Sunday, December 11, 2016

TSU Lady Tigers Down Lipscomb in Overtime, 77-71

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team rallied from a fourth quarter deficit to defeat Lipscomb in overtime, 77-71, Sunday afternoon in Allen Arena.

TSU (2-5) trailed by nearly double-digits in the fourth quarter when Olivia Jones scored six of the team’s next eight points to get the Lady Tigers back into the game.

Five Lady Tigers scored in double-digits led by I’mani Davis’ 16 points. Olivia Jones had 15 points and six rebounds in her debut while Diamond Beatty (13), Jayda Johnson (10) and Maxine Beard (10) also reached double-figures.

Lipscomb fell to 1-9 on the season.



After Lipscomb opened the game with a three-pointer, Tennessee State used a 12-2 run to grab a 12-5 lead before the first media timeout. Out of the break, however, the Lady Bisons outscored the Lady Tigers, 9-2, to tie the game up at 14-all heading into the second quarter.

The teams traded buckets in the second stanza and played to a 23-23 deadlock with 5:54 on the clock. TSU reclaimed the advantage after back-to-back triples from Olivia Jones and Diamond Beatty sparked an 8-0 run.

TSU shot 62.5 percent from three-point range in the first half and led 31-27 at the break.

The teams continued to trade buckets in the second half, as the game was knotted at 37-all at the 3:37 mark. TSU went up, 41-39, following a steal and break-away lay-up by Jayda Johnson but LU answered with a triple on the next possession to take the lead. TSU trailed 46-43 at the end of the quarter.

Lipscomb was the aggressor in the fourth quarter and used consecutive three-pointers to go up, 52-43. The Lady Bisons maintained at least a six point cushion over the next several minutes.

Following the final media timeout, TSU trailed 54-48.

With the Lady Tigers down, Olivia Jones got going. She scored six straight points to pull TSU within one, 57-56 with 2:03 remaining.

TSU took the lead when I’mani Davis used a crafty move to score on the next play but Lipscomb stayed within striking distance and pulled even with just over 30 seconds remaining.

The Lady Tigers had the ball for the final possession of the game but both shot attempts were off the mark.

In the extra period, TSU moved ahead, 67-64, when Olivia Jones connected in the paint with just over two minutes left to play.

With TSU leading, 69-65, Diamond Beatty came up with a timely steal to give the possession back to the Lady Tigers with 38 seconds remaining. Lipscomb was forced to foul and Maxine Beard stepped up and made both freebies.

Over the next three possessions, the Lady Tigers made six more free-throws to seal the win.

TSU shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field, including 38.9 percent (7-of-18) percent from three-point range.

Tennessee State returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at home versus Fisk. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Gentry Center.

BOX SCORE

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Alcorn State Braves Unveil 2017 Football Schedule, Six Home Games



LORMAN, Mississippi – Featuring six home contests and a new seven-game SWAC schedule, the Alcorn State University football program released its 2017 slate on Sunday.

"Having six home games is big for us and I'm all for that," said Alcorn head coach Fred McNair. "Anytime you're at home it excites you. I love having all the fans come out and support Alcorn."

The Braves will kick-off the campaign on Saturday, Sept. 2 when they host Miles College. They will also play a non-conference home contest against McNeese State on Sept. 16.

Non-conference road affairs include a trip to Miami, Florida to face Florida International University on Sept. 9, and a trip to Houston to play Texas Southern on Sept. 30. The game against TXSO will not count toward either team's SWAC record.

Alcorn's first conference game is Sept. 23 when it hosts Southern for the second year in a row. The Braves will also take on Prairie View A&M, Alabama A&M and Mississippi Valley State at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

SWAC road games include at Alabama State, Grambling State and Jackson State.

In 2017, Alcorn will bring back eight starters on offense and seven on defense. The Braves will return all of their quarterbacks and running backs, and five of their top six wide receivers. Defensively, they bring back three of their four starting defensive linemen and four of their five defensive backs.

Alcorn announced its 2017 spring game will be held on April 22.



2017 Alcorn Football Schedule

2-Sep Miles College Lorman, Miss. 6 p.m.
9-Sep at Florida International U., Miami, Fla. TBA
16-Sep McNeese State Lorman, Miss. 6 p.m.
23-Sep Southern University* Lorman, Miss. 6 p.m.
30-Sep at Texas Southern Houston, Texas TBA
7-Oct at Alabama State* Montgomery, Ala. TBA
14-Oct Prairie View A&M* Lorman, Miss. 2 p.m.
21-Oct at Grambling State* Grambling, La. TBA
28-Oct Bye Week
4-Nov Alabama A&M* Lorman, Miss. 2 p.m.
11-Nov Mississippi Valley State* Lorman, Miss. 2 p.m.
18-Nov Jackson State* Jackson, Miss. TBA

*SWAC Conference Games

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Gold Nuggets remain 32nd in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana gained six points from the preseason but remained 32nd in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday.
Including the 2015-16 season, it's the seventh time in the last eight polls that the Gold Nuggets are in the "others receiving votes" category.

