Fort Valley State Wildcats will open 2018 season with Florida Tech

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Director of Athletics, Dr. Darryl Pope, has announced the Wildcats 2018 Football Schedule. The Wildcats 10 game schedule includes four home games, five away games and the Fountain City Classic.

The 2018 season marks Head Coach Kevin Porter's third season at the helm of the Wildcats Football Program. In Porter's short tenure, he has compiled a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship, Back-to-Back Eastern Division Titles and made history for FVSU and the SIAC by being the first institute in the conference to host a SIAC Football Championship Game on their campus. The Fort Valley State University Wildcats and The Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University played for the 2017 SIAC Championship at Wildcat Stadium, with Tuskegee taking the win, 13-6.

FVSU opened the 2017 season with a road loss to The University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA. The Valdosta State game in Waycross, Ga., was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. Miles College invaded Wildcat Stadium in week three and handed the Wildcats their second loss of the season. FVSU's first win came in week four over Benedict College at Wildcat Stadium, then took a loss in game five to Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. After the loss in Louisiana, the Wildcats rolled off four straight wins, starting with a win over Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga., and Lane College in The Valley. Then, FVSU beat Central State University on the road and defeated Morehouse College at Wildcat Stadium to clinch the Eastern Division Title. The Wildcats went to Columbus, Ga., with nothing to lose as they loss to Albany State University in the 28th Fountain City Classic and ended the regular season 5-4.

The Wildcats will open the 2018 season at home with Florida Tech University on Saturday, September 1 at 6 p.m. In week two, the Wildcats will travel to Waycross, Ga., to play Valdosta State University in the Okefenokee Classic on Saturday, September 8 at 7 p.m. The next three weekends, FVSU will travel to Fairfield, AL., for a non-conference matchup with Miles College on Saturday, September 15 at 3 p.m. The Wildcats will play their first conference game in Columbia, SC on Saturday, September 22 against Benedict College at 6 p.m. and Lane College the next week in a non-conference game in Jackson, TN., at 2 p.m. The Wildcats open at home with three games, starting with Clark Atlanta University on October 6 at 6 p.m., Tuskegee University on Saturday, October 13 at 6 p.m. and end with Lenoir-Rhyne University out of Hickory, NC coming to The Valley for Homecoming on October 20 at 2 p.m. The two teams met once in 2012 in the NCAA playoffs. Lenoir-Rhyne won that contest 21-6. On Saturday, October 27, FVSU will play Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA., at 2 p.m. The Wildcats end the regular season in Columbus, GA., against Albany State University in the 29th Annual Fountain City Classic at 2 p.m.

The 2018 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championship game will be played on the Western Division Titles home field.

Date Opponents CG Location Time
Sept. 1 Florida Tech University Wildcat Stadium 6:00 PM
Sept.8 Valdosta State University (N) Waycross, GA 7:00 PM
Okefenokee Classic
Sept. 15 Miles College Fairfield, AL 3:00 PM
Sept. 22 Benedict College (SIAC) Columbia, SC 6:00 PM
Sept. 29 Lane College Jackson, TN 2:00 PM
Oct. 6 Clark Atlanta Univ. (SIAC) Wildcat Stadium 6:00 PM
Oct. 13 Tuskegee University (SIAC) Wildcat Stadium 6:00 PM
Oct. 20 LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY Wildcat Stadium 2:00 PM
"Homecoming"
Oct. 27 Morehouse College (SIAC) Atlanta, GA 2:00 PM
Nov. 3 Albany State Univ. (SIAC) Columbus, GA 2:00 PM
29th Annual Fountain City Classic A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium
Nov.10 SIAC Championship Western Division TBA

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC basketball tournament will stay in Norfolk at least three more years, sources say

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference will announce later this month that it has signed a three-year extension to keep its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at Scope, according to two sources at league schools who asked not to be identified.

The tournaments moved to Norfolk in 2013 from Winston-Salem, N.C., and have seen a steady growth in ticket sales, from 52,293 in 2013 to 74,281 in 2016.

One of Norfolk’s biggest strengths is its central location, MEAC officials have said, with seven of the league’s 13 schools within a 4½-hour drive. With the contract ready to expire after this year’s event, the MEAC had put the tournament up for bid. The league had offers from several cities, officials said late last year.

The MEAC is headquartered in Norfolk, and has two local schools in Norfolk State and Hampton University. However, Hampton is leaving for the Big South next season, leading to speculation the tournament might go elsewhere.

MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas would not confirm or deny Thursday that an extension has been agreed to, but profusely praised Norfolk officials, including Mayor Kenny Alexander and city manager Doug Smith.

