabbing a team-leading 7.3 rebounds a game which ranks him third in the WAC. Senior guard Clemmye Owens V (Toledo, Ohio/Rogers) is averaging 12.7 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and has connected on 44 percent of his three-point attempts. Junior guard Glen Burns (West Memphis, Ark./West Memphis Christian) is dishing out an average of 3.9 assists a game and is tied with Sims for the team lead in steals at 1.4 thefts per contest.
SCOUTING BU – Bradley, who has dropped three of its last four contests since Nov. 23, heads into Saturday's contest with CSU sporting a record of 4-5 after dropping an 80-63 decision Tuesday night at Ball State. Freshman guard Darrell Brown, Jr. is averaging a team-best 13.1 points per game in addition to shooting 84 percent from the free throw line and 49 percent from three-point range. Junior guard/forward JoJo McGlaston is currently averaging 10.9 points a game, while freshman center Koch Bar leads the Braves in rebounding and blocked shots.
SERIES HISTORY – Bradley has produced an 8-0 lifetime advantage over Chicago State, but this will be the first meeting between the two schools in nearly four years. The Braves posted a 77-64 win over the Cougars at Carver Arena in the third round of the 2013 Global Sports Invitational Tournament on Nov. 15, 2013. CSU received double-double efforts from Matt Ross (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Nate Duhon (17 points, 10 rebounds) in the contest.
WAC LEADER – Sims, Jr. currently leads the WAC in scoring at 21.1 points per game and he's the first CSU player to lead the league in scoring since the Cougars joined the conference in 2013-14.
20–POINT PICKUP - Sims, Jr. tallied his fourth 20-plus-point game of the season last Saturday at Western Illinois as he tallied a career-best 30 while shooting 9-of-10 from the free throw line. The second-year guard scored eight of CSU's 13 points in the overtime period to seal the win.
STRIVING FOR NO. 1 – CSU head coach Tracy Dildy is now tied with legendary Cougar bench boss Bob Hallberg for the most Division I coaching wins at CSU with 49 victories entering the weekend. Dildy needs just one win break to the record.
UP NEXT – The Cougars continue their road swing on Sunday afternoon when they travel to the state of Missouri for a non-conference battle at Saint Louis with a start time of 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Atlantic 10 Digital Network.
CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN3: Jackson State vs. Drake at 3 pm ET
DES MOINES, Iowa – Following a challenging week, the Drake men's basketball team welcomes Jackson State to the Knapp Center on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be the Bulldogs' first under head coach Jeff Rutter, who assumed the reins of the program on Dec. 6 following Ray Giacoletti's resignation. The game will be broadcast live on Mediacom MC22/The Valley on ESPN3 as well as radio coverage provided by 1350 ESPN Des Moines.
Drake (1-7) looks to rebound after falling in overtime, 78-76, to Fresno State last Saturday. The Bulldogs used a 10-1 run in the second half to help overcome a 20-point deficit to force overtime. Drake took its first lead of the game after opening the overtime period with a three-pointer by Billy Wampler however a Fresno State layup with 3.8 seconds left was enough to give them the victory. Wampler, who led the Bulldogs with 16 points against Fresno State, has recorded double-digit points in his last three games off the bench for Drake including a career-high 17 points at DePaul. Last season, Wampler scored in double-figures just three times all season.
Junior Reed Timmer enters Saturday's game needing just three points against the Tigers to become the 24th Bulldog all-time to reach 1,000 career points. Timmer would also become just the second active Missouri Valley player to reach 1,000 points.
Jackson State (2-6) comes to the Knapp Center for the second time in three years. In 2014, Drake handed the Tigers a 76-66 loss. Last season, Jackson State finished 20-16 before advancing to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Tigers are led by senior guard Yettra Specks who is averaging more than 14 points per game. Specks scored 27 points and added six assists and four steals in Jackson State's 75-64 victory over Southern Miss last weekend.
Following Saturday's game, the Bulldogs will face Iowa State in the Hy-Vee Classic at Wells Fargo Arena at 6 p.m.
DRAKE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Drake (1-7) looks to rebound after falling in overtime, 78-76, to Fresno State last Saturday. The Bulldogs used a 10-1 run in the second half to help overcome a 20-point deficit to force overtime. Drake took its first lead of the game after opening the overtime period with a three-pointer by Billy Wampler however a Fresno State layup with 3.8 seconds left was enough to give them the victory. Wampler, who led the Bulldogs with 16 points against Fresno State, has recorded double-digit points in his last three games off the bench for Drake including a career-high 17 points at DePaul. Last season, Wampler scored in double-figures just three times all season.
Junior Reed Timmer enters Saturday's game needing just three points against the Tigers to become the 24th Bulldog all-time to reach 1,000 career points. Timmer would also become just the second active Missouri Valley player to reach 1,000 points.
Jackson State (2-6) comes to the Knapp Center for the second time in three years. In 2014, Drake handed the Tigers a 76-66 loss. Last season, Jackson State finished 20-16 before advancing to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Tigers are led by senior guard Yettra Specks who is averaging more than 14 points per game. Specks scored 27 points and added six assists and four steals in Jackson State's 75-64 victory over Southern Miss last weekend.
Following Saturday's game, the Bulldogs will face Iowa State in the Hy-Vee Classic at Wells Fargo Arena at 6 p.m.
DRAKE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
TV: SEC Network: Texas A&M Aggies Host SC State at 8 pm ET
South Carolina State (2-6) at Texas A&M (6-2)Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016 · 7 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Dave Baker, Play-by-Play
Will Perdue, Commentary
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
COLLEGE STATION – Seeking a third consecutive win on its home court in less than a week, the Aggie men's basketball team is back in action inside Reed Arena on Saturday as it hosts South Carolina State at 7 p.m.
Saturday's game will be part of the always popular Holiday Hoops promotion which features adult general admission tickets for $5 and youth tickets at $3. Prior to the game, families can take advantage of Kid's Court, which features a bounce house, a crafts table, a visit from Santa Claus and other activities, inside the women's practice gym from 6:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.
The contest will be nationally televised on SEC Network with Dave Baker calling the play-by-play and Will Perdue providing color commentary. Additionally, radio coverage will be provided on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
On the court, the Aggies (6-2) will be aiming for a third straight win after dispatching Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Denver earlier in the week as the talented young team continues to come together in advance of SEC play and another run at the NCAA Tournament.
Texas A&M's offensive attack features five players who average 9.8 or more points with just one member of the group, junior Tonny Trocha-Morelos at 10.1 points per game, being an upperclassman.
Sophomore center Tyler Davis stands out as one of the country's best big men as the Preseason All-SEC honoree leads the Aggies in both scoring (13.6 points per game) and rebounding (7.5 rebounds per game).
Classmates Admon Gilder and DJ Hogg, meanwhile, have each made huge strides forward on the court after playing supporting roles in last season's SEC Championship and run to the Sweet 16. Gilder averages 12.1 points per contest while leading the Aggies with 40 assists while Hogg, who stands out as one of the SEC most-feared sharpshooters, contributes 12.3 points per game and paces the team with 16 made 3-pointers.
Rookie Robert Williams has emerged as one of the country's most exciting players, ranking among the national leaders with 21 blocked shots while chipping in 9.8 points per contest on the offensive end.
The Bulldogs come to Aggieland with a 2-6 overall record after falling 82-46 at Miami (Fla.) during their most recent outing. Senior guard Eric Eaves paces SC State in scoring at 13.3 points per game under the direction of fourth-year head coach Murray Garvin.
Saturday's affair will stand out as the first meeting between the schools on the hardwood, but fans may remember the South Carolina State football team made a visit to a visit to Kyle Field to take on the gridiron Aggies during the 2012 campaign.
TEXAS A&M'S STRONG TEAM DEFENSE (Through 12/8 games)
A calling card of Texas A&M basketball under Billy Kennedy has been a commitment to stifling team defense. This season is no different as the Aggies rank among the country's leaders, featuring both an in your face man-to-man defense as well as a long, athletic zone.
• Texas A&M ranks 36th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 62.6 points per game on average, and ranks 24th in the country in field goal percentage defense, limiting foes to just 37.5 percent shooting from the field.
• The Aggies have held all eight of their opponents to below their season average this season as well as limiting six of the eight teams to their lowest point total of the season ... Highlighting the list was UCLA, which ranks second nationally averaging 97.0 points per game, was held to 74 points.
WILLIAMS REVIVING AGGIES' BLOCK PARTY
Billed as one of the SEC's most athletic rookies, Robert Williams has wasted little time making his presence felt on the court for the Maroon & White and one of his biggest statistical impacts has come in the blocked shots column.
• As a team last season, the Aggies collected 133 blocks in 37 games for an average of 3.59 blocks per game ... This season in eight games, A&M has 52 blocks for an average of 6.5 per game.
• Williams has 21 blocks in eight games (2.6 per game) to rank seventh nationally in block percentage on kenpom.com (through Dec. 8 games). The metric is the percentage of opponents' two-point shots that are blocked by the player while he is on the court.
• The rookie from Vivan, La., notched five swats against Northwestern St. during his first collegiate game to become the first Aggie to notch five blocks in a game since Keith Davis vs. Sam Houston St. on Dec. 7, 2011.
• Williams also collected four swats against Denver on Dec. 7 to give him a blocked shot in eight straight games, the longest streak by an Aggie since Bryan Davis had a 17-game block streak from Nov. 29, 2009 to Feb. 3, 2010.
AGGIES FACE ARIZONA IN HOUSTON DURING LONE STAR SHOOTOUT
Having already faced a pair of Pac-12 schools this season in USC and UCLA, the Aggies will get another shot at a marquee victory against a well-regarded West Coast team when Texas A&M faces No. 20 Arizona inside Houston's Toyota Center on Dec. 17.
The contest will be the opening portion of an exciting college basketball doubleheader that will also feature Arkansas and Texas facing off on the hardwood at the Toyota Center following the A&M contest.
UP NEXT AFTER THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE GAME
After a week off from competition, the Aggies will face their third Pac-12 opponent of the season next Saturday when they make the short trip to Houston to face No. 20 Arizona inside the Toyota Center ... Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. with television coverage on ESPN2.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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
LIVE AUDIO
LIVE STATS
“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!
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
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
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, 2016Time: 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.
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 21st 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
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