XULA is 6-6 after playing one of the NAIA's most difficult schedules to date this season. The best victory was 71-67 Nov. 11 against then-No. 3 Our Lady of the Lake in the LSUS Classic at Shreveport, La. The Gold Nuggets also defeated then-No. 29 Langston and split a pair with then-No. 26 LSUS. But OLLU fell to 21st Tuesday, and Langston and LSUS received no points.

XULA's losses include city rival Loyola, which climbed from 24th to 22nd; Lewis-Clark State, 13-0 and No. 2 after a No. 7 preseason ranking; and Carroll (Mont.), which still is 25th.

XULA is one of two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams receiving votes. Talladega, 21st in the preseason, dropped to 26th. Edward Waters, which was tied for 30th in the preseason, had zero points this time.

Freed-Hardeman replaced MidAmerica Nazarene at No. 1. MNU fell to third. The next poll will be announced Jan. 3.

The Gold Nuggets' next opponent will be Concordia (Ala.) at 1 p.m. Dec. 15 in XULA's Convocation Center. Concordia is 7-1 against 4-year colleges, 10-1 overall and No. 1 in the season's first United States Collegiate Athletic Association poll.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Dec. 4)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Freed-Hardeman (8) 8-0 219 8
2 Lewis-Clark State (1) 13-0 207 7
3 MidAmerica Nazarene 7-1 206 1
4 Westmont 6-1 199 2
5 Lindsey Wilson 9-0 195 5
6-tie Vanguard 6-1 178 6
6-tie Campbellsville 7-2 178 4
8 Lyon 7-1 168 9
9 Oklahoma City 8-1 159 19
10 Shawnee State 12-0 158 tie-11
11 Montana State-Northern 8-2 147 16
12 Baker 8-1 143 13
13 Columbia (Mo.) 8-1 128 20
14-tie Benedictine (Kan.) 7-3 126 tie-11
14-tie Great Falls 9-2 126 18
16 The Master's 6-1 120 14
17 Central Methodist 7-2 102 15
18 Bethel (Tenn.) 5-4 99 10
19 Cumberland 9-2 96 23
20 John Brown 7-4 87 RV
21 Our Lady of the Lake 3-5 83 3
22 Loyola (N.O.) 7-2 62 24
23 Lindenwood-Belleville 6-2 61 NR
24 Pikeville 8-3 58 17
25 Carroll (Mont.) 8-2 53 25

Dropped from previous rankings: No. 21 Talladega, No. 22 Wayland Baptist
Others receiving votes: Talladega 39, Wayland Baptist 28, Martin Methodist 15, Wiley 14, Montana Western 13, Harris-Stowe 12, XULA 11, William Penn 6, William Woods 5, San Diego Christian 3

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

www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Grambling's Martez Carter has four distinct ways he can impact the game, and all are on display lately



GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Martez Carter picked a good time to turn it up in all the ways he can.

The explosive Grambling junior has been a dynamic force in the Tigers’ past three games. In fact, it’s not hard to envision different outcomes in the Bayou Classic and Southwestern Athletic Conference championship games had it not been for Carter’s all-around excellence.

In the three games leading up to this week's Celebration Bowl against North Carolina Central, Carter has tallied a whopping 913 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns.

“He has the ability to run the football,” Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said.

That’s a bit of an undersell, though it was only truly evident in the past three games — his first three 100-yard efforts of the year.

It started with a 10-carry, 122-yard, two-touchdown performance in a comeback win against Texas Southern.

CONTINUE READING

MEAC Debuts “WE ARE MEAC” Vïdeo



NORFOLK, Virginia — The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will debut its “We Are MEAC” community outreach video, on MEAC social media platforms, the conference announced today.

The “We Are MEAC” video is an initiative by the conference to celebrate the diversity of its student-athletes. The initiative also calls upon MEAC student-athletes to challenge stereotypes against them and to find strength when faced with adversity.

The video release comes the same day as Human Rights Day.

The video features student-athletes, from all 13 MEAC institutions, who attended the fall MEAC-Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting. In the video, the student-athletes proclaim how their diversity brings them together and how they won’t allow stereotypes in their respective MEAC sports.

