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WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- Triston Thompson hit a three-pointer with 25 seconds left and Timothy Christian II added a pair of free throws as Claflin University rallied to defeat Central State University (CSU) 72-69 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) basketball game Saturday.
With the come-from-behind win, Claflin's 12th straight, the Panthers improved its season worksheet to 13-1, but more importantly, unbeaten in the SIAC at 6-0.
CSU falls to 4-8 and 3-4.
Triston Thompson led four Panther players in double-figures with 18 points. He also added three assists and three steals.
Jordan Jones had 16 points while Jaleel Charles posted his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds before fouling out in the final seconds of the game. He also blocked three shots.
Albert Miller rounded out the double-figure scoring for the Panthers with 12 points, while Tyler Thompson dished out a team-high six assists.
Miller and Jones knocked down four three-pointers each for Claflin, who finished with 11 three-point baskets in the game.
Chris Scott of CSU was the game's top scorer with 31 points and 11 rebounds.
Claflin trailed 57-45 with 7:57 left in the game. It was back-to-back three-pointers from Jones that tied the contest at 64-64 with 1:57 left and again with 53 seconds showing on the clock for the 67-67 tie.
CSU regained the lead, 68-67, with 47 seconds left off a free three from Scott. Claflin gained its first and only lead of the game on Triston Thompson's second three-pointer of the game to give the Panthers the 70-68 lead with 25 seconds remaining.
In the closing seconds, Christian II added a pair of free throws to enable the Panthers to remain unbeaten on the road this season at 9-0.
The game had just the one lead change late along with two ties as Claflin trailed for the 37:59 minutes.
Claflin will continue its two-game road trip, taking on Kentucky State University in another SIAC contest Monday (Jan. 1) in Frankfort, Ky. at 7:30 p.m.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania – In its final non-conference game of the season, Coppin State's men's basketball team fell to Penn State 88-43 on Saturday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Eagles close out the first half of the year with an 0-15 record while the Nittany Lions improve to 11-4.
Cedric Council led CSU with 11 points to finish in double figures for the second-straight game. Tre' Thomas added nine points off the bench with a trio of three's.
Penn State led from start to finish as they got out of the gate strong with a breakaway dunk and nine-straight points before Jordan Hardwick got Coppin on the board with a jumper at the 17:20 mark. The Nittany Lions answered with a basket before Hardwick drained a three with 16:24 remaining to cut the deficit to 11-5.
Three technical fouls were called in the first half with Penn State receiving a double-technical allowing Karonn Davis to make 3-of-4 free throws with 7:30 left. From there, the Nittany Lions began to pull away, extending the lead to as many as 22 and led, 43-23 at the break.
PSU, who was led by Tony Carr's 21 points, opened the second half on a 15-5 run and never looked back. The Lions outshot Coppin, 49.1% to 30.4%
Coppin returns to action after the calendar year when it opens MEAC play at Norfolk State on Wednesday, January 3 at 7:30 pm. BOX SCORE COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State University head baseball coach James Cooper announced the 2018 baseball schedule on Friday as the Tigers will play 46 games, including matchups against a pair of SEC powers, LSU and Arkansas.
The Tigers, who captured the 2017 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) West Division title, open the season in New Orleans, La., to take part in the Andre Dawson Classic Feb. 16-18. Grambling State will face off against rival Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State.
Grambling State will have its 2018 home opener on Feb. 20 with a doubleheader against Wiley College at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park. GSU TIGERS 2018 BASEBALL SCHEDULE 2018 GSU ROSTER
The Tigers will conclude the opening month with four straight road games, starting Feb. 23-25, in Miami, Fla., to take on Florida International, followed by a visit to Baton Rouge, La. On Feb. 27, to meet SEC member LSU.
Grambling State will be at home 12 times in the month of March as the Tigers open a three-game SWAC series against Prairie View A&M (March 2-4). GSU will make the short trip to Ruston, La. for a midweek game on March 6 to take on Louisiana Tech.
Grambling State visits Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a three-game SWAC series (March 9-11), before coming back home to face Alcorn State (March 13 and 14) in a non-conference two-game series. Southern comes to town for St. Patrick's Day weekend (March 16-18), before the Tigers take to the road for four straight games. First up on the road swing is a trip to Nacogdoches, Texas (March 21) to face Stephen F. Austin. Grambling State concludes the road swing with a three-game non-conference series (March 23-25) in Kennesaw, Ga., against Kennesaw State.
The Tigers wrap up the month of March with four consecutive home games, starting with a midweek game (March 27) against Texas College and concluding with three straight against Texas Southern (March 29-31).
Grambling State opens the month of April at home against Louisiana Tech (April 3), but travel for the next four games. The Tigers visit Prairie View A&M for a three-game SWAC series (April 6-8) and conclude the road trip on April 10 in Fayetteville, Ark., against Arkansas.
GSU returns home April 13-15 for a series with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and face Louisiana-Monroe (April 17) in its midweek game, before visiting rival Southern (April 20-22) from a three-game SWAC matchup to conclude the month.
The Tigers close out the regular season with their longest road swing of the year. The Tigers open May at Louisiana-Monroe, then visit Texas Southern (May 4-6), before concluding the regular season with a visit to Natchitoches, La., to take on Northwestern State (May 8).
The 2018 SWAC Baseball Tournament begins May 16-20 in New Orleans, La. 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 ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
JACKSON, Mississippi – The Jackson State women’s basketball team defeated the Philander Smith Lady Panthers 88-56 Saturday evening at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center on the Jackson State campus.
JSU senior guard Derica Wiggins joined the JSU 1,000 point club en route to scoring a game high 19 points. Wiggins, who wen 7-20 from the field and was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line, led a balanced JSU scoring effort. Christina Ellis added 13 points on 6-10 shooting from the field and Mariah Cauhryn-Smelser added 12 points and five rebounds. Katie Hunt just missed out on a double-double as she finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Chelsea Causey led JSU’s rebounding efforts as she finished with a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with seven points. Oshaela Gray scored seven points and recorded a game high seven steals.
Terralyn Dominick led Philander Smith with 18 points.
JSU used a solid defensive effort to beat the Lady Panthers, holding Philander Smith to 29.5 percent shooting from the field and 26.7 percent from three point range. JSU shot 42.2 percent from the field.
The Lady Tigers turned 30 Philander Smith turnovers into 36 points. JSU dominated in the paint scoring 52 points and allowing only 15. The Lady Tigers bench also came through, scoring 48 points.
Philander Smith led for only 55 seconds in the game. Next Up: JSU returns to action Monday, Jan. 1 to face Alabama State in the SWAC opener at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center on the JSU campus.
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- First Coast Battle of the Bands welcomes six of the nations top college marching bands to Jacksonville to include Florida A&M University Marching 100, Bethune Cookman University Marching Wildcats, South Carolina State University Marching 101, Talladega College Marching Tornadoes, Tuskegee University Crimson Pipers and Edward Waters College Triple Threat. Also participating in this event are local high school marching bands from Raines H.S., Ribault H.S., Lee H.S. and many more; plus national entertainment.
This is a all age family event and kids 5 and under are FREE.
Where: Hodges Stadium University of North Florida
Time: Gates Open at 12:00 Noon; ShowTime Starts at 1:00 PM Sharp!
MORE Information: www.JaxBattleofTheBands.com
Discount Tickets available until 1/1/18 --GET TICKETS
EVANSVILLE, Indiana -- Head Tennessee State University Basketball Coaches Dana Ford and Jessica Kern attend OVC Media Day in Evansville, Indiana in November. The 2017/18 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Media Guide is now available for downloading at: Download Complete Guide - PDF File (7 MB)
The Ohio Valley Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships presented by VisitMyrtleBeach.com, will be held February 28 through March 3, 2018 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The Ford Center, which opened in 2011, is an 11,000-seat arena located in the core of Evansville’s downtown district. The 290,000-square foot facility is the region’s center for sports and entertainment.
Each week leading up to the OVC Championships, we will hear from OVC head coaches who reflect on their favorite tournament memories, what makes tournament basketball special and the excitement of playing in the Ford Center for the first time.
OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE SPORTS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- There’s not much time to waste. At least not for the heavyweights.
With the turn of the new year, Southwestern Athletic Conference play is here, and it will begin with the steamiest, and arguably best, bout the conference has to offer. If you've followed the preseason's polling, it could be the decider between the conference's best and runner-up.
Texas Southern and Southern, picked to finish No. 1 and No. 2 by the SWAC’s coaches and sports information directions in October’s preseason poll, begin 2018 with a New Year’s Day duel at 8 p.m. in Houston. The game, which will be televised on ESPNU, will begin a two-month stretch of SWAC-on-SWAC action until the league's tournament begins in early March.
Ahead of Southern in second, Texas Southern was picked to repeat as SWAC champion by the leagues following a 16-2 SWAC run in 2016-17 and a third conference tournament victory in the past four seasons.
HEAD COACH DEREK GAY DILLARD UNIVERSITY TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Following a lengthy nationwide search, Dillard University Athletics has hired Indiana Wesleyan University's Derek Gay as its head track & field and cross country coach. Gay will replace longtime Bleu Devils coach Bobby Williams, who announced his resignation prior to the start of the cross country season.
Gay brings a wealth of experience to the job, formerly serving as assistant track & field coach for sprints, men's & women's 400 and 400-hurdles and heptathalon, as well as strength and conditioning coordinator for distance athletes for the Wildcats. A 2011 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan (Marion, Indiana), Gay competed in the high jumps and intermediate hurdles. Gay was instrumental in the team's overall success during his active years, with the Wildcats' men's track and field team winning the Crossroads League Championship in both 2010 and 2011, and the men's and women's cross country teams wining in 2010.
Dillard's new track & field and cross country coach will have large shoes to fill. Head Coach Williams, a graduate of the University of New Orleans who competed for the Privateers, in 2012 brought the Bleu Devils their first GCAC men's track & field championship since 2010. Williams also produced a number of NAIA All-Americans under his leadership, including the widely successful 2012 men's 1600-meter relay team and women's 400-meter relay teams, which placed 4th and 8th in the nation, respectively.
Gay will assume his duties as Bleu Devils coach in January.
GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University women’s basketball forward
Taylor Roberts was named the adidas OVC Freshman of the Week for the fourth time on Tuesday.
Roberts continued her impressive rookie season with a career-high 27 points in TSU’s last game versus Marshall. She helped the Lady Tigers erase a 31-point deficit and hold the opponent to only 22 second half points.
The Oklahoma City, Okla. native made 10-of-11 free-throws and tallied five rebounds in the game. She also recorded two steals and one assist.
This is Roberts’ fourth OVC Freshman of the Week award.
TSU returns to action on Dec. 28 when the Lady Tigers open OVC play at UT Martin. Game time is set for 3 p.m. in Elam Center.
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
GAMEDAY: The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will continue Ohio Valley Conference action on Saturday, Dec. 30 with a match-up at Southeast Missouri. Game time is set for noon in the Show Me Center.
THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE: Tennessee State (2-8, 0-1 OVC) opened OVC play on Thursday at UT Martin. Despite cutting a 14-point deficit down to just four with 4:02 remaining, TSU fell to UTM, 80-68, on the road. TSU is still looking for its first road win of the season.