CONTINUE READING

At Valley, Vincent Dancy tackles college football's hardest job

ITTA BENA, Mississippi – It’s a slow Tuesday afternoon, and Mississippi Valley State quarterback Chris Fowler is looking for a football to throw around with some teammates.

He’s come to the Archie “Gunslinger” Cooley Devil’s Den, which houses the football program’s locker, equipment and fitness rooms, as well as the coaches’ offices.

The secretary behind the counter wants to give him one, but first she needs to get in touch with the program’s equipment manager. It’s hard to get ahold of him because, for now, he’s also head of operations and recruiting.

Eventually, newly minted head coach Vincent Dancy gets back to her — of course Fowler can borrow a ball, but not one of the new ones. They’ll need those for spring camp.

What many would consider as overly frugal, Dancy sees as fiscally responsible. It’s the kind of attitude he has to adopt to be successful in arguably the hardest coaching position in the country.

Whether MVSU’s 13th head coach can rise to that challenge remains to be seen.

CONTINUE READING

TSU Tigers Football releases 2018 schedule

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern Tigers football team released their 2018 schedule highlighted by a total of five home games at BBVA Compass Stadium, five road games, and one neutral site contest as the Tigers are scheduled to play a total of seven Southwestern Athletic Conference games.

Nine of the Tigers eleven slated games will be played within a four hour radius of the TSU campus with seven of those contests set to be played in the city of Houston or surrounding areas.

TSU will open the season at home versus UT-Permian Basin at BBVA Compass Stadium. This will mark the first ever meeting between the two programs.

Texas Southern will subsequently embark on a three-game road trip over the course of the next few weeks with non-conference games at Texas State (Sept. 8), Alcorn State (Sept. 15) and Houston (Sept. 29).

The Tigers match-up versus UH will be only the second meeting between the two programs and first since 2007 when the two teams met at Robertson Stadium.

Texas Southern will return home to the friendly confines of BBVA Compass Stadium for a two-game home stand as they host Alabama A&M (Oct. 6) and Grambling State (Oct. 13).

TSU will participate in the Inaugural State Fair Showdown which will feature the Texas Southern Tigers versus the Southern Jaguars at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas (Oct. 20).

Homecoming 2018 is slated for October 27, when the Tigers host SWAC East foe Mississippi Valley State at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Two of the Tigers last three games of the 2018 campaign will take place on the road with Texas Southern traveling to face Alabama State (Nov. 3), prior to having their final bye week of the season. After the bye TSU will return to host its home finale and Senior Day versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 17).

The Tigers final conference and regular season game will be played Thanksgiving weekend at Prairie View A&M (Nov. 24).

2018 Tigers Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time
9/1/2018 UT-Permian Basin Houston, Texas TBA 
9/8/2018 Texas State San Marcos, Texas TBA
9/15/2018 Alcorn State Lorman, Miss. TBA
9/29/2018 Houston Houston, Texas TBA
10/6/2018 Alabama A&M Houston, Texas TBA 
10/13/2018 Grambling State Houston, Texas TBA
10/20/2018 Southern Dallas, Texas TBA
10/27/2018 Mississippi Valley State (Homecoming) Houston, Texas TBA
11/3/2018 Alabama State Montgomery, Ala. TBA
11/17/2018 Arkansas-Pine Bluff Houston, Texas TBA
11/24/2018 Prairie View A&M Prairie View, Texas TBAB

BOLD: Home Game




TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

XULA Gold Rush No. 2 nationally for 11th straight time

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, the NAIA men's tennis national runner-up in 2016 and 2017, held the No. 2 position again Tuesday when the 2018 preseason coaches poll was announced.

It's the 11th consecutive appearance at No. 2 for the Gold Rush. The XULA men first ascended to that level in the 2016 postseason rankings. In preseason polls, this is the seventh consecutive year that the Gold Rush are in the top 10 and the third consecutive year in the top four.

XULA's top-25 appearance is its 87th in a row dating to April 4, 2007. It is the longest active streak in NAIA men's tennis. No. 13 Westmont is second on the list with 73 consecutive appearances.

Four-time defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett is a unanimous No. 1 for the 29th consecutive time. The Grizzlies — unbeaten each of the past two seasons and a 5-0 winner against XULA in the 2017 NAIA championship round — begin 2018 with a 57-dual win streak.

XULA played its first dual match of 2018 on Saturday and lost 6-1 at NCAA Division I South Alabama. Next for the Gold Rush will be dual matches this weekend — Saturday at NCAA DI Louisiana-Lafayette at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., then noon Sunday against city rival Loyola at XULA Tennis Center.