“The MEAC strives to provide an inclusive, diverse and welcoming environment to our student-athletes, their families and our fans,” said MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas. “We want all of our student-athletes to take pride in who they are, on and off the field. This video gives us the opportunity to celebrate our student-athletes and showcase their talents and commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

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ESPN3: TSU Cross-town Battle at Lipscomb Set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

#0 Ciara Pettis

TENNESSEE STATE (1-5) vs LIPSCOMB (1-8)  
SUNDAY | DEC. 11 | 2 P.M. CT | NASHVILLE, TENN. | ALLEN ARENA
GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE
LIVE STATS: STATBROADCAST
VIDEO: ESPN 3
AUDIO: 102.1 FM
GAMEDAY
Following a 10-day break away from action during finals week, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will return to the hardwood on Sunday, Dec.11 at Lipscomb. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in Allen Arena.       
THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE
Tennessee State (1-5) has played five of its first six games on the road to begin the season and has lost three straight. The Lady Tigers have faced teams from the Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Mountain West and SEC so far this season. 
Through four games the Lady Tigers are averaging 55.3 points per contest while shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from three-point range. TSU is struggling from the free-throw line and is only shooting .583 from the charity stripe.
Seniors and All-OVC preseason selections Jayda Johnson (14.0 ppg) and I’mani Davis (11.7 ppg) lead the team in scoring while senior Diamond Beatty rounds out the top three scorers with 9.3 points per game. Johnson recently recorded her 1,000th career point. Olivia Jones will make her debut as a Lady Tiger versus Lipscomb.
The Lady Tigers are led by fifth year head coach and Hall of Famer, Larry Joe Inman.
LAST TIME OUT
TSU trailed 21-10 after the first quarter and played from behind the rest of the way in an 86-36 loss to No. 22/16 Tennessee. Maxine Beard led TSU with seven points while Kaliya Griffin managed to score six. TSU shot 20 percent (13-of-65) from the field and 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from three-point range. 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Lipscomb, a member of the Atlantic Sun is off to a 1-8 start. The Bisons have lost five straight and are recently coming off a 79-63 loss to SEMO on Tuesday. LU has also faced OVC members Murray State (L, 79-59), Belmont (L, 100-62) and Morehead State (L, 73-53). 
SERIES INFORMATION
TSU and Lipscomb will meet for the 25th time in the series history with the Lady Tigers holding a 20-4 lead. TSU claimed last year’s meeting 77-65 in the Gentry Center and has won two straight. The Lady Tigers have also won three of the last four contests. 
COVERAGE
Links for live stats, audio and video can be found under the schedule on tsutigers.com. Updates will also be posted during the game on Twitter (TSU_Tigers). 
UP NEXT
TSU will host Fisk on Dec. 14 before traveling to Florida to participate in the Hatter Classic hosted by Stetson, Dec. 19-20. TSU will face Bethune Cookman on Monday before matching up with Stetson on Tuesday. 

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

ESPN3:Transfer Olivia Jones Set to Make TSU Debut versus Lipscomb at 3 p.m. ET

#34 Olivia Jones

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- After nearly a year away from the court, transfer Olivia Jones will make her debut as a Tennessee State Lady Tiger on Sunday,
Dec. 11 at Lipscomb.

“Olivia is going to make an instant impact with our team,” said head coach Larry Inman. “We’re very excited about her getting the opportunity to play again. She possesses a tremendous skill set and she is a great young lady that believes in team ball. She has a great basketball IQ and that’s something that will help a lot of our young kids. She’s very vocal, she’s a good leader and I think she’ll do a lot of great things for our program.”

Jones transferred to Tennessee State in January 2016 after competing at Middle Tennessee for two-and-a-half seasons. Per NCAA rules, she became eligible to play at TSU following the completion of the Fall semester.

The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year before averaging 19.8 points per game the following season. Additionally, she ranked in the top five in three categories including rebounding, minutes and steals during her sophomore campaign. As a junior, she was voted the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year and reached the 1,000-point milestone while ranking third on the team in scoring.

“It’s a bittersweet moment,” commented Jones. “No senior wants to sit out a half of a year, especially her senior year. Me and my family are happy that the time has come.”

Jones has been an observer from the sideline since last season and sees how she will fit in with the Lady Tiger team.

“I’ll fit in on the rebounding and defensive side,” she added. “I’m obviously an offensive person but I take pride in defense. That’s something that I was born with and I like to rebound.”

Tennessee State will face Lipscomb in non-conference action on Sunday, Dec. 11. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in Allen Arena.

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TV: SEC Network: Auburn Women Back Home Sunday vs. Savannah State at 3 p.m. ET


