Southern turns in no-nonsense performance in 33-7 win against TSU, setting up another big Bayou Classic

HOUSTON, Texas -- The celebration, if you could call it that, was muted as the game clock ticked down to zeroes on Southern's 33-7 win against Texas Southern.

"I thought we came in with the right mindset to take care of business," said Jaguars coach Dawson Odums. "We understood what was at stake."

It was the sixth consecutive win for Southern (7-3, 5-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference), and it also set up yet another Bayou Classic clash with a trip to the SWAC title game on the line against Grambling, which remained undefeated in league play Saturday with a 24-7 win against Alabama State.

Odums was quick to remind anyone within earshot of where his team was before this win streak, back in September, when the Jaguars blew a 24-10 first-half lead to Alcorn State and dropped to 1-3 and 0-1 in SWAC play.

"Everybody wrote us off, but that's OK; good thing we don't have to cash their checks," Odums said. "We know ours don't bounce."

Saturday's victory wasn’t flawless or flashy. It was a no-nonsense win, a businesslike performance that allowed a few pieces of flair for the enjoyment of the large mass of blue and gold that made the trip.



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Howard Bison Take Down NSU Spartans In Final Seconds

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Trailing, 24-21, Coach Mike London and the Howard University Football team started its final drive on their own 11-yard line.

First play, freshman Caylin Newton connected with sophomore Jequez Ezzard for a 41-yard pass and moved into Spartans' territory. After three plays, the Bison faced a 4th-and-8 situtation where Newton's throw was deflected into the hands of sophomore Kyle Anthony for 16 yards, enough to keep the drive alive.

Then, Newton put HU into the red zone after a 16-yard run. After a costly holding penalty, Newton scrambled for 15 yards and was forced out-of-bounds at NSU's 5-yard line. Next, senior Anthony Philyaw picked up a fresh set of downs with a three-yard run. Two plays later, Newton rolled to his right and stretched across the goal line for the game-winning touchdown with five ticks remaining.



Howard (7-3, 6-1 MEAC) earned its fifth consecutive win after compiling 476 total offense yards, including 317 on the ground.

On this day, several Bison were recognized for their dedication and hard work on and off the field. Philyaw was among those seniors playing their final contest at Greene Stadium.

The California native put on a show, rushing for 193 yards on 20 carries while scoring two touchdowns in the victory.

HU struck first with a 7-yard touchdown from Philyaw, 7-0.

Norfolk State responded with a five play, 65-yard drive, capped off by a 19-yard pass from Juwan Carter to Demetreus Ferebee, 7-7.

NSU answered again and took the lead after one, thanks to a 5-yard run from Aaron Savage, 14-7.

Norfolk State put together a 6:39 drive, which resulted in a 2-yard run by Carter, 21-7.

Howard battled back with a long drive of their own, going nine plays for 73 yards, including a 3-yard TD run from Philyaw, 21-14.

With more than enough time, the Spartans capitalized before halftime with a 37-yard field goal by Josh Nardone, 24-14.

After a scoreless third, HU endured another long drive resulting in a 3-yard touchdown from graduate Dezmond Wortham. The drive started from Howard's 10-yard line and took 4:03.

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Ezzard continues his solid play down the stretch, grabbing seven balls for 113 yards.

Defensively, the Bison held NSU scoreless after intermission. Senior Devin Rollins registered a team-high seven solo tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. Freshman Bryan Cook recorded three tackles and two INTs in the win.

For Norfolk State (3-7, 3-4 MEAC), Savage rushed for 112 yards on 23 touches with a touchdown. Defensively, Anthony Smith posted a game-high 12.5 tackles (11 solo), including two tackles for loss, and an interception.

Howard concludes the regular season at rival Hampton. The Battle of the Real HU continues Saturday at Armstrong Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Grambling State Tigers grind out SWAC win over Hornets

MONTGOMERY, Alabama | The Grambling State University football team was held to just four first downs in the first half, but the Tigers were able to grind out a 24-7 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory over Alabama State on Saturday afternoon at ASU Stadium.

"Alabama State is a good football team and they played extremely well," Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs said. "We couldn't get much going offensively early, but that happens when playing one of the best defenses in the conference. Now we get some time to rest some players and focus on the Bayou Classic and a showdown with an excellent Southern team."

The Grambling State offense couldn't get much going early in the first half and the defense was able to hold Alabama State to just a pair of field goal attempts. However, the Hornets walked away with no points after a pair of blocks by Marchael Jackson and De'Aumante Johnson.

Despite not getting much going offensively, the Tigers were able to get into the red zone, courtesy of a 23-yard interception return to set up Grambling State at the Hornets 1-yard line. Just one play later, Martez Carter punched in the touchdown from one-yard out to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead with 3:43 remaining in the opening quarter.

Grambling State (9-1 overall, 6-0 SWAC) forced Alabama State to punt the football with 1:43 remaining in the first half and the Tigers went to work with the two-minute drill. Despite two straight incomplete passes, Devante Kincade connected with Jordan Jones for 35 yards to set up shop at the Hornets' 19. After picked up a first down with his legs, Kincade hit Calif Samon for a 7-yard touchdown strike to give the Tigers a 14-0 advantage with 35 seconds left in the half.

After an Alabama State punt backed Grambling State to its own 18 and on the very next play, Carter broke free for a 59-yard run to set up shop at the Hornets' 23. But the Tigers' drive stalled out, but Grambling State got a 41-yard field goal by Marc Orozco to extend the advantage to 17-0 with 8:40 remaining in the third.

Grambling State put the game away midway through the fourth quarter as the Tigers marched 92 yards in 13 plays as Kincade tossed his second touchdown pass, a 44-yard strike to Devohn Lindsey to extend the advantage to 24-0 with 7:14 left.

The Hornets (3-6, 3-3) quickly answered as Alabama State went 77 yards in five plays as Darryl Pearson, Jr., connected with Ezra Gray for a 10-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-7 with 5:09 remaining.

Turning Point
With the Tigers offense not getting much going, it was the defense that led to the first score.

Alabama State began the drive on its own 24, but Darryl Pearson, Jr.'s pass was picked off by De'Andre Hogues and returned 23 yards to the Hornets' 1-yard line. With the offense taking the field, Martez Carter rushed straight up the middle and into the endzone to give Grambling State a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

The Tigers didn't look back in the 24-7 victory.

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Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State was held to a season-low four first downs in the first half.
· The Tigers registered 93 yards on 28 plays in the opening half, including 70 of those yards through the air.
· Alabama State recorded 87 total yards of offense in the first half and five first downs.
· Devante Kincade was 17-of-27 passing for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
· Devante Kincade rushed 18 times for 24 yards.
· Martez Carter tallied 85 yards on 14 carries, including a 59-yard carry in the third quarter.
· Calif Samon caught four passes for 39 yards.
· Martez Carter finished with four receptions for 32 yards.
· Marc Orozco was 1-for-1 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra point attempts.
· De'Arius Christmas registered eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
· Percy Cargo, Jr., tallied six tackles, including five solo stops.
· Darryl Pearson, Jr., was 7-of-18 passing, with one interception, for 95 yards.
· Ezra Gray rushed 11 times for 43 yards.
· Willis White caught four passes for 73 yards.
· Kurron Ramsey finished with seven tackles, while Joshua Hill and Malik Bridgers added six.
· The Tigers finished with 321 total yards of offense on 67 plays.
· The Hornets garnered 217 total yards in 54 plays.
· Grambling State held Alabama State to 95 yards passing.
· The Tigers were 9-of-19 in third-down conversions.
· Grambling State was penalized two times for 10 yards.

News & Notes
· Alabama State attempted two field goals in the first quarter and walked away with zero points as the Tigers blocked both attempts.
· Grambling State came into the game ranked No. 11 in the FCS Coaches Preseason Poll and No. 13 in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll, No. 1 in the SBN Sports Network Black College Football Poll and No. 2 in the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Poll.
· Grambling State wore its white jerseys with gold pants on Saturday and improved to 4-1 when wearing those jerseys during the Broderick Fobbs era.
· Broderick Fobbs improved to 3-1 all-time against Alabama State.
· Grambling State improved to 27-13 all-time against Alabama State.
· The Tigers have won nine straight after losing to Tulane to begin the season.
· Grambling State remains one-game up over rival Southern in the SWAC West Division standings
· The winner of the 44th Annual Bayou Classic on Nov. 25 will advance to the 2017 SWAC Championship game in Houston, Texas.
· Alcorn State clinched a spot in the SWAC Championship after a victory over Alabama A&M on Saturday.
· Saturday's game was broadcasted live on the SWAC Digital Network.

Up Next
Grambling State takes a week off for preparation for the 44th Annual Bayou Classic against Southern on Nov. 25. The Tigers and Jaguars have been on a collision course this season and the winner of that game will advance to the 2017 SWAC Championship on
Dec. 2 in Houston, Texas.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathetics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

Virginia State Trojans Secure Victory Over Pitt-Johnstown

INDIANA, Pennsylvania  –  The Virginia State University men's basketball team opened the 2017-2018 season with 79-75 victory against the University of Pittsburg-Johnstown on Friday evening in the opening game of the IRMC / Hilton Garden Inn Classic hosted by Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Senior Richard Granberry (Chester, Pa.) secured his first double-double of the season, leading the Trojans with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Granberry shot 6-of-9 from the field. Junior Brandon Holley (Richmond, Va.) contributed 15 total points. Followed by Walter Williams (12), Waymond Wright (11) and Trey Brown (10) who all scored in double digits for Virginia State. Granberry was the game's leading rebounder with 10 recoveries. Senior Waymond Wright and junior Walter Williams dished out a game-high five assists each.

Virginia State held a 10-2 advantage after one quarter of action and pushed their lead to 16-4 at the five-minute media timeout of the second quarter.

Both teams shot well in the opening half, with Pitt-Johnstown making 15-of-28 from the floor (53.6 percent) and Virginia State securing 16-of-29 shots from the floor (55.2 percent) to take a 42-38 advantage at halftime.

The University of Pittsburg-Johnstown continued to rally in the second half to tie the game 63-63 with 6:32 left in the game. VSU continued to take things one play at a time as Trey Brown secured a three pointer to give VSU a 66-63 lead. Virginia State continued to extend their lead by adding five points to give the Trojans a 74-70 advantage with 3:03 left in the game. The Mountain Cats continued to make plays tying the game again 74-74 with 2:04 left on the clock. A three pointer by Walter Williams contributed the 77-75 lead held by the Trojans, followed by two free throw shots by Walter Williams to give the Trojans a 79-75 victory. The Mountain Cats were led by Levi Mausa and Drew Mangesto who both contributed 18 points respectively.

The University of Pittsburg-Johnstown finished the contest shooting 44.8 percent from the field (26-of-58) which included 12-of-29 behind the arc. Pitt-Johnstown did shoot well at the charity stripe, hitting 11-of-13 (84.6 percent).

Virginia State ended the contest shooting 55.8 percent from the field (29-of-52), knocked down 14-of-20 three pointers (70 percent) and out-rebounded their opponent 37-18.

The Trojans will return to action on Saturday evening against host Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex.

For the most up-to-date information on VSU men's basketball, please visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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.

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

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.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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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TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

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.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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.

PHOTO GALLERY

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
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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.

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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.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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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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