Redshirt junior Tia Wooten (19.5 ppg) and Freshman Taylor Roberts (16.1 ppg) lead the team in scoring while Kaliya Griffin (7.3 ppg) rounds out the top three scorers for TSU. Wooten (7.6 rpg) and Roberts (7.5 rpg) are the team’s leading rebounders.
As a team, TSU is averaging 69.6 ppg while shooting 38.0 percent from the field. The Lady Tigers are shooting 69.6 percent from the free-throw line while struggling from beyond the arc (.287).
TSU is third in the Ohio Valley Conference in offensive rebounding and 4th in steals.
The Lady Tigers are under the direction of first year head coach Jessica Kern.
LAST TIME OUT: A slow first quarter proved to be the difference in a season opening loss to UT Martin on the road. TSU nearly matched UTM point-for-point in the final three stanzas but ultimately fell to UTM, 80-68, Thursday night. After only posting a combined three points in the first half, Tia Wooten (22 points, 9 rebounds) and Taylor Roberts (12 points, 7 rebounds) led the Lady Tigers in scoring. After trailing by 14 points, TSU pulled to within four with four minutes to play. The Lady Tigers, however, were not able to complete the comeback.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: Southeast Missouri (5-8, 0-1 OVC) is most recently coming off a 67-57 loss to reigning OVC champion Belmont in the league opener on Thursday. The Redhawks have dropped three of their last four contests. SEMO is led in scoring by Adrianna Murphy’s 12.8 points per game while Tesia Thompson (9.8 ppg) and Ashton Luttrull (9.3 ppg) round out the top three scorers.
SERIES INFORMATION: Tennessee State and will match up with Southeast Missouri for the 48th time. The Redhawks lead the series 26-21. SEMO claimed last year’s meeting and has won two straight. Prior to that, TSU had won three straight.
COVERAGE: Links for live stats and video can be found on the schedule on tsutigers.com. Updates will also be posted during the game on Twitter (@tsuladytigers).
UP NEXT: Tennessee State returns to Nashville for an OVC contest versus Jacksonville State on Jan. 4. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Gentry Center.
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Without its starting point guard available, Southern didn't stammer.
And the Jaguars surely weren't blindsided.
Southern handed Ecclesia College, an 0-12 Christian-based University in Springdale, Arkansas, its 12th-consecutive loss in a 98-57 semi-effortless win Friday.
The Jaguars' 41-point win was their final non-conference game as Southwestern Athletic Conference play begins at 8 p.m. Monday against Texas Southern in Houston. Southern (4-9) dropped all nine non-conference road games and won each of its four games at the F.G. Clark Activity Center in Baton Rouge.
Southern dominated Ecclesia in every aspect in the win, ranging from skill to personnel to performance. The Jaguars' win was a glorified exhibition before league play begins on New Year's Day.
"We wanted to come out and execute some things and try to get better defensively and rebound the basketball," Southern coach Morris Scott said. "We've been doing a pretty decent job of rebounding the basketball, but thought we did a little bit better today. We really wanted to come out and play a good style of basketball and defend."
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M men's basketball rolled to a 110-80 win over Jarvis Christian Friday at the William J. Nicks Babydome.
Zachary Hamilton, the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Week, scored 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting including five three-pointers. Gary Blackston added 22 on 10-of-11 shooting to lead four Panthers (3-11) in double figures.
J.D. Wallace also scored 10 points and added nine rebounds, and Iwin Ellis scored a career-high 10 points. Dennis Jones scored eight points and added a career high 10 assists.
The Panthers had season highs in scoring, field goals made (42), three-pointers made (12), shooting percentage (60.0), and assists (23) in reaching the century mark in scoring for the first time since Nov. 14, 2013, a 108-103 home loss to Sam Houston St. The Panthers last 100-point game in a win was a 100-73 win over Schreiner on Nov. 11, 2013.
A blistering start for Prairie View A&M set the tone. After a pair of early ties, the last at 5-5, the Panthers went on a 13-2 run. Blackston made a pair of threes and had eight points, while Hamilton scored five as the lead extended to 18-7 with just under 15 minutes to play in the first half.
Leading 31-22 with just over eight minutes to play in the first half, Prairie View A&M outscored Jarvis Christian 28-10 over the remainder of the half. A pair of free throws by Hamilton with seven seconds to play gave the Panthers the largest lead of the first half at 59-32 at halftime.
The second half started as a dunkfest with back-to-back dunks by Ellis and a Blackston throwdown were the first three PVAMU baskets after intermission and helped to grow to lead to what eventually became 40 at 79-39 on an Ellis layup with 14:39 remaining.
The Panthers open SWAC play Monday hosting Alcorn State at 5 p.m. the second game of the doubleheader which starts with the women's game at 3 p.m. As part of the Holiday Hoops Ticket Offer, tickets can be purchased for $5 for Monday's doubleheader and Wednesday's 5:30 p.m. doubleheader vs. Southern. Plus, all kids 18 and under are admitted free during Holiday Hoops.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY STRATEGIC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball guard Virgil Davison has been chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Louisiana Player of the Week for Dec. 18-24.
Davison — a 5-foot-8 junior guard from Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Hillcrest High School and Dyersburg State (Tenn.) Community College — averaged 18.5 points in Gold Rush victories against Rust and Mobile.
Davison scored a season-high 25 Friday at Mobile and made five 3-pointers to tie his season best. It was the eighth game this season that Davison made four-or-more 3-pointers.
Davison is the second Gold Rush player to win the GCAC award this season — Jeff Dixon did it for Oct. 23-29 — and the third from XULA all-time to win the state award, which is contested among all the state's four-year baskeball programs.
The other Gold Rush state winners were Mark Stewart for Feb. 20-26, 2007, and Denzell Erves for Feb. 20-26, 2012.
Davison leads XULA this season with 14.7 points per game and is No. 2 in NAIA Division I with 47 made 3-pointers.
XULA (11-4), winner of five straight, will resume its schedule Jan. 8 in Jacksonville, Fla., in the GCAC opener against Edward Waters at 7:30 p.m. EST.
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The Claflin University men’s basketball team will hit the road for two games against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division opponents.
First up for Claflin will be Central State University on Saturday in Wilberforce, Ohio, at 3 p.m. The road trip concludes Monday against Kentucky State University at 7:30 p.m.
The Panthers will enter the matchup with CSU riding an 11-game win streak for a 12-1 overall record. The victory total also includes a perfect 8-0 road record, of which four were against SIAC teams.
Claflin along with Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University sit atop of the East Division at 5-0.
In their last outing, the Panthers routed Spring Hill College 79-52 on (Dec. 16th) in Orangeburg.
LOWELL, Massachusetts -- Kayla Gibbs (Teaneck, N.J.) eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau, but the UMass Lowell women's basketball team fell short against the Morgan State Bears, 65-59, on Thursday afternoon.
Needing six points entering the contest, Gibbs put up her third field goal to become the 16th player in program history to score 1,000 points with 6:26 left in the third quarter.
Connecting on all four of her three-point attempts, Jennifer Louro (Belmar, N.J.) led the hosts with 14 points, and Brianna Rudolph (Lynn, Mass.) added 11. Saoirse Power-Cassidy (Dublin, Ireland) went a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points.
The Bears (7-6) were led by Lexus Spears' 21 points, and Adre'onia Coleman's double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds). Braennan Farrar chipped in 16 points as well.
Trailing 9-3 in the first, the River Hawks (3-9) scored the next 10 points to build a four-point advantage heading into the second period.
Power-Cassidy drained a three to knot the score at 9-9 with 3:19 on the clock, and Oda Shackelford (Edinburgh, Ind.) added a bucket to give the hosts their first lead 62 seconds later.
Morgan State's nine points was the fewest total allowed by UMass Lowell in the first quarter this season.
The Bears came out of the break and scored the first five points to jump back in front at 14-13. After the visitors built an 18-15 lead, Louro drilled a triple to begin a 5-0 run.
Morgan State closed the first half on a 14-6 run to build a 32-26 at the half. The momentum continued in the opening three minutes of the half as the visitors opened a 38-28 advantage.
Gibbs' milestone bucket sparked a 9-2 spurt for the River Hawks as they climbed within 42-37 following a Louro triple with 4:31 on the clock.
UMass Lowell cut a 12-point deficit to six points to begin the fourth as they trailed 46-40. Back-to-back triples from Power-Cassidy and Louro got the hosts within 52-49 with just over five minutes to play in regulation.
The Bears opened a 59-51 lead as the clock went under 50 seconds to play, but a Megan Hendrick (Alexandria, Va.) three made it a five-point contest with 42.6 clicks left.
The River Hawks entertain Cornell on New Year's Eve at 12 p.m. to wrap up their non-conference slate. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-LOWELL ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
ATHENS, Ohio – Led by Amani Burke's 18 points, and a clutch three-pointer from Burke with 41 seconds left to seal the game, the Ohio women's basketball team (6-5) wrapped up nonconference play Thursday evening, defeating North Carolina A&T (4-7) 72-65 inside the Convocation Center.
Along with Burke's, 18 points, Cierra Hooks finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals, and Gabby Burris added 11 points for the Bobcats in the win.
HOW IT WAS DECIDED
Ohio opened the game to a 7-0 lead thanks to four free throws and a three-pointer from Burke (Columbus, Ohio).
NC A&T would cut the Ohio lead to 10-8 with 3:22 left in the first quarter before Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) would drain a three-pointer to give Ohio a five-point lead. Before the quarter was over, Katie Barker (Cary, Ill.) would register a fast break layup and then Burke would register a layup as time expired to give Ohio a 17-8 lead after the first 10 minutes.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Olivia Bower (Bowerstown, Ohio) would drain two three-pointers to put Ohio up by 12 with 8:39 left. After Bower's three with 8:39 left in the second, the Bobcats would not score again until Burris broke the scoring drought at the 4:26 mark with a layup to give Ohio a 25-17 lead.
Kendall Jessing (Sylvania, Ohio) would follow Burris' score with a three-pointer with 4:04 left. Then with 1:30 left, Barker would drain a three-pointer to stretch the Ohio lead to 38-21. The Bobcats would lead 40-24 with 58 seconds left after Alexis Stover (Solon, Ohio) hit two free throws, however, the Aggies would close out the quarter with two free throws of their own, giving Ohio the 40-29 led at the half.
At the half, Burris led Ohio with nine points, followed by Burke who had eight.
Dominique Doseck (Athens, Ohio) opened the third quarter with a three, however the Aggies would go on a 6-2 run to cut the Ohio lead to 44-36 with 6:53 left in the quarter. Ohio would increase their lead to 15 with 4:24 left with a three from Burke. Then after the Aggies cut that lead to 55-42, Burris would register another layup to give Ohio the 57-42 lead with 3:0-1 left in the quarter.
North Carolina A&T would then go on a 6-0 run over the final three minutes of the third quarter, sending the game to the final frame with the Bobcats leading 57-48.
NC A&T would refuse to go quietly and would cut the Ohio lead to five points with 8:24 left in the game before Doseck drained a three pointer to increase the Ohio lead to 60-52. After Hooks hit two free throws and registered a fast break layup, the Bobcats would lead 64-52 with 5:06 left.
The Aggies would then go on a 12-2 run, cutting the Ohio lead to 66-64 with 1:07 left. After Ohio called a timeout, the Bobcats would come out, setting up the clutch corner three-pointer from Burke with 41 seconds left, giving Ohio the 69-64 lead.
Hooks would then hit three free throws over the final 40 seconds, helping seal the Bobcats' 73-65 victory.
OF NOTE
Burke finished the game with 18 points, going 5-of-10 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range and 4-of-6 from the free throw line. Burke also had three steals.
Hooks finished with 14 points, going 3-of-9 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. She also snagged a team-leading seven rebounds, dished out five assists and had four steals.
Burris had 11 points, going 4-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from three-point range and 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
Agler finished the game with five assists and two steals, and Barker also finished the game with four steals.
Overall, Ohio was 21-of-61 (.344) from the field, 12-of-39 (.308) from three-point range and 18-of-26 (.692) from the free throw line.
The Bobcats were even with the Aggies, with both teams grabbing 33 boards, however Ohio registered 17 offensive rebounds, compared to NC A&T's five.
The Bobcats also dished out 13 assists and forced the Aggies to turn the ball over 32 times, scoring 21 points off of those turnovers. The Bobcats also registered 22 steals.
North Carolina A&T went 25-of-41 (.610) from the field, 7-of-10 (.700) from three-point range and 8-of-16 (.500) from the free throw line. The Aggies also dished out 14 assists, had three blocks, nine steals and forced Ohio to turn the ball over 18 times.
Leading the Aggies was Cinia McCray with 23 points.
The Bobcat bench scored 33 points off the bench, had five second chance points and had six fast break points, while also scoring 18 points in the paint.
Ohio is now 1-1 all-time against NC A&T.
The Bobcats concluded nonconference play 6-5.
The win was head coach bob Boldon's 188th career win and 89th at Ohio. It was also the 553rd victory in program history.
This was the fourth time this season the Ohio has forced a team into 30-plus turnovers. QUOTABLE
"I was thrilled with our rebounding numbers. They were fifth in the country in offensive rebounds. I'm thrilled with that. Rebounding has been a huge deficiency throughout this whole nonconference schedule. We knew that with the schedule that it was to help get ready for Toledo and that just seemed to be the one piece that was forever missing. We've been able to force turnovers and win that margin in almost every game, but we've been giving it back with our rebounding. To see that number, it shows me that we can. Now we have to continue to do it. But at least it shows me that we can and that's an encouraging thing for me to see." Head Coach Bob Boldon
"This really boosted our confidence with rebounding. We are not a good a rebounding team and they are a great rebounding team. For us to be able compete and rebound against them and force turnovers and just play out game, that helps us a lot. Being comfortable with those things makes it easier when we great ready to play Toledo and Central Michigan. And really just sticking to our principles." Amani Burke UP NEXT
The Bobcats remain in Athens to close out 2017 when Ohio opens Mid-American Conference play on Sunday, Dec. 31 when they play host to MAC West foe Toledo. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.
FINAL STATS OHIO UNIVERSITY BOBCATS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas --| Ariel Williams scored a career-high 16 points, but it wasn't enough as the Grambling State University women's basketball team couldn't overcome a strong second quarter by Arkansas in a 79-62 loss on Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Grambling State (3-8) trailed 15-11 entering the second quarter, but Arkansas (9-4) outscored the Lady Tigers, 25-12, to take a 40-23 advantage into the half.
Williams paced Grambling State with 16 points, on 6-of-12 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists. Monisha Neal added nine points and seven rebounds.
Devin Cosper led Arkansas with 16 points, four boards and three assists. Raven Northcross-Baker tallied 14 points and four rebounds, while Kiara Williams recorded a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 16 boards. Malica Monk also added a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 10 assists.
Turning Point
Arkansas opened with a 4-0 run, capped by a Jailyn Mason 3-pointer with 8:27 remaining, but Grambling State battled back and cut the deficit to 9-8 after a Jazmine Torian trey with 3:50 left in the first quarter.
The Razorbacks outscored the Lady Tigers over the final three and a half minutes, 6-3, to take a 15-11 advantage into the second quarter.
Arkansas began the second frame with a 14-2 run to take a 29-13 advantage after a Mason 3-pointer with 5:13 left in the first half. The Razorbacks stretch the lead to 40-23 as the teams headed into the break.
Grambling State trailed by as many as 24 points in the final quarter, but were able to cut the margin to 73-58 and trimmed the deficit to 73-60 with 2:23 left, but that would be as close as the Lady Tigers would get. Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State shot 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the field and 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the free-throw line.
· Arkansas was 25-of-66 (37.9 percent) shooting and 18-of-27 (66.7 percent) from the charity stripe.
· The Lady Tigers finished with 35 rebounds, including 25 off the defensive glass.
· The Razorbacks tallied 48 rebounds, with 18 coming on the offensive glass.
· Grambling State scored 44 bench points, 26 points in the paint, 15 points off turnovers and 10 second-chance points.
· Arkansas added 33 bench points, 22 points in the paint, 18 points off turnovers and 11 second-chance points.
News & Notes
· Grambling State concludes the 2017 portion of its schedule at 3-8 (wins over Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese and Southeastern Louisiana).
· The Lady Tigers ended the year with five straight road games (one of which was a neutral contest).
· Ariel Williams' previous game-high was nine points against Memphis Up Next
Grambling State will open the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) schedule on Jan. 1 at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center as Alabama A&M comes to town. Tip-off against the Lady Bulldogs is set for Noon.