 2016-17 Auburn Women's Basketball - Game #9
 Auburn Tigers (6-2) vs. Savannah State Lady Tigers (2-6)
 Date/Time Sunday, Dec. 11 | 2 p.m. CT
 Location Auburn, Ala. | Auburn Arena (9,121)
 Tickets Purchase Tickets Online | WBB Ticket Information & Options
 TV SEC Network + (Brad Law, Joe Ciampi) | Watch Live
 Radio WTGZ 93.9 FM (Andy Burcham, Brit Bowen) | Listen Live
 Live Stats GameTracker
 Twitter @AuburnWBB
 Additional Info Auburn Notes Get Acrobat Reader | Savannah State Notes Get Acrobat Reader | SEC Notes Get Acrobat Reader
AUBURN, Alabama -- After a nine-day break for final exams, the Auburn women's basketball team is back in action Sunday afternoon against Savannah State at Auburn Arena. Game time is set for 2 p.m. with the broadcast on SEC Network +.
Auburn (6-2) had played six games in 12 days leading up to exam week, but the Tigers are now set for the stretch run of non-conference play that sees Auburn play six more games in December leading up to the start of SEC play.
The Tigers' defense continues to be its strength as Auburn ranks among the nation's top teams in turnovers forced (2nd - 26.3), steals per game (3rd - 14.6) and turnover margin (5th - +9.6). All eight Auburn opponents have been held below their season scoring average, and five of those eight have been held at least 10 points below their normal total.
Senior Katie Frerking has been the Tigers' leader over the most recent stretch. In the last six games, she has posted three double-doubles and topped the 20-point margin two straight outings. In Auburn's last contest, she led the Tigers in scoring (22), rebounds (6), assists (4) and blocks (2) and also recorded two steals. Frerking is the SEC's steals leader with 3.4 per game, which ranks her 19th in the nation.
Savannah State (2-6) enters Sunday on a five-game skid, falling to Jacksonville State 67-54 in their last contest. The Lady Tigers' two victories this season came against Alabama State and Division II Columbia College.
This is the third straight year these teams have met. Auburn won both previous meetings, earning a 62-56 win at home in 2014 and leaving Savannah with a 62-40 victory last season.
Andy Burcham will have the radio broadcast on WTGZ 93.9 FM beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT. Fans can also listen live via TuneIn Radio or the above link to AuburnTigers.com. SEC Network + has the broadcast with Brad Law and Joe Ciampi calling the action; fans can watch online via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app on mobile devices.
Promotions



• Toys for Tots - Bring a new, unwrapped toy and receive one (1) free general admission ticket!
• Teddy Bear Toss - Bring a new, unwrapped teddy bear for the Teddy Bear Toss at halftime! The fan closest to the target will win a prize!
Auburn Quick Hitters



• This is the third meeting between Auburn and Savannah State
• Auburn won last year's meeting 62-40 in Savannah; also won in 2014 at home 62-56
• Auburn is 31-2 in home non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and 40-6 in all non-conference games at Auburn Arena
• Auburn is 17-2 all-time against members of the MEAC (1-0 this season; def. N.C. A&T 68-36 on Nov. 17)
• Auburn has held six of eight opponents at least 10 points below their season scoring average
• Five of Auburn's eight opponents have been held to a season-low scoring total
• In the initial NCAA RPI released this week, Auburn is ranked No. 12
• Auburn was ranked No. 23 in the Week 4 AP Top 25; it was the first ranking for Auburn since 2009
• The Tigers have received votes in every AP poll this season
• As of Dec. 7, Auburn ranks 2nd in the nation in turnovers forced (26.3/game), 3rd in the nation in steals (14.6/game), and 5th in turnover margin (+9.6)
• Auburn is 5-0 this season and 33-6 under Coach Flo when forcing 25+ turnovers; Auburn forced 38 vs. Troy, 27 at North Carolina A&T, 30 at East Carolina, 27 vs. Ball State, 30 vs. Marist
• Auburn forced 20 turnovers vs. Indiana but turned that into a season-high 33 points
• Auburn trailed Indiana by 17 points in the fourth quarter before mounting a comeback for a 71-67 win on Nov. 27
• Auburn's 32 fourth-quarter points vs. Indiana were the most in a single period since women's basketball went to a four-quarter game in 2015-16
• Brandy Montgomery scored 28 points in the comeback win over Indiana, including 16 in the fourth quarter and 10 straight over a 2-minute stretch to tie the game
• Montgomery is Auburn's scoring leader and ninth in the SEC through seven games with 16.1 points/game
• Katie Frerking leads Auburn in rebounds (8.5), assists (3.4) and steals (3.4) and is second in scoring (14.9)
• Frerking has double-doubles in three games this year; she had two in her career entering the season
• Frerking leads the SEC and ranks 19th in the nation with 3.4 steals per game
• Frerking had a career-high 7 steals in the win at N.C. A&T, then matched that with 7 vs. Indiana
• Auburn's 32-point win over North Carolina A&T was its largest margin of victory in a road game since Nov. 11, 2011 at Mercer (34 points; 77-43)
Last Time Out



>> Senior Katie Frerking scored a season-high 22 points, but No. 23 Auburn could not overcome foul trouble and a big rebounding deficit Thursday night in a 71-66 loss at Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
>> The Tigers had three players -- two key rebounders -- foul out and saw an early rebounding advantage turned into a big deficit by the end of the game. Despite that, the Tigers rallied to take a five-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but could not hang on.
>> Frerking's 22 points led all scorers as the Tigers shot 37 percent (23-of-62) from the field. Auburn hit a season-high eight 3-pointers, three of them from Brandy Montgomery, who finished with 11 points. Janiah McKay added 15, and Emari Jones finished with a season-high eight. Auburn also had its best free-throw shooting night of the season, hitting 12-of-14 attempts (85.7%).
>> K-State was 47 percent from the floor, led by a 16-point night from Kindred Wesemann. The Wildcats pulled down 39 rebounds to Auburn's 25, and the much taller Wildcats scored 32 points in the paint to Auburn's 22.
Noteworthy



