Talladega tops Nuggets to win 1st GCAC Tourney title

NEW ORLEANS -- Jasmine Lee-Stackhouse scored 16 points Sunday, and NAIA No. 25 Talladega limited Xavier University of Louisiana to its fewest points in more than two years in a 59-42 women's basketball victory in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at XULA's Convocation Center.

The top-seeded Lady Tornadoes (22-8) earned their first GCAC Tournament title and secured the league's automatic berth to the NAIA Division I National Championship at Billings, Mont. Pairings will be announced Wednesday, and the tournament will begin March 15.

Stackhouse, a 6-foot-1 junior forward/center, scored nine third-quarter points, seven on second-chance plays, to help Talladega extend its lead to 43-37 by the end of that period. The Lady Tornadoes outscored the Gold Nuggets 16-5 during a fourth quarter in which XULA went 0-of-19 from the floor.

Tasheba Henry scored 14 points and Sashanique Youngblood 10 for Talladega, and tournament MVP Tajanee Wells had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Third-seeded XULA (19-13) was led by a pair of senior centers. Kelsee Singleton had 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and Bianca Brown had nine points and seven rebounds.

Talladega led the final three quarters, including 25-21 at halftime. The Lady Tornadoes limited the Gold Nuggets to a season-low 25.4 percent from the floor and their fewest points since a 53-42 loss at Dillard on Jan. 31, 2015. XULA scored the second-fewest points ever in a GCAC Tournament final.

Talladega shot 39.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Gold Nuggets 41-36 for the game, 25-14 in the second half.

Joining Wells on the all-tournament team were Lee-Stackhouse, Henry, Singleton, Brown and XULA's Mikayla Bates. Wells, a senior forward, was named GCAC Player of the Year last week.

Talladega will make its third trip and second in a row to the NAIA's national tournament. XULA, a qualifier for nationals 19 of its previous 22 seasons, is not expected to earn an at-large bid after failing to garner any votes in the last three national coaches polls. The Gold Nuggets entered Sunday's game seeking their sixth GCAC tourney title in eight years. They defeated Talladega in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 finals.

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CAU Panthers Head to Huntsville For NCAA South Region as No. 8 Seed

ATLANTA, Georgia -- On Sunday evening the Clark Atlanta University men's basketball program was made aware of the time and place for the upcoming NCAA South Region Championship.

The NCAA has determined the host to be University of Alabama in Huntsville. UAH plays out of the Gulf South Conference and entered the GSC tournament receiving votes nationally while being No. 2 in the South Region.

CAU was selected as the No. 8 seed and will play the host UAH (24-7). The Panthers are 21-11 (12-5 SIAC) under Darrell Walker in his first season as the head coach at CAU. Walker was named SIAC Coach of the Tournament after Clark Atlanta defeated Fort Valley State on Saturday night in Birmingham, Ala.

The Panthers were left off the SIAC postseason awards lists which shocked many. When all was said-and-done last week in Birmingham, all the award recipients were sent home and Tim Sanders was selected as the Tournament Most Valuable Player.

The winner of the South Region will be one of eight teams that will make a bid for the National Championship to be played from Sioux Falls, S.D. on the week of Mar. 22-25.

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Virginia Union Announces 2017 Football Schedule

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Virginia Union University's Department of Athletics has released its 2017 Fall Football Schedule.

The season features five away games along with five home games in Historic Hovey Field in Richmond, Va.

The Panthers will open 2017 against Long Island University-Post at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, in Brookville, N.Y.

Home games include September 9 against Newberry College, September 16 against Winston-Salem State University, October 16 against Chowan University and Homecoming against Elizabeth City State University on October 28.

Mark James, Head Football Coach at VUU, summed up the 2017 season:

"The 2017 Virginia Union University football team is excited about facing the opportunities that the football schedule offers. After finishing 5-5 last year, we feel we can build off our last season's experience for the upcoming season," James said.

Here is James' game by game analysis on each opponent:

LIU Post: This game offers us a great opportunity for an out-of-conference rematch that went down to the wire last year where we lost by two points at Hovey Field. We are looking forward to going to LIU and being competitive versus their traditional explosive offense. We feel that our experienced defense will have a stout challenge in which we must remain disciplined and focused of their offensive mesh's and heavy TE play.

Newberry: Last year was a combination of the elements of weather and long travel that ended up assisting the wolves of handing us our second loss of the season. Their QB, who is returning, is a proven leader of their offensive attack. We accept the challenge of containing him as the key to success in this game. This will be our first home game of the 2017 season and it would be great to start it with a victory.

Winston-Salem State: Last year we were able to capitalize with a heavy run attack to stifle them early. This team went on and didn't lose a game after our match up. We will need to be focused and play well at home to defeat the 2016 CIAA champs. This was the first time Union has defeated its arch rival in over 14 years.

Fayetteville State: Last years game was a challenge of will as the Broncos refused to go down late in the game. The game was one in which we lost both quarterbacks and had to finish the game with an RB at QB. We showed true grit and put together a tough win on the road. This year as they come to Hovey, we realize that the new HC has done a great job of retooling his team and they will be ready.

Saint Augustine's: Last year we were challenged with containing their running QB. Even though our secondary limited his ability to throw, he rushed for over 150 yards and a couple of scores. This year, we will face the same QB and defense must contain the edges better in order to hold off the SAU attack. Our offense must take advantage of match ups in the secondary and turn average plays into big ones.

Lincoln: Last year's Homecoming was played on a rain-soaked Hovey field which limited both teams in the ability to pass the ball. This year we expect a greater challenge from the Tigers as they have signed a number of talented players that will be impactful immediately for them. As a team on the road, we must use all phases of the game to be successful and continue our four year win streak against LU.

