Sharpshooting UMES Hawks Fly By Jackson State Tigers in Emerald Coast Classic

NICEVILLE, Florida -- Behind hot shooting and an early second half surge, Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball established control, holding off a late Jackson State run to win 66-63 on Friday at The Arena at Northwest Florida State College.

The Hawks (2-3) now move onto the fifth-place game in the Emerald Coast Classic tomorrow, where they will meet Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles knocked off Omaha 86-85 earlier in the day. The teams will tip at 1:30 p.m. EST.

“I was very proud of the fight our guys gave,” said Hawks head coach Bobby Collins after the win. “That’s a very talented basketball team we played, but today the ball just fell our way, and I thought we were very deserving of that.”

Down 45-43 with 15:15 to play, The Shore evened things up behind an Ahmad Frost (Cincinnati, Ohio) layup. Frost was fouled on the play and missed the free throw but tipped out his own rebound to teammate Logan McIntosh (Atlanta, Georgia), who drove in and drew his own foul before hitting a pair of shots to put his team up 47-45 at the 14:47 mark.

After a LeAndre Thomas (St. Petersburg, Florida) block on the defensive end, Cameron Bacote (Norfolk, Virginia) pushed it in transition and found an open Tyler Jones (Atlantic City, New Jersey) for a layup. Bacote then ripped down a board at the other end and again found Jones, who drained a three from straightaway to make it 52-45 with 13:41 to play, capping a 9-0 run over just over a minute.

The Hawks kept the Tigers (1-4) at an arm’s length for most of the rest of the second half. Colen Gaynor’s (Berlin, Maryland) three at the 8:48 mark made it 57-49 and capped a spectacular day for Gaynor. The freshman led the Hawks with a career-high 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from long range.

“I was proud to see Colen shoot the ball as well as he shot the ball,” said Collins of his local standout’s career game. “He was really in the dumps earlier, I’ve been riding him pretty hard, but he really stepped up and did some things today.”

Eastern Shore led by as many as nine with five minutes to go, but Jackson State hung around thanks to several missed Hawk free throws down the stretch. Chace Franklin’s layup with 37 seconds to go got the Tigers within one possession at 64-61, and a botched inbound play gave possession right back to JSU. Franklin immediately took a deep three from the wing that hit nothing but air. Jeremiah Jefferson got the offensive rebound and scrambled for the left corner, but his three clanged off the bottom of the iron and into Jones’ hands. Jones hit 1-of-2 ensuing free throws to make it a two-possession game and then hit another after a JSU miss with two seconds left. Jackson State hit a shot at the buzzer to give the game its final margin.

Jones recorded his first career double-double on the afternoon, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. McIntosh played 37 minutes in his return to the lineup after a back injury, contributing 10 points, three boards, three assists, and two steals, in addition to a calming hand in the backcourt.

“It was great having Logan McIntosh back to give us some stability,” said Collins. “He broke the defense down and was finding the right guys all day. He does a lot for us.”

Eastern Shore fell behind by as many as nine in the first half, trailing 29-20 with 5:44 to play. A Jones three within that minute started the comeback, then Gaynor hit back-to-back treys from the left corner to make it 31-29. JSU responded with a Maurice Rivers three-point play, but Gaynor’s hot hand again connected to make it 34-32 with 3:23 before the break. Down 37-32 inside of two minutes to go, Bacote spotted up from deep on the right wing for three, and McIntosh went up for a rebound and bobbed through the defense for a coast-to-coast layup, tying things at 37-37 and giving the Hawks all the momentum going into the locker room.

Jefferson led the Tigers with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting, while Franklin added 18 of his own.

The Hawks lit up the scoreboard all afternoon, shooting 50 percent (19-for-38) from the floor and hitting 11-of-18 from downtown, including 9-of-12 threes in the first half.

Eastern Shore wraps up play in the Emerald Coast Classic on Saturday afternoon against Tennessee Tech. Tip from The Arena at Northwest Florida State College is set for 1:30 p.m. EST. Saturday’s game will be broadcast locally on flagship radio station Fox Sports 960 AM WTGM and online at EasternShoreHawks.com. Pregame coverage starts at 1:15 p.m. with Will DeBoer on the call for The Shore Sports Network.

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Clemson beats Texas Southern 84-77

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Final Stats (.PDF)

CLEMSON, South Carolina — Elijah Thomas reached career-highs with 26 points and 16 rebounds to lead Clemson to an 84-77 victory over Texas Southern on Friday.  Thomas, who recorded his second double-double of the year, made 10 of 11 field goals, the most of the junior center's career.
Senior Clemson guard Gabe DeVoe scored 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting and made all five of his 3-pointers, all career-highs.

"Both of those guys had subpar games (last game) against Temple and felt awful about it," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. "Just didn't play very well. Those guys in a lot of ways won the game for us today."

Donte Grantham and Shelton Mitchell added 10 points each for the home team.  The ACC Tigers enjoyed a nice afternoon of shooting as they hit a season-high 61 percent from the field and connected on seven 3-pointers.

"This was a good win for our team. Texas Southern is talented," Brownell said. "They're hard to guard. We knew that coming in. We held them to 40 percent shooting. They play four guards and a 7-footer. They can all make 3s and they can drive right by you."

Demontrae Jefferson led Texas Southern with 22 points on 7-of-18 field goals. Kevin Scott added 14 points while Derrick Bruce chipped in with 12 points.

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Boyd leads Grambling Lady Tigers past McNeese Cowgirls

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana | Jazmin Boyd led three Grambling State University women's basketball players in double figures with 18 points as the Lady Tigers used a big first-half run in a 75-60 victory over McNeese on Wednesday afternoon in Burton Coliseum.
 
Grambling State (2-3) trailed 13-5 early in the first quarter, but used a 14-2 run over the final five minutes to grab a 19-15 lead. The Cowgirls (2-2) cut the margin to two a few times, but could not get past the Lady Tigers.
 
Boyd finished with 18 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, five assists and four rebounds. Monisha Neal and Deja McKinney each added 17 points, as both players sank three 3-pointers. Neal and Takerra Parsons led the way on the glass with eight boards. Shakyla Hill added nine points, a team-high six assists, six rebounds, two steals and one block.
 
Keara Hudall paced McNeese with 21 points, on 9-of-23 shooting, and four rebounds. Caitlin Davis tallied 17 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals.
 
Turning Point
McNeese raced out to a 13-5 advantage after a Caitlin Davis free throw with 5:21 left in the opening quarter, but Grambling State rallied and closed the first quarter strong as the Lady Tigers used a 14-2 run over the final five minutes to grab a 19-15 lead.
 
The Cowgirls cut the deficit to 26-24 after a 3-pointer by Gabby Guidry with 4:32 left, but again the Lady Tigers answered and pushed the margin to 33-26 after a Deja McKinney 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining in the first half.
 
McNeese trimmed the margin to 33-31 after a Keara Hudnall 3-pointer, but Grambling State got a layup by Shakyla Hill at the buzzer to take a 35-31 advantage into the break.
 
The Lady Tigers came out of the break and used an 11-4 run, capped by a McKinney layup, to extend the Grambling State lead to 44-36 with 6:15 left in the third.
 
Grambling State dominated the third quarter and outscored McNeese, 24-12, to take a 60-43 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
The Lady Tigers pushed the margin to 67-45 after a Boyd layup with 8:02 left and the Cowgirls could never recover as Grambling State picked up its second win of the season.
 
Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State shot 43.1 percent (28-of-65) from the field and 75 percent (10-of-25) from the free-throw line.
· The Lady Tigers sank 10 3-pointers and shot 40 percent from behind the arc.
· McNeese was 20-of-52 shooting (38.5 percent) from the floor and 60 percent (15-of-25) from the charity stripe.
· The Lady Tigers registered 44 rebounds, including 25 off the defensive glass.
· The Cowgirls tallied 31 rebounds, with 12 of those coming on the offensive end.
· Grambling State finished with 39 bench points, 32 points in the paint, 23 points off 16 Cowgirl turnovers and 19 second-chance points.
· McNeese registered 20 points in the paint, 20 points off 20 Grambling State turnovers, nine second-chance points and eight bench points.
· There were no ties and just one lead change.
 
News and Notes
· Grambling State got back into the win column after back-to-back losses to Xavier and Florida State.
· The Lady Tigers will take seven days off before playing host to Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 30
· The Southeastern Louisiana game will be the final home game for the Lady Tigers in 2017.
· With the win, Grambling State improved to 6-2 all-time against McNeese.

BOX SCORE
 
Up Next
Grambling State returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 30 against Southeastern Louisiana. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Fredrick C. Hodby Assembly Center.
 
Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bayou Classic gameday: Turnovers could play a big role — again — in deciding the Bayou Classic

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- In last year’s Bayou Classic, Grambling did to Southern what Southern had been doing to other teams all season — it capitalized on just about every Southern mistake.

The Jaguars led all Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams with 32 forced turnovers last season, but in the 2016 Bayou Classic it was Grambling that made those turnovers count.

A promising 12-play, 88-yard Southern drive ended in the first quarter when Austin Howard fumbled at the 1-yard line. On the Jaguars’ next drive, a Howard interception turned into a short field and a Grambling touchdown.



“If you look at the turning point in the game a year ago, it was turnovers,” said Southern coach Dawson Odums.

Southern is hoping to flip the script in this year’s edition of the game.

Entering Saturday, Grambling is leading the Southwestern Athletic Conference and is ranked second among FCS teams in turnover margin (+19). The Tigers’ 26 turnovers forced rank No. 6 nationally.

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Hampton AD looking for 'CEO-type coach'

HAMPTON, Virginia -- In his first interview since Connell Maynor’s resignation as football coach, Hampton University athletic director Eugene Marshall offered few specifics. There was no timetable and no list of names.

But Marshall did describe the type of candidate he hopes to hire.

“We want a CEO-type coach who can run a program,” Marshall said Tuesday afternoon. “Someone who can attract or retain quality assistant coaches. We want everybody to know we want talent in the 757 to come to Hampton.”

Asked to explain what he meant by “CEO-type,” Marshall gave an example of college football’s most recognized coach.

“If you look at how Nick Saban runs his program at Alabama, he’s a CEO,” Marshall said. “And you don’t have to be at Alabama to run a program like that. We have a football program, not a football team.”

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Celts defeat Gold Rush 63-61 in closing seconds

HOUSTON, Texas -- Xavier University of Louisiana freshman Rayshawn Mart scored a career-high 16 points Wednesday, but St. Thomas (Texas) rallied in the final 2 1/2 minutes for a 63-61 men's basketball victory.

The Celts (5-1) won their fifth in a row and snapped the two-game win streak of the Gold Rush (6-3). XULA has dropped three straight on the road.

Virgil Davison's fourth 3-pointer of the game gave the Gold Rush a 57-54 lead with 2:32 remaining. XULA grabbed its final lead, 61-60, on Mart's basket with 24 seconds to play.

Paul Taulton's basket with 14 seconds remaining put St. Thomas ahead to stay, 62-61. After a XULA turnover on the next possession, Bryon Makel made 1-of-2 free throws for the Celts with one second remaining.

Mart, scoring in double figures for the second straight game and the fourth time this season, was 6-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the line in 24 minutes. Davison scored 14 points, and Jeff Dixon had eight points and five assists. Elex Carter had team highs of six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Makel scored 13 points and Taulton 10.

XULA trailed 30-21 at halftime after being outscored 20-5 in the final 11 minutes, but the Gold Rush got back in contention by shooting 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half. There were 10 ties and eight lead changes in the final period.

For the game, XULA outshot St. Thomas 44.2 to 35.8 percent from the floor. But the Celts were plus-10 in turnovers, committing 12 and gaining 22. St. Thomas produced 11 steals, four by Lennard Robinson.

The Gold Rush will break for Thanksgiving, then resume the schedule next Wednesday at 7 p.m. against NAIA No. 2 LSU-Alexandria at the Convocation Center. It'll be a doubleheader, with the Gold Nuggets and LSUA tipping off at 5.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Alabama State blows out Edward Waters (Fla.) in Turkey Day Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- When the long snapper returns a punt, chances are things are going your way.

Alabama State had a little fun in its final game of the season, which resulted in a 37-3 win over Edward Waters (Fla.) in the 94th Turkey Day Classic at ASU Stadium.

ASU junior long snapper Dylan Renaker returned a punt 11 yards in the fourth quarter, a culmination to a solid finish to the season for the Hornets (5-6).

“Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking (when I fielded the punt),” Renaker said. “Instinct took over and I just tried to make a play. It’s cool because long snappers don’t get those opportunities.”

George Golden led the rushing attack with 67 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries for Alabama State. D.J. Pearson completed 7 of 12 passes for 68 yards and was sacked twice.

Hornets interim head coach Donald Hill-Eley said he was pleased with how his team finished Thursday and during the second half of the season.

“We played down to their level in the first half,” Hill-Eley said. “It’s hard to get the guys up when they see who’s in front of them. I was happy that they came out, limited the mistakes they had and brought some energy.”



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Alabama State's HoneyBeez plus-size dance team slays crowds

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Since middle school, Quiana Reliford had wanted to attend a historically black college or university. But when the Kansas City, Kan., native found out that Alabama State University had a plus-size dance team - the adorably named HoneyBeez - she knew she'd found her school.

"I'd been dancing all my life, and I wanted to continue to do that," says Reliford, now a senior health information management major at ASU. "Lo and behold, thank God, there was an opening when I got to campus."

Reliford has been a member of the dance team for all four years of college. "The HoneyBeez drew me to ASU," she says.

Reliford is one of six current members of the dance team, which was founded by band director Dr. James Oliver. His goal at the time was "to do something different with the band," he says. A graduate of ASU himself, Oliver had returned to the university in 2000.

During those first few years at ASU, it broke his heart to see young women try out for the Stingettes dance line and not make it because of their size. "I would put them on the flag line, and you could see the disappointment in their faces that they couldn't dance."

He was hesitant to mix the larger girls with the Stingettes, he says, "because putting plus-size girls with smaller girls looks like you're making fun of them."



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Resilient ASU Hornets make for interesting offseason

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- What was the lesson we were taught by Alabama State football in 2017?

Never count the Hornets out.

After a third consecutive winless start, this time at 0-5, the Hornets earned their way to the brink of a winning season.

Alabama State finished off its season with a 34-3 victory over Edward Waters (Fla.) in the 94th Turkey Day Classic on Thursday.

The 5-1 finish over the last six games this year will do for Hornet Nation what last year's 4-3 finish did: give everyone hope.

Has Hornets interim head coach Donald Hill-Eley earned the right to have the interim tag removed?

What's the new vision for Alabama State President Dr. Quinton Ross and interim ASU athletic director Jennifer Lynne Williams?

These are questions that will be answered in due time, but the Hornets have fought back each of the last three seasons no matter the coach or administration.



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Culver: Another round of instability at Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Well, here we go again.

Florida A&M university’s football program – the entire athletic department, really – is in a state of change. There’s an interim athletic director, an interim head coach and the Rattlers are coming off a sub-par season.

It all kind of sounds like where we were in December of 2014.

Remember that? Former AD Kellen Winslow – who now works at a private university in Michigan – disappeared into the night in the middle of a coaching search he was supposed to oversee. This happened after he fired Earl Holmes, who was in the middle of his second full season as FAMU’s head coach, a couple of days before homecoming.



OK, OK. I think we can all admit things aren’t nearly as bad as they were in December of 2014.

Still, things aren’t pretty at FAMU.

Stability has been missing for the Rattlers for more than a decade. The athletic program changes athletic directors and coaches at an alarming rate.

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Former SEC quarterback savoring HBCU experience at Grambling

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — DeVante Kincade was bouncing around a humid basketball gym in August, wiping sweat from his forehead while trying to sink three-pointers — with a football.

Grambling’s senior quarterback was about to help lead a football practice on hardwood courts after torrential downpours the night before had left the Tigers practice fields unplayable.
youtub
Receivers occasionally slipped and fell to the floor while running their routes because of condensation on the surface.

This scene would certainly be unlikely at most Southeastern Conference schools — many have indoor football practice facilities. Kincade knows firsthand about the immaculate SEC digs after playing two seasons at Mississippi.

But the former Ole Miss backup QB and his teammates believe what they have at Grambling more than makes up for whatever they might be missing.

“The grind is what makes it even sweeter,” he said.

The challenges of playing football at a Historically Black College or University have been well documented. Practicing in gyms, little television money and long bus trips are just part of the deal.



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Tennessee State Tigers Tigers Complete Comeback in 60-52 Win over Canisius

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --Trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team stormed all the way back for a 60-52 come-from-behind victory over visiting Canisius at the Gentry Center on Tuesday night in non-conference action.  

TSU (2-2) used smothering defense in the second half, holding the Golden Griffins (1-3) to just 17 points in the second half on 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) shooting. On the night, the Tigers forced 21 turnovers.

On the offensive end, junior point guard Armani Chaney facilitated the offense all night with a career-high eight assists, while Ken’Darrius Hamilton posted team highs for points (19) and rebounds (8).

Delano Spencer added 16 points while Christian Mekowulu went for 14 in a winning cause.

The Tigers trailed Canisius by a 35-26 margin at the half but outscored the Golden Griffins by a 34-17 score the rest of the way for the second win of the young season.

BOX SCORE  |  PHOTO GALLERY - By Sam Jordan

Final Score: Tennessee State 60 - Canisius 52
Records: TSU (2-2) – Canisius (1-3)
Venue: Gentry Center
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Attendance: 807

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• TSU Leaders
• Points – Ken’Darrius Hamilton - 19
• Rebounds – Ken’Darrius Hamilton - 8
• Assists – Armani Chaney – 8
• Armani Chaney’s previous career high for assists was 5, which he accomplished three times.
• The Tigers held its opponent under 20 points in a half for the first time this season.
• TSU forced a season-high 21 turnovers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TSU claimed a 12-11 advantage just over six minutes into the game before an 8-0 Canisius run put the Golden Griffins on top at 19-12.
• The Tigers clawed back and tied the scoring at 21-21 on an acrobatic layup from Darreon Reddick with 7:21 to go before halftime. Canisius was able to outscore the Tigers by a 14-5 margin the rest of the half to take a 35-26 edge into the locker rooms.
• Ken’Darrius Hamilton led the Tigers with 13 points, five rebounds and three steals in the opening 20 minutes.
• By the first media timeout of the second half, TSU had knotted the score at 37-37.
• Mekowulu reached double figures with back-to-back layups for a 43-39 TSU advantage with 14 minutes to go in the second half.
• A transition three from Chaney in the left corner pushed the TSU lead up to 53-47 with 7:05 showing on the second half clock.
• The Tigers were on pace to hold Canisius under 50 points until Spencer Foley knocked down a three-pointer with three seconds left in the game.

 GAME NOTES

• This marks the first contest played in Nashville between the two teams.
• Previous two were played in Buffalo, N.Y.  (1964, 2016).
• Tigers are now 3-0 versus Canisius.
• TSU is now 25-17 in home contests at the Gentry Center under Ford.
• The Tigers are 2-0 versus Canisius under Ford.
• The Tigers went on an 11-0 run after the first points of the half, spanning 2:33.
• Double-Digit Scorers
  • Ken’Darrius Hamilton (19) second of the season, 10th of his career
  • Christian Mekowulu (14) first of the season, 14th of his career
  • Delano Spencer (16) all four games this season, 15th of his career

 QUOTE

Head Coach Dana Ford
“I thought this was a gut-check for us. 2-2 is a lot better for us than 1-3. I think guys are still continuing to build confidence in their new roles. Hopefully we can build off of our second half defensive effort. Giving up 17 points in a half to that team is pretty good. They just scored 104 in their last game and they are so well coach, they execute so well. They are so unselfish; they shoot the basketball extremely well from five positions. I thought our guys really dug deep and came away with a win.”
- Thoughts on the game

“I thought we had urgency. I thought we were there on the catch. I thought our hands were high and active. I thought our help was early. We did a containment press. They like to get the ball going from side-to-side. So defending them for 28 seconds is tough, it is a lot different if you can get it down to 20. I thought we did a good job of being focused enough to get into our press on made baskets. That is a leadership thing. And I thought Armani Chaney was good with that tonight, along with Darreon Reddick and Delano Spencer.”
- On second half defense

“He is judged by wins here. If we win, he played well. If we lose, then he didn’t play very well. He played really well today because this is a very good win.”
- On Armani Chaney

“I am very proud of him today in his approach, his level of focus and his ability to stay engaged in the game, even when he was in the bench. I have to watch the tape to see what his defensive effort was, but I thought he was active around the glass. He gives us a guy who can stretch the defense and currently he is the only guy who is consistently making shots the last couple games. Hopefully these other guys who are getting some opportunities can step up and make some shots.”
- On Ken’Darrius Hamilton

“I think we broke the ice today. We’ve played Kansas, who was number four in America, MTSU who was receiving votes at the time played them and then we just played a really good team today that’s averaging 86 points a game, and before that shot at the buzzard, we held them to 49. It’s early, we’ve played four games, and we will continue to build and get better. But we need more guys to step it up. Some of our guys who are getting those spot minutes are starting to come along and they are going to get their opportunity. We just need to develop more depth. I believe that is the next phase for us, along with continuing to develop who our marquee guys are, and our role guys.”
- On first win versus a D-I opponent

Senior Forward/Center Ken’Darrius Hamilton“My team put me in good position to make plays. We just ran our offense. I got some open shots and knocked them down. I just took advantage of them when I got the opportunity.”
- On scoring game high 19 points

“It’s big for us. He is our head to the snake. He has to be the court general and it is important that he has his head on right, and I feel he did tonight. He led our team with those assists and that is what a point guard is supposed to do.”
- On Armani Chaney’s eight assists

“It was very important. We had been in a little slump after losing a couple games. But we have to put some wins together to get a good streak going.”
- On getting first win versus D-I opponent

Redshirt-Junior Forward Christian Mekowulu
“We were talking about stops in the locker room. We started off slow, but we came back after halftime needing to make those stops, because the score wasn’t going to change. So we all came out as a team and made stops and put the ball in the hole.”
- On key to making a comeback

UP NEXT

• Tennessee State heads to Kennesaw State to take on the Owls for a non-conference tilt on Saturday, Nov. 25.
• The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) start on ESPN3.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Latrelle Lee arrested: Tennessee State University football player who punched coach charged with felony

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — A Tennessee State University football player caught on video repeatedly punching his assistant coach during a game earlier this month has been arrested on a felony assault charge, court and jail records show.

Latrelle Lee, 22, who was kicked off the team and has since been expelled from the university, is charged with one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury in connection to the attack which occurred during the Tigers game on Nov. 11 at Hale Stadium.

"Once struck about the face by the defendant, the victim fell to the ground and was dazed and somewhat unconscious from the punches," according to an arrest affidavit. "The victim has subsequently been having medical difficulties as a result from the altercation."



Video captured Lee punching T.J. Greenstone twice and knocking him to the ground. Greenstone remained on the ground for a few seconds before getting back onto his feet.

Greenstone had been walking down the sideline making sure the players who were not in the game weren't too close to the field in order to avoid a penalty.

Lee was booked into the Metro jail Monday night and posted a $7,500 bond several hours later, online records show.

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Southern facing difficult task of slowing down Martez Carter. 'They call him Mr. Excitement for a reason'

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- If anyone is familiar with what Grambling running back Martez Carter can do when the lights shine brightest, it is the heavyweights of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Southern received a glimpse of his wide-ranging skill set in last season’s Bayou Classic, when Carter burned the Jaguars for 279 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns on just 16 touches in the Tigers' 52-30 win.

The next week, in the SWAC championship game, Carter torched Alcorn State for 348 all-purpose yards on 24 touches. He wrapped up his season with 201 all-purpose yards in Grambling’s Celebration Bowl win against North Carolina Central — his fourth straight game with at least 200 all-purpose yards to close the season.



“He’s explosive, man,” Southern defensive coordinator Trei Oliver said. “He has great vision. You can see the cutbacks. He has speed to hold you off when he gets out in the open field. He’s just an explosive player.”

Added Southern coach Dawson Odums: “He’s an exciting football player. He has big-play capabilities, and he got loose on us a year ago.”

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How to build a contender: Grambling, Southern offer different methods to roster construction

NEW ORLEANS -- Southern and Grambling will meet Saturday on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome turf with a postseason berth on the line, marking the third time in the past four seasons the Bayou Classic will decide the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Western Division title.

The two programs have achieved a desirable level of consistency under coaches Dawson Odums and Broderick Fobbs. Not counting their matchups against each other, the two programs have combined to go 55-5 against SWAC competition since Fobbs took over at Grambling in 2014.

“In (2016), they didn’t lose a conference game; we lost one,” said Odums, Southern's coach. “You look at this year, they haven’t lost a game, we lost one. You figure that during that stretch, if you were to take the conference teams and rank them top to bottom, we would probably be No. 2.”

But the two programs have taken different routes on their ascent to the SWAC peak, and it is evidenced by their rosters this season.

Two of Grambling’s most important players started their college careers elsewhere.

Quarterback Devante Kincade, the SWAC's reigning offensive player of the year, came to Grambling after two years at Ole Miss. He currently leads the SWAC in yards passing (2,238) and touchdowns (18) and has thrown only three interceptions in 278 attempts.



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Morris Scott earns first win as head coach as Southern men beat UT-Martin 69-66

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Morris Scott will have at least one thing to be thankful for as he carves up the turkey on Thursday.

It maybe took a little longer than he would’ve liked, but Scott officially has his first win as head coach of the Southern men’s basketball program.

After going 0-5 during a 12-day road trip to start the season, the Jaguars finally earned their first win of the season, and first since Scott took over the program in the spring, with a 69-66 win against UT-Martin in Wednesday night’s home opener.

“Turkey is going to taste a little better tomorrow,” Scott said. “I was concerned about that. I was like, ‘Man, we’re struggling right now. We’ve got a couple injuries,’

“But those guys came out a competed like they had something to prove tonight.”

While putting the first win under his belt was certainly a relief for Scott, he was more proud of the way it happened than any personal milestones.

Southern stifled any potential late pushes from the Skyhawks with a gritty defensive performance for the final eight minutes of the game.

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Howard Bison sweeps Florida A&M for three-peat

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Coach Shaun Kupferberg and the Howard University Women's Volleyball team captured its third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Title after sweeping the Florida A&M (FAMU) Rattlers (25-22, 25-19, 29-27) at the William P. Hytche Athletc Center. The victory also secured HU's 10th championship in program history.

Additionally, Howard became the first team to three-peat since FAMU won nine consecutive title (2001-09).

"Everyone is different," said Kupferberg, MEAC Tournament Outstanding Coach. "Everyone has different feelings attached to it. This one was a struggle, this one was probably the hardest. We had a long year, we had a lot of injuries, a lot of new players … it was chaos trying to put it all together."

MEAC Player of the Year Khaila Donaldson was named the tournament's Outstanding Performer after flirting with a double-double (nine kills and nine digs).

"It's amazing because this is my last one," Donaldson said. "I'm a senior and this is my last one, and we have a new team who's never been here before, so there's a lot of emotions, a lot of tears – happy tears, thank God – it's just overwhelming."

Fellow classmate Jessica Young led the Bison with a match-best 17 kills while producing a .424 hitting percentage. Young was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

Howard (16-15) was trailing near the midway point of the first set until the Bison chipped away, using a 9-4 spurt to take an 18-17 lead after an ace from senior Carlise Cardoza. FAMU tied the set again on the next point, but Howard maintained control before ultimately winning the frame 25-22.

The second set was tight early until Howard responded with a 5-1 push to go up 11-7 after Young and junior Olubunmi Okunade paired on a block. From that point on, the Rattlers could not get closer than within two; thus, HU took a commanding 2-0 lead after two sets.

FAMU led throughout the third, but again, the Bison slowly chipped away at that lead. Nicole Abreu's kill gave FAMU breathing room at 21-18, but Howard answered with a 5-2 spurt to tie the set at 23-23 on a Jurnee Tipton kill.

There were four more ties, the last at 27-27, before a Young kill and an Abreu error clinched the title.

Sophomore Kira Porter joined Donaldson and Young on the All-Tournament Team after posting nine kills and five total blocks (three solo) against Florida A&M.

The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced the Sunday, Nov. 26 before the first round of competition, which begins Thursday, Nov. 30.

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

BOX SCORE

HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Howard Bison Mike London Among Finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award

WASHINGTON, D.C.  –  After guiding the Howard University Football team to its first winning season in five years, Coach Mike London was named a finalist for the 31st STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award. The announcement came Monday morning.

London was among the 18 finalists selected for this year's award.

"I am extremely humbled and honored to be considered for this prestigious award," London stated. "We all stand on the shoulders of others that have helped us along the way. I am thankful to so many in my life and those who made this consideration a reality."



Mike London, Howard University --  London's first season at Howard began with the program's first FBS win as the Bison beat UNLV as 45-point underdogs. While tying for second place, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference squad posted its first winning record since 2012 and the second in the last 16 years. Record: 7-4.  COURTESY: North Carolina A&T State University Sports Information.

London's first season at HU began with the program's first FBS win as the Bison beat UNLV, which according to ESPN, deemed the biggest upset in college football history. Furthermore, Howard finished second in the conference with a 6-2 mark while posting its first winning season since 2012.

Named for the legendary coach of Grambling State, past winners of the Robinson Award include Mark Duffner, Erk Russell, Chris Ault, Jim Tressel, Houston Nutt, Andy Talley, Paul Johnson, Joe Glenn, Jerry Kill, Jerry Moore and two-time winners Mickey Matthews, Sean McDonnell and Craig Bohl.

This year's list includes at least one coach from all 13 FCS conferences. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the recipient.



Also this season, STATS will present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), the Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year) and the Doris Robinson FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.

For more STATS FCS Coverage: http://www.fcs.football/fcsfront.asp

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

HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

S.C. STATE FOOTBALL: Frustration put into perspective

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Bulldog fans are frustrated, confused and, in some cases, really upset.

The South Carolina State football program -- with 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and four Sheridan Broadcasting Network National Black Champion titles in its history -- just experienced a disappointing 3-7 season.

This has never been the norm in Orangeburg.

All five road games resulted in losses this year. And it didn't help matters that the season finale was a 34-10 loss this past Saturday at Savannah State, a program that plans to move down to the NCAA Division II ranks soon and started a freshman quarterback from the same high school as S.C. State's starting quarterback.

Now the Bulldogs program is examing what it will look like going forward, with head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough talking daily with first-year athletic director Stacy Danley, looking at what changes might need to be made on his staff. And with Pough being in the final year of his contract, after 16 seasons at the helm, an announcement is expected from Danley and the administration by the end of next week on Pough's future with the Bulldogs.

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Ousted UAPB coach Coleman says he wishes athletes well

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- “There’s a lot of the fan base, and a lot of folks that stop contributing because they wanted me out,” former UAPB head football coach Monte Coleman said. “I’m out now, so I hope the fans that backed off will step up to the plate. It’s not about the coach, it’s about the young men. We as coaches did the best we could in choosing them. The young men definitely deserve it.”

Since learning Monday morning that his contract as head football coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff wouldn’t be renewed after it expires in December, Monte Coleman said that it “has been a tough process.”

“It was an enjoyable 10 years as head coach,” Coleman said. “I’ve made a lot of friends, and hopefully I’ve been able to have a positive effect on a lot of men. It’s a sad deal, but life goes on, and I’m just expecting the lord to open another door.”

In all, Coleman was a coach on the UAPB football staff for nearly 15 years. Over that time, he has coached a lot of young men, but in a brief interview he named a couple of special guys off the top of his head who he sees as staples in his coaching career.

“I had a lot of players come through,” Coleman said. “Johnny Randle was with me early on, Patrick Okeye, who is a police officer in Dallas, Pat Sanders is a financial advisor, Horton, Jared Dorn, Aaron Eugene, Willie Young, and even my son. Tashad Cherity would be the latest. There’s a whole host of guys that played for me and played well, but all of the guys I named weren’t always starters, but they were always leaders. And I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of guys that I unintentionally left off.”

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College basketball: Why Texas Southern is playing 13 road games in four time zones

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Out here on the road with the traveling Tigers of Texas Southern, it can get a little hard keeping the schedule straight.

It’s Thursday, right? If it’s Thursday, this must be Ohio State.

Here come the Tigers for morning shoot-around, but before we stop coach Mike Davis for a word, consider Texas Southern’s non-conference schedule.

Thirteen games in 44 days – every last one of them on the road. Ten states, four time zones, from Gonzaga and Washington State and Oregon in the west to Syracuse and Clemson in the east and south, with the likes of Kansas and Ohio State in between. The sea to shining sea tour.



So, um, why?

“It’s a planned thing that I do because in life there’s going to be challenges,” Davis begins. “Your passion and your mindset and your efforts have to be greater than any challenge you’re going to face in life. So I have an opportunity with my basketball team to put them in challenges for 13 games.”

And he’s not kidding. Besides the heavyweight teams on the schedule, one after another after another, there are quirks in the itinerary to help the travel budget. The 4 a.m. bus to the airport for the Gonzaga game. Flying into Cincinnati, two hours away, for this Ohio State visit.



All part of the plan. Davis again:

“I feel like that builds character, and that develops great habits of being able to recover mentally. The worst thing that’s going to happen is you’re going to lose a basketball game. Once you walk out of these doors, there’s going to be sickness, there’s going to be death, there’s going to be losing your job, divorce, all kind of situations you’re going to be challenged with.

“I’m giving my team the opportunity to face those challenges to prepare them for life, and also face these challenges so it prepares us for our conference. We’re never going to face teams in the SWAC that are as good as these teams. The only way you can get better is through struggle. You have to embrace the struggle, understand it, and always look to the solution.”



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Gold Rush rally, then hold on to defeat Rams 73-70

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana erased a 16-point first-half deficit, then held on Monday for a 73-70 men's basketball victory against Mobile.

The Gold Rush (6-2) won for the second time in three days. The XULA men are 3-0 at home this season.

Jeff Dixon, one of four XULA players to score in double figures, had career highs of 19 points and eight assists. Mike Williams scored 12 points, and Rayshawn Mart and Jalen David had 11 apiece.
Tony-Toni Wright scored 16 points for the Rams (2-4). Andre Elam scored 14 points, and JaBarie Escoffery had 10.



XULA trailed 23-7 through 10 minutes, then rallied to grab a 33-27 halftime lead. A Joseph Williams basket gave the Gold Rush a 61-46 lead with 7:06 remaining. Mobile got as close as 71-70 and missed two 3-pointers on the final possession.

Dixon, a junior from New Orleans and in his first season of eligibility at XULA, became the first Gold Rush player to reach 19 points and eight assists in the same game since Wanto Joseph had 21 points and eight assists in an 84-79 home victory against Philander Smith on Jan. 19, 2013.

"Jeffrey has been coming along steadily," XULA coach Alfred Williams said. "He carried the scoring load, and we really needed it."

A primary reason for that need was the absence of another junior guard, Virgil Davison. He entered the game with a team-leading 15.3 scoring average, but he left this game for good with no points at 11:31 of the first half — shortly after his second turnover.

Soon after Davison's departure, XULA struck gold. It hit 8 of its last 12 shots from the floor of the half, then shot 60 percent in the second half to finish at a season-best 56.1.

Another player who did not reach recent levels was Escoffery, a junior guard who entered averaging 17.2 points and making 61 percent of his treys. But Escoffery shot a season-low seven times from the floor, made 2-of-5 treys and missed all five of his free throws, four in the final 9 1/2 minutes.

Mobile shot 47.2 percent from the floor, 50 percent in the second half, but was 14-of-28 at the line, 11-of-22 in the second half.

XULA scored the final points on Elex Carter's two free throws with eight seconds remaining, but the Gold Rush could not exhale until D.J. Hill and Xavier Howard missed treys in the final three seconds. A make by Hill or Howard would have produced the Rams' fourth overtime game of the season.

Instead the result was their fourth consecutive loss and the 16th in their last 18 meetings with XULA.
Mobile is 0-5 all-time against XULA at the Convocation Center, which opened in 2012, but all those games have been thrillers. XULA's average winning margin in those matchups is 3.2 points.

"Mobile's just a tough team," Williams said.

But once again the Gold Rush found ways to be a little bit tougher.

XULA will travel to Houston to play the University of St. Thomas at 7 p.m. Wednesday, then break for Thanksgiving. The next home game will tip off at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 against NAIA No. 2 LSU-Alexandria.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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North Carolina A&T's Broadway Becomes Finalist For National Coach of the Year

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T head football coach Rod Broadway has been selected as a finalist for the 31st STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award which honors the FCS Coach of the Year.

“This is never about me,” said Broadway. “I haven’t made a tackle since 1977. I think we have a great coaching staff and of course we have some great players. One thing about coaching you learn quickly, it’s about having great players and surrounding yourself with great people.”

Three other Aggies were also FCS STATs finalists. Junior quarterback Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, High Point, NC) moved beyond the watch list to become a finalist the Walter Payton Award for offensive player of the year. Teammate and senior left tackle Brandon Parker (6-7, 309, Kannapolis, NC) is up for the same award. Freshman cornerback Mac McCain is now a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award for the best FCS rookie.

Broadway has the Aggies (11-0) as one of only two undefeated teams in FCS play along with No. 1 team in the nation, James Madison. The Aggies are also the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions for the third time in four years. For the first time in 14 years, the Aggies are the outright conference champions.

Under Broadway, N.C. A&T will play in its second Celebration Bowl in three years when the Aggies face the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion noon, Saturday, Dec. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This season Broadway became the school’s second all-time winningest coach. In seven seasons, he is 58-22 (.725) at N.C. A&T. He reached 50 wins faster than any other coach in school history, getting his 50th win at N.C. A&T in 72 games coached. Before becoming the headman for the Aggies, Broadway spent four seasons at North Carolina Central before coaching another four years at Grambling State. He has an overall career record of 126-45 (.737).

Named for the legendary coach of Grambling State, past winners of the Robinson Award include Mark Duffner, Erk Russell, Chris Ault, Jim Tressel, Houston Nutt, Andy Talley, Paul Johnson, Joe Glenn, Jerry Kill, Jerry Moore and two-time winners Mickey Matthews, Sean McDonnell and Craig Bohl. This year's list includes at least one coach from all 13 FCS conferences. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the recipient.



The other 17 finalists include:

Mike Ayers, Wofford - 2003 Eddie Robinson Award winner has led the Terriers to the Southern Conference title for the fifth time and the FCS playoffs for the eighth time in his 30th season. His team has been ranked in the Top 10 most of the season. Record: 10-1.

Al Bagnoli, Columbia - In Bagnoli's third season, the Lions finished with winning overall and Ivy League records for the first time since 1996. In tying for second place, they won five more games than they did in 2016. Record: 8-2.

Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State - Has led the Owls to the Big South championship and the FCS playoffs in just the program's third season. The Owls finished the regular season on a 10-game winning streak. Record: 10-1.

Kevin Callahan, Monmouth - In his 25th season, the Hawks have posted their best record since 2006 and qualified for the FCS playoffs for the first time. Picked fourth in the Big South preseason poll, they've improved by five wins and finished as the conference runner-up. Record: 9-2.

Dave Cecchini, Valparaiso - After the Crusaders won three total games against the same opponent in the four seasons prior to Cecchini's arrival, his third team ended with its best overall and Pioneer Football League records since 2003. Record: 6-5.

Curt Cignetti, Elon - The Phoenix have posted a six-win turnaround in Cignetti's first season after finishing 2-9 a year ago. Picked to finish 11th in the CAA Football preseason poll, they've defeated four Top 25 teams on the way to their first FCS playoff bid since 2009. Record: 8-3.

Charlie Fisher, Western Illinois - The Leathernecks have posted a school-record six road wins, including a rout of FBS member Coastal Carolina, in qualifying for the FCS playoffs. Their eight overall wins are the most since 2003. Record: 8-3.

John Grass, Jacksonville State - The Gamecocks have not lost a regular-season game to a non-FBS opponent in Grass' four seasons, sweeping their way to the Ohio Valley Conference title and the FCS playoffs. His .860 (43-7) winning percentage is tops among active Division I coaches. Record: 10-1.

Will Healy, Austin Peay - The Governors overcame a 29-game losing streak and a 1-47 overall stretch by winning eight of their final 10 games, with three of this year's four losses against FBS opponents. They also halted long Ohio Valley Conference (21 games) and road (45) losing streaks. Record: 8-4.

Mike Houston, James Madison - The defending national champions are one of two unbeaten teams in the FCS, sweeping to the CAA Football title as the No. 1-ranked team all season. They Dukes take a 23-game winning season - the longest in Division I - into the FCS playoffs. Record: 11-0.

Dan Hunt, Colgate - The Raiders earned a share of the Patriot League title for the second time in three years and are the only team in the league with a winning record. They allowed only 32 points during a season-closing five-game winning streak. Record: 7-4.

Chris Klieman, North Dakota State - The Bison won the Missouri Valley Football Conference title for the seventh consecutive season, and take a national-high six Top 25 wins into the FCS playoffs. Klieman has 50 wins in his four seasons guiding NDSU. Record: 10-1.

Mike London, Howard - London's first season at Howard began with the program's first FBS win as the Bison beat UNLV as 45-point underdogs. While tying for second place, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference squad posted its first winning record since 2012 and the second in the last 16 years. Record: 7-4.

Fred McNair, Alcorn State - The second-year coach is taking the Braves to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game for the fourth straight season - a first in conference history - after they finished atop the East Division standings. Record: 7-4.

Tim Rebowe, Nicholls - The Colonels have turned around their program since ending a 23-game losing streak during Rebowe's first season in 2015. This year, they've qualified for the FCS playoffs with their first winning season since 2005. Record: 8-3.

Pete Rossomando, Central Connecticut State - The Blue Devils are headed to the FCS playoffs for the first time after they won an outright Northeast Conference title. They are on an eight-game winning streak, which is the longest in the program's FCS history. Record: 8-3.

Demario Warren, Southern Utah - In his second season, the Thunderbirds have earned a share of the Big Sky title and the conference's automatic bid to the playoffs after being picked seventh in the league's preseason poll. Record: 9-2.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nuggets' Wednesday game at Florida Memorial canceled

NEW ORLEANS — The women's basketball programs of Xavier University of Louisiana and Florida Memorial have mutually agreed to cancel their Wednesday basketball game at FMU.

The scratch will leave the Gold Nuggets (2-2) with a two-week gap between competitions. Their most recent game was a 62-43 victory at William Carey a week ago; their next game will tip off at 5 p.m. Nov. 29 against LSU-Alexandria at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Nuggets' usual Thanksgiving home event, the Xavier Classic, was moved during the offseason to Dec. 17-18 and will include men's games.

The XULA women have played just once at home this season — Oct. 29 against Southeastern (Fla.) — but they'll have three home games next week. Following LSUA will be a 6 p.m. Dec. 1 game with Georgetown (Ky.) and a 5 p.m. Dec. 2 matchup with NAIA No. 13 Our Lady of the Lake.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Homecoming was a banner day for Sister Grace Mary

Women's basketball coach Bo Browder, left, and Director of Tennis Alan Green present Sister Grace Mary Flickinger with an honorary varsity letter.

NEW ORLEANS — When Sister Grace Mary Flickinger returned to Xavier University of Louisiana last weekend for homecoming, a big surprise awaited her.

A 4-feet-by-8-feet banner with her name and image was unveiled Saturday afternoon at halftime of the Gold Rush basketball game against Huston-Tillotson. That banner soon will be permanently displayed in the rafters of the Convocation Center. XULA coaches also presented Flickinger an honorary varsity letter, and the Athletic Director's Honor Roll will be renamed in her honor.

Flickinger spent nearly 50 years on XULA's biology faculty and nearly 40 years as the university's faculty athletics representative. Her work for athletics included two terms as president of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, service on the GCAC's eligibility and executive committees and chair of the NAIA's Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives.

The NAIA honored Flickinger with two of its most prestigious awards: membership in its Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Wally Schwartz Award in 2007 for her work as an FAR.

"She has been a favorite of students, a trusted and nurturing adviser and a positive influence in the lives and careers of many Xavierites," read part of the opening paragraph during Flickinger's banner ceremony.

Flickinger retired from XULA after the 2016-17 academic year. She resides in Pennsylvania near the motherhouse of her religious order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

"Sister Grace Mary has given a lot of herself to Xavier," said Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn, "and we wanted to show our appreciation for all that she has given and done — not just for student-athletes, but for thousands of students and staff throughout her time in New Orleans."

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