AUBURN-SAVANNAH STATE SERIES
>> This is the third meeting between Auburn and Savannah State in women's basketball, all in the last three seasons.
>> Auburn won the previous two meetings, winning 62-57 in Auburn in 2014 and 62-40 in Savannah last season.
SCOUTING SAVANNAH STATE
>> Savannah State is 2-6 on the season and enters Sunday's game on a five-game skid. The Lady Tigers lost to Jacksonville State 67-54 in their last game.SSU's two wins came against Columbia College and Alabama State.
>> The Lady Tigers average 54.4 points per game and shoot 32.6% from the field. SSU averages 40.5 rebounds per game 
>> SSU is led by Lauren Moss, a graduate transfer from Georgia State, who averages 13.5 points per game. Jeremica Edwards is SSU's leading rebounder with 8.1/game. 
>> Senior guard Kenyatta Hendrix is the school's all-time leading 3-point shooter with 157 made 3s in her career. She is 14-of-58 from long-range this season.
>> Savannah State finished 10-18 last season, 7-9 in the MEAC. All five starters returned from last year's squad.
LAST MEETING: AUBURN 62, SSU 40 (11/22/15)
>> Brandy Montgomery scored 16 points, and Auburn forced Savannah State into 25 turnovers en route to a 62-40 victory at Tiger Arena.
>> Auburn shot 42.9 percent from the floor and dominated the boards, out-rebounding Savannah State 38-24. Turnovers were the name of the game, however, as the teams combined to turn the ball over 47 times on the day.
>> Senior Tra'Cee Tanner scored 12 points. Tanner also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to go along with two assists, two blocks and a steal. 
>> Auburn never trailed in the game, although a cold spell early in the third quarter allowed Savannah State to pull back within as few as 12 points. But SSU would get no closer, and a flurry in the fourth quarter helped Auburn pull away for the 24-point win.
SCOUTING AUBURN
>> Auburn is 6-2 to open the 2016-17 season. The Tigers' only blemishes on the schedule are a 56-52 loss to then-No. 19 West Virginia in the Savannah Invitational championship game, and a 71-66 loss at Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
>> Senior Brandy Montgomery is the Tigers' leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game. She averaged 14.0 points per game as a junior and was named to the preseason All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches. She scored a season-high 28 points - 16 in the fourth quarter - to lead Auburn's comeback from a 17-point deficit against Indiana on Nov. 27.
>> Senior Katie Frerking leads the SEC and ranks 19th in the nation in steals with 3.4 per game through eight games. Frerking has posted three double-doubles this season and leads the team with 8.5 rebounds/game, which ranks seventh in the SEC.
>> Junior forward Jessica Jones has been a force defensively for the Tigers, posting a career-high four blocks twice already this year and pulling down a career-high 9 rebounds vs. Marist. She also had five steals in the opener vs. Troy.
>> Sophomore point guard Janiah McKay and junior forward Jazmine Jones are the Tigers' other two returning starters. McKay played in all 33 games last year, starting 19, and averaged 9.2 points and 2.3 assists per game. She scored a career-high 24 points to lead Auburn to an NCAA first-round win over St. John's. Jones started all 33 games as a sophomore and had one of the best shooting percentages on the team, shooting 51.5% from the floor.
>> Pressure defense remains a staple of Coach Flo's strategy as the Tigers forced an average of 20.0 turnovers per game in her first four seasons. Auburn is averaging 26.3 opponent turnovers through eight games (1st in SEC; 2nd in nation) and has forced 27 or more in five of eight contests.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
>> Auburn is holding opponents to 53.1 points per game, ranking 22nd nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers are also near the top of the nation in turnovers forced (2nd - 26.3) and steals per game (3rd - 14.6).
>> Auburn has held every opponent thus far under their season average, and six of eight were held 10 or more points below their average.

ALBURN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: SEC Network: Florida Galors Play North Carolina A&T in Neutral Site Game at 3 p.m. ET

Florida and North Carolina A&T meet for the first time.
PANAMA CITY, Florida – Florida travels 225 miles West to play North Carolina A&T at Billy Harrison Field House on the campus of Gulf Coast State College on Sun., Dec. 11
 
First-Time Florida Foes

  • North Carolina A&T is one of five teams on UF's schedule that the Gators will play for the first time.
  • The other first-time foes: Chattanooga, Northwestern, Wofford and Southeastern Louisiana.
 