The Gold Rush active poll streaks:
• 87 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
• 78 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
• 63 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
• 57 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
• 19 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
• 17 consecutive appearances in the top 3 . . . streak began March 1, 2016.
• 11 consecutive appearances in the top 2 . . . streak began May 25, 2016.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from previous season)
RANK PREVIOUS SCHOOL RECORD POINTS
1 1 Georgia Gwinnett [12] 24-0 312
2 2 Xavier (La.) 14-6 301
3 3 Keiser (Fla.) 19-4 293
4 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) 25-6 281
5 5 Northwestern Ohio 22-2 272
6 6 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 17-7 262
7 7 William Carey (Miss.) 18-6 247
8 8 William Woods (Mo.) 15-5 245
9 9 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) 19-6 230
10 10 Arizona Christian 15-13 223
11 11 Mobile (Ala.) 23-4 212
12 13 San Diego Christian (Calif.) 7-11 200
13 12 Westmont (Calif.) 14-8 186
13 14 Middle Georgia State 10-9 186
15 18 Coastal Georgia 14-8 164
16 16 Reinhardt (Ga.) 13-5 161
17 17 Asbury (Ky.) 18-2 156
18 15 SCAD Savannah (Ga.) 9-9 138
19 19 Tennessee Wesleyan 12-5 129
20 20 McPherson (Kan.) 11-4 114
21 21 Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 20-7 111
22 24 Cumberland (Tenn.) 7-6 106
23 22 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 12-7 87
24 23 Aquinas (Mich.) 17-7 72

25 25 SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 11-4 68
Others receiving votes: Indiana Wesleyan 52, Cumberlands (Ky.) 35, Missouri Valley 32, St. Thomas (Fla.) 32, Point (Ga.) 19, Marian (Ind.) 19, Warner (Fla.) 16, Ottawa (Kan.) 12, Loyola (La.) 8, Cornerstone (Mich.) 4, Hastings (Neb.) 3

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Cane's to be presenting sponsor of Crosstown Classic

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana Athletics announced Wednesday that Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers will be the presenting sponsor of the 2018 Crosstown Classic Feb. 17 at the Convocation Center.

The Crosstown Classic is XULA's annual home basketball doubleheader against longtime HBCU, Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival Dillard. The women's game will tip off at 3 p.m., followed by the men's game at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at xulatix.com and xulagold.com.

The partnership includes the Raising Cane's Shootout Series at halftime of five upcoming XULA home basketball games: Wednesday vs. Loyola (men), next Monday (Jan. 29) vs. SUNO (men and women) and the Crosstown Classic. Participants will win free food from Cane's for one year by making four shots — a layup, a free throw, a 3-pointer and a halfcourt shot — within 25 seconds.

There are 20 Raising Cane's restaurants in metro New Orleans, one close to XULA at 3235 South Carrollton Ave. The Baton Rouge, La.-based company has more than 360 restaurants in 23 states. Business Insider named Raising Cane's its top restaurant chain of 2017.

"We are excited to have Raising Cane's to join the Xavier family as our newest athletic corporate partner," said XULA Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn. "I remember attending the grand opening of the Carrollton location and the excitement from the Xavier community to have them in the neighborhood. This will prove to be a great partnership this year and beyond."

Raising Cane's also will sponsor the reception for the Sister Grace Mary Flickinger Honor Roll recipients the same day as the Crosstown Classic.

The Crosstown Classic will be the second XULA-Dillard doubleheader of the season. Dillard won both games Saturday — women 63-53, men 70-69 — at DU's Dent Hall.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Gold Rush complete season sweep of city rival Loyola

NEW ORLEANS, New York — Jalen David tied his season high of 21 points, and Elex Carter blocked a career-best six shots Wednesday to lift Xavier University of Louisiana to an 82-72 men's basketball victory against city rival Loyola.

The Gold Rush (15-6) snapped a two-game losing streak and swept the season series from the Wolf Pack (10-8) for the first time since 2010-11. XULA leads the series 35-12.

David, a senior guard/forward, was 8-of-13 from the floor and led his team with seven rebounds and three steals. Carter became the XULA player to reach six blocks s ince Denzell Erves at Tougaloo on Feb. 18, 2013. Carter blocked four shots in the first four minutes of the second half.

Freshman Rayshawn Mart scored a career-best 19 points for the Gold Rush, and Jeff Dixon had 14 points and nine assists.

Terry Smith scored 20 points, Nick Parker 19 and Chris Eckholdt 14 for Loyola. Parker scored 15 in the second half.

XULA closed the first half with a 12-2 run to take its first lead, 32-31, at halftime, but had to rally again in the second half after Eckholdt's basket gave Loyola a 59-44 lead with 10:14 remaining. The Gold Rush outscored the Wolf Pack 14-3 in the final five minutes and took the lead for good on David's basket with 4:22 remaining.

XULA shot 59.3 percent from the floor in the second half and for the game outshot Loyola 51.8 to 44.4 percent. XULA outrebounded Loyola 30-28. The Wolf Pack made 26-of-33 free throws to the Gold Rush's 18-of-24.

XULA will travel to Hawkins, Texas, about 100 miles east of Dallas, for its final regular-season non-conference game — 7:30 p.m. Friday against Jarvis Christian. The next home game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival SUNO, and one fan will have an opportunity to win free Raising Cane's food for one year.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Florida A&M Athletics Announces 2018 MEAC Football Slate

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Department of Athletics announced their conference schedule for the 2018 football season today. The slate includes eight MEAC games.

The Rattlers open conference play on Sept.22 against the Tigers of Savannah State University. The conference home opener will be played in Bragg Memorial Stadium. The Rattlers will then travel to Durham, NC on Sept. 29 to take on the Eagles of North Carolina Central University.

October will open with the Norfolk State Spartans coming to Bragg Memorial Stadium for an Oct. 6 game. FAMU travels to Greensboro, NC to take on the national champion Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University Oct. 13.

The Hampton Pirates are slated to make a visit to Bragg Memorial Stadium on Oct. 20. This game is in limbo as Hampton is pushing for an immediate exit to the Big South Conference, ditching games scheduled within the MEAC. Further information on this situation will be forthcoming.

Oct. 27, the Bears of Morgan State University will trek to Bragg Memorial Stadium in the final game of October.

The Rattlers will travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the Bison of Howard University on Nov.3. The Rattlers will enjoy a Nov. 10 open date before wrapping up the regular season in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 17 in Camping World Stadium in the Florida Blue Florida Classic against the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University.

The FAMU Investing In Champions campaign is full speed ahead. The campaign has a record start of nearly $100,000 thus far. Make sure not to be left out as we are soon to release the full football schedule for 2018. Renew today and keep your seats and parking spaces for the start of the Willie Simmons era.

To get set for the 2018 season, visit FAMUBuildingChampions.com or call the FAMU Ticket Office at (850)599-3141.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Prairie View A&M Men's Tennis' Xavier Lawrence Selected to Participate In Davis Cup

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Xavier Lawrence of the Prairie View A&M men's tennis team recently won a tournament in his home country of Barbodos and has been selected to represent his country in the Davis Cup.

"This is a huge opportunity for Xavier," said PVAMU's head tennis coach Duane Williams. "As a tennis player pretty much everyone has the dream of playing professionally tennis. The Davis Cup as well as being an international competition it also includes many professional players. So through hard work and dedication Xavier has earned to opportunity to not only play for his country but to do so at the highest possible level."

The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. It is described by the organizers as the "World Cup of Tennis", and the winners are referred to as the World Champion team. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Great Britain and the United States. By 2016, 135 nations entered teams into the competition.

The St. James native Lawrence made a strong case by capping the unofficial Davis Cup trials with a 6-4, 6-4 straight-sets victory over the more seasoned veteran Seanon Williams. Yet Lawrence's selection was even more straightforward, as the 19-year-old sophomore all but earned his spot by toppling both Adam Hornby (7-5, 4-6, 6-1) previously and Williams in successive matches en route to the Top 8 title.

Lawrence will be joining four others that make up the five-man squad. He will join world no.173 Darian King, seasoned veteran Haydn Lewis, Kaipo Marshall and Hampton University's Matthew Foster-Estwickat the opening-round Group I encounter.

This means the 15-year-old Marshall is set to become the youngest Bajan player to make a senior Davis Cup roster since now Prairie View A&M's head coach Duane Williams, which also did so as a 15-year-old back in 1995.

As such, Barbados will field one of its youngest teams to date, as the 20-year-old Foster-Estwick, Lawrence and Marshall are all under the age of 21.

"This achievement by Xavier is a testament to PVAMU's continued goal of developing student athletes," Williams said. "This shows that the entire athletics program including strength & conditioning and sports medicine are definitely developing high caliber athletes."

Barbados will begin play against Colombia at the National Tennis Centre on February 2 with both opening singles before concluding the tie the following day with doubles and the reverse singles.

"I am confident that Xavier will represent his country of Barbados and Prairie View A&M University to the best of his ability," said Williams.

PRAIRE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Hampton University Pirates Matthew Foster-Estwick Represents Barbados in Davis Cup

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University men's tennis sophomore Matthew Foster-Estwick was selected to be a member of the Barbados Davis Cup team that saw action this past weekend against Paraguay in Americas Group II Davis Cup action.

He didn't see action in the weekend that saw Barbados defeat Paraguay 3-2 to advance and face Guatemala on the weekend of April 7-9.

Foster-Estwick and his Hampton University teammates will open their spring schedule on February 19 at Delaware in a 4pm start.

For more information on Hampton University men's tennis, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-77-5906 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Alcorn Braves Releases 2018 Football Schedule

LORMAN, Mississippi -- With five home games at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium, the Alcorn State University football program released its 2018 schedule Wednesday.

The Braves will play seven SWAC games and four non-conference games for the second straight year.

Alcorn will kick-off the season on Saturday, Sept. 1 when it heads to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech from the ACC. It will be just the second-ever meeting between the two schools and a rematch of the 2015 season opener.

"I'm looking forward to the upcoming season. We start out against a very tough Georgia Tech team. We've played them before, and we'll be able to see where we're at early on," McNair said.

The Braves will play their home opener the following weekend on Sept. 8 when they host Louisiana College. In the only prior meeting, Alcorn came out on top 52-10 in 2014.

For the second straight season, the Braves will play Texas Southern in a non-conference game. Alcorn won last year's contest on the road 24-17 and will host the Tigers this year on Sept. 15. The Braves are 34-18-4 all-time against TSU and have won six years in a row.

Alcorn's first conference game will be played on Sept. 22 when it travels to Itta Bena to play Mississippi Valley State. The Braves shutout the Delta Devils 59-0 last season at home and have won five years in a row.

Alcorn will also play SWAC road games at Southern, Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M. The Braves will host Alabama State, Grambling State and Jackson State.

"The seven game conference schedule is similar to last season, except with there not being a conference championship game this year it makes each regular season game that much more important," McNair said. "We can't take any weeks off and have to play every game like it's the championship."

Prior to the season finale vs. JSU, Alcorn will travel to New Mexico State for a non-conference game on Nov. 3. It will be just the second-ever meeting between the two programs and the first since 2008 when NMSU took a 45-10 decision.

Homecoming and game day themes for 2018 will be announced at a later date.

Fans can get their first peek of the team on Saturday, April 14 when the Braves host their annual Spring Game at 2 p.m.

Braves 2018 Schedule
Sept. 01 at Georgia Tech
Sept. 08 Louisiana College
Sept. 15 Texas Southern
Sept. 22 at Mississippi Valley State*
Sept. 29 at Southern*
Oct. 06 Alabama State*
Oct. 13 at Alabama A&M*
Oct. 20 Grambling State*
Oct. 27 at Prairie View A&M*
Nov. 03 at New Mexico State
Nov. 10 Bye Week
Nov. 17 Jackson State*

*SWAC Conference Game
BOLD: Home Game

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Gold Rush stymied on road for 2nd time in 3 days

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Jamahl Jackson and JaCarre Crockett led a second-half surge Monday that lifted Philander Smith to an 84-67 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Panthers (8-9, 3-2) closed with a 33-10 run (16-of-19 free throws) over the final 9:07, getting nine points from Jackson and eight from Crockett. They took the lead for good, 60-59, when Tyson Oliver made a pair of free throws with 6:31 remaining.

Jalen Davis scored a season-high-tying 21 points, Virgil Davison 13 and Jeff Dixon 10 for the Gold Rush (14-6, 3-2). The XULA men dropped their second decision in three days after winning eight in a row.

Philander Smith trailed 31-17 in the 17th minute and 33-28 at halftime. But the Panthers roared back with the help of 6-of-8 3-pointers and 22-of-27 free throws in the second half.

Dejalin Austin scored 22 points — he made 5-of-8 3-pointers — and Chris Journet 12 for Philander Smith, which is 7-1 at home this season. Jackson and Ernest Maize scored 11 points apiece, and Justin Small had 10. Maize grabbed 10 rebounds to record his second straight double-double, and Marquis Browder had five steals.

XULA outshot Philander Smith 46.9 to 35.9 percent from the floor but committed 30 fouls, three technical fouls and a season-worst 28 turnovers. The Gold Rush committed 17 turnovers in the first half.

The Panthers' victory denied XULA a share of first place in the GCAC with Talladega, which was idle. Talladega leads the conference at 4-1, followed by Tougaloo at 3-1 and XULA and Philander Smith in a third-place tie, half a game ahead of fifth-place Dillard at 2-2.

The Gold Rush will play non-conference city rival Loyola (10-7) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at XULA's Convocation Center. It will be XULA's first home game since Dec. 18. The Gold Rush won 75-70 at Loyola Dec. 16.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Nuggets lose luster in second half at Philander Smith

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Xavier University of Louisiana couldn't capitalize on a six-point halftime lead Monday and fell to its fifth consecutive loss in women's basketball, 69-55 to Philander Smith.

The Gold Nuggets (7-10, 0-5 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) got 17 points, a career high, and nine rebounds from DeDe Martinez. Gina Smith recorded her second straight double-double, 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Maya Trench had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.\

Terralynn Dominick and Princess Cole scored 18 points apiece for the Lady Panthers (11-7, 4-1), who took sole possession of first place in the GCAC, and Honchea Thornton had 12.

XULA led 34-28 at halftime after shooting 44.8 percent from the floor, then shot 17.9 percent in the second half and was outscored 41-21 in that period.

XULA matched its longest losing streak of the last 15 seasons. The Gold Nuggets also lost five in a row in November 2002 and November 2016.

The Gold Nuggets will play city and GCAC rival SUNO at 5:30 p.m. next Monday at XULA's Convocation Center. It will be the Nuggets' first home game since Dec. 18.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

UAPB keeps SWAC hot streak going with close win at Houston

HOUSTON, Texas — University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff head men’s basketball coach George Ivory knew it was just a matter of time before junior guard Martaveous McKnight would come up big for the Golden Lions.

“We knew he would come through for us,” Ivory said after the Golden Lions’ dramatic 74-72 victory Monday night at the HP&E Arena in Houston. “He’s played so hard for two weeks.”

With the Golden Lions trailing by three points with 2.8 seconds remaining, McKnight hit a 3-pointer, got fouled and fell to the floor.

Before McKnight could step to the free throw line, Texas Southern head coach Mike Davis argued the foul call, drawing a technical foul.

Ivory said his heart dropped “a little bit” after McKnight missed the first free throw, but he was still confident in the 6-foot-3 guard, who calmly converted the next two for a 74-72 lead.

As soon as Texas Southern senior Lamont Walker’s desperation shot bounced off the rim, the first place Golden Lions (7-14, 7-0) extended their winning streak to seven games. They snapped three-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Texas Southern’s 26-game home conference winning streak.

UAPB also won at TSU (4-17, 5-3) for the first time this decade, after losing four games at TSU by six points or less since 2011.

CONTINUE READING

UAPB 2018 spring baseball season kicks off on Feb. 16 in NOLA

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions baseball team will begin its 2018 spring season on February 16 as it faces Alcorn State University in New Orleans, Louisiana, at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark at the University of New Orleans. UAPB will also face Grambling State University (Feb. 17) and Alabama State University (Feb. 18) at the same location.

On February 20, the Golden Lions will travel to Kansas to face the University of Kansas at Hoglund Ball Park before the highly anticipated home opener and three-game series against the University of Tennessee at Martin on February 23, 24 and 25 at Torii Hunter Baseball Complex. UAPB will then head to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face the University of Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on February 28 before returning home to open up Southwestern Athletic Conference play against Southern University in a three-game series which will begin on March 2.

Another SWAC three-game series at home, this time against Grambling, will start on March 9. UAPB will then play host to Valparaiso University on the following weekend for another three-game series at Tori Hunter Baseball Complex.

On March 20, the Golden Lions will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to face Texas Christian University at Charlie and Marie Lupton Baseball Stadium before heading to Texas Southern University for a three-game series at Macgregor Park in SWAC play. On March 28, UAPB will head to Conway, Arkansas, to face in-state opponent University of Central Arkansas at Bear Stadium before hosting UCA at home on April 10.

The Golden Lions will head back to Texas on April 17 to face Stephen F. Austin at Jaycees Field before heading to Waco, Texas, to face Baylor University at Baylor Ballpark on April 18.

On April 24, UAPB will host the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in a much anticipated in-state game before returning the favor in Little Rock on May 8 at Gary Hogan Field.

On May 16, the 2018 SWAC Baseball Tournament will begin at Pontchartrain Park in New Orleans.

Click here for a complete list of UAPB's spring baseball schedule.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Head Coach Connell Maynor Unveils His Vision for Alabama A&M Football

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Head Coach Connell Maynor was introduced to the Alabama A&M media, fans and administrators on Monday during a press conference where he unveiled his vision for the Bulldogs football program.

Quotables from Press Conference

President Dr. Andrew Hugine, Jr. 
Opening statement:
"Good morning. It is certainly always a good day to be a Bulldog and to be here in Bulldog Country. It is delightful to see all of you here and thank you for coming and sharing this very historic announcement this morning as we transition into another phase here at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University."
 
"Whatever we do here, takes the cooperative effort of many persons. We certainly want to thank our alumni for their support. Our faculty, our staff and other supporters. I certainly want to thank the committee and let me start first by thanking our Athletic Director Mr. Hicks. Thank you for the leadership that you provide to our athletic programs.
 
"Let me recognize our search committee for the wonderful job you did in hiring for the athletic program and in this case, our football program. We certainly want to thank Coach Towns for coming back to your alma mater and helping in making the selection."
 
"We are very pleased and happy about the choice that has been made and we look forward to great things here at Alabama A&M University as we transition in the year 2018. I do want to make two special appeals while I stand here as it relates to 2018."
 
"First appeal, let's make this a record year in the support of athletics at Alabama A&M University and we do that by purchasing season tickets. We want this to be an historic year in athletics."
 
"Secondly, as we bring on a new coach, we also want to be sure that we have another addition to the Louis Crews Stadium. That is our new marketing effort, sometimes referred to as the scoreboard or jumbotron. We are moving, but we are not moving fast enough. We want to be sure that when Coach Maynor shows up for the first game in the fall of 2018, that the jumbotron is in place. So if you have not contributed or if you've not made a commitment, what better time to do it than today."



Alabama A&M Director of Athletic Bryan Hicks 
Opening statement:
"The search is over and I want to thank the Committee for the work that they did. Coach Maynor is an outstanding coach and better human being. He is a leader of many and we found that he shared the vision that we had for Alabama A&M Athletics and our program as a whole. It is a good match and we are looking forward to the young men that he develops, the leadership that he brings to the program and obviously the victories as they come."
 
"We are going to win on the field and we are going to win off the field. That is his commitment."
 
Alabama A&M Head Coach Connell Maynor
Opening Statement:
"First of all, I would like to thank my personal Savior, Jesus Christ, with Him I can do all things and that is one reason that I am standing here today. That's one of the reasons that I've been married 22 short years to the same woman. I have a daughter that is 17 years old and she's going to North Carolina A&T next year and has a 1150 SAT and a 4.3 GPA."
 
"I want to thank Dr. Hugine for his support and his efforts in getting me hired and Mr. Hicks and the great job that he has done. Mr. Wims and his committee for doing a great job in bringing me to Alabama A&M, on "the hill" and I can't wait to run off of that hill come the first game."
 
"Like Dr. Hugine said, when I rub that bulldog, I want to look up at that big jumbo screen and see the team behind me. We have to get it done. We don't have any problems that money can't solve. If everybody buys in, we are going to turn this thing around and we are going to get it done fast."
 
"I want to get the community involved. Get out into the Boys and Girls Club and talk to the alumni and get opinions on what you think needs to be done and evaluate those, and I will do what is best for the football program. That's what I'm always going to do. What's best for the program at Alabama A&M. It's not about me or any individual. It's about this University."
 
On preparing the players to have a winners' mentality:
"It's going to start with discipline. We have to teach these guys how to win. We have to teach them how to be winners and that starts with commitment, effort, discipline, preparation and that's how you teach them how to be a winner. Once you do that, the wins and losses will take care of themselves. We are going to win on and off the football field. Off the field, it comes to walking across that stage and getting that piece of paper."
 
"We are going to teach these guys how to be fathers, leaders, role models and they will be held accountable with every single thing that they do."
 
On his philosophy and his role as a coach in achieving the necessary APR ratings:
"As it pertains to my philosophy, defensively we are going to be aggressive. We are going to play to the situation. If we are up, we are going to try to play a little bit softer. Run the pocket a little bit, and when we need to bring pressure, we are going to bring pressure."
 
"Offensively, we are going to play to our strengths. We aren't going to ask our kids to do anything that they can't do and we will have multiple sets that we will display to cater to the strengths of our team."

"APR wise, two years ago at Hampton university, we had the highest APR in the history of MEAC football. We will monitor study hall, check classes and I will be in direct dialogue with the academic advisor regarding those that are at risk, missing study hall and things of that nature. Like I said, they will be held accountable to everything that they do."

On the one factor that made you choose Alabama A&M: 
"It was Alabama. Football country. The fans and the alumni are very knowledgeable and they want to win and that's what I want to do. Our goals are going to be very simple. Individually, every day, every drill we do, you go full speed so you can get better as an individual and when you do that, we will get better as a football team."
 
"Win our next football game, win the SWAC, Win Black College National Championship, and if we get to the playoff, we are going to win the National Championship. I played for the National Championship before, so I know how to get there. We are going to get back and this time, we are going to win it."
 
On his plans on building the team:
"We are going to build it from the ground up, that's how you do it. However, you have to have a couple of transfers and JUCOs to fill in a couple of spots that you may not have or you may need to spot them into, especially coming this late."
 
"We may not be able to sign as many high school guys and young men as we want to. We will evaluate the film and try to have another recruiting weekend this weekend. Look at those guys, invite them and hopefully we can get them up here to see the campus and see what we are about."
 
If we can sign 8-10, that would be great and that would be 8-10 guys that we like and that we think fits our system and what we want to do with the bulldog mentality. Also, we will try to get a couple of transfers and JUCOs guys."

BULLDOGS Football Coaching Staff 2018

Connell Maynor, Head Coach

Duane Taylor, Offensive Coordinator

Mark DeBastiani, Defensive Coordinator

Brian Jenkins, Receivers/Special Teams Coach

Keith Wagner, Offensive Line

Travis Pearson, Outside Linebackers & Safeties

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Alexys Long scores career-high 29 points in NSU's ninth straight victory

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The Norfolk State women used a dominating fourth quarter Monday night to record their ninth straight victory.

The Spartans, trailing by three after three quarters, outscored Savanna State 29-6 in the fourth to remain unbeaten in the MEAC with a 78-58 victory at Tiger Arena.

Alexys Long scored a career-high 29 points for Norfolk State (11-5, 4-0). She made 8 of 11 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 11 from the 3-point line, and hit all eight free throws. Gabrielle Swinson (15 points), Yazmen Hannah (13) and Raven Russell (10) also scored in double digits. Russell also collected a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Spartans, who trailed by 15 in the second quarter, entered the final 10 minutes down 52-49. They pulled ahead on Swinson’s layup and after the Tigers (2-15, 0-6) briefly reclaimed the lead, took over for good on a 3-pointer by Long.

CONTINUE READING

New Alabama A&M football coach Connell Maynor in recruiting crunch, envisions quick turnaround

The search is over! Alabama A&M University welcomes a new Head Football Coach.
Welcome to "The Hill" Coach Maynor!
"It's time for A&M to win championships on and off the field." - Coach Connell Maynor#AAMU #AAMUFootball #WJABTV #AAMUFrontPage @AAMUFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/f08KRfhXhl

— WJAB-FM (@WJAB_FM) January 22, 2018

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The search for Alabama A&M's next football coach is over, but the hunt for recruits is just beginning.

New Bulldogs head man Connell Maynor faces an immediate challenge. National Signing Day is Feb. 7, giving he and his staff precious little time to put together a 2018 class.

Maynor, 49, a former head coach at Hampton and Winston-Salem State, said during an introductory press conference this morning that he hopes to sign eight to 10 high school players. The Bulldogs staff will evaluate film of recruits today and tomorrow. Maynor told parents of prospects this past weekend that he will let them know by Wednesday if offers from the previous staff still stand.

"We're going to try to do it from the ground up," Maynor said of signing prep standouts, "but you've got to have a couple of transfers to fit into spots that we may not have, especially coming this late, where we might not get to sign as many high school guys as we normally do."

Maynor has a career record of 65-31 in eight seasons. He resigned from Hampton after going 6-5 last season and 20-25 overall in four years. His best season came in 2012 at Winston-Salem State as the Rams went 14-1 and reached the Division II national championship game.

Alabama A&M went 4-7 last season and hasn't enjoyed a winning record since 2012. Maynor feels that the Bulldogs can improve quickly.

CONTINUE READING

Three Southern University alumni make NBA referee history

DENVER, Colorado -- Three NBA referees made league history Sunday night, all because of their connection to Southern University.

According to ESPN reporter Marc J. Spears, for the first time in the history of the National Basketball Association, three referees who graduated from the same school worked a game together.

Referees C. J. Washington, Bennie Adams, and Courtney Kirkland are all graduates of Southern University. On Sunday night, the trio worked their first NBA game together when the Pheonix Suns took on the Nuggets in Denver.

In addition to being former Jaguars, Washington and Adams are also Louisiana natives. Washington is from Baton Rouge, while Adams is from New Orleans. Kirkland, however, is from Flint, MI.

CONTINUE READING

Marc J. Spears‏Verified account @MarcJSpearsESPN

So here’s some positive referee news. For the first time three referees who graduated from the same school worked an NBA game together. C.J. Washington, Bennie Adams and Courtney Kirkland, graduates of Southern University, worked Suns at Nuggets on Sunday.

9:21 PM - 21 Jan 2018

• 393 Retweets
• 893 Likes
• 

26 replies393 retweets893 likes