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 ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The Alabama women's basketball team (10-3) closed out its regular-season, non-conference schedule with a 91-55 win over Florida A&M (2-11) Thursday night in Coleman Coliseum. With the victory, Alabama now owns a six-game win streak and remains perfect at home at 8-0.
Crimson Tide sophomore Jasmine Walker led the game with a career-high 19 points to go along a career-best eight rebounds, while junior Shaquera Wade also tallied 12 points and five boards. In all, 12 different Tide players scored in the contest.
"I really liked our energy back from holiday break with how hard our kids have worked," said head coach Kristy Curry. "I thought tonight we played with a lot of energy. If we continue to practice and play with that kind of energy, we'll continue to improve. It's just about getting better just a little bit every day. That will end with really great results and we can continue to improve."? PHOTO GALLERY
Alabama took control of the game early in the first quarter and never let up, leading 55-23 going into halftime. The Tide maintained its lead in the second half, stretching it to 36 at the final buzzer.
UA shot 55 percent (36-of-66) from the field, while the Alabama bench dominated by outscoring the Florida A&M reserves, 51-9.
The Tide will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. CT in its Southeastern Conference opener against No. 16 Missouri in Coleman Coliseum. The game will stream live on SEC Network+.
Follow Alabama women's basketball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at AlabamaWBB, while general athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
BOX SCORE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
AUBURN, Alabama -- — Xavier University of Louisiana maintained a single-digit deficit against Auburn through 23 minutes before the Tigers pulled away for a 70-44 women's basketball victory Thursday. The Gold Nuggets (6-4) counted the game as an exhibition, but the Tigers (9-3) counted it as a regular-season game. It was Auburn's sixth straight victory.
ESPN3 GAME VIDEO REPLAY XULA trailed 27-20 at halftime and 31-22 early in the third quarter before Auburn closed the period with a 15-6 run. Mikayla Bates scored nine points and Dasia Pitre eight for XULA. Maya Trench, the Nuggets' 5-foot-2 sophomore point guard, produced game highs of eight rebounds and four assists. Bates, Essence Wells and Taylor Jones made two 3-pointers apiece. Janiah McKay scored 17 points, Daisa Alexander 13, Abigayle Jackson 12 and Jazmine Jones 10 for Auburn. The Gold Nuggets had a 7-2 advantage in made 3-pointers, and the NAIA member outrebounded the P5/SEC opponent 38-36.
Auburn outshot XULA 43.3 to 32.1 percent from the floor and was plus-17 in turnovers, committing 13 and gaining 30. The Tigers dominated at the line, making 16-of-27 free throws to XULA's 3-of-5. The Gold Nuggets missed their only free-throw attempt of the second half.
OXFORD, Mississippi -- Ole Miss women's basketball needed a bounce-back win in a big way and came away with a solid victory over Texas Southern, topping the Lady Tigers, 73-58, at The Pavilion on Thursday afternoon.
The Rebels (10-3) improved to 8-0 at home this season and snapped a two-game losing streak with an all-around team win over TSU (5-6). This marks the fifth time in the five-year era under Matt Insell that the Rebels have won at least nine games in non-conference and the third time in the Insell era that the Rebels have won 10 or more. This is also the second-straight year that Ole Miss has started 8-0 or better at home (the 2016-17 squad started 11-0 at home).
"This is a good win for us," Insell said. "Texas Southern is another team that was in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. We did not shoot the ball particularly well out of our main shooters, and I know they're going to shoot the ball a lot better than what they shot it there. But we executed a lot better offensively and we were a lot better defensively, which is something that we harped on for the last two days of practice."
Ole Miss started out hot, opening the game on a 12-0 run that ended with a 28-12 advantage by the end of the first quarter -- the most by the Rebels since scoring 30 in the first quarter vs. Delaware State. The Lady Tigers responded by outscoring the Rebels 32-28 in the second and third quarters combined to make it a 56-44 game heading into the fourth.
Much of that had to do with the awakening of TSU's Joyce Kennerson, who entered the day as the NCAA's second-best scorer at 26.1 points per game. After holding Kennerson scoreless in the first, she went on to score 24 points of the 46 total that Texas Southern scored in the final three quarters.
"(Kennerson) made some shots, but she went 7-of-20 from the field, and we'll take that," Insell said.
After getting beat on the boards and defensively the past two games, the Rebels adjusted with a tough defensive outing (making Texas Southern the eighth Rebel opponent this season held under 60 points) and a plus-six advantage in rebounding. That rebounding total was helped greatly by a career-high 10 boards from Bree Glover, who earned her first career start.
"We had a lot of changes, and we still have a lot of changes that we have to make that we were exposed on when we went out West," Insell said.
Part of that was starting sophomore Shelby Gibson at center for the first time this season. Gibson led the scoring barrage, recording a career-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and a 5-of-7 clip from the charity stripe in 25 minutes played. Gibson also chipped in with six rebounds.
"Shelby is an experienced player," Insell said. "She's somebody that's played in this league, she's somebody that knows what it takes to play at the level in the SEC. She's been a proven player in our league, and I just told her when we got back from Christmas that it's time for you to start playing again."
Also scoring in double-digits for Ole Miss were juniors Alissa Alston (17 points) and Madinah Muhammad (10 points, four assists, three rebounds, three steals). Alston extends her double-digit streak to a career-long five games and has scored at least 17 in six of 11 games played this year. Muhammad, meanwhile, tallied her 11th double-figure scoring game in 13 opportunities this season.
Another important storyline from Thursday was the return of sophomore forward Kate Rodgers, who had missed the previous six games since suffering a sprained MCL at Temple on Nov. 25. Rodgers scored two points and hauled in four boards in just five minutes played.
"Kate is somebody that is one of our best rebounders that we've needed, and we haven't had her," Insell said.
With non-conference now in the rearview mirror, the Rebels look ahead to a grueling SEC slate -- beginning with a key road test at Arkansas on New Year's Eve at 2 p.m.
"It's going to be a good game," Insell said. "I think they're a lot better than where they were picked in the league, and I think we're a lot better than where we were picked in the league. It's an SEC road game, those games are tough. We're going to have to play really well to get a win. We know that, and we're prepared for that. We've challenged our team in the non-conference with good teams, and we're excited for the opportunity to play a good Arkansas team."
Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB, Facebook at Ole Miss WBB on Instagram at Ole MissWBB and on Snapchat with the handle @OleMissWBB. Fans can also follow Ole Miss women's basketball head coach Matt Insell on Twitter at @minsell.
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore Lakelyn Bouldin and senior Aryanna Gilbert put on a show from long range combining on 10 3-pointers to lead the Mocs to a 64-52 win over Hampton to close out the non-conference slate.
Both hit for career-bests from the 3-point line. Bouldin was 6-of-8, the most since Kayla Christopher had seven at St. Mary's (CA) College on Nov. 23, 2012, and Gilbert had four 3-pointers.
Bouldin had a career-high 32 points to lead the Mocs to its ninth win of the season, besting the high water mark 23 that she scored against UT Martin earlier this year. She was 9-of-17 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. She added in a season-high seven rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Gilbert was 4-of-6 on the day, all from the 3-point line, with five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Arianne Whitaker was the third Chattanooga player in double figures matching her season-high 10 points with five rebounds. She was 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from the free throw line.
The Mocs started the game down 7-2 less than three minutes into the game. Gilbert hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put UTC up 8-7 with Whitaker dropping in a layup at the 5:30 mark to complete the 8-0 run. Hampton briefly retook the lead, but it would be Bouldin's first 3-pointer of the game with 2:35 to play in the first to make it 15-13 and the Mocs would not trail the rest of the way.
After Hampton's Allina Starr tied the game 18-18 with 7:25 to play in the second quarter, Bouldin unleashed three straight 3-pointers for nine of Chattanooga's 12 points in the frame. She closed out the first half with 16 points.
Gilbert and Bouldin combined for 11 points to start the third quarter for the Mocs to give Chattanooga its first double-digit lead of the game, 40-28 with 6:24 to play in the frame. Two minutes later the Mocs embarked on a 9-0 run behind Arianne Whitaker with five points, to make it 49-30 with 36 seconds remaining in the period.
Bouldin's sixth 3-pointer, with 6:23 to play in the game, was the Mocs final basket. Over the remainder of the period, Chattanooga was 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
Chattanooga shot 50 percent from the field making 19-of-38 while Hampton was held to 21-of-59 (35.6%). The Mocs made a season-high 10-of-15 (66.7%) from the 3-point line. It was their second game this season with at least 10 treys. UTC outrebounded Hampton 37-25.
Shelbie Davenport matched her career-high for rebounds, leading the Mocs with eight and Bria Dial had four rebounds and three assists.
For the fourth time this season, the Mocs topped the 20-turnover mark with 24 and it was the second time UTC got a win with more than 20 miscues. Hampton scored 26 of its 52 points off turnovers and outscored the Mocs 22-8 in the paint.
Monnazjea Finney-Smith led the Pirates with 17 points, making 5-of-10 from the 3-point line and had five rebounds. Dejane' James, Ashley Bates and Starr each had eight points with Bates pulling down a team-best six rebounds.
Chattanooga will host UNCG Thursday, Jan. 4 in a double-header with the men's team at the McKenzie Arena to open Southern Conference action. Tickets are on sale at the McKenzie Arena box office and online at GoMocs.com.
BOX SCORE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT CHATTANOOGA ATHLETICS
STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Teaira McCowan scored 41 points as No. 5/3 Mississippi State beat Mississippi Valley State 112-36 in women's basketball game played Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum.
A crowd of 8,535 – fourth-largest in program history – saw the 14-0 Bulldogs finish non-conference play with a perfect record for a second-straight season. It is the fourth time in program history for the Bulldogs to accomplish that feat, three times coming in the last four years.
"I want to thank the crowd," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. "They provided a great atmosphere for our student-athletes and for Mississippi Valley's. The second and third quarters were more indicative of what we are expecting out of this program."
The Bulldogs scored the program's third-largest point total in a game, while matching the second-largest margin of victory in a game. McCowan had the 12th 40-plus point game in school history, tying Morgan William for eighth place.
"Teaira was dominating," Schafer said. "Even though she does not have a lot of size on her, she is making some shots. She has that touch that you need to make more shots. She is getting better each game. I am pleased with T. She was a good helper."
McCowan's 41 points paired with 13 rebounds and five blocked shots for her 10th double-double of the season.
Victoria Vivians added 16 points, while Roshunda Johnson had 14 points. Vivians had six rebounds. Jordan Danberry led the team with seven assists, while Johnson and Blair Schaefer each had five assists.
The Bulldogs built a 12-4 lead less than three minutes into the contest. The Devilettes closed back within five at 19-14 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.
McCowan and Johnson scored back-to-back baskets to cap a 6-0 run, giving the Bulldogs a 29-16 lead after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs turned up the defensive pressure and held the guests to four points.
MSU hit 12 of 19 shots from the field for a second straight quarter to build a 59-20 lead at halftime.
For the contest, MSU hit 45 of 73 shots from the field (61.6 percent), 8 of 19 shots from 3-point range (42.1 percent) and 14 of 19 shots from the foul line (73.7 percent). MVSU hit 13 of 53 shots from the field (24.5 percent), 0 of 5 shots from 3-point range (0 percent) and 10 of 16 shots from the foul line (62.5 percent).
MSU held a 42-32 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 28 assists and six turnovers, while the Devilettes had three assists and 25 turnovers
MVSU (0-12) received 10 points from Kristy Parker.
MSU will open Southeastern Conference play at Georgia Sunday. The game is set for a 5 p.m. CT start and will be shown nationally on the SEC Network. BOX SCORE PHOTO GALLERY MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
PHOTO BY SARAH FINNEY SEATTLE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
SEATTLE, Washington – In front of a sold-out crowd at the Connolly Complex Thursday night, Seattle University men's basketball rolled to its 10th win of the season, using a huge first half to propel a 93-63 win over Grambling State.
The Redhawks move to 9-1 at home and 10-6 overall. The Tigers fall to 4-9 on the season.
Seattle U shot nearly 49 percent from the field in the opening frame, but it was the defensive effort that ultimately put the game away early. Grambling State managed just seven first-half field goals, shooting 26 percent from the field and 1-of-7 from three.
The Redhawks scored 12 points off turnovers and allowed just three offensive boards as they built a 46-19 halftime advantage. They would also hold the Tigers scoreless for the final 6:30 of the half.
Grambling State would show some life to start the second half, opening with a 12-2 run to pull within 17, 48-31. But Seattle U would answer with a 17-7 run and the lead would barely fall below 20 points for the balance of the game.
"We came ready to play tonight," said Head Coach Jim Hayford. "The first half was maybe our best 20 minutes of basketball this season. Credit Grambling, they showed a lot of character to come back and be so competitive in the second half. And the way that we had to respond made us better."
Josh Hearlihy led all scorers with 21 points, including 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. The senior guard/forward combo added four rebounds, three assists and two steals to go along with zero turnovers.
Morgan Means added 14 points off the bench and Aaron Menzies collected his sixth double-double of the year, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Matej Kavas scored 12 points off four three-pointers to round out four players in double figures.
Ivy Smith, Jr., led Grambling State with 19 points while DeVante Jackson chipped in 11 off the bench.
"There was a lot of great energy in Connolly tonight," Hayford said of the sold-out crowd. "We're looking forward to that again on Saturday as we look to finish non-conference play with a win."
Seattle U will close out non-conference play on Saturday, Dec. 30, hosting UC Riverside in the sixth game of a nine-game homestand. Tip-off from the Connolly Complex is set for 1 p.m. The game will stream live on the WAC Digital Network and can be heard live on KTTH 770 AM.
Martin, Tennessee --- After getting off to slow start in the first quarter, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team fell to UT Martin, 80-68, Thursday night in Elam Center.
Tennessee State (2-8, 0-1 OVC) trailed UT Martin (5-8, 1-0 OVC) by as many as 14 points before closing to within four points with 4:02 left to play. TSU nearly matched UTM (5-8, 1-0 OVC) point-for-point in the last three quarters but could not overcome the deficit.
Tia Wooten just missed a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds to lead TSU. Taylor Roberts finished with 12 points off the bench.
The Skyhawks had four players four players in double-digits led by Emanye Robertson's 18 points.
Tia Wooten scored 19 of her 22 points in the second half
TSU shot 82.6 percent (19-of-23) from the free-throw line.
Rebounds were even 32-32.
Taylor Roberts went without a score in the first half and posted 12 in the second frame.
HOW IT HAPPENED
TSU shot 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from the field and committed 11 turnovers in the first quarter.
The Lady Tigers trailed, 19-11, heading into the second period and fell behind by double-digits, 26-15, midway through the quarter.
TSU held UTM without a field goal for the final 2:38 of the quarter and managed to cut the deficit to, 34-26, heading into the break.
Heading into the final frame, the score was 58-48, in favor of UTM.
Although TSU played UTM even through the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers continued to trail.
TSU trailed, 66-56, with 4:26 remaining
On the next possession, an old fashioned three-point play from Tia Wooten sparked a 6-0 run that pulled TSU to within four.
The home team, however, managed to build its lead back up to double-digits with 2:21 remaining.
Down the stretch, TSU was forced to foul.
GAME NOTES
UTM now leads the all-time series 32-30
Tia Wooten scored in double-digits for the 10th consecutive game.
QUOTE
Head Coach Jessica Kern
"I keep saying our kids fight, fight, fight. We keep fighting all the way to the end. A twelve-point loss isn’t indicative of how the game went. We need to go ahead and foul down the stretch and try to get the ball back, but your girl Tia Wooten… Boy she just keeps showing up. She had a sub-par first half and showed up in the second. Taylor Roberts got it going, but Asia Sims started us off when we needed to score. So, we’re putting the pieces together. This was a tough, literally physically tough, game tonight, and we’ve got a quick turnaround. We’ve got to go to Southeast Missouri. This was our first OVC game and now I know what my youngbodies know what it’s going to be like, and we live to play another day." -Overview of the game
“We’ve got the fight. We’ve consistently shown that we’re a good third-and-fourth quarter team. We are now evening it out in the second. We have to start games better. We can’t continue to dig ourselves into a hole. So, as a staff, we’re going to meet here immediately. There’s no off-time. We have to figure out how to fix that, get our kids in active recovery, and then get them out of here to get some rest.”
-On takeaways
UP NEXT
TSU continues OVC action on Saturday, Dec. 30 with a contest at Southeast Missouri. Game time is set for noon in the Show Me Center.
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- Triston Thompson hit a three-pointer with 25 seconds left and Timothy Christian II added a pair of free throws as Claflin University rallied to defeat Central State University (CSU) 72-69 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) basketball game Saturday.