A Glance at the Aggies

  • Dana Brown leads NCAT in scoring (14.3 ppg), with the bulk of her scoring coming behind the arc. The redshirt-senior guard is hitting 37.1 percent (26-70) from beyond the arc, with 26 of her 30 made fields goals coming from deep. She also connected on 70 percent (14-20) from the line.
  • Four different Aggies have been the team's leading scorer in a game this year.
  • Only two of the team's seven games have come at home.
  • NCAT played Auburn at home on Nov. 17 and dropped the 68-36 decision. The Gators open their SEC season against Auburn on January 1.
  • In his four previous seasons coaching at his alma mater, head coach Tarrell Robinson has guided the Aggies to three postseason appearances, including last year's NCAA Tournament berth after winning the MEAC Tournament title.
 
Gator Watch

  • Ronni Williams, Florida's lone four-year senior, runs the floor like a guard and has been seen on numerous occasions snaring a defensive rebound, dribbling the length of the court and sinking the layup.
  • Williams, who has been UF's leading scorer each of the last two years, is averaging 15.9 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds.
  • She has three double-doubles this year; 16 in her career.
 
What Just Happened

  • Florida enters Sunday's game having lost its last two games, with both coming against nationally-ranked opponents. The Gators dropped a six-point decision at No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 4 and a 25-point loss at No. 7 Florida State on Thu., Dec. 8.
  • North Carolina A&T has had 11 days to work on reversing its current five-game skid. Four of those five games have come on the road and included games against Auburn and West Virginia, as well as a five-point setback to Marist.
 
Notes from Florida's Last Game

  • #7 Florida State 83, #23/25 Florida 58 (Dec. 8 in Tallahassee, Fla.)
  • Florida battled down a double-digit deficit to six points before No. 7 Florida State ripped off a 34-15 run in final 13 minutes for an 83-58 win.
  • This was the first time in the 73-game series that both instate rivals entered the game nationally ranked and for the first seven minutes and late into the 2nd quarter it definitely took shape as such.
  • FSU used a 10-0 run near the end of the first quarter and held a 22-15 lead.
  • Florida battled back in the second quarter and cut its deficit to five on several occasions, the last coming with 1:10 left in the first half after Haley Lorenzentook a feed from Eleanna Christinaki and the Gators were within 34-29.
  • The Seminoles mounted another push to end this frame and scored the final five points and took a 39-29 halftime lead.
 
(Gator) Tale of the Tape
Florida

  • Points Per Game: 73.0
  • Scoring Defense: 62.1
  • Scoring Margin: +10.9
  • Rebounding Margin: +6.8
  • FG%: 47.3%
  • 3FG%: 27.3%
  • FT%: 64.4%
Gator Leaders
  • Scoring: Christinaki, 17.6
  • Rebounding: Williams, 8.1
  • Assists: Anderson, 4.6
 
North Carolina A&T

  • Points Per Game: 57.6
  • Scoring Defense: 69.7
  • Scoring Margin: -12.1
  • Rebounding Margin: -1.6
  • FG%: 32.5%
  • 3FG%: 28.4%
  • FT%: 62.6%
Aggie Leaders
  • Scoring: Brown, 14.3
  • Rebounding: Tyler, 5.3
  • Assists: Kilpatrick, 3.3
 
What's Next?

  • Following the game, the Gators will take a nine-day break from competition and turn their attention exclusively to the classroom, where final exams are being held December 10, 12-16.
  • Commencement is Dec. 16-17 and will be held in the newly renovated Exactech Arena at the O'Connell Center. It's the first event in the building that's also the game day home of Gator Basketball!
  • The Gators return to the court on Dec. 20 and 21 to compete in the Florida Sunshine Classic in Winter Park, Fla. Florida plays Indiana on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. and then Florida A&M on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
Final Four in Florida

  • Including Sunday's game against North Carolina A&T, Florida has just three more games remaining of its season-opening 12-game road trip.
  • At least the last four games of this adventure all will be played within the state of Florida.
 
Half Way Home

  • The Gator's Nov. 30 game against Wofford was Florida's sixth of a season-opening 12-game road trip due to the $64.5 million renovations being done to Exactech Arena at the O'Connell Center.
  • The Gator's first home game of the season will be on Dec. 28 against Southeastern Louisiana.
 
Game Day Information

  • Who: #23/25 Florida (6-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. North Carolina A&T (1-6)
  • When: Sun., Dec. 11 * 3 pm ET/2 pm CT
  • Where: Billy Harrison Field House * Panama City, Florida
  • Facility Notes: played at Gulf Coast State College (5230 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL)
 
Game Notes

  • Florida [direct link]
  • N.C. A&T – do not post online
 
Game Coverage & More!