Chowan: The 2016 season had many valleys and lows....this game was definitely disappointing to the Panther family. From the very beginning of the game the Chowan offense scored often to create separation. This year we must protect Hovey field and remember the low of last year's loss and how it affected the remainder of our season.

Bowie State: Since taking over the reins of the program, this has been the matchup that made or broke the season. Last year we remained disciplined throughout the whole game and played effectively through all three phases. It was the first time that Union had beaten BSU in several years. This year we will return to Maryland with the same thought in mind, which is to gain a victory over one of our premier challengers in the CIAA.

Elizabeth City State: After moving to the first place in the CIAA, we faced a hungry team in ECSU. This game ended our hopes of making it to the CIAA championship game. We are excited about the opportunity to play them at home and even the score after losing last year's game in the final minutes.

Virginia State: There is probably no other rivalry in D2 HBCU FOOTBALL that is more coveted than this game. Last year we allowed the game to slip away from us with costly mistakes that trickled down to a loss. We will face the challenge of the Trojans and be ready in Petersburg when we meet this year.

DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME
Sept. 2 at LIU-Post Brookville, NY 1:00 p.m.
SEPT. 9 NEWBERRY HOVEY FIELD 4:00 p.m.
SEPT. 16 WINSTON-SALEM STATE HOVEY FIELD 6:00 P.M.
SEPT. 23 FAYETTEVILLE STATE* HOVEY FIELD 1:00 P.M.
Sept. 30 at Saint Augustine's* Raleigh, NC TBA
OCT. 7 at Lincoln (PA)* Lincoln University, PA TBA
OCT. 16 CHOWAN* HOVEY FIELD 1:00 P.M. (Veteran Appreciation)
Oct. 21 at Bowie State* Bowie, MD TBA
OCT. 28 ELIZABETH CITY STATE* HOVEY FIELD 1:00 P.M. (Homecoming/Senior Day)
Nov. 4 at Virginia State* Petersburg, VA TBA

NOV. 11 CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP TBA TBA
* = CIAA GAME

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Both Virginia Union Basketball Teams Receive NCAA Tournament Bids

RICHMOND, Virginia -- For the first time since 2004, both the Virginia Union University women's and men's basketball teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament.

The Virginia Union men's and women's teams both received at-large bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament Sunday, March 5.

After hosting the Atlantic Regional and making it all the way to the Elite Eight in 2016, the Virginia Union (23-4) women are a No. 3 seed, and will face No. 6 Wheeling Jesuit in the first round.

California (Pa.) is the Atlantic Region host this year.

For the women, it marks the first time a VUU women's team has went to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons since 1983-84. The men are returning to the tournament for the first time since 2006.

The Cardinals (25-6) repeated as Mountain East Conference (MEC) champions with an 80-61 win over Fairmont State on Sunday.

The Panthers beat Wheeling Jesuit 75-66 in the region semifinals in Barco-Stevens last season.

The Virginia Union (22-7) men are a No. 7, and will face No. 2 Shippensburg in the first round of the Atlantic Regional in Fairmont, W.V.

Fairmont State University is the host for the men's Atlantic Regional.

The men last faced Shippensburg on December 13, 2009, in Erie, Pa., and came away with a 74-58 win.

Times will be determined on Monday, March 7.

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Nuggets knock out Dillard to reach another GCAC final

NEW ORLEANS -- Through two rounds of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament, Xavier University of Louisiana's second-half field-goal shooting has been a downer -- just 24 percent -- but the Gold Nuggets' timing has been perfect.

For the second straight day, the Gold Nuggets used a late surge to survive and advance. They outscored Dillard 13-4 in the final 4 1/2 minutes to grab a 61-53 victory at XULA's Convocation Center and earn a spot in the championship round for the seventh time in eight years.

Sunday's scenario will be the same as last season. Third-seeded XULA (19-12) will play top-seeded Talladega (21-8) for the title at 2 p.m. at XULA.

XULA senior reserve center Bianca Brown scored a career-high 15 points Saturday and grabbed 11 rebounds to match her career high. She and Kelsee Singleton, another senior center, had four points and an assist apiece during the closing rally. Adriiana Jackson's basket at 5:36 gave Dillard (19-9) its final lead, 49-48. XULA scored the next six points, with Brown passing to Singleton for a basket that put XULA ahead to stay, 50-49, with 4:27 remaining.

The Gold Nuggets clinched by making 5-of-6 free throws -- three by Mikayla Bates, two by Maya Trench -- in the final 23 seconds.

In the first round Friday, XULA outscored Philander Smith 15-4 in the final 4:05 to erase a 61-58 deficit.

"We've had too many games this year where we had chances to close the door and did not," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "It's been great to see our team step up and respond to that sense of urgency two straight days in the postseason."

Bates had 11 points and seven rebounds, and teammate Jordan Coleman scored a career-best nine points and had four assists. Singleton had eight points and blocked four shots, all in the first half, to increase her season total to 44. Jayla Nichols didn't score but grabbed eight rebounds to help the Gold Nuggets win the boards 53-39. Essence Wells was limited to 18 minutes because of foul trouble but still finished with a career-best four steals and a career-high-tying four assists.

Shaelynn Moore led Dillard with 17 points, two assists, two blocks and two steals. She made all four of the Lady Bleu Devils' 3-pointers. Jackson and Alexia McDonald scored 10 apiece. The Nuggets limited Alyssa Washington, first-team All-GCAC this season, to four points -- her second-lowest total this season -- on 2-of-11 from the floor.

XULA led the majority of the game, outscoring Dillard 17-5 in the first 12 minutes and leading 28-19 at halftime. Then the Lady Bleu Devils opened the third quarter with a 15-3 run to take their largest lead, 34-31.

For the game, Dillard shot 33.3 percent from the floor, and XULA shot 32.9 percent. Both teams committed 17 turnovers.

XULA denied Dillard its first 20-win season since 2003-04. Dillard also was seeking two wins in the same season against XULA for the first time since 1984-85.

In the first semifinal, Talladega outscored fifth-seeded Tougaloo 13-2 over 7 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter and held on for a 69-64 victory. Tajanee Wells, the GCAC Player of the Year, had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Tornadoes.

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TSU Tigers Earn Hard Fought Win Over Arkansas Pine Bluff

MEMPHIS, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State men’s tennis team defeated Arkansas Pine Bluff 5-2 for their 4th win of the season.

TSU won two out of three doubles matches, before taking four out of six singles matches in straight sets for the win.

“The guys played a rough match,” Head Coach Monroe Walker III said. “We got the win which is most important. The conditions were not ideal but we played tough. It was a good match and Pine Bluff has gotten better since last year. We need to keep improving. Shashank played great today and was very impressive. We cannot play loose. We have to have a dominating mentality. I am looking forward to our matches tomorrow.

Matt Brown and Grant Maddox edged out a tough doubles win at the No. 1 slot by a 7-6 score. Shashank Nautiyal and Larry Sloan combination played together for the first time this season winning the No. 3 doubles match with a convincing 6-1 win.

After the Tigers dropped the first two matches in singles, TSU bounced back to win the next four singles matches to earn a hard fought win. Tom Parant won a three set thriller playing at No. 3 by scores of 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Nautiyal cruised to his win at No.4 6-2, 6-1. Kyle Burton won his team leading 9th victory of the season at No. 5 with 7-5 6-1 win. Maddox closed the match at No. 6 with a dominating 6-0, 6-2 win.

The Tigers take on Rhodes and LeMoyne Owen today to close out the matches in Memphis.

Singles competition

1. GREIG, Jualon (APB) def. BROWN, Matthew (TSUM) 6-2, 6-3
2. RAHMAN, Sajid (APB) def. RICHARDSON, Kato (TSUM) 6-2, 6-2
3. PARANT, Tom (TSUM) def. LEWIS, Simon (APB) 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
4. NAUTIYAL, Shashank (TSUM) def. VANGALA, Aravind (APB) 6-2, 6-1
5. BURTON, Kyle (TSUM) def. LEDBETTER, Le'darrie (APB) 7-5, 6
-1
6. MADDOX, Grant (TSUM) def. LEDWABA, Khusto (APB) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. MADDOX, Grant/BROWN, Matthew (TSUM) def. RAHMAN, Sajid/LEWIS, Simon (APB) 7-6
2. GREIG, Jualon/LEDBETTER, Le'darrie (APB) def. BURTON, Kyle/PARANT, Tom (TSUM) 7-5
3. SLOAN, Larry/NAUTIYAL, Shashank (TSUM) def. LEDWABA, Khusto/VANGALA, Aravind (APB) 6-1

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Texas Southern Tigers race past Southern 82-69, enter SWAC tourney as No. 1 seed.

HOUSTON, Texas – Four Texas Southern players scored in double figures Saturday as the Tigers concluded the regular season with an 82-69 win at home over Southern.

Jalan McCloud scored a game-high 23 points and Demontrae Jefferson added 22 and five assists as the Tigers (20-11) closed out Southwestern Athletic Conference play with a conference-best 16-2 league record.

Kevin Scott turned in 12 points and four assists, while Zach Lofton chipped in 10 points for the Tigers. Teammate Marvin Jones scored seven points and tallied game-highs of 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Southern's Chris Thomas led five Jaguars in double-figures, scoring 13 points. The Jaguars (14-7) fell to 10-8 in SWAC play.

Southern couldn't slow down TSU's offense, which shot 56 percent (29 of 52) from the floor and knocked down 55 percent (11 out of 20) of its 3-point tries.

The Tigers asserted their collective will early in the second half after finishing the first 20 minutes down 39-37. TSU opened with 13 of the second half's first 17 points and led 50-43 with 14 minutes left in regulation. The Tigers would also outscore Southern 21-11 over the last eight minutes.

The win improved TSU's record to 9-0 in home games this season. The Tigers will have one more game on campus, when they open the Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament with a quarterfinal matchup against No. 8 seed Alabama State at the Health and Physical Education Arena.

Tipoff for Tuesday's playoff game is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. It will start a half-hour after the conclusion of the women's basketball team's quarterfinal matchup against Prairie View A&M.

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Grambling women win, clinch share of SWAC title

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — The Grambling State women’s basketball team clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship with an 87-57 win over Alabama A&M here on Saturday.

Grambling ends the regular season at 16-13 overall and 14-4 in the SWAC. With the win, Grambling also clinched the No. 1 seed in next week’s conference tournament.

Alabama A&M completed a winless SWAC season at 0-18 and 2-25 overall.

Grambling led 21-16 after the first quarter before taking command on the game in the second quarter. The Tigers outscored Alabama A&M, 26-7 in the second quarter for a 47-23 halftime lead. Grambling scored the first 13 points of the second quarter and had a 20-5 run to open the period.

Grambling built its lead up to 34 points.

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Davis Homerun Leads FAMU Past ETSU 7-3 Friday Night

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- In baseball, sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. That was the case Friday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field as Florida A&M (8-2) beat East Tennessee State (6-3) by a score of 7-3, taking the first game of the three-game series.

In what looked like a hopeless scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and nobody on base, Kaycee Reese worked a walk in a tremendous 10-pitch at bat. John Capra then hit a ground ball to the shortstop on what appeared to be an inning-ending play, but Reese hustled his way to second base, beating the shortstop to the bag, extending the inning. The next hitter, Brian Davis, put an exclamation point on the inning, launching a three-run homerun over the right field fence, surging the Rattlers ahead of the Buccaneers by a score of 6-3.

That would be all the runs FAMU would need as relievers Jamie Grant (3-0) and Hunter Fillingim were outstanding once again.

Grant entered the game with runners on first and second and executed a perfect pitch in the bottom of the zone to induce an inning-ending double play. Grant threw 3.1 scoreless innings before handing it off to Hunter Fillingim who struck out the only hitter he faced to record his third save of the season.

Florida A&M starter, JoJo Durden (5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 K) gave the Rattlers another strong outing as he was unfazed by a few defensive miscues. Although Durden did not factor into the decision, his ability to limit the damage and work around three FAMU errors paved the way for the Rattlers sixth consecutive win.

ETSU took an early lead in the top of the second inning. With two outs, the Buccaneers recorded three consecutive singles to score two unearned runs.

Florida A&M tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Kaycee Reese got things started with a leadoff walk. With one out, Brian Davis roped a double down the right field line, placing runners on second and third with one out. Ben Ellzey then walked for the eighth time this season, loading the bases for Aubrey McCarty. ETSU starting pitcher, Ryan Simpler, fielded a ground ball off the bat of McCarty and made an errant throw into center field, bringing in two runs for FAMU.

The Buccaneers capitalized on two Florida A&M errors in the top of the fourth inning to regain the lead at 3-2, but the Rattlers answered back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring an unearned run of their own to tie the game at three apiece.

After Davis’ big three-run homerun in the sixth, FAMU extended the lead to four in the seventh courtesy of a one out RBI double down the right field line by Garrett Wilkinson, scoring Dallas Oliver all the way from first for a final score of 7-3.

Brian Davis led the Rattlers offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with his second homerun of the season, a double, three RBI, two runs scored, and two walks. Garrett Wilkinson also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, an RBI, and a walk.

Ryan Simpler (2-1) earned the loss for the Buccaneers after allowing five runs (three earned), on two hits, and five walks in 5.2 innings pitched.

Florida A&M and East Tennessee State will play the second game of their three-game series tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Moore-Kittles Field, where the Rattlers will look to win their seventh contest in a row.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook.

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XULA David earns second-team all-conference honor

NEW ORLEANS — Jalen David, the only Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball player with a double-figure scoring average at the close of the regular season, is the lone Gold Rush honoree on the 2016-17 All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team.

The GCAC announced awards Thursday night at a banquet for all teams. The GCAC Tournament for men and women will begin Friday.

Although he started just 10-of-29 games and ranked fourth in minutes played per game, David averaged a XULA-leading 11.8 points per game. He also led the Gold Rush with 37 steals, 19 double-figure scoring games and in field goals and free throws made and attempted.

"This is a great honor," said David, a 6-foot-4 junior guard/forward from Mount Vernon, N.Y., a graduate of Mount Vernon High School and a transfer from Moberly Area (Mo.) Community College. "I want to thank the GCAC for this award. I'm very appreciative. But I especially want to thank my teammates and coaches for making this possible."

David averaged 15.3 points in the first seven games, then averaged 8.6 in the next 12 games, then closed the regular season by averaging 13.3 points and making 39.4 percent of his 3-pointers in the final 10 games.

"It's been an up-and-down year," David said. "But I think I've made progress as a person and an athlete. I know we have more work to do at the conference tournament."

The Gold Rush (10-19) are seeded fourth in the tournament and will play fifth-seeded Edward Waters (12-17) at noon Friday at Dillard's Dent Hall.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Trench becomes 1st freshman on GCAC All-Defensive team

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Maya Trench was named Thursday to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference All-Defensive women's basketball team.

Trench, a 5-foot-2 point guard from Edgard, La., and a graduate of West St. John High School, is the first freshman, female or male, to be named to a GCAC All-Defensive team. The conference picked its first All-Defensive teams in 2015-16.

Trench, who leads the Gold Nuggets with 69 steals and 84 defensive rebounds in 29 games, said she has become a much better defensive player since her arrival at XULA. "Thanks to coach Bo (Browder)," Trench said. "He's made me work hard. He's made sure I'm competing and that nobody gets past me."

Trench was the Gold Nuggets' only honoree at a banquet held the day before the GCAC Tournament's opening round. The XULA women had no one on the all-conference team for the first time ever. The GCAC's first season was 1981-82.

The Gold Nuggets (17-12) are seeded third in the tournament and will play sixth-seeded Philander Smith (13-15) at 2 p.m. Friday at SUNO's The Castle.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Norfolk State & Hampton set their scopes towards the MEAC Championship

NORFOLK, Virginia -- It's been a roller coaster season for Hampton Roads' two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools. Ups and downs, and some unexpected turns, but the time where you look forward to the next game has come and gone, it's win or go home. Norfolk State is looking for their first MEAC Championship since 2012 while Hampton, is going for their first three-peat in school history.



The Spartans (15-15) regular season was riddled with early-season injuries, 12 losses in 15 games, and an almost insurmountable hole to dig their selves out of. However, they've reeled off 12 wins in the last 15 games to snag the #2 seed in next week's MEAC Championship.

Hampton's (14-15) season started out similarly. A barrage of losses, that would later even out with a solid string of conference wins. "One thing we teach all year is that no win is too big, no loss is too small until the times come that there is no more," said Hampton head coach Edward Joyner. "You are at that time, so there is a sense of urgency to it."

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City of Grambling honors football program with commemorative sign

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Anyone leaving Grambling State's campus from now on will be left with a championship impression.

The city of Grambling, led by mayor Edward Jones, unveiled and dedicated a commemorative sign Friday to honor the football program and its 2016 HBCU national championship. The sign, which is about 10 feet wide, sits between two metal posts facing campus on the corner College Avenue and RWE Jones Drive.

"Oh wow," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said as he and his wife, Kim, lifted a tarp to unveil the sign to a group of 50 or 75 supporters that included Grambling city council members, GSU supporters, the entire coaching staff and a group of players.

The sign reads "Home of Champions" in gold letters with three lines of accolades — 2016 HBCU national champions, SWAC champions and Hero Sports Coach of the Year. Fobbs is prominently featured on the bottom left of the sign, holding up one finger to the sky. Quarterback DeVante Kincade and running back Martez Carter, two key members of the 2016 team and returners for 2017, are pictured in the top left and top right corners, respectively.

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North Carolina A&T's Cohen among leaders in 40-yard dash at NFL combine

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — Greensboro native T.J. Logan, a North Carolina alum, had the best time in the 40-yard dash at 4.37 seconds during Friday’s workouts at the NFL scouting combine, while N.C. A&T’s Tarik Cohen was third in 4.42 seconds.

Christian McCaffrey didn’t fare well on the bench press, managing 10 repetitions of the 225-pound test.

That’s about half of what running backs usually average at the annual gathering and it immediately set social media abuzz over the 2015 Heisman Trophy runner-up’s upper body strength.

The Stanford star running back, however, made up for that poor performance by running a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, ahead of LSU’s Leonard Fournette, who ran a 4.51.

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University of the District of Columbia Wins Historic Men’s Lacrosse Game vs. HBCU Division I Rival Hampton

HAMPTON, Virginia -- In the historic first ever meeting between the nation's only NCAA Division I HBCU Men's Lacrosse program – Hampton University, and the nation's first and only NCAA Division II HBCU Men's Lacrosse program – University of the District of Columbia, the visiting Firebirds came out on top by a final score of 19-15 on Saturday afternoon at Armstrong Stadium.

The Firebirds (1-1), a fourth-year program under first-year head coach Rodger Colbert, were led offensively by five multiple-goal scorers and aided tremendously by a combined 24-for-37 on faceoffs by junior midfielder Teilen Celentano (16-of-23) and freshman midfielder Jose Leon (8-of-14). Junior midfielder LaRon Hinton tied for the game-high with five goals and added one assist while sophomore midfielder Tyler Mace was UDC's point-leader with four goals and three assists. UDC, for the 2nd straight game, set a program record for goals scored in a game with 19.

Defensively, sophomore transfer goalkeeper Nikolas Lund-Murray improved to 1-1 on the season by stopping nine of 24 shots faced in a complete game effort. The Firebirds also combined for 10 caused turnovers, including two apiece by Hinton, Mace and freshman midfielder Connor Mosby.

Hampton, a 2nd year program which has opened both its seasons with losses to Division II East Coast Conference school Roberts Wesleyan, fell to 0-2 this season with today's loss. The Pirates were led offensively by attack John Tarver's game-high eight points on five goals and three assists, and fellow attack Kendall Sapp's four goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Kevin Mondy, Jr. stopped 15 of 34 shots faced in the loss.

UDC's freshman attack Alan Singleton scored the game's first goal a little over two minutes into the action on a man-up opportunity off of an assist by Hinton. Hampton responded with a goal 20 seconds later by Sapp, but Hinton began and ended a 3-0 burst by the Firebirds with a man-down goal at 13:06 and an unassisted goal at 8:43 to put UDC in front, 4-1 still in the 1st quarter.

Hampton's Lemuel Randolph then kicked off a 5-0 Pirate surge with an unassisted goal at the 8:43 mark, and with Sapp's 3rd goal of the day at 4:29, the Pirates jumped ahead, 6-4. The Firebirds answered though with three straight unassisted goals to end the quarter by Mace, Hinton and Singleton, and they led 7-6 at the end of the first period.

Sophomore transfer attack Zach Hart (four goals, two assists) scored the first of his multiple goals just over five minutes into the 2nd quarter to push the UDC lead to 8-6 with a 4-0 run that spanned the 1st and 2nd quarters. But back came Hampton with four straight goals – the final two of which were man-down goals that came within 13 seconds of each other – and the Pirates were back on top, 10-8. Junior midfielder Syrrus Nash scored the first of his three goals on the day to stop the bleeding, but UDC still headed to halftime trailing 10-9.

Hart quickly opened the scoring in the 2nd half with a man-up goal just over 20 seconds into the 3rd quarter off of an assist by Singleton and evened the score at 10. Then, following a Hampton man-up goal by Darrel Kidd, Hinton and Mace each tallied unassisted goals at 13:34 and 11:21, respectively, to give UDC back the lead, 12-11.

Hampton would force two more ties at 12 and 13,but Nash's 2nd goal of the day at the 3:50 mark in the 3rd quarter would put the Firebirds ahead to stay. UDC closed out the 3rd period on a 4-0 run and took a 17-13 lead heading into the final quarter.

The two HBCU rivals traded goals twice with Hampton never coming any closer than three goals in the final quarter. Nash's 3rd and final goal gave UDC a 19-15 lead at the 5:33 mark, and that remained the score at the final buzzer.

UDC out-shot Hampton 58-34, won the ground ball battle, 21-11, and converted 4-of-10 man-up opportunities compared the Pirates' 3-of-5.

Next up, the Firebirds visit Georgian Court on Wednesday, March 1st at 3:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Falls to SEMO, 78-75, in Overtime in OVC Tournament First Round

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --  The eighth-seeded Tennessee State men’s basketball team suffered a 78-75 overtime loss to fifth-seeded Southeast Missouri in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament First Round at Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday night. Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led four Tigers in double figures with 19 points and eight rebounds.

TSU (17-13) held a 34-28 halftime edge over Southeast Missouri (15-17) before the Redhawks outscored the Tigers by a 36-30 margin in the second half. In the five-minute overtime period, Ken’Darrius Hamilton (Montgomery, Ala.) drilled a three pointer with 7.2 seconds left to level the scoring, but SEMO’s Tahj Eddy answered with the game-winning three with 2.2 seconds to go to pull out the victory.

For TSU, Armani Chaney (Chicago, Ill.) tallied 14 points with Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) adding 12 and Hamilton scoring 10. The Tigers held a 49-30 rebounding edge and limited the Redhawks to 35.0 percent shooting.

Southeast Missouri jumped out to a 16-8 lead eight minutes into the contest before pair of Chaney three-pointers got the Tigers back in the game.

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PHOTO GALLERY - By Sam Jordan

PHOTO GALLERY - By Katherine Seghers

Another Chaney three with 7:38 left in the opening half put the Tigers up 24-21 as part of a 10-0 run over a three-minute span. McCall’s layup with 2:10 remaining before halftime gave TSU its largest lead of the opening half of eight points at 34-26.

TSU, which shot 52.0 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, carried a 34-28 lead into halftime.

Out of the break, Tennessee State stretched its lead to 14 at 44-30 thanks to a 10-2 run to open the half.

The Tigers continued to lead by double figures until SEMO’s Trey Kellum hit a layup to trim the TSU advantage down to 48-39 with 11 minutes to play. The Redhawks continued to press and cut the deficit to just two at 51-49 with 7:18 left.

With four minutes to play, TSU led 58-54 and the game remained close throughout the rest of regulation.

TSU found itself down by two with 27.8 seconds left when Chaney tied things up at 64-64 with two made free throws. The Tigers came up with a stop on the defensive end on SEMO’s final offensive possession to force overtime.

TSU trailed by five points in overtime when Delano Spencer (Atlanta, Ga.) hit a free throw and Darreon Reddick (Belleville, Ill.) followed with a layup to put the Tigers down just two at 72-70 with 27.5 seconds to go.

After SEMO made one free throw on the other end, Reddick hit two from the line, again cutting TSU’s deficit down to one point at 73-72. Two more SEMO free throws put the Tigers down three until Hamilton tied the game at 75-75 and Eddy answered with the winner.

SEMO’s Denzel Mahoney led all scorers with 34 points.

GAME NOTES: TSU is 12-25 all time in the OVC Tournament… TSU was the eighth seed in the OVC Tournament for the fifth time… The Tigers are now 25-20 in the all-time series versus Southeast Missouri.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

HU Spring Football Practice Begins March 13

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Hampton University football team will start its Spring Practice schedule on Monday, March 13 and will run for 15 dates throughout early April.

Practices will be held at Armstrong Stadium starting on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Saturday schedule. Saturday practices will be at noon, while the rest of the practice times will be from 6:30 – 8 a.m.

The spring season will conclude on April 7 with the Spring Game at Armstrong Stadium at 3 pm.

Hampton will hit the practice field after finishing tied for third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 5-3 mark and a 5-6 overall record.

For more information on Hampton University football, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Ben Ellzey's streak ends, FAMU gets by Mercer 9-6

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Last season, Florida A&M’s offense was one of the best in the nation – third baseman Ben Ellzey’s .388 batting average helped with that.

He led the conference in batting average, was tied for fourth in the MEAC with 69 hits and was tied for fifth in the conference with 42 RBIs.

Now a senior, the third baseman is picking up exactly where he left off.

Ellzey on Monday was named the MEAC’s Player of the Week. He went 8-for-17 last week and hit a walk-off RBI single to give the Rattlers a 3-2 series-opening victory over George Washington. FAMU would go on to sweep the Colonials.

Ellzey also stepped up against SEC foe Auburn (two hits and an RBI) in FAMU’s midweek game.

“All of us are just picking it up, one right after the other,” he said. “We’re getting hits in a row. We’re getting bunts down when we need to. It’s just a nice chain reaction and I’m just glad we’re still winning. It feels good to just keep winning.”

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No. 2 Rush in NAIA's top 3 for 10th consecutive poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana remained No. 2 Tuesday in the newest NAIA men's tennis coaches poll and made its 10th consecutive appearance in the top three.

Since the previous poll Feb. 14, the Gold Rush (5-3) have victories against an NCAA Division I opponent (Nicholls State), the NAIA's No. 3 team (Keiser) and NCAA Division III's No. 2 team (Emory). Since XULA's 5-4 victory at Emory Feb. 18, the Eagles have won the ITA's D3 national indoor championship.

Next for the Gold Rush will be a 1:30 p.m. Friday dual against NAIA No. 6 William Carey in Hattiesburg, Miss., at the Southern Miss Tennis Complex. The Crusaders (5-1) climbed one place in the poll. This dual originally was scheduled for XULA, but the schools agreed Tuesday to swap venues. The April 15 XULA-William Carey dual will move from Carey to XULA Tennis Center.
For the 22nd consecutive poll, Georgia Gwinnett is unanimous at No. 1. The Grizzlies defeated XULA 5-0 Feb. 19 at GGC's Grizzly Invitational.

Other XULA poll streaks:
• 80th consecutive appearance in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
• 71st consecutive appearance in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
• 56th consecutive appearance in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
• 50th consecutive appearance in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
• 12th consecutive appearance in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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XULA Rush, Tigers to lead off GCAC tourney at noon Friday

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball will lead off the 2017 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament with a noon game Friday against Edward Waters at Dillard's Dent Hall.

The GCAC announced seedings and pairings Tuesday for the seven-team event, which is being played in New Orleans for the fourth consecutive year.

The Gold Rush (10-19) are seeded fourth by virtue of their 6-6 conference record and fourth-place finish. Edward Waters (12-17, 5-7) tied for fifth place with Tougaloo. Edward Waters and Tougaloo split their two regular-season games, and the Tigers earned the fifth seed in a tiebreaker — their 1-1 record against third-seeded Talladega. Edward Waters and Tougaloo and had identical records against the GCAC's highest two seeds.

The XULA-Edward Waters winner will play top-seeded Dillard at 7 p.m. Saturday at XULA's Convocation Center. All semifinals and finals for the men and women will be played at XULA. Dillard, the regular-season champion, No. 1 seed and defending GCAC Tournament champion, has a first-round bye.

The other men's first-round matchups, also at Dillard Friday, will be Talladega vs. sixth-seeded Tougaloo at 2 p.m. and second-seeded Philander Smith vs. seventh-seeded SUNO at 5 p.m.

XULA and Edward Waters will meet in the GCAC Tournament for the first time. The Gold Rush are 13-2 all-time against the Tigers, including victories of 72-69 at XULA Jan. 21 and 65-61 at Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 4. The Gold Rush have not lost to the Tigers since Jan. 4, 1996, and have a current series win streak of 11.

XULA's leading scorers are 6-foot-4 junior guard/forward Jalen David (11.8 points per game), 6-1 senior guard Seth Jackson (9.8), 6-3 freshman guard Mike Williams (9.3) and 5-9 freshman guard Donovan Armstrong (8.1). Edward Waters' leading scorers are 6-4 senior guard Keith Williams (13.9), 6-6 senior forward Oshey Washington (12.0) and 6-3 junior guard/forward Charles-Eddie Smith (10.0).

XULA was the GCAC Tournament runner-up in 2016, 2015, 2011 and 2008. The Gold Rush have not won this event since 1996.

2017 GCAC Men's Basketball Tournament

First Round — Friday, March 3 (Dillard's Dent Hall)
#4 XULA (10-19) vs. #5 Edward Waters (12-17), noon
#3 Talladega (21-9) vs. #6 Tougaloo (10-15), 2 p.m.
#2 Philander Smith (13-12) vs. #7 SUNO (4-20), 5 p.m.

Semifinals — Saturday, March 4 (XULA's Convocation Center)
Talladega-Tougaloo winner vs. Philander Smith-SUNO winner, 2 p.m.
XULA-Edward Waters winner vs. #1 Dillard (22-7), 7 p.m.

Championship — Sunday, March 5 (XULA's Convocation Center)
Semifinal winners, 4:15 p.m.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU rallies to beat Mercer in baseball

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M (6-2) rallied from an early four-run deficit and handed Mercer (7-1) its first loss of the season, 10-7, at Moore-Kittles Field Tuesday afternoon.

Aubrey McCarty’s grand slam highlighted a six-run sixth inning for the Rattlers, who won their fourth consecutive game.

FAMU recorded 11 hits for its sixth double-digit hitting performance of the season.

Second baseman Kaycee Reese went 3-for-3 for the winners, who scored 10 runs over their final three at-bats.

First baseman Austin Michaud added three hits and three RBIs for FAMU.

FAMU third baseman Ben Ellzey extended his hitting and on-base streaks to 29 and 35 games, respectively, with a 2-for-4 performance.

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Future NFL Draft prospect Devante Kincade, Grambling State will carry FCS torch

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- 2018 NFL Draft prospect Devante Kincade will try to emulate his 2016 success. If he continues his play, he”ll likely get a decent selection in the draft.

When players transfers from FBS to FCS competition, they typically become a lower priority to the NFL. However, many recent drafts have proven FCS quarterbacks can be drafted early. Obviously, Carson Wentz just went second overall in last year’s draft.



Joe Flacco, Steve McNair, Doug Williams and Phil Simms are a few of the other notable selections. The next quarterback in that prestigious line could be Grambling State’s Devante Kincade. The Dallas Skyline product still has his senior season to prove he’s worth such an investment, but his efforts in 2016 were admirable.

Kincade transferred from Ole Miss after the 2015 season. He saw snaps in each of his first two seasons, but he would’ve sat behind Chad Kelly in 2016. And he would have to battle five-star quarterback Shea Patterson in his final season just to start one year. He made the right decision to leave and it paid off well.

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Gold Nuggets win at Tougaloo to close regular season

TOUGALOO, Mississippi — Freshman point guard Maya Trench scored 16 points Saturday, seven during a decisive third-quarter run, to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 62-50 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

The Gold Nuggets (17-12, 6-6) snapped a two-game losing streak in their regular-season finale. They'll play Friday in the opening round of the GCAC Tournament at SUNO — time and opponent are still to be determined. Game times at The Castle will be noon, 2 and 5 p.m.

After Tougaloo's Shenequa Foster made 1-of-2 free throws to tie the score at 25 at 8:11 of the third quarter, XULA pulled away for good with a 16-3 run. Trench and Mikayla Bates made 3-pointers during the run, and Trench's deuce at 2:26 gave the Gold Nuggets a 41-28 advantage.

For the third time this season, XULA outscored its opponent in every quarter. The Gold Nuggets led 23-20 at halftime.

Bianca Brown and Trench were the only Gold Nuggets with more than six points. Brown had nine points, eight rebounds and a career-best three blocked shots.

Ahsia Clayton made 4-of-7 3-pointers and scored 17 points for Tougaloo (10-14, 5-6), which never led.

XULA outshot the Lady Bulldogs 37.9 to 33.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 35-23.

XULA beat Tougaloo for the 14th consecutive time and the 27th time in their last 28 meetings. Tougaloo will close its regular season at home Monday against Dillard.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Rush fall at Tougaloo; GCAC tourney starts Friday

TOUGALOO, Mississippi — Andravious Smith had 23 points, 17 rebounds and three steals Saturday to lead Tougaloo in a 73-57 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

Denarius Odell also scored 23 for the Bulldogs (10-14, 5-6), who beat the Gold Rush (10-19, 6-6) for the first time in their last 13 meetings.

Smith, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward, produced his fourth consecutive double-double against XULA and the fifth of his career. It was the third consecutive time he reached 20 points and 10 rebounds against the Gold Rush. His rebound total is the most by a XULA individual opponent since Tougaloo's Patrick Bass grabbed 18 on Jan. 15, 2004.

Seth Jackson scored 12 points for XULA. Donovan Armstrong and Jalen David scored 11 apiece, and Leland Alexander scored 10. Mike Williams grabbed seven rebounds and had three steals to match his career highs, and Alexander grabbed six rebounds.

Tougaloo never trailed and led 40-30 at halftime. The Bulldogs outshot the Gold Rush 46.9 to 35.1 percent from the floor.

Both teams will play Friday in the opening round of the GCAC Tournament at Dillard's Dent Hall. Pairings have not been determined. Tougaloo will close its conference schedule Monday at home against GCAC regular-season champion Dillard, which has a first-round tournament bye. Friday's games are scheduled for noon, 2 and 5 p.m.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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2017 SIAC Basketball Tournament Brackets Released

ATLANTA, Georgia – Lane and Claflin secured the No. 1 seeds in the 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Men’s Basketball Tournament, announced on Friday, Feb. 24 by the league office.

Men's bracket | Women's bracket

Lane, the 2017 SIAC men’s basketball regular season champion dominated the west division and finished the regular season 17-9 overall and 14-3 in the conference to claim the west division title. Lane earned a first-round bye and will meet the winner between No. 4 Morehouse/No. 5 Tuskegee on Wednesday, March 1 at 7:45 p.m. The Maroon Tigers (16-9 overall, 10-7 SIAC) finished fourth in the east division and takes on Tuskegee (8-18, 6-10) who finished fifth in the west on Monday, Feb. 27 at 4:45 p.m.

The Panthers (17-9) finished first in a three-way tie to clinch the east division title. Claflin recorded a 12-5 SIAC record and will receive a first-round bye. The Panthers play on Wednesday, March 1 at 3:15 p.m. against the winner between fourth-seeded Kentucky State (10-16, 7-10) of the west division and fifth-seeded Fort Valley State (9-17, 6-10) of the east division. Kentucky State and Fort Valley State are set to open the 2017 SIAC Basketball Tournament on Monday, Feb. 27 at 12:15 p.m.

Clark Atlanta (18-11, 12-5) finished second in the east division to earn a first-round bye. The Panthers face the winner of No. 3 Miles/No. 6 Albany State on Thursday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. Miles (7-19, 7-9) and Albany State meet Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7:45 p.m.

LeMoyne-Owen (9-18, 8-9) finished second in the west division and will play Paine (2-23, 0-17) who finished seventh in the east divison on Monday, Feb. 27 at 9:15 p.m.

Benedict (15-11, 12-5) earned the No. 3 seed in the east division and will face No. 6 Central State (10-18, 6-11) from the west division on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 3:15 p.m.

On the women’s side, Benedict, the 2017 SIAC women’s basketball regular season champion claimed the top seed in the east division after finishing with a 15-1 mark in conference play. The Tigers (18-7 overall) won their third consecutive east division title and enter the tournament on a 12-game winning streak with their last loss on Dec. 18. Benedict earned a first-round bye and will face the winner between No. 4 Kentucky State/No. 5 Albany State on Wednesday, March 1 at 1 p.m. The Thorobrettes (11-14) finished fourth in the west division with a 7-9 record in the SIAC while the Golden Rams (6-19) posted a 5-10 mark in league games to finish fifth in the east division. Kentucky State and Albany State tip-off on Monday, Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m.

Central State (18-7) finished first in the west division to clinch its first conference divisional title since becoming an exclusive member of NCAA Division II. The Marauders finished 12-4 in the SIAC and earned a first-round bye. Central State will take on the winner of the No. 4 Paine/No. 5 LeMoyne-Owen game on Wednesday, March 1 at 5:30 p.m. The Lions finished the regular season with an overall record of 11-15 and were seeded fourth in the east division with a 5-10 record. The Magicians (5-22, 5-10) were seeded fifth in the west and will meet Paine on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Claflin (14-11, 9-6) and Miles (14-12, 9-6) secured the No. 2 seeds out of the east and west divisions respectively. Claflin’s opponent will be determined on Thursday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. by the winner of the Lane and Clark Atlanta game set for Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m. The Dragons (12-14, 9-6) finished third in west while the Panthers (9-16, 4-11) were sixth in the east division.

Miles is scheduled to face the winner of the No. 3 Fort Valley State/No. 6 Tuskegee game on Thursday, March 2 at 1 p.m. The Wildcats (8-16) finished third in the east division with a 7-8 rescord while Tuskegee (10-15) was sixth in the west division with a 5-10 record.

SIAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS