Not This Time! WVSU Jackets Make Big Plays at Key Times to Wrap Up Winning Season

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia -- This one was not slipping away.

A week after watching victory slip through their grasp in the final minutes the members of the WVSU football collectively said "Not this time" Saturday afternoon in winning 45-28 at West Virginia Wesleyan.

The defense made big plays when they were needed most and the offense not only put points on the board early but provided the knockout punch when it had the chance.

"We challenged them Thursday," WVSU Head Coach John Pennington said. "Is this going to be the typical 'old' state and blow it or the 'new' state."

It all added up to the Yellow Jackets finishing with a 5-5 conference record and overall mark of 6-5, the program's first winning season since 2008 and only the third since 1992.

The elephant in the room was not only addressed but sent packing.

The victory and final record means a group of 15 outgoing seniors finished the job of turning around a program that was in bad shape when they arrived, six of them five years ago.

"That was what was really special about today," Pennington said. "We treated it like a championship game."

WVSU won just six football games after that 7-3 finish in 2008 until this year's senior group first took the field as freshmen. That includes an 0-11 mark in 2013, when the six fifth-year seniors were watching as redshirts.

This group finishes with 16 wins highlighted now by a winning season.

"We wanted to be the most improved team and today we are teh most improved team in the (Mountain East Conference)," Pennington said. "It's a great feeling and great validation for our seniors."

Saturday the Yellow Jackets took little time in showing they meant business. They scored on their first two possessions, marching 65 and 59 yards respectively, to take a 14-0 lead.

The lead was 24-14 at halftime.

Still, Pennington thought the Jackets could do better.

"We went in at halftime and I was as mad as have ever been at the team," said Pennington. "Then we had a couple of seniors step up and talk."

WVSU never let the Bobcats catch up but the hosts did pull to within three at 24-21 after scoring when they took the second half kickoff and went 90-yards in just five plays.

Wesleyan forced the Yellow Jackets to punt on their next possession and it looked like momentum might be swinging in the Bobcats' direction.

But this week the WVSU defense stepped up and made a play when it was badly needed.

Junior defensive back Moises Valcarcel knocked the ball out of the Wesleyan ball carrier's grasp and freshman Henry Forson made the recovery at the Wesleyan 44.

"That turned the whole momentum," Pennington said.

The Yellow Jackets needed just six plays to get the ball into the endzone with senior Matt Kinnick hitting freshman Calil Wilkins from 19-yards out to finish the drive and widen the margin to 31-21.

The WVSU defense came up with another tremendous effort on the ensuing Bobcat possession.

Wesleyan took the kickoff and marched 82 yards to the WVSU 1-yard line but the Yellow Jackets stopped three straight running attempts forcing the Bobcats to attempt a field goal.

Valcarcel and sophomore Kyle Alexander broke through the blockers and blocked the kick with Alexander falling on the ball in the endzone for a touchback.

After the squads traded punts the Yellow Jackets put together another scoring drive, this one going for 78-yards in 10 plays with Kinnick hitting senior Quinton Gray from 2-yards out to run the score to 38-21.

Wesleyan continued to fight though grinding out 30 yard on 11 plays to the WVSU 30 before the Jacket defensive unit put together three big plays in a row.

First Malik Treadwell sacked the Bobcat quarterback for an 8-yard loss then Robert Branch sacked him for a seven yard loss to force a fourth down and 25 to go attempt.

Valcarcel stepped in front of the pass at the Jackets 25 and returned it all the way to the Wesleyan 45.

"Moises had the worst first half of his career," Pennington said. "I jumped on him at halftime and he said he would change and he did, he came out and got three turnovers."

The Bobcats made one last run at getting back into the game with a quick strike for a 48-yard score to pull within 38-28 with 4:16 to play after the Yellow Jackets failed to pick up a first down on a fame punt.

WVSU fell on the Wesleyan onside kick attempt at the Bobcats 44-yard line.

Instead of being content to just try and run some time off of the clock with running plays the Yellow Jackets came out in full attack mode.

Kinnick hit Jamal Brown for 10 yard on the first play and then ran for a couple.

After faking a quick handoff Kinnick then hit A.J. Barrette out of play action streaking down the left side. Barrette hauled the ball in around the 20 and sprinted to the flag to push the margin to the final 45-28 and seal the victory.

"We were all in, we weren't going to hang back and let things happen," Pennington said. "We were going to take our shots and keep our fate in our hands."

Valcarcel picked off his second pas of the day on teh Bobcats' next possession and the Jackets ran out the final 2:16.

Kinnick hit 21-of-29 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

Freshman Dylan Lucas had another big day in his second start carrying the ball 13 times for 100 yards and a touchdown. Red-shirt freshman Calil Wilkins returned after missing three weeks with and ankle injury and picked up 93 yards on 15 carries and catching two passes for 29.

Sophomore Jamal Brown had six catches for 95 yards, Barrette five for 82 and Gray five for 49.

Valcarcel finished with 13 solo tackles and forced two fumbles which he also recovered and had two interceptions.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Morehouse Tigers Sink Rollins Tars in South Region Crossover

WINTER PARK, Florida – Balanced scoring and superior rebounding lifted Morehouse to a second straight win, as the Maroon Tigers downed the Rollins College Tars, 85-82.

Except for a one-point deficit near the end of the first half, Morehouse led all the way, but never by more than 10 points. The Tars made several runs in both halves, only to fall short when the Tigers tightened the defensive screws and forced 17 turnovers.

Four Maroon Tigers put up double figures and Morehouse out-rebounded the host Tars, 40-31.

As he did in yesterday's win over Florida Tech, Tyrius Walker set the scoring tone for Morehouse. Walker, the SIAC preseason selection, scored nine points in each half for a team-high 18 points. He also posted a game-high nine assists and grabbed five rebounds.

Jordan Wallace had a hot hand, hitting 4 of 7 three-pointers and three free throws, for 15 points, to go with four assists and three rebounds.

Team co-captain Martravious Little led Morehouse in rebounding, with seven boards, and added 12 points.

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Newcomer James Walker hit 4 of 7 shots for 10 points and hauled in five rebounds.

Omar Alston and Keyshaun Jacobs chipped in eight points each.

The second straight win, to open the season, helped the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association to a clean sweep over the Sunshine State Conference. In the South Region Crossover, hosted by Rollins College, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta won all four games.

Morehouse will travel to Raleigh, NC, Friday, for a similar crossover against the CIAA.

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Akil Douglas Scores 35 to Lead CAU Over Florida Tech

WINTER GARDEN, Florida -- Akil Douglas hit 15-of-18 shots for 35 points to lead the Clark Atlanta University men's basketball team to a 90-69 win over Florida Tech Saturday in the South Regional Crossover Tournament in Winter Garden, Fla.

The Panthers led from beginning to end after jumping out to a 14-0 lead over the game's first five minutes. CAU led by as many 24 points while holding Florida Tech to just 23 first-half points. Panthers head coach Darrell Walker had wanted his team to clamp down on defense after giving up 64 points in the first half to Rollins Friday afternoon. CAU held Florida Tech to just 28 percent shooting in the first half.

Offensively, Douglas missed only one basket – going 8-of-9 – for 20 points in the first half.

The second half was much like the first as CAU wouldn't let Florida Tech climb back into the game.

Douglas had eight rebounds to go with his 35-point performance. He hit three of four 3-point attempts. Center Damien Davis had 21 points and three rebounds. Most of Davis' damage came at the free throw line where he hit 13-of-15 shots from the stripe. Austin Donaldson had eight points while Anthony Williams finished with seven points, six rebounds and four assists.

The Panthers, now 2-0, return to campus for their home opener Wednesday at 8 p.m. when they host Young Harris College in L.S. Epps Gymnasium.

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No. 8 Langston denies Pioneers in season finale

PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Wayland Baptist made a game of it, but in the end the No. 8 Langston Lions won out, claiming a 38-19 Central States Football League victory over the Pioneers on Saturday afternoon at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium.

While Langston (10-0, 8-0 CSFL) completed its first perfect regular season since 1973 and looks forward to hosting its first playoff game in the 100-plus year history of the Oklahoma school, the Pioneers (4-6, 4-4) came up just short of finishing with a break-even record as Wayland closed out its sixth season on the gridiron.

The Pioneers obviously came to play, owning a 6-3 lead late into the second quarter after senior kicker Daniel Martinez booted field goals of 24 and 56 yards to tie his own school record.

But Langston stole the momentum with two touchdowns – on passes from Jaylen Lowe to Cedric Jackson – in the final 2:46 of the first half. After the pair hooked up for a 27-yard score, Langston made the Pioneers pay for an interception with an 18-yard hookup that made it 17-6 at the break.

The teams traded possessions to start the third period before the Lions put together a long drive that ended with a 7-yard touchdown run by Tim Whitfield for a 24-6 lead midway through the third.

The Pioneers immediately responded when Mitchell Parsley lofted a 38-yard scoring pass to Ben Owen to get Wayland to within 11 points, 24-13.

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Defense dominates, Tuskegee wins 2017 SIAC Football Championship

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Hoderick Lowe ran for 1444 yards earning Most Valuable Player honors and the Tuskegee University football team won its 31st Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Championship Saturday afternoon defeating Fort Valley State at Wildcat Stadium 13-6. The victory gives head coach Willie Slater his seventh conference title since 2006.

The Golden Tigers held FVSU to only 183 yards of total offense, two scoreless quarters and pair of field goals in the second and fourth quarters only. Playing in the conference championship game for the first time since 2014, the stingy TU defense also only allowed 28 yards passing.

On Tuskegee's second possession of the game, Lowe scored on a six yard touchdown run that capped off a nine play 46 yard drive. After holding the Wildcats to a scoreless first quarter, Juan Serna connected on a 33-yard field goal for FVSU making the score 7-3 just before halftime.

Both quarterbacks had troubles in the defensive struggle with TU quarterback Jamarcus Ezell completing 3-of-9 first half passes for only 32 yards while Fort Valley's Jarman Slade was only 3-of-8 for 19 yards. Ezell did however finish with 69 yards on the ground with a nine carry effort. Punter Dalton Hall averaged 39.2 yards per punt with his longest coming on a 48 yarder. Two of his five punts landed inside the 20n yard line.

With 7:44 left to play in the fourth quarter, Lowe found the end zone for the second time of the afternoon on a two yard run putting the golden Tigers ahead 13-3

With 3:30 left to play Juan brought FVSU to within a touchdown after making a 36 yard field goal, his second of the day. The Wildcats would end up with its final possession with 2:12 remaining, only to go four and out totaling a negative two yards.

Osband Thompson finished with a game high 14 tackles while Kevin Dawson earned a career high 12 tackles. Jonah McCutcheon and Davoris Thomas both finished with eight stops each.

Tuskegee will await its fate for a potential postseason berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs next week.

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Gray a bright spot for ASU in loss to Grambling

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- ASU didn’t have many highlights in Saturday’s 24-7 home loss to Grambling State, but fans would be hard pressed to find one better than Ezra Gray.

The sophomore running back had a 64-yard game-opening kickoff return and caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass for the Hornets (3-6, 3-3 SWAC).

“It was nice to be able to make plays, but a loss is a loss, so I definitely don’t feel good about that,” Gray said.

Gray’s game-opening kickoff return was the longest this season for ASU, though it — obviously — didn’t lead to points.

He fielded the ball at the 2 and started up the middle of the field. Gray broke outside and eventually went out of bounds at the Grambling 34-yard line.

“I just saw everybody doing their job, blocking the guy they were coached to block,” Gray said. “I was blessed enough to hit the seam and hit it and get it.”

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Jackson State picks up second win with 10-7 victory over Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Jackson State picked up its second win of the season with a thrilling 10-7 win over Alabama A&M Saturday afternoon in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Tigers (2-8) and Bulldogs (3-7) played to a 0-0 tie in the first half, but A&M got on the board with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Aqueel Glass to Kalias Robertson with 7:14 left in the third quarter.

Jackson State responded with a nine-play, 46-yard drive capped with a two-yard scoring run by Jordan Johnson.



The Tigers got the ball back with 2:42 left on the clock and drove 66 yards to set up Christian Jacquemin's 26-yard game-winning field goal.

JSU struggled again in the passing game but rushed for 153 yards on offense. Terrell Kennedy led the way with eight carries for 62 yards.

JSU starting quarterback Jordan Williams completed 8 of 13 passes for 90 yards and one interception. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by Johnson, who started taking direct snaps and finished with 20 carries for 57 yards.

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North Carolina A&T Aggies Claim Another MEAC Title, Defeat SSU

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- When the wacky football action of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference ended on Saturday, the craziness brought about clarity when it comes to the MEAC representative for the Celebration Bowl.

The North Carolina A&T Aggies took care of their affairs. The Aggies got 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 27 carries from junior Marquell Cartwright to earn a 36-17 win over Savannah State at Aggie Stadium. During the game, Cartwright went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, giving the Aggies seven 1,000-yard rushers in the last eight seasons.

“It feels great to be able to reach a point that a lot of people try to reach but most don’t get there,” said Cartwright about his career season. “It feels great, but I really don’t care about it much. I want to win at the end of the day.”



Junior quarterback Lamar Raynard, Cartwright’s high school teammate at High Point Andrews, was 17-for-22 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Along the way he broke Alan Hooker’s 32-year old single-season record for touchdown passes. Raynard has 25 TD passes on the season, eclipsing Hooker’s old mark of 24. Hooker also said goodbye to his 32-year old record for most completions in a season (169). Raynard has 175 completions on the season heading into next week’s regular-season finale.

Raynard was not finished removing Hooker’s name from the record books, however. Raynard broke the single-season school record for touchdowns responsible for. Hooker’s old mark stood at 26 (24 passing, two rushing). Raynard is responsible for 28 (25 passing, three rushing) N.C. A&T touchdowns this season. Raynard now owns single-season marks in passing, total offense and three marks mentioned earlier.

Aside from making history, the Aggies brought sanity to the MEAC race in what was an insane day. N.C. A&T (10-0, 7-0 MEAC) clinched at least a share of the MEAC title, giving the Aggies three MEAC titles in the past four seasons. North Carolina Central (7-3, 5-2 MEAC) lost in the final seconds at home to Bethune-Cookman to remove themselves from Celebration Bowl consideration.

Meanwhile, Howard (7-3, 6-1 MEAC) won in the final seconds at home over Norfolk State to keep themselves in contention, but barely. Howard can still clinch a share of the MEAC title next week with a win over Hampton and a N.C. A&T loss to NCCU. But the tiebreaker scenario is not in the Bison’s favor for a trip to Atlanta and a chance to play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

In case of a two-way tie where the two teams did not play one another, the Sagarin rating, which measures strength of schedule, serves as the tiebreaker. N.C. A&T came into Saturday’s game with a 149 ranking, while Howard came in at 208. Howard’s opponent next week, Hampton, came in slightly lower at 224. A win over Hampton would likely not do enough for the Bison even if the Aggies lost to NCCU, which entered Saturday’s play with a 202 rating.

There is a good chance none of that will take away from N.C. A&T’s game against heated rival NCCU next week at Aggie Stadium (1 p.m.). For starters, the Aggies want their first outright title in 14 years, and it is not missed on the Aggies that the Eagles have defeated them three straight seasons.

“We’re going to enjoy this, and then we’re going to get ready for next week,” said N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway speaking on the win over SSU. “Hopefully, we are going to play a little bit better than we did last year. I don’t know if sharing a championship is actually what we want. But let’s take the championship out of it. It is a rivalry game, and it’s Central. We’ve got to get ready to play regardless of the situation.”

The Tigers (2-8, 2-5 MEAC) tried to make the Aggies’ path to another MEAC title difficult. Freshman quarterback D’Vonn Gibbons finished with 93 yards rushing and a touchdown on 19 carries, while also throwing for 137 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Gibbons’ 2-yard touchdown set up by his 60-yard completion to Paris Baker got the Tigers to within 19-10 with 11:39 remaining in the third quarter.

But on SSU’s next drive, Gibbons’ tipped pass landed in the grasp of senior rover Jeremy Taylor for an interception. Taylor, who had a pick-6 last week at Norfolk State, returned Gibbons’ INT 22 yards to the SSU 9-yard line. Three plays later Cartwright was in for a 1-yard touchdown. N.C. A&T’s defense turned stingy from there. SSU’s next two drives went for a combined minus-16 yards.

N.C. A&T utilized the good field position given by its defense to start the fourth quarter in SSU territory. It led to a 32-yard field goal by freshman Noel Ruiz to give the Aggies a 29-10 lead. The Aggies capped their scoring an 18-yard touchdown pass from Raynard to sophomore Elijah Bell. Bell led the receiving corps with five catches for 77 yards. His TD reception tied the school’s single-season touchdown receptions record at 10. Bell is tied with Craig Thompson and former teammate Denzel Keyes.

“I think our guys earned the right to get to 10 wins,” said Broadway. “I don’t think we played as well as we can play, but being 10-0 is special so we’ll take the win and try to grow from it and get better.”

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FAMU head coach Alex Wood: New facility 'the missing piece' for football team

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M head coach Alex Wood is as excited about the prospect of a new athletic facility as soon-to-be former Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr.

Overton last week unveiled some concept art and a funding proposal for a $9 million, three-story all-sports complex that would replace the decades old — and deteriorating — Galimore-Powell Field House.

Overton, speaking to the 220 Quarterback Club, said the facility could be ready as soon as the 2018 football season. He has since announced his resignation in order to take a job as AD at Kennesaw State, but said the plan is still in place for a new facility.

More: FAMU AD Overton reveals financial plan for new FAMU all-sports facility

Wood, speaking during his weekly press conference in the field house, said it’s time FAMU entered the facilities arms race.

The field house hasn’t been upgraded since it opened in 1983. A new stadium in still years in the future, but Bragg Memorial Stadium hasn’t been upgraded since 1980 and has needed repairs in recent offseasons.

“That’s the missing piece and Milton understands that,” Wood said on Tuesday. “We all do. That’s what it’s going to take. Once those things are in place here, we’ll be a national power once again and on a consistent basis.”

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Alcorn State Lady Braves Knock Off Southeastern Louisiana in OT Behind Sanders’ Career High

HAMMOND, Louisiana -- Senior guard Tia Sanders scored a career-high 29 points and senior forward Miracle Rushing recorded a 12-point, 14-rebound double-double as the Alcorn State University women's basketball program won in overtime 84-77 over Southeastern Louisiana Friday night at the University Center.

"We've been preaching to the ladies since we started that it's going to come down to free-throws and lay-ups," said head coach Courtney G. Pruitt. "They bought into what we were saying and we were able to get the W!"

Sanders shot 8-18 from the field, 5-10 from beyond the arc, and 8-10 from the free-throw line to pace Alcorn in the victory. The Pensacola, Fla. native added six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals.

Following Sanders in scoring was senior guard Alexus Freeman with 17 points (5-21 FG, 2-8 3FG, 5-6 FT). The SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year pulled down four boards with three assists and a steal. Rushing went 3-8 from the floor and converted 6-10 from the charity stripe. She added three assists with a steal.

The Lady Braves (1-0) shot 25-69 (.362) from the field, 8-25 (.320) from beyond the arc, and 26-40 (.650) from the free-throw line. SLU went 26-75 (.347) from the floor, 9-26 (.346) from deep, and 16-26 (.615) at the line.

With the score tied at 70-70 late in the fourth quarter, SLU found itself at the line and made both of its shots with :19 left on the clock. Alcorn wasn't done, though, as Rushing earned a trip to the charity stripe with :02 remaining. The Meridian, Miss. native answered the call, making both attempts to tie the game again and force an extra period.

In overtime, the teams went back-and forth before a Rushing layup and a pair of Freeman free-throws created some separation. SLU could not respond as the Lady Lions failed to make a shot and committed multiple turnovers, allowing Alcorn to start the season in the win column.

"We work every day on finishing in practice," added Pruitt. "We always challenge the ladies at the end of practice and make the end more difficult than the beginning. It paid off tonight as we were able to maintain mental toughness and steal one on the road from a good team."

The Lady Lions jumped out to a 12-2 lead to start the game, but a pair of long-range scores by Sanders and one from junior guard Cloe Lane allowed Alcorn to pull to within 17-13. Junior guard Kristian Dewitt made it 17-16 as she went 1-2 from the line and followed with a jumper. The hosts answered with a bucket and Rushing sank a pair of free shots as the first quarter came to a close.

In the second quarter, the Lady Braves jumped out to a 35-28 lead but could not hold off SLU as the Lady Lions used a 10-1 run to close out the half and take a 40-38 lead at the break.

Alcorn pulled away again in the second half, going up 54-47 with 6:36 to play in the third, but the home team scored seven unanswered to retake the lead. The Lady Lions were in control 65-60 heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Lady Braves scored more second-chance points (22-7). Both teams score 12 in the point. The game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes.

Alcorn returns to action next Wednesday as the Lady Braves host Lemoyne-Owen College for the squad's home-opener. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.

NOTES

- Friday's victory marks the first against a non-conference NCAA Division I opponent since a 62-53 win at home over Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 8, 2014. It was also the first season-opening victory against a DI opponent since Nov. 22, 2002 when the Lady Braves defeated Texas State 58-56 in a neutral-site contest in Waco, Texas.

- It was the first time a season-opener went to overtime since Nov. 26, 1993 when the team fell to Auburn 71-66 at the Hobby Hilton Classic in Houston, Texas.

- Rushing's double-double is just the second of her career. She scored 10 points with 13 boards versus Alabama State on Feb. 18 last season. She needed one more charity shot to tie her career mark of seven (at USM, Nov. 25, 2016).

- Sanders' previous career scoring high was 19 points against Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 14, 2017. She tied her career highs in three-point field goals made (5), rebounds (6), and minutes played (40).

- Freeman played a career-high 43 minutes in tonight's contest. She played a full 40 minutes three times last year.

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North Carolina A&T Aggie Sophomores Have Their Way In Win Over Georgia Southern

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T unleashed a stifling defense toward the end of the third quarter and well into the fourth quarter. Sophomores Cinia McCray and C’Coriea Foy started being themselves around that same time as N.C. A&T came away with a 60-49 season-opening women’s basketball win at Corbett Sports Center Friday night.

McCray tied a career high with 16 points and added a career-high six rebounds. In her debut as an Aggie after transferring from Alabama and sitting out a year, Foy had 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the floor. Sophomore Shantell Bostick contributed 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, while another sophomore, Alexus Lessears, had a game-high 11 rebounds.

McCray and Foy did most of their damage in the third quarter. Foy had seven points in the quarter, while McCray finished Coupled with the Aggies (1-0) defensive effort, it was too much for the
Eagles (0-1) to overcome.

“(Foy and McCray) are scorers, both have a scorer's mentality and both are playmakers,” said N.C. A&T coach Tarrell Robinson after earning his 100th career coaching victory. “We look for them to do that. So that's nothing new for us in terms of what we believe they can bring to this team in order for us to be at our best.”

Bostick is also a pleasant surprise for Robinson, however.

“Shantell surprises me because the stuff she does in games, I don't see in practice,” he said. “She has a tremendous amount of heart and a tremendous amount of character, so we believe the best is yet to come. She didn't play much last year, she had to sit on that bench and learn the game. Now she is making things happen four us statistically.”

It was a good thing the sophomores got going because until that point, the Eagles had led by as many as 11 in the first half and they led by 11 as late as the 6:49 mark of the third quarter. But Foy whipped a pass over to McCray for a three and Foy followed that effort by taking a bounce pass from senior Kala Green to cut the lead to 39-33. The Aggies thrived from there.

After two Trell English-Lurry free throws gave GSU a 43-35 lead, Bostick hit four consecutive free throws to cut the lead down to four. Alexis Foulks’ jump shot pushed the lead out to six before Foy netted a 3-pointer from the corner to get the GSU lead down to three. Green then took a pass from Foy and dropped another three to send the Aggies into the fourth quarter tied at 45.

“I think we were just nervous. It was our first time playing in front of a crowd after two closed scrimmages,” said Robinson. “It was just a matter of removing those jitters and waking up. In the second half, we started defending and then our shots started falling.”

N.C. A&T’s defense held the Eagles scoreless for the first six minutes of the fourth quarter. Add that to the nearly two minutes GSU went scoreless to close out the third quarter, and the Aggies were able to build a 55-45 lead over the Eagles on a Lessears layup with 5:08 remaining in the game. GSU tried to rally as Rhein Beamon hit two free throws and Jakayvea Akins hit a runner in the lane to get to within six. But McCray ended the Eagles hopes with her third 3-pointer of the night to give N.C. A&T a 58-49 lead with 1:55 remaining in the game.

It was the Aggies first season-opening win in three years.

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“We talked about tempo because we felt we were more athletic than they were,” said Robinson. “We felt like playing fast would be to our advantage. It just took one or two people to get us going. I thought Foy, Bostick, Green and McCary speeding things up changed the whole entire game.”

Beamon led the Aggies with 13 points and six rebounds. N.C. A&T will take on defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Elon, 5:30 p.m., Monday at Corbett Sports Center.

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Hampton Lady Pirates Stun North Carolina Tarheels in Season Opener

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina  --  An 18-7 run in the last 6:29 enabled Hampton to score a season opening win over North Carolina 70-66 on Friday at Carmichael Arena.

The win was the first ever over UNC and the 11th for David Six against "Power Five" conferences. The last win for Hampton against a power five schPool was against Wake Forest 47-42 on Dec. 28, 2015.

Hampton used a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take a 17-8 lead on a Mikayla Sayle jumper with 3:37 left. The Lady Pirates pushed the lead to 10 points as late as 1:44 left in the half on a Monnazjea Finney-SmiPth 3-pointer.

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In the third quarter, UNC used a 7-0 run midway through the period to take a 47-43 lead with 3:05 left on a Jocelyn Jones free throw. Jephany Brown hit a 3-pointer from the wing with 22 seconds left in the quarter to take a 49-47 lead. Paris Kea beat the third quarter buzzer with a jumper to tie the game 49-all.

In the fourth, the Tar Heels opened with a 10-3 to lead 59-52 on a Kea free throw with 6:29 left. Hampton responded with three straight 3-pointers by K'Lynn Willis and two from Finney-Smith to retake the lead 61-59 with 4:33 left.

A Jones jumper with 3:02 left put Carolina up 65-63. Hampton scored six straight points between Brown and Finney-Smith to take a 69-65 lead on a Brown free throw with one minute left.

Finney-Smith topped the team with 25 points and hit 7-of-12 from 3-point range to lead four in double figures. Brown had 16 points and eight rebounds, Allina Start had 11 points and eight assists with James scoring 10 and five assists.

As a team Hampton hit 50% from the floor (28-56), 45.8% from 3-point range (11-24).

The Lady Pirates now return to North Carolina next Friday to face Elon on Nov.17.

For more information on Hampton women's basketball contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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HBCU Football Judgment Day Schedule -- Week 11

SATURDAY, November 11, 2017

SIAC CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuskegee at Fort Valley State, 2 PM, ESPN3

CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Fayetteville State vs. Virginia State at Salem, VA, 4:30 PM, TV: ASPIRE Network

OVC
Southeast Missouri State at Tennessee State, 3 PM

SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff at Prairie View A&M, 2 PM
Jackson State at Alabama A&M, 2 PM
Grambling State at Alabama State, 3 PM
Mississippi Valley State at Alcorn State, 3 PM
Southern at Texas Southern, 6 PM

MEAC
Savannah State at North Carolina A&T State, 1 PM
Norfolk State at Howard, 1 PM
Hampton at South Carolina State, 1:30 PM
Morgan State at Delaware State, 2 PM
Bethune-Cookman at North Carolina Central, 2 PM

GLVC
Lincoln (MO) at Southwest Baptist, 1 PM

CSFL
Lyon at Texas College, 1 PM
Langston at Wayland Baptist, 3 PM

PSAC
Edinboro at Cheyney, 1 PM

MOUNTAIN EAST
West Virginia State at West Virginia Wesleyan, 1 PM

MID-SOUTH
Edward Waters at Faulkner, 2:30 PM

GAME TIME SHOWN IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME 

Chicago State Cougars Travel to Iowa for 2017-18 Opener Friday Night on BTN Plus

hicago State (0-0) at Iowa (0-0)
Date	Friday, Nov. 10, 2017
Time	8 p.m.
Location	Carver-Hawkeye Arena - Iowa City, Iowa
Video	BTN Plus
Radio	Hawkeye Sports Radio
Live Stats	Iowa Live Stats
Social Media	@IowaHoops (Twitter)

OPENING TIP: Chicago State University men's basketball opens its 2017-18 season on Friday night in Iowa City, Iowa when it takes on Big Ten Conference member Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in a live broadcast on the Big Ten Network Plus with the opening tip set for 8 p.m.

SCOUTING CSU: Chicago State returns seven letterwinners, including two starters, from last season's team as Tracy Dildy enters his eighth season as CSU's head coach. Dildy also welcomes in 10 newcomers that includes three redshirts who sat out last season. The Cougars' top returning player is junior guard Fred Sims, Jr., a Preseason All-Western Athletic Conference First Team selection, who averaged 18.8 points per game a year ago and finished third among the WAC's scoring leaders. Top newcomers for the Green and White include redshirt freshman guard Travon Bell, junior guard/forward Anthony Harris and redshirt senior forward Jelani Pruitt.


SCOUTING IOWA: Bringing back 86 percent of its rebounding and 77 percent of its scoring from last season's 19-15 squad that competed in the Postseason NIT, Iowa claimed a pair of exhibition wins at home last week over NCAA Division II schools William Jewell (105-61) and Belmont Abbey (96-64).The top returners for UI are sophomore guard Jordan Bohannon and sophomore forward Tyler Cook as both players were named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team last year. Cook averaged 12.3 points a game and shot 55 percent from the field, while Bohannon recorded 10.9 points and 5.1 assists per game last season.

SERIES HISTORY: Iowa holds a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series with Chicago State and Friday's game marks the first meeting between the two schools in six years. The Hawkeyes and the Cougars have met in a season opener one other time on Nov. 11, 2011 when UI claimed a 96-53 home victory. Jeremy Robinson (Decatur, Ill./Eisenhower) led the Green and White with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds, while Aaron White recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Iowa.

PLAYING FOR CHARITY: The Cougars had raised over $1,000 during last Saturday's exhibition game against Valparaiso at the E
mil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center which was donated to the Lutheran World Relief organization to help those affected by Hurricane Irma in Houston this past summer.

CSU'S PUBLIC CONNECTION – Chicago State has three players on its roster that has played prep ball in the famed Chicago Public League. Representing the Public League this season is Sims (North Lawndale), Bell (Mather), junior forward John Joyce (Taft), freshman forward Cameron Bowles (Kenwood) and freshman guard Nathan Townsen, Jr. (Bogan).

UP NEXT: The Cougars close out their season-opening weekend on Sunday afternoon as they travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to battle host Purdue at Mackey Arena live on the Big Ten Network with the opening tip set for 3 p.m.

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Oregon ushers in new era vs Coppin State Friday

OREGON GAME NOTES: COPPIN STATE

EUGENE, Oregon -- A new era of Oregon basketball will be ushered in Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena (9 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks) as the men's basketball team opens their 2017-18 regular season against Coppin State.

The Ducks return just one starter, sophomore point guard Payton Pritchard, from last year's Final Four squad. Gone are the stars of yesteryear like Dillon Brooks, Jordan Bell, Tyler Dorsey, Chris Boucher and on and on the list goes.

Instead, the Ducks will welcome a wave of new players who will be looking to make a name for themselves in the place of last year's historic team.

Oregon played exhibition games against Idaho and Northwest Christian University over the last 10 days, and they also added a trip to Las Vegas last weekend for a scrimmage against Oklahoma. The three games help provide a glimpse at where Oregon's strengths and also their weaknesses are at heading into a new season.

"I think it just showed a lot of people we have a lot of talent, but also we have long ways to go," said Pritchard.

The Ducks learned they still have ways to go defensively, but Altman and the Ducks walked away from the three games knowing the foundation is there.

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FCS committee rankings are eye-catching

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The intrigue flowed out of the NCAA Division I FCS selection committee’s second and final set of Top 10 rankings Thursday night – just 10 days prior to the announcement of the 24-team playoff field.

Two more weekends of action can and likely will change the committee’s rankings, but the current set would put national powers James Madison and North Dakota State on a semifinal-round collision course at No. 1 and 4, respectively. They met in last year’s semifinals, with JMU winning at NDSU to end the Bison’s five-year run as the national champion, before the Dukes went on to capture the title.

Also standing out Thursday night was unbeaten North Carolina A&T’s inclusion in the rankings for the first time at No. 10. The Aggies are leading the MEAC and seek that conference’s bid to the Air Force Celebration Bowl – not the playoffs – but if they don’t move on to the third annual bowl, they’ll be eligible for an at-large bid.

While James Madison (9-0) remained at No. 1, Jacksonville State (8-1) and Central Arkansas (8-1) moved up one spot each to 2 and 3, respectively. North Dakota State (8-1) fell two spots to No. 4 after its first loss and was followed by No. 5 Sam Houston State (8-1), which held steady.

Then it was: No. 6 Elon (8-1), up one spot; No. 7 South Dakota State (7-2), up three spots after beating NDSU; No. 8 Wofford (8-1), holding steady; No. 9 South Dakota (7-2), down four spots; and North Carolina A&T (9-0).

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North Carolina A&T Can Win Ninth MEAC Title On Saturday

No. 7/9 North Carolina A&T (9-0, 6-0 MEAC) vs. Savannah State (2-7, 2-4 MEAC)
*FCS Coaches Poll/STATS Media Poll
Date: Nov. 11, 2017
Time: 1 p.m.
Facility: Aggie Stadium (21,500)
Series: A&T leads, 2-0
Radio: ESPN Triad Radio (1320 AM, 93.7 FM, 104.9 FM, 1230 AM); Play-by-play – Donal Ware, Analysts – Al Swann and Billy Covington

OFFENSIVE STARTERS FROM LAST GAME: WR Elijah Bell (6-2, 221, So., has an outside chance to have a 1,000-yard season); LT Brandon Parker (6-7, 309, R-Sr., has six MEAC offensive lineman of the week honors); LG Joshua Mattocks (6-3, 331, R-Sr., graded out 78 percent vs. Norfolk State last week); C Darriel Mack (6-2, 293, R-Sr., he is second on the team in knockdown blocks at 36); RG Daquan Blake (6-1, 290, Sr., a hardworking lineman who makes maximum effort every week); RT Marcus Pettiford (6-3, 274, R-So., Has the potential to be the next dominant lineman at A&T); TE Trey Scott (6-1, 220, Gr., Scott has 20 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns on the season); WR Ron Hunt (6-1, 181, So., Hunt is averaging 9.4 yards per receptions on 14 catches); WR Khris Gardin (5-7, 185, Sr., leads the conference in kickoff return average at 28.5 per return); QB Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, R-Jr., Raynard is now owns the single-season passing record at N.C. A&T); RB Marquell Cartwright (5-8, 201, R-Jr., Cartwright needs 107 yards for a 1,000-yard season).

DEFENSIVE STARTERS FROM LAST GAME: DE Kenneth Melton (6-2, 235, R-Sr., has 6.5 tackles for loss despite missing time); NG Jermaine Williams (6-1, 301, R-So., he is one of five Aggies with more than five tackles for loss); DT Julian McKnight (6-3, 280, R-Jr., his return will be crucial for the Aggies down the stretch); DE Darryl Johnson (6-5, 226, R-So., leads the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (6.5)); LB Deion Jones (5-11, 202, R-Jr., tied for second on the team in tackles with 35); LB Kiaundric Richardson (6-0, 214, R-Jr., he is a great leader on the Aggies defense); LB Marcus Albert (5-10, 205, R-Sr., has 33 tackles and eight tackles for loss on the season); FS Jamaal Darden (5-9, 188, Sr., posted his first career interception last week at NSU); CB Mac McCain (5-11, 174, R-Fr., he has three pick-6’s on the season and has had a chance at three more); ROV Jeremy Taylor (5-11, 190, R-Sr., scored the Aggies fifth defensive touchdown of the season last week at NSU); CB Timadre Abram (5-10, 168, R-Jr., has a chance to be an all-conference corner).



The Game: The N.C. A&T Aggies have a chance to win a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a win over Savannah State on Saturday. A win could also secure an NCAA FCS playoff spot if the Aggies do not make the Celebration Bowl. The Aggies were recently ranked No. 10 by the FCS Selection Committee. If the Aggies win a share of the title on Saturday, it will be their third conference title in four years and their ninth MEAC championship. N.C. A&T could win the title outright and secure a Celebration Bowl bid if North Carolina Central loses at home to Bethune-Cookman and Howard loses at home to Norfolk State. In that scenario, the Aggies will have their first outright MEAC title in 14 years. N.C. A&T faces a Savannah State team that has won two straight.

N.C. A&T is coming off a convincing 35-7 win over Norfolk State. The win made the 2017 Aggies the first team in school history to start 9-0. If the Aggies close out with three straight wins, they will become the first MEAC team in history to finish an entire season undefeated. There have been teams who have finished the regular season undefeated. Junior quarterback Lamar Raynard has already broken two single-season school records thus far. He broke Maseo Bolin’s 1995 single-season passing record, and he broke Alan Hooker’s 1986 total offense record. He has a chance at two more single-season marks on Saturday. Two touchdown passes would give him Hooker’s single-season TD passes record and another TD – rushing or passing – would give him Hooker’s 1985 touchdown responsible for mark.

News & Notes

Head coach Rod Broadway could win his sixth overall conference title if the Aggies win on Saturday. Broadway won two conference titles at N.C. Central, one at Grambling and is headed toward his third at N.C. A&T.

Sophomore wide receiver Elijah Bell scored his ninth receiving touchdown of the season on at Florida A&M on Oct. 14. He is two touchdown receptions short of breaking the single-season record held by Denzel Keyes (2016) and Craig Thompson (1991). Savannah State marks the third straight game in which he has been two TD’s shy of reaching the mark. Bell’s 699 receiving yards ranks seventh best all time heading into this weekend.

The last time N.C. A&T and Savannah State played was in 2014, therefore, there are very few Aggies who played in the game. Among those players are WR Xavier Griffin, LT Brandon Parker, RB Marquell Cartwright, DE Kenneth Melton, WR Khris Gardin and WR Caleb Gabriel.

N.C. A&T held the Spartans to negative yards rushing. It marked the fifth time the Aggies have held an opponent to negative yards rushing. It is the second time this season after holding Delaware State to negative yards rushing. They have held opponents under 100 yards rushing 44 times and under 50 yards 24 times.

Opposing Point of View
“I think it is a great opportunity when you are trying to build your team. You want to play against teams like A&T so you can show your players this is what it takes this is how you have to play if you want a chance to compete for championships. It will be difficult for sure – they are excellent in all three phases – but I think it is good for your team when you’re trying to build your program to play against programs like A&T.”

Savannah State head coach Eric Raeburn on facing N.C. A&T

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

4 Nuggets snare GCAC honors; tourney starts Friday

METAIRIE, Louisiana — Four volleyball student-athletes from Xavier University of Louisiana received All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference honors Thursday during a banquet on the eve of the league's postseason tournament.
     
Juliana Tomasoni and Kayla Black were named first-team All-GCAC, and Anna Dalla Vecchia and Eva Le Guillou made the second team. Dalla Vecchia was chosen Freshman of the Year, and Le Guillou earned Setter of the Year.
     
XULA (21-2), the regular-season champion and the tournament's No. 1 seed, will have a bye in the opening round. The Gold Nuggets will play fourth-seeded Edward Waters or fifth-seeded SUNO in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday. SUNO's The Castle is the venue for this single-elimination tournament. The championship match will start at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Nuggets improve offensively to earn 1st win of season

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana got its offense untracked Wednesday and earned its first women's basketball victory of the season, 84-68 against LSU-Alexandria.

Essence Wells scored a career-high 18 points for the Gold Nuggets (1-2). Taylor Jones scored 15 points, Maya Trench had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and DeDe Martinez had 11 points and eight rebounds.

XULA scored the first seven points and led wire-to-wire. The Nuggets' largest lead was 75-57 on a Martinez basket with 2:53 remaining.

Lillie Snowden scored 19 points, Katie Lemieux 13 and Shelanita Starks 11 for LSUA (0-1).

The Gold Nuggets averaged 42 points and shot 21.6 from the floor in their first two games but shot 40.6 percent against LSUA, 52.6 percent in the first half. Trench, Jones and Wells each made a pair of 3-pointers.

XULA produced 17 steals, three apiece by Trench, Jones, Mikayla Bates and Gina Smith.

The Gold Nuggets will try to even their record at .500 in a 5:30 p.m. game Tuesday against William Carey at Hattiesburg, Miss.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Generals strike early, give Rush 1st loss of season

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana — LSU-Alexandria made 4-of-5 3-pointers in the first four minutes Wednesday and opened its men's basketball season with a 92-65 victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Generals, ranked second in the NAIA and a national semifinalist last season, led 16-1 when Evan Smith made a 3-pointer at 16:17 of the first half. LSUA led 45-26 at halftime and took its largest lead, 88-47, on Bradley Savoy's trey with 5:23 remaining. But the Gold Rush (4-1) got six points and three assists from Jalen David in an 18-4 closing run.

David finished with 13 points and led the Gold Rush with seven rebounds and five assists. Redshirt freshman Monte Lambert, in his season debut, scored 10 points for XULA, all in the second half, and Rayshawn Mart and Virgil Davison scored eight apiece.

Jordin Williams scored 17 points, Smith 16 and Brandon Moss and William Claiborne 11 apiece for LSUA, which is 39-0 all-time at home. Claiborne had game highs of nine rebounds and two blocked shots.

LSUA outshot XULA 46.8 to 41 percent from the floor and had advantages of 11-4 in made 3-pointers and 23-11 in made free throws. The Generals were plus-4 in rebounds and turnovers.

The Gold Rush will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play NAIA No. 16 William Carey at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. XULA will play host to LSUA Nov. 29 at the Convocation Center.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Illinois tips off season with Southern

COMPLETE ILLINOIS-SOUTHERN GAME NOTES (PDF)

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — After a month and a half of practices, scrimmages and exhibitions, this time it counts.

The first game of the season kicks off Friday as the Illini host Southern at State Farm Center. It’s the start of a new era of Illinois basketball under first-year coach Brad Underwood.

“I’m very excited to throw it up and have it mean something in terms of winning and losing,” Underwood said. “It’s time. We have been battling each other now for 42 days and roughly 30 practices.”

In the span of time since the official start of the season on Sept. 30, the Illini have competed beyond the practice floor in two “secret” scrimmages and one exhibition game.

Illinois went 1-2 in its preseason dress rehearsals with a win over Vanderbilt and a loss to Indiana State in the closed-door scrimmages. The Illini most recently lost 80-67 in an exhibition game to Eastern Illinois. Last season Indiana State finished 11-20 and Eastern Illinois went 14-15.

The Illini shot 40 percent from the field and were outscored 42-25 in the second half of the loss to Eastern Illinois. Five different players scored in double figures for the Panthers.

Underwood said he was bothered with his team’s lack of pursuit on simple hustle plays.

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Alcorn State Eyes SWAC East Division Title Against MVSU on Senior Day

Alcorn Game Notes | Braves All-Access | Live Radio | Live Stats

LORMAN, Mississippi -- With the opportunity to clinch its fourth consecutive SWAC East Division title, the Alcorn State University football program will host Mississippi Valley State at 2 p.m. Saturday on Senior Day at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

The Braves (6-3, 4-1 SWAC) will win the division if they beat the Delta Devils (2-7, 1-4 SWAC). If Alcorn losses, it will have to beat Jackson State OR have MVSU beat Alabama State next weekend.

An Alabama State loss to Grambling State this weekend does not secure Alcorn the division title. The standings are based off division results only.

Senior running back De'Lance Turner needs 279 more rushing yards to break the single-season school rushing record of 1,286 set by Rodney Thomas in 1998. Turner ranks third in the FCS in total rushing yards with 1,009 and fourth in both yards per carry (7.88) and rushing yards per game (112.1).



Sophomore kicker/punter Corey McCullough is the reigning FCS National and SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week winner. He broke the school's single-season field goal record with 14 after drilling four against AAMU. He also punted six times for 309 yards, averaging 51.5 yards per punt.

Junior running back P.J. Simmons is the reigning SWAC Newcomer of the Week winner. He registered a career-high 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Bulldogs. Simmons averaged 17.2 yards per carry and nearly doubled his previous career-best.

As a team, Alcorn ranks first in the conference in total offense (431.1 ypg), rushing offense (232.2 ypg), first downs (19.4 per game), third down conversions (42.1 percent) and red zone defense (64.0 percent). The red zone defense is also sixth in the FCS, while the rushing offense ranks 13th.

Alcorn is coming off a 47-22 win over Alabama A&M last weekend. The Braves had three 100-plus rushers and ran for 416 yards as a team. Alcorn defeated AAMU for the fifth straight season and have scored at least 40 points in every game during the streak.

MVSU is coming off a 38-21 defeat to Texas Southern last weekend. Its lone conference win came over Arkansas-Pine Bluff 38-31 on the road on Oct. 7.

The Delta Devils feature a dangerous aerial attack and lead the conference in passing with 298.3 yards per game. Junior wide receiver Quinn McElfresh has caught four touchdown passes and leads the league in both receptions per game (4.9) and receiving yards per game (80.4).

MVSU has used three different quarterbacks this year but Christopher Fowler has taken the majority of the snaps. Fowler has thrown for 1,465 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

The game can be watched on Braves All-Access with a subscription. It can also be heard for free on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond as the voice of the Braves.

NOTES
- Alcorn has gone undefeated against SWAC East Division opponents in back-to-back seasons. The Braves have posted 10 consecutive wins over division foes.

- The Braves are looking to defeat the Delta Devils for the fifth consecutive year. Alcorn has won eight straight meetings against MVSU at home dating back to 1999.

- Alcorn is on a three-game home winning-streak. The Braves are 73-52 all-time at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium which is in its 26th season (first year was 1992).

- The Braves have been flipping back-and-forth between their quarterbacks. Sophomore Noah Johnson got the start last game and rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Lenorris Footman did not play, but in the prior two games against Grambling State and Prairie View A&M, Johnson and Footman split time.

- Footman ranks No. 6 all-time in school history in career rushing yards with 1,964. He's also seventh in career touchdown passes (30) and ninth in career passing yards (3,927).

- Alcorn sits at No. 4 in this weeks BOXTOROW HBCU Coaches Poll. The Braves are second among SWAC teams behind Grambling State which is No. 2.

- Junior wide receiver Marquis Warford is a threat on both kick and punt returns. He leads the conference in punt return average (10.9) and ran one back for 72 yards for a score against Miles College. Warford is also top-five in the league in all-purpose yards with 118.6 per outing.

- Senior wide receiver Norlando Veals ranks second in the SWAC in both receptions per game (4.2) and receiving yards per game (68.8).

- Sophomore defensive back Javen Morrison leads the team with three interceptions and ranks 12th in the FCS with 1.33 pass break-ups per game.

- McCullough has made a league-high 14 field goals on the year. His 1.56 field goals made per game is third in the FCS. McCullough is also top-10 in the country in punting average (43.2 yards).

- The Braves have won nine SWAC Player of the Week awards this year. Turner has won two Offensive Player of the Week awards, Footman has won once, Warford and McCullough earned Special Teams Player of the Week, junior Isiah Thomas, junior Trae Ferrell and sophomore Solomon Muhammad each won Defensive Player of the Week and Simmons won Newcomer of the Week.

- Six different receivers have caught touchdown passes for Alcorn this season, and 15 student-athletes have at least one reception.

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Alcorn State Braves Open 2017-18 Campaign Friday at LSU

Game Notes | Media Guide | Live Stats | Watch on ESPN3

LORMAN, Mississippi -- The Alcorn State University men's basketball will begin a busy road stretch to kick-off the 2017-18 year Friday when it travels to LSU for a 7 p.m. game at the Maravich Center on the SEC Network Plus.

Additionally, Alcorn will head to Creighton for 6 p.m. contest Sunday at the CenturyLink Center, and to Northern Iowa for a 7 p.m. match Monday at the McLeod Center. The Braves start the year with five consecutive road games.

Montez Robinson enters his third season as head coach. The reigning SWAC Coach of the Year winner, Robinson has coached Alcorn to consecutive 13-5 conference record. He posted the first back-to-back winning seasons at Alcorn in 15 years.

"I'm really excited to get the season underway. The guys have put a lot of effort into preparing for the season and have put their time in the weight room and conditioning. We're looking forward to playing other opponents other than ourselves," said Robinson.

Last year, the Braves finished 18-14 overall en route to the SWAC Championship game. Alcorn was picked to finish fourth in the 2017-18 Preseason Poll and returns two starters in seniors A.J. Mosby and Avery Patterson.

Senior forward Reginal Johnson was named the SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. He's the only Preseason Player of the Year in the country, of all Division I conferences, to not start a game in 2016-17. Johnson led the team in scoring last year with 15.6 points per game and was named to the HBCU All-America Second-Team. He's scored in double-figures in 30 of the last 31 games.

Sophomore forward Yalen Reed was tabbed the SWAC Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Reed shot .558 from the field last season and started in seven games, but will be relied on heavier this year with the departure of forwards Marquis Vance and DeAndre Davis. Reed swatted away 18 blocks on the season.

Senior guard A.J. Mosby was selected to the Preseason All-Conference Second-Team. The only Brave to start in every game last year, Mosby averaged 10.4 points per game and shot .388 from beyond-the-arc.

In conference games last year, Alcorn led the league in field goal percentage (.458), field goal percentage defense (.402), three-point field goal percentage defense (.287), assists (13.7 apg) and defensive rebounds (26.6 drpg).

LSU finished 10-21 overall and 2-16 SEC last season. The Tigers bring back two of their top three leading scorers in Duop Reath and Brandon Sampson who averaged 12.0 and 11.6 points per game last year, respectively.

Alcorn is 0-3 all-time against LSU with the last meeting taking place in 2008-09. The Braves faced the Tigers in the second round of the 1980 NCAA Tournament after beating South Alabama 70-62 in the first round.

Creighton went 25-10 overall and 10-8 Big East last year. The Bluejays return two of the top guards in the conference in Marcus Foster and Khyri Thomas. Foster averaged 18.2 points per outing, and Thomas 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds. Creighton fell to Rhode Island 84-72 in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

The Braves are 0-2 all-time against the Bluejays with the last meeting being the 2013-14 season opener.

UNI brings back three starters from a 14-16 overall, 9-9 MVC squad last year. Bennett Koch averaged 11.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game last year while shooting .570 from the field.

It's just the second-ever meeting between the Braves and the Panthers. UNI came out on top 75-53 in 1990-91.

"Playing three road games in four days is going to be tough," said Robinson. "Though at the end of the season, tournament play is a lot like that. This is chance for us early in the season to get experience playing games in consecutive days. It's also a great opportunity for us to match up against some bigger schools."

Alcorn's home opener is on Wednesday, Nov. 22 when it hosts Yale from the Ivy League at 12:30 p.m.

PRESEASON NOTES
- The Braves are playing a loaded non-conference schedule including four games against 2017 NCAA Tournament teams. Alcorn will go on the road to face LSU, Creighton, Northern Iowa, Baylor, Tulane, Iowa State, Vanderbilt and Central Arkansas.

- Alcorn is looking for its first non-conference win over a Division I school since Nov. 22, 2012 when it defeated Samford 69-65. Though, wins from 2012-13 were vacated by the NCAA. Prior to that season, the Braves beat Jacksonville State 70-68 on Dec. 13, 2003.

- The last time Alcorn topped a school from a Power Five conference was in 1990-91 over Indiana 79-77.

- The Braves bring back sharp-shooter Maurice Howard after a solid freshman season. He came off the bench to shoot team-bests of .391 (43-110) from three-point range and .822 (37-45) from the free throw line.

- Patterson returns as an experienced guard who started in 25 games last year at the point. He scored in 17 of 18 conference games and is expected to see his production go up in 2017-18.

- The Braves spent 10 days in Puerto Rico over the summer where they went undefeated in three scrimmages. In addition to basketball, the Braves also visited museums and historic sites, experienced the island as a new culture and used the international opportunity to grow as a team. College basketball teams are allowed to take a foreign trip once every four years.

- Alcorn posted 18 wins overall last season which were the most since 2001-02 when it won 20 games.

- The Braves went on an 11-game winning-streak in conference which was the fifth longest active streak in the nation. It was also the fourth longest in program history, and the longest since 1998-99. Alcorn also held a six-game road winning-streak which was the seventh-longest in the country. The Braves were a perfect 7-0 in February.

- Alcorn finished 11-2 at home last season where it outscored the opposition 979-807.

- The Braves brought back 10 letterwinners and brought in six newcomers for 2017-18.

- Alcorn has big shoes to fill after losing Vance, a two-time All-Conference First-Team selection. Not only did Vance score 1,303 career points, but he's also in the Alcorn record book with 803 rebounds, 209 assists and 80 blocks. Vance signed a professional contract to play for Ovarense Dolce Vita in Ovar, Portugal.

- Robinson inherited a squad that went 6-26, 4-14 SWAC in 2014-15 and more-than tripled the team's win total in his first year. Robinson was a finalist for both the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year and Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year awards in back-to-back seasons.

- Robinson brought in three new assistant coaches for the 2016-17 season who all enter their second year. They included the 2004 SWAC Newcomer of the Year and All-Conference First-Team honoree Delvin Thompson who played at Alcorn, Derek Thompson who has over 10 years of collegiate coaching experience and Frank Popieski who spent three years at Florida State before helping coach numerous All-Atlantic Sun performers at Stetson.

- Not only did Robinson have to restore the team on the court, but he also erased NCAA sanctions which included a postseason ban for low Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. The Braves are eligible for a postseason berth for the first time since Robinson's arrival as he wiped away penalties that he inherited. Last season, Alcorn had four student-athletes who earned All-SWAC Academic honors.

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Gonzaga entertains well-traveled Texas Southern Tigers in season opener

TV Schedule: Friday, November 10, 9:00 p.m. ET, ROOT

 SPOKANE, Washington -- The college basketball season is here and that means one thing for Texas Southern:

Gentlemen, pack your bags for a few months.

The Tigers are the sport’s road warriors, tackling a non-conference schedule that begins with Gonzaga on Friday and will take them to Washington State, Ohio State, Syracuse, Kansas, Clemson, Oakland, Toledo, Oregon, Baylor, Wyoming, TCU and BYU before playing their first home game on Jan. 1.

They do it every year, but there’s a method to coach Mike Davis’ road madness.

“I have total control of my schedule,” Davis said, “and so the reason I do it is because I know the important thing for us is winning our conference. The key thing about being a good player and a good team is how fast you can recover from bad situations.

“Playing all these really good teams, they’re going to make runs on us. Do we start playing pick-up basketball or stay with the game plan? We’re never going to face anybody like we do (in the non conference) so when we get into conference we can recover fast.”

Last year’s slate included Arizona, Louisville, Cincinnati, LSU, TCU and Baylor. The Tigers’ home opener came on Jan. 14.

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Seasoned Grambling State women's hoops team eyes SWAC title, NCAA bid

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Winning its conference first postseason game, capturing the co-SWAC regular season championship, the number of victories increased for the third straight season, the entire starting lineup returns from an historic campaign a season ago, including the Preseason Player of the Year.

There’s no question – just all confidence – that junior guard Shakyla Hill, who the conference coaches voted the best player coming into the 2017-18 season, didn’t hesitate when asked where she sees the Grambling State women’s basketball team going.

“For one, we don’t plan on being in the WNIT,” Hill said. “We plan on being in the NCAA tournament. The returners, and our coaches also, set a standard that we have to improve constantly, so the people that came in have the mindset that we’re not going to the WNIT, we’re going to the NCAA and we’re going to get as far as we can.”

As a sophomore, Hill led GSU scoring 15 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, while finishing tops in the league in assists, steals and field goal percentage.

The Lady Tigers won 19 games last year, going 14-4 in SWAC play, and defeated Ole Miss, 78-75, on the road in a first round Women’s NIT game, setting the positive trajectory and an expectation inside the program.

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