  • Radio: LIVE on ESPN Gainesville 98.1FM/850AM with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
  • Internet Audio: LIVE thru FloridaGators.com (FREE) [direct link]
  • Television: none
  • Streaming Video: SEC Network + with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis [direct link]
  • Internet Scoring: Sidearm stats [direct link]
 
Opening Tip

  • Sunday's game is a special Play 4Kay celebration and both teams will help raise awareness by wearing PINK uniforms for the game.
  • Gulf Coast State College will be donating all monies collected at the gate from the game to the Kay Yow Foundation.
  • Sunday's game is the first meeting between the Gators and Aggies.
  • N.C. A&T has not played since a road loss at Appalachian State on Nov. 30 - 11 days ago. UF has played four games during that span.
  • Sunday's game is Florida's 10th on the road this season, as the Gators are nearing the end of their 12-game season-opening road trip due to the $64.5 million renovations to its home arena.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: PAC12 Network: Oregon State men's basketball hosts 3-point-happy Savannah State at 6 p.m. ET

Savannah State at Oregon State

Time: 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET

Where: Gill Coliseum

On air: Pac-12 Network; Radio on Beaver Sports Radio Network (stream here)

Projected starters:

Savannah State (2-8)

11 - Joshua Floyd, 6-4, 195, Jr. | 8.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.9 apg

12 - Casey Wells, 6-3, 180, Sr. | 9.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.7 apg

4 - Troyce Manassa, 6-4, 215, Sr. | 12.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg

30 - Jahir Cabeza, 6-5, 190, Jr. | 8.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg

34 - Maricus Glenn, 6-10, 235, Jr. | 1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 8.5 mpg

Oregon State (3-6)

0 - JaQuori McLaughlin, 6-4, 185, Fr. | 10.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg

1 - Stephen Thompson Jr., 6-4, 175, So. | 14.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg

24 - Kendal Manuel, 6-4, 180, R-Fr. | 6.6 ppg, 1.3 apg, 50.0 3P%

14 - Matt Dahlen, 6-6, 200, Jr. | 2.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 13.0 mpg

12 - Drew Eubanks, 6-10, 240, So. | 13.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.9 bpg

Line: Oregon State by 18 1/2

Previous meetings: None.

Opponent notes: Savannah State is a historically black university in Savannah, Georgia. ... Horace Broadnax, a former point guard at Georgetown, is in his 12th season as Savannah State's head coach. He is 145- 203 at the school and 187-292 overall including a stint at Bethune-Cookman. ... The Tigers went 16-16 last season and finished fifth in the MEAC. They qualified for the CIT and lost in the first round. ... Coaches and sports information directors picked Savannah State to finish 11th in the 13-team conference this season.

CONTINUE READING

Second Half Surge Helps Jackson State Get Past Drake 68-63

DES MOINES, Iowa  –  Yettra Specks and Paris Collins combined for 27 second half points to lead the Jackson State men’s basketball team to a 68-63 win over the Drake Bulldogs Saturday evening at the Knapp Center. With the win JSU improves to 3-6 and Drake falls to 1-8.

With 44 seconds left in the game Specks drained a long three to give JSU a 65-60 advantage. He knocked down three free throws in the final moments of the game to give JSU its first winning streak of the season.



Collins finished with 16 points on 6-13 shooting from the field and Specks scored 15 points. Javeres Brent and Derek Roscoe came off the bench to score in double-figures. Brent knocked down three three-point shots en route to scoring 12 points and Roscoe had 10. Janarius Middleton added five points, but had a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Tigers trailed 31-29 at halftime, but outscored the Bulldogs 39-32 in the second half. The Tigers shot 34% from the field, but held Drake to 27% shooting. JSU hit nine threes while Drake knocked down five. Second chance points (17-6) and bench scoring (24-13) helped JSU pick up its first road win of the season.

JSU looks to extend its winning streak to three games when the Tigers host Blue Mountain College at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center on Dec. 15. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. JSU will make its final road swing of the non-conference portion of its schedule when the Tigers travel to Ft. Hood, Texas to play Baylor on Dec. 17 before traveling to Pittsburgh, Pa. to face Duquesne on Dec. 19.

BOX SCORE


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Howard Runs Away With 95-62 Win Over Mount St. Mary’s

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard women's basketball team cruised to a 95-62 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Saturday afternoon in its home opener in Burr Gymnasium.

With the win, the Bison improve to 2-6 and the Mount falls to 2-7.

Senior Sydni Johnson just missed out on a double-double with a season-high 21 points and nine rebounds. She went 7-of-14 from the floor, including four three-pointers.

Redshirt senior Te'Shya Heslip added 18 points, eight assists and five steals while classmate Jasmine Hill was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line on her way to 15 points.

Junior Tajzhane Dopson and freshman Imani Bryant tallied nine points apiece. Bryant also had her third consecutive game with double-digit rebounds (11). Off the bench, rookie Sarah Edmond notched eight points and was 3-for-3 on the day with a pair from long range.

As a team, the Bison shot a season-best 55 percent (33-60) from the field and 50 percent (11-22) from beyond the arc. Howard connected on 18-of-25 at the charity stripe for a 72 percent clip.

The Bison outscored the Mount in the paint, 40-20, and earned 28 points off of the visitor's turnovers.

Howard (2-6) came out of the gate on a mission, outscoring the Mount by a 30-13 margin in the opening quarter. Both teams struggled to find their footing in the beginning of the second period, with HU only putting up three points in the first four minutes. Luckily, the Bison got back on the right track to take a 44-26 lead into the break.

The Mount (2-7) put up a tough fight in the third quarter after going on a 14-8 run to pull the score to 53-40. Heslip stole the ball and dished it to Hill, who made the layup and drew the foul for a three-point play to halt the Mount's momentum. Johnson connected from downtown and earned the put back to push the advantage to 67-41.

Edmond and Johnson orchestrated 10 points for the Bison on a pair from long range and two layups to go ahead 79-51 in the final quarter. With 1:45 left on the clock, Howard took its largest lead of the game, 94-60, on a layup by freshman Asia McCants. HU outscored the Mount by a 27-18 margin in the fourth for the final tally, 95-62.

The Bison are back on the road to take on NJIT on Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

UAPB Defeats Philander Smith, 88-65 for First Win

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Women's Basketball Team picked up their first win of the season with Lady Lions defeating Philander Smith College, 88-65 here Saturday afternoon at the H.O. Clemmons Arena.

UAPB (1-6) had three Lady Lions to finish in double figures with Niya Head scoring a team high 25 points. Shawntayla Taylor scored 12 points and pulled down 15 rebounds and Ajia Richardson added 10.

PSC (6-4) had two Lady Panthers to score in double-figures with Terralyn Dominick scoring a team high 25 points and dishing out seven assists, while Amesha Hamlet-Brown added 14 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for a double-double on the night.

UAPB jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the first quarter on a Head jumper with 7:19 remaining in the quarter.

PSC regained the lead with a 9-0 run to take a 12-7 lead, capped off by a Honcea Thornton with 2:19 remaining.

The Lady Lions closed out the quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 15-12 lead into the second quarter of play.

UAPB extended their in the second quarter to 20-12 on a three-point play by Erin Boothe with 7:49 to go before the half.

The Lady Panthers regained the lead with an 18-4 run to take a 30-24 lead on a Terralyn free throw with 2:09 remaining in the half.

UAPB closed out the half with a 5-1 run to cut PSC's lead to 31-29 heading into the break.

In the third quarter, UAPB used an 18-7 run to take a 47-37 lead on a Head three pointer with 3:14 to go. The Lady Lions then extended their lead to 51-39 on a Head free throw with 1:23 to left to play in the quarter.

The Lady Lions outscored the Lady Panthers, 32-23 in the fourth quarter for the 88-65 win.

UAPB finished the contest shooting 40.0 percent (32-of-80), where PSC shot 30.3 percent (20-of-66). The Lady Lions held the rebounding margins over the Lady Panthers, 60-46.

BOX SCORE

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Saturday, December 10, 2016

Lincoln Names Steven Smith Head Football Coach



JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Steven A. Smith, an 18-year veteran with experience in both the college and professional levels, has been named the next head coach of the Lincoln football team. Smith's hiring was announced at a press conference on Tuesday morning (Dec. 6).

Smith joins the Blue Tigers after a successful four-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Albany State. Under Smith's direction, the Golden Rams have gone undefeated in league play in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in three of the past four seasons and have consistently fielded one of the conference's top offenses.

Smith, who has four NCAA Division II playoff appearances on his coaching resume, has spent nine total years as a college assistant with stops at Tennessee State, Delta State and Virginia State. In seven of those nine seasons, his teams played for a conference championship, winning four. During his time at the college level, Smith has coached 21 all-conference players, eight All-Americans, four conference players of the year and a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to NCAA Division II's most outstanding football player. Additionally, Smith has coached five players who have gone on to play in the National Football League, including two who were draft picks.

Besides having tremendous success at the college level, Smith has also spent eight years in the professional ranks, including serving as an assistant under Romeo Crennel with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. Smith most recently was an assistant offensive line coach with the Green Bay Packers during their 2014 offseason training activities, and he has also coached with the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. In 2005, Smith served as the running backs coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europe, and in 2006, Smith was the offensive line coach of the Rhein Fire. Eight of the 10 offensive linemen he coached in 2006 ended up being signed to NFL squads, making Smith the only position coach during the history of NFL Europe to have that many players signed in a single year.

Smith also worked in the Arena Football League as the Detroit Fury's offensive and defensive line coach in 2003-04 and started his coaching career at Southside Prep High School in Chicago. Smith was a college fullback for both Langston (1994) and Southern Illinois (1995-98), and graduated from SIU with a bachelor of science in pre-med. Smith also studied medicine at Northern Illinois before transitioning into coaching full time.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS