Joseph Williams voted into NABC-NAIA Slam Dunk Contest

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Joseph Williams was a landslide winner in online fan voting for next month's 2018 NABC-NAIA Shoot & Slam presented by U.S. Bank.
     
Williams — a 6-foot-6 senior forward from Memphis, Tenn., a graduate of Lausanne Collegiate School and a transfer from Freed-Hardeman University — received 79.8 percent of the nearly 3,000 votes cast in a three-person race. Williams received 2,341 votes, followed by Tyler Bell of Jarvis Christian (Hawkins, Texas) with 398 votes/13.6 percent and Marcus White of Dickinson State (Dickinson, N.D.) with 195 votes/6.6 percent.     



Voting concluded Monday, and the NAIA announced Williams's victory Tuesday. Williams will be the first from XULA to compete in this event, scheduled for 4 p.m. CDT on Saturday, March 17 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
     
Also in the dunk contest will be Arsenio Arrington of Aquinas (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Titus Rice of Ottawa (Ottawa, Kan.) and DeShun Patterson of Tabor (Hillsboro, Kan.) Those three were selected by a committee of NAIA Division I and II coaches.
     
The NABC-NAIA Shoot & Slam will be sandwiched between four quarterfinal games of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. Williams and his XULA teammates, 21-7 this season, will try to qualify automatically for the tournament by winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament this weekend or by an at-large bid. Tournament dates are March 14-20.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Nuggets close with 7th straight GCAC victory

NEW ORLEANS — Sophomore point guard Maya Trench had 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists Wednesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 71-52 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball against Talladega.
     
The Gold Nuggets (14-11, 7-5) closed the regular season with seven straight GCAC victories and six straight overall.
     
XULA won every quarter and shot 56 percent from the floor in the second half.
    
Essence Wells scored 10 points for XULA. The Nuggets' two seniors, Ireyon Keith and Angelle Simon, combined for 14 points — eight by Keith and six by Simon. They were honored in a ceremony after the game.
     
Deshanna Cook scored 12 points and Courtnee Williams eight for the Lady Tornadoes (17-13, 7-5).
     
XULA won the tiebreaker with Talladega for the No. 3 seed in the GCAC Tournament. The Nuggets will play No. 6 seed Tougaloo at 2 p.m. Friday at SUNO's The Castle. All women's and men's semifinals will be this weekend at XULA's Convocation Center.

BOX SCORE

GCAC Tournament

WOMEN
Friday first round at SUNO
Noon — 4-Talladega vs. 5-Philander Smith
2 p.m. — 3-XULA vs. 6-Tougaloo
5 p.m. — 2-Edward Waters vs. 7-SUNO
1-Dillard has bye

Saturday semifinals at XULA
Noon — 1-Dillard vs. Talladega-Philander Smith winner
5 p.m. — XULA-Tougaloo winner vs. Edward Waters-SUNO winner

Sunday championship at XULA
2 p.m.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Rush earn share of GCAC regular-season championship

NEW ORLEANS — Virgil Davison scored a career-high 26 points, 18 in the second half, to help NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana rally Wednesday for a 74-62 men's basketball victory against Talladega and grab a share of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship.
     
XULA (22-7, 9-3) shared the title with Dillard, which will have a first-round bye in the GCAC Tournament. The Gold Rush will be the No. 2 seed and play seventh-seeded Edward Waters Friday at Dillard's Dent Hall. The GCAC will announce the bracket and times Thursday.
     
The Gold Rush trailed 14-2 after seven minutes and 30-25 at halftime. But XULA shot 63.6 percent from the floor in the second half and outscored the Tornadoes (19-10, 8-4) 49-32 in that period.
     
Davison's fourth 3-pointer put XULA ahead to stay at 59-56 with 3:10 remaining.
    
 Galen Smith scored 10 points for XULA, which was 10-20 last season.
     
Devonte Dixon scored 18 points, Arcuas McGhee and and Khaliel Spearman had 13 apiece, and Carl Taylor scored 10 for Talladega. McGhee grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots.
     
Seniors Jalen David, Elex Carter, Joseph Williams and Rondell Best were honored in a pregame ceremony. All four started the game. It was the first-ever XULA appearance for Best, who has battled injuries since transferring from NCAA Division III Daniel Webster. Best played the first minute and 42 seconds and grabbed a rebound and blocked a shot.   

XULA has won 20 championships at the confBOXerence or district level. This is the first Gold Rush title since the 2013-14 GCAC regular season. 



BOX SCORE

GCAC Tournament


MEN
Friday first round at Dillard
Noon — 4-Philander Smith vs. 5-Tougaloo
2 p.m. — 3-Talladega vs. 6-SUNO
5 p.m. — 2-XULA vs. 7-Edward Waters
1-Dillard has bye

Saturday semifinals at XULA
2 p.m. — 1-Dillard vs. Philander Smith-Tougaloo winner
7 p.m. — XULA-Edward Waters winner vs. Talladega-SUNO winner

Sunday championship at XULA
4 p.m.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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FAMU splits road series, beats FIU, 8-4

MIAMI, Florida -- Florida A&M entered Wednesday’s game looking to redeem itself after dropping game one of its two-game series here with FIU.

The Rattlers accomplished their goal.

FAMU (4-5) scored in the first five innings to defeat FIU, 8-4, Wednesday afternoon at the FIU ballpark.



The Rattlers out-hit FIU 9-7, with four players - Jordan Curtis, John Capra, Kaycee Reese andd Brett Maxwell - finishing with two hits each. Capra and Jacky Miles Jr. each knocked in two runs.

Starter Josh Wilson earned his first victory, allowing three earned runs in 5.2 innings.

Jeremiah McCollum closed out the sixth inning and recorded two outs in the seventh without giving up a run. Jamie Grant recorded the last out of the seventh and went on to throw a scoreless eighth before giving way to Dylan Carlson in the ninth.

The Rattlers drew first blood in this one, putting up two runs in the first inning.

CONTINUE READING

Livingstone Outlast the Vikings of Elizabeth City State to Advance ro Championship Quarterfinals

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Blue Bears of Livingstone College, the No. 3 seed
in the Southern Division, continued their impressive run in 2017-18 improving to 12-12 and will face the No. 2 seed in the Northern Division, Bowie State University, on Thursday at the Spectrum Center at 9:00 p.m. Elizabeth City State University (12-14) closes the book on their season, despite an impressive game only falling by four points.

Cameron Burhannon led the way for the Blue Bears with season/career-high 33 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Roger Ray finished the contest with 21 points and four assists. Lydell Elmore chipped in with 15 points. Ramel Belfield finished the contest with 10 points and two assists. Navar Elmore chipped in with eight points. Malik Smith secured five points.

Elizabeth City State's Zaccheus Hoobs and Shyheid Petteway were the leading scorers for the Vikings with contributing 29 points each respectively. Corey Mendez (15), John Maynor (14), and Charles Woods (4) chipped in with adding points to the book.

Shyheid Petteway scored the opening basket at the 19:35 mark to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead. Navar Elmore added a basket and one for LC to tie the game three all. Zaccheus Hobbs then added a three-pointer to edge the Vikings 6-5 at the 17:46 mark. At the 13:49 left in the first half Ramel Belfield added a three-pointer to tie the game for the third time 10 all. The back-and-forth battle continued as Livingstone converted 3-of-5 from the three point line and continued to add points to the board to take a 40-39 lead into the locker room.

BOX SCORE

Shyheid Petteway scored the opening basket for ECSU to give the Vikings a 41-40 lead at 19:17. Over the next four minutes the Blue Bears added points to the board taking a 51-43 advantage at the 15:14 mark. Livingstone College secured the lead and never turning it over the remainder of the game. Petteway added a three-pointer to cut LC's lead 77-67 with 4:06 left on the clock. Elizabeth City State University continued to play hard continuing to cut the Blue Bears lead in the remaining minutes. Despite the loss the Vikings fell only by four points to the Blue Bears by collecting its final three-pointer with 00:05 seconds left. Livingstone wrapped up the contest with shooting 56 percent (28-for-50) from the field overall, 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from 3-point range and 79.2 percent (38-for-48) from the free throw line.

Elizabeth City State wrapped up the contest with shooting 50 percent (31-for-62) from the field overall, 46.4 percent (13-for-28) from 3-point range and 87 percent (20-for-23) from the free throw line.

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE BLUE BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Virginia Union Surge Past Chowan in CIAA Tourney Opener

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- In a battle between two of the top teams in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region, it was the Virginia Union Lady Panthers (26-2) who were able to claim the 89-58 win over the Chowan Hawks (19-9) and advanced to the semifinal round of the tournament. After a close first half of play, the Panthers broke the game open with a strong second half effort that included a dominating third quarter effort.

"I'm very proud of our young ladies and the way they fought from beginning to end," Virginia Union head coach AnnMarie Gilbert said after the win. "This is Lady Panther basketball team that I'd like to see more of over the next few games."

The game saw some great play from both teams as both the Lady Panthers and the Hawks both turned in great efforts. The Lady Panthers finished the game shooting a scorching hot 45.8% (33-of-72) from the floor while the Hawks struggled shooting 32.0% (24-of-75). Freshman guard Shameka McNeill and senior forward Alexis Johnson led the way for the Lady Panthers with 19 points each while senior forward Dhyamond Crenshaw and junior forward Danielle Weldon both scored 12 points in the game. Weldon also led the team's rebounding effort with seven rebounds in the game.

The game opened with a strong start from the Panthers, but the Hawks showed a lot of mettle to make the first quarter a thrilling one. The Panthers opened the game with a 6-1 run, but the Hawks answered in a hurry with an eight-point run that included a pair of McNeill three-pointers. The last one came with 00:38 left in the quarter and gave the Lady Panthers a 22-12 lead before a Williams lay-up cut the Hawks' deficit down to eight points, 22-14 at the end of the quarter.

The second quarter saw a much harder fought effort from the Hawks as they battled their way back into the game. After falling into the double-digit deficit, the Hawks fought back when a three-pointer from junior forward Jada Lee pulled the Hawks to within five points, 24-19 with 7:49 left in the second quarter. Once again, the Lady Panthers went on to pull away from the Hawks with a 9-2 run that was capped by a Johnson lay-up with 4:05 left in the quarter and gave the Lady Panthers a 33-21 lead. In the final minutes, the Lady Panthers went ahead by as many as 13 points, 37-24, following a lay-up from junior forward Rachel Pecota with 1:22 left in the second quarter. A Lee three-pointer answered the run, but in the end, the Lady Panthers took the 38-27 lead into the locker room at halftime.

It was in the third quarter that the Lady Panthers really took over the game. The team outscored the Lady Hawks 31-19. The quarter included a 15-4 run to open the quarter and left the Lady Panthers on top, 53-33, after a pair of McNeill free throws with 6:04 left in the quarter. The final minutes of the quarter were especially impressive for the Lady Panthers as the team held the Hawks without a score for the final two minutes of the quarter and took a 69-39 lead heading into the fourth.

"We know that this is the CIAA tournament and we knew that Chowan was going to fight us tooth and nail for at least a half. The third quarter is when you see teams start to either run out of gas or flip the switch and push the pedal to the metal and that was our goal," Gilbert added. "We knew we had a little more depth than Chowan and we wanted to push hard and heavy on every possession."

BOX SCORE

Though the game appeared out of reach for the Hawks, the team continued to battle as they outscored the Lady Panthers 20-19 in the fourth quarter. They were able to work their deficit down to as few as 26 points, 74-47, after a Lee free throw with 5:03 left to play. From there, the fatigue set in for the Hawks and the Lady Panthers continued to pour it one as a Johnson lay-up with 1:46 left to play gave VUU an 86-50 lead, their largest lead of the game. The remainder of the game turned out to pretty much ceremonial with the Hawks whittling their deficit down to 31 points and ending the day with the 89-58 loss.

With the win, the Lady Panthers improve to 26-2 for the season and will advance to the semifinal round of the 2018 CIAA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. It will be the Lady Panthers' third straight trip to the semifinal round of the tournament as they await the winner of the Lincoln (Pa.)/Joohnson C. Smith game tomorrow. With the loss, the Hawks' season likely ends with the team posting a 19-9 overall record.

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

FSU Broncos Survive & Advance with a 62-55 Win over Lincoln (Pa.)

Final Stats

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- he Broncos are off on another tournament run!

Fayetteville State, the CIAA Southern Division No. 5 Seed, survived the first round of the tournament with a 62-55 win over Lincoln (Pa.) in the Bojangles’ Coliseum.

“Make sure that you play harder than them and smarter than them,” said Head Coach Ken Spencer in his locker room pre-game pep talk.

“It's been a tough year for us during the regular season,” said Coach Spencer in the post-game interview. “Our guys really came and showed a lot of character tonight. We were able to grind out a win. It doesn’t matter how you get it, as long as you survive and advance. Our guys played to the end. We did enough just to win a basketball game.”

Fayetteville State dived for balls, scrapped for jump balls, and played above the rim for rebounds all game.

FSU was off to its usual start, trailing Lincoln (Pa.) by nine points (13-4) in the first five minutes of the game. Following the first media timeout, Willie Gilmore’s (Fayetteville, NC) dunk sparked a 10-1 Bronco run that would tie the game at 14-14 with a dunk by Javen McNeil (West End, NC).

The Broncos would keep the game close going into halftime trailing by two (28-26).

Lincoln (Pa.) opened the second half with an 8-1 run to lead 35-29 in the first three minutes.

Still down by six (37-31) at the 15:54 mark, Willie Gilmore drained two three-pointers which led to a 15-2 run by Fayetteville State and a 46-39 lead with 10:50 remaining. The run ended with another three-pointer by Gilmore.

The Lions worked its way back into the game, trailing by one (46-45), on a layup by Gevon Arrington with 8:30 left in the game.

Gilmore answered the call with his fourth three-pointer of the half to trigger an 8-0 run and a 54-45 lead with 5:14 left. The Broncos would maintain the nine-point cushion until the 1:01 mark of the game.

Lincoln (Pa.) would only be able to muster up four free throws as Javen McNeil ended all scoring with an off the rim dunk with 16 seconds left in the game.

Willie Gilmore’s career-high 26 points and Josh Bryant’s (Fayetteville, NC) 17 was enough to advance the Broncos into the second round and a Southern Division matchup against the No. 1 Johnson C. Smith University.

Fayetteville State forced Lincoln (Pa.) into 20 turnovers and limited itself to nine mistakes.

Gevon Arrington led the Lions with 21 points and Elijah Bush finished with 13.

FAYETTEVILLE STATE UIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

January, Bryant Lead Balanced SAU Attack In CIAA Tourney Men's Basketball Victory Over Chowan

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men's Basketball Championship Tournament saw the Falcons of St. Augustine's defeat the Hawks of Chowan University 75-55, in the second game of the tournament at the Bojangles' Coliseum on Tuesday.

The Falcons of St. Augustine's University, the No. 4 seed in the Southern Division, continued their impressive run in 2017-18 improving to 14-14 and will face the No. 1 seed in the Northern Division, Virginia State University, on Wednesday at the Bojangles' Coliseum. Chowan University closes the book on their season at 11-12.

Kasey Bryant led the way for the Falcons with 16 points five rebounds and seven assists. Quincy January finished the contest with a double-double performance with12 points and 15 rebounds. Ishmael Baldwin chipped in with 12 points. Tyre Gathright finished the contest with 13 points and two rebounds. Kenneth Collins chipped in with 11 points. Rashad George secured six points.

BOX SCORE

Chowan's Demetrius Sanders led all scorers for the Hawks with 11 points and four rebounds. Dino Muminovic (10), Tim Hewett (9), and Robert Grubbs (8) chipped in with adding points to the book.

Kasey Bryant scored the opening basket at the 19:44 mark to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. Demetrius Sanders secured a three-pointer for CU to tie the game three all. Robert Grubbs then added a three-pointer to edge the Falcons 6-3 at the 17:03 mark. At the 13:14 left in the first half Kenneth Collins added a three-pointer to tie the game for the second time 10 all. The back-and-forth battle continued as St. Augustine's converted 5-of-8 from the three point line and continued to add points to the board to take a 39-21 lead into the locker room.

St. Augustine's continued with the same momentum coming into the second half. Kasey Bryant scored the opening basket for SAU to give the Falcons a 41-26 lead at 19:18. Over the next four minutes the Falcons continued to add points to the board taking a 46-33 advantage at the 15:08 mark. St. Augustine's secured the lead and never turning it over the remainder of the game. Bryant added three from the free throw line grew SAU's lead 56-47 with 7:49 left on the clock. From that point hot shooting helped the Falcons secure the 75-55 victory over Chowan University. The Falcons finished the contest with going 12-of-13 from the free throw line. St. Augustine's wrapped up the contest with shooting 53.8 percent (28-for-52) from the field overall, 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from 3-point range and 75 percent (12-for-16) from the free throw line.

Chowan wrapped up the contest with shooting 36.2 percent (17-for-47) from the field overall, 33.3 percent (7-for-21) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (14-for-21) from the free throw line.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Lincoln Lions Defeats Livingstone Blue Bears to Advance to CIAA Quarterfinals

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women's Basketball Championship Tournament saw Lincoln (Pa.) University defeat the Blue Bears of Livingstone College 76-58, in the second game of the tournament at the Bojangles' Coliseum on Tuesday.

The Lions of Lincoln (Pa.) University, the No. 3 seed in the Northern Division, continued their impressive run in 2017-18 improving to 17-10 and will face No. 2 seed in the Southern Division, Johnson C. Smith, on Thursday at the Spectrum Center. Livingstone closes the book on their season at 6-21.

Shahra Madison (Chesapeake, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School (Chesapeake College)) led the Lions with 16 points (7-9 FG) and eight rebounds. Brianna Logan (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Siena)) added 13 points while Shecquan Bailey (Salisbury, Md./Snow Hill (Baltimore City C.C.)) chipped in ten points, five assists and five steals. DeeDee Irwin (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) had three three-pointers for nine points.

Taylor Perkins led Livingstone with 26 points and 13 rebounds. I'Keya Bland added 10 points.

Both teams had to shake off their CIAA Tournament jitters as Lincoln led Livingstone 10-9 after the opening 10 minutes of action in a cold shooting first quarter. The teams were a combined 6-34 (17.6%) from the floor.

The back-and-forth battle continued as Livingstone converted 4-4 from the charity stripe to take a 13-10 lead just a minute into the quarter. Lincoln battled back to take an 18-15 advantage following an Irwin three-pointer midway through the quarter.

The Blue Bears took the advantage back from the Lions on a Taylor Perkins jumper with 2:54 remaining. Livingstone would take a 27-25 lead into the break.

BOX SCORE

Lincoln would take hold of the contest in the second half outscoring Livingstone 25-12 in the third quarter. The Lions used an 8-3 run to take the lead, 33-30, and never relinquish.

The Blue Bears attempted to chip away at the deficit but the Lions answered at every turn as Michelle Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md./Md. Academy of Tech & Health Science (N.C. A & T)) gave the Lions a double-figure lead into the final quarter, 50-39.

The Lions maintained their double-figure lead in the fourth quarter. Blue Bears' Taylor Perkins scored the final nine points for Livingstone but was not enough as Lincoln's lead was too large.

The game was a tale of two halves - shooting wise for the Lions, who made just 25.7% (9-35) of their shots in the first two quarters. Things turned around in the second half as the Lincoln shooters found their mark, making 58% (18-31) of their shots in the final two quarters. Lincoln also took advantage of 24 Blue Bear turnovers, scoring 32 points off them. Lincoln's bench also outscored the Livingstone bench 26-7.

BOX SCORE

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION

Bowie State oDefeat Shaw Lady Bears 56-47 in CIAA Tournament Opening Round

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women's Basketball Championship Tournament tipped off Tuesday morning as Bowie State University and Shaw University squared off at the Bojangles Coliseum. Bowie State used strong second and third quarters and held off a Shaw rally in the fourth to come away with a 56-47 win.

The Bulldogs, the #4 seed in the North Division, improve to 18-8 and will face the #1 seed from the South division Fayetteville State on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Bojangles Coliseum. Shaw concludes their season with a 6-23 record.

Senior Kyah Proctor (Capital Heights, Md.) scored 19 points while graduate student Sade Chatman (Minneapolis, Minn.) added ten to pace the Bulldogs offense. Redshirt junior Pere Alexander (Baltimore, Md.) added eight points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Senior Kiara Colston (Burtonsville, Md.) led the Bulldogs with five assists.

Lervencia Johnson (Many, La.) recorded a double-double for the Bears, scoring 12 points while grabbing ten rebounds. Emily Davis (Cleveland, Ohio) also had 12 points for the Lady Bears.

The two teams played a closely contested first quarter with neither team leading by more than one possession over the first six minutes. The Bulldogs used a 7-1 run to break a 9-9 tie and open a 16-10 lead with 1:31 to go before Johnson's jumper pulled Shaw within two 16-12 at the end of the period.

The Bulldogs scored four of the first six points in the second quarter to take a six-point lead before the Bears scored on two straight possessions to pull within two 20-18. Bowie State used a 7-2 run over the final 4:31 of the second quarter to open their biggest lead of the first half, 27-20. Chatman provided the first four points of the run and a three-point basket by senior Lisa Jing (Laurel, Md.) at the buzzer capped the run.

An 11-4 run by Bowie State over the first five minutes of the third quarter pushed the Bulldogs lead to double digits, 38-24 midway through the third quarter. Shaw countered with a 10-5 flourish to end the quarter to cut the lead back to single digits, 43-34.

Raquel Kellow (Conroe, Texas) opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to bring Shaw within six, 43-37. Alexander and Proctor answered with back to back three-pointers to again give Bowie a double-digit lead 49-37. The Lady Bears clawed back within seven, 54-47 with a 10-5 run with just 39.2 seconds left. Colston sank two free throws with 11 seconds left to provide the final points of the game and seal the 56-47 win for the Bulldogs.

The teams were relatively even shooting wise, with the Bulldogs having the slight advantage, making 19-of-57 shots (33.3 percent) to Shaw's 16-of-49 (32.7 percent). The Bulldogs were 13-of-16 at the free throw line (81.3 percent) while the Lady BearXs made 13-of-20 (65 percent). Bowie State also held a 39-36 rebounding edge.

BOX SCORE

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Coach Gilbert and Coach Blow Named CIAA Basketball Coaches of the Year

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), with its Men's and Women's Basketball Coaches Association and Sports Information Directors Association, announces the 2018 Men's & Women's Coaches of the Year. These outstanding coaches were formally recognized today during the annual Tip-Off Awards Luncheon.

After finishing No. 1 in the Northern Division, Coach AnnMarie Gilbert of Virginia Union University has earned her third consecutive Coach of the Year honor. This season Coach Gilbert has led her team to a 15-1 record in conference play while marking an overall record of 25-2. Coming into this year's tournament ranked No. 1 and being ranked No. 1 in the Atlantic Region, Coach Gilbert and her Lady Panthers are picked to be the top contenders for this year's tournament. Coach Gilbert is looking forward to a comeback the 2017 CIAA Tournament when her team was eliminted, yet went on to finish Runner-Up in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship. The Lady Panthers are set to play Wednesday, February 28, 2018 versus the winner between Saint Augustine's University and Chowan University. Tip-off is set for 2:20 PM in Charlotte, NC at Bojangles' Coliseum.

In his fourth season with Virginia State University, Coach Lonnnie Blow, Jr. has earned his third Coach of the Year honor. Coach Blow led his program to a 13-3 record in conference play and a 23-3 overall record this season. The Trojans have had some major victories this season including wins over Norfolk State University, Pitt-Johnson University, and Indiana (PA) University. Coming into this year's tournament ranked No. 1 and being ranked No. 2 in the Atlantic Region, Coach Blow and the Trojans are picked to be the top contenders in this year's tournament. The Trojans are set to play Wednesday, February 28, 2018 versus the winner between Saint Augustine's University and Chowan University. Tip-off is set for 6:40 PM in Charlotte, NC at Bojangles' Coliseum.

For more information regarding the 2018 CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit ciaatournament.org. Follow the CIAA on social media via Facebook (TheCIAA), Twitter (@CIAAForLife), Instagram (@CIAASports), or download the CIAA mobile app available for Apple and Android devices.

CIAA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

CIAA Announces 2018 CIAA Rookies and Players of the Year

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), with its Men's and Women's Basketball Coaches Association and Sports Information Directors Association, announces the 2018 Women's and Men's Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. These outstanding student-athletes were formally recognized today during the annual Tip-Off Awards Luncheon.


Alexis Johnson, a senior forward from Virginia Union University, has been named Women's CIAA Player of the Year and Women's Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson is an offensive threat, ranked second in the conference in points per game and averaging seventeen points per game. She is currently fifth in the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 51.1 percent. This season alone she has recorded 80 blocks against opponents and she averages 9 rebounds per game.

Rookie guard, Shareka McNeill of Virginia Union has earned Women's Rookie of the Year honors. The Charlotte, NC native averages 12.7 points per game, while shooting 41.2 percent from the field. She also adds 42 steals, 54 assists, and 71 rebounds on the season.

Johnson C. Smith University's senior guard, Robert Davis III, has been named Men's CIAA Player of the Year. This season Davis has topped the conference in total points scored with 590. He carries his team with an impressive 21.9 points per game and he is leading the conference in free throw percentage with 88.2 percent.

Senior forward Quincy January of Saint Augustine's University has been named Men's Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. January has always produced impressive defensive numbers and this year is no different. He leads the conference in rebounds per game with eleven and his 264 rebounds on the season ranks him second among CIAA competitors. He also has 16 steals and 21 blocks for the season.

Rookie guard Zaccheus Hobbs has been a great addition for Elizabeth City State University and has earned the Men's Rookie of the Year honor. Hobbs has scored 327 points this season, averaging 12.6 points per game. He has also recorded 36 steals and 91 assists in his first CIAA season.

For more information regarding the 2018 CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit ciaatournament.org. Follow the CIAA on social media via Facebook (TheCIAA), Twitter (@CIAAForLife), Instagram NW(@CIAASports), or download the CIAA mobile app available for Apple and Android devices.

CIAA MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets crush Lady Bulldogs for 6th straight GCAC win

NEW ORLEANS — Sophomore forward Gina Smith had career highs of 23 points and four blocked shots Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 76-50 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

Smith was 11-of-15 from the floor in 24 minutes and grabbed eight rebounds in the Gold Nuggets' sixth consecutive GCAC victory. Smith's previous point high was 14 as a freshman.

Mikayla Bates and Dasia Pitre scored 14 points apiece for XULA (13-11. 6-5). Bates and Maya Trench grabbed seven rebounds apiece, and Trench had eight assists.

Debraia Bell had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs (10-15, 4-7), and Melissa Creese had nine points and six assists.

XULA led the final 37 1/2 minutes and built its largest lead, 76-42, on Nicole Swift's basket with three minutes remaining.

The Gold Nuggets outshot the Lady Bulldogs 45.9 to 34.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 51-25. XULA had eight first-half blocks and 11 for the game, its most since blocking 11 at Lee (Tenn.) on Nov. 15, 2008.

XULA will close the regular season with a 5:30 p.m. Wednesday GCAC home game against Talladega, then play Friday in the GCAC Tournament first round at SUNO's The Castle.



Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Gold Rush acquire a Berry good player from Cecilia

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball landed its first recruit for the 2018-19 season when Jevon Berry of Cecilia (La.) High School signed an athletics scholarship Thursday.

Berry is a 6-foot-3 guard/forward who is averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals per game this season. Cecilia is the No. 21 seed in the LHSAA Class 4A playoffs and will visit No. 12 Salmen in the first round at 7 p.m. Friday in Slidell.

"Jevon is the best player in our district," Cecilia coach Scotty Borel said. "I love his versatility. He can play inside or outside depending on the opponent and play all five positions in high school. He can make shots from the outside or attack the basket. He's a great kid from a great family."

Berry as a junior was All-District 5-4A honorable mention. The 2017-18 all-district team has yet to be announced.

"He's a DI (NCAA) player," Borel said, "but it's a blessing to put Jevon in a great situation like Xavier. I coached your assistant coach, Tyrone Mitchell, when he played AAU ball a few years ago."
Cecilia is in St. Martin Parish and approximately 15 miles northeast of Lafayette.

XULA is 20-7 and ranked 22nd in the NAIA. It is the NAIA's 15th-winningest program all-time.

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Rush beat Bulldogs to set up title showdown Wednesday

NEW ORLEANS — Jeff Dixon had career highs of 25 points and 11 assists Saturday to lead NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana in an 84-79 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

Dixon, a junior point guard, did not commit a turnover in 34 minutes.

XULA will close its regular season with a 7:30 p.m. Wednesday home game against Talladega. The winner will earn a share of the GCAC regular-season championship with Dillard. The GCAC Tournament will begin Friday with three first-round men's games at Dillard's Dent Hall. Dillard has clinched the No. 1 seed for the tournament, and the XULA-Talladega winner will be the No. 2 seed.

Dillard has concluded its conference schedule at 9-3, and Talladega is tied for second with XULA at 8-3. Talladega began the day in sole possession of first place but lost 69-64 at Philander Smith while Dillard won 76-50 at Edward Waters.

There were seven ties and 10 lead changes in the second half. Dixon's basket with 3:58 remaining put the Gold Rush (21-7) ahead to stay at 76-74.

Rayshawn Mart and Jalen David scored 18 points apiece for XULA, and Virgil Davison had 16.
Denarius Odell scored 21 points, Tonzell Handy 19 and Dearius Griffin 10 for the Bulldogs (15-8, 6-5).

XULA led 46-40 at halftime after leading by 14.

Dixon became the first Gold Rush player to reach 20 points and 10 assists in the same game since Shaun Dumas had 30 and 12 against Tougaloo on Feb. 5, 2007, at The Barn. Dumas, now the boys basketball coach at Crescent City Christian School in Metairie, La., was in attendance Saturday.



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HU, Morgan State await ruling from MEAC over bizarre finish

HAMPTON, Virginia -- What is currently listed as a 57-38 win by Hampton University over Morgan State came to a bizarre and premature end Saturday night at the Convocation Center.

According to the play-by-play information from the box score, Bears coach Todd Bozeman and forward David Syfax were ejected with 13:33 remaining in the game. This followed a foul that had been called on the Pirates Eugene Marshall III.

Bozeman then took his team off the floor and refused to continue playing, according to reports from the game.

MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas said the conference will have an announcement this afternoon regarding the incident.

NCAA rules mandate that when a game never reaches the 10-minute mark of the second half, a forfeit is declared and the final score is recorded as 2-0. Under that scenario, Hampton (16-14, 11-4 MEAC) would get the win and Morgan State (10-17, 6-8) the loss. No statistics (points, rebounds, etc.) would count.

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UAPB snaps Grambling State's 11-game win streak

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- There's something to be said about having been there before.

Grambling State men's basketball team took the court inside the Fredrick Hobdy Assembly Center Saturday leading the SWAC standings, the first time in decades, and carrying the country's best mark in consecutive wins at 11 in a row, tied with perennial powerhouse Michigan State.

Basking in the national spotlight for the last five days, the Tigers couldn't maintain the momentum as Arkansas-Pine Bluff came into their arena and snapped their streak, 75-66.

"I told our guys, I felt like we getting too Hollywood," GSU men's basketball coach Donte Jackson said after the game. "It's been like an interview after interview. We just need for us to get back to focusing on playing basketball instead of focusing on the streak or worried about this or that. Let's get back to defending, let's get back to working hard, let's get back to making shots."

The situation wasn't anything Grambling (15-13, 11-4) hadn't seen before during their program-best winning streak. UAPB (11-18, 11-5) led the entire second half, by as many as 13 points, but the Tigers closed the gap to 68-64 after back-to-back 3's from senior guard Shirmane Thomas with 1:35 to go.

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TSU Lady Tigers topple Alabama A&M as Kennerson scores 1,500th career point

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern University overwhelmed Alabama A&M in the fourth quarter Saturday to claim a 60-43 win on a historic night for the program and TSU guard Joyce Kennerson.

Kennerson, a junior from Port Arthur, Texas (Memorial) scored a game-high 31 points, and in doing so, became only the third women's basketball player in Texas Southern history to eclipse 1,500 points for her career.

Kennerson shot 9-of-17 from the floor Saturday, which included making two out of her four 3-point attempts; she was also 11-of-15 from the free throw line. She score 20 points in the first half, and added nine more in the fourth quarter as TSU outscored the Lady Bulldogs 21-4 in the final 10 minutes. Kennerson's 3-pointer 18 seconds into the fourth quarter put her at the 1,500-point mark.

The Lady Tigers' 21-4 fourth quarter burst open what had been a very close game between two of the top three defensive teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Lady Tigers (16-10, 11-4 SWAC) entered the game allowing the fewest points per game in the conference, while Alabama A&M ranked third in the league.

Natalie Collins and Ashlyn Dotson scored nine points apiece to lead Alabama A&M (10-16, 5-10 SWAC).

The Lady Tigers return to action Monday when they host Alabama State in the regular-season home finale. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

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Texas Southern routs Alabama A&M

HOUSTON, Texas -- Injuries and suspensions have challenged Texas Southern's efforts to repeat as Southwestern Athletic Conference champions throughout this season.

They lost a player of the year candidate before conference play even began, the team struggled without leading-scorer Demontrae Jefferson and most recently, center Trayvon Reed and forward Lamont Walker were suspended indefinitely last week.

The Tigers overcame those hurdles and a slow start to beat Alabama A&M 106-71 at H&PE Arena on Saturday.

"We haven't had our whole team all year long so this year has been a difficult year from that standpoint," coach Mike Davis said, "but we're trying to build a program and you can't have a program if everyone's not on the same page."

Texas Southern (9-19, 9-6 in Southwestern Athletic Conference) began to break away 11 minutes into the game. They built a nine-point lead with nine minutes left in the half and stretched it to 13 with six minutes to go.

Derrick Bruce and Donte Clark have helped power the team through its absences. Both scored in double-digits before the intermission. Bruce led the team with 21 points heading into the locker room and finished with 35. Clark added 21 points and 3 blocks.

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Jackson State Baseball Takes Two From Eastern Michigan

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Jackson State baseball team improved to a 3-1 record on Saturday when the Tigers took two games from the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Braddy Field. JSU won the first game 5-3 and took the second game 8-6.

Game 1: Four home runs (Josh Crispin, Jesus Santana, Raul Hernandez and Stephan Vidal) powered JSU’s victory in game one. The Tigers started the scoring in the first inning. Robert Perteet and Crispin each doubled to get on base and scored to put the Tigers ahead 2-0. With Hernandez on base, Vidal hit JSU’s first homer on the day for JSU.

JSU used a three run second inning to try to pull away from Eastern Michigan. With Lamar Briggs on first base, Santana posted a two run homer. The next batter, Hernandez hit a solo homer making the score 7-0.

The Eagles got back into the game in the fourth inning. EMU scored four runs, which was sparked by Max Schuemann’s homerun.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the sixth when Crispin hit a homer. The Tigers finished with 12 hits and three errors. EMU scored its 6 runs on 12 hits.

Nick Galattas pitched 7.2 innings to pick up the win.

Game 2: Game two was a back and forth affair. Jackson State took the early lead, scoring four runs in the first. The Tigers added three more runs in the second. Making the score 7-0 early.

Eastern Michigan started to mount a comeback in the fourth, scoring four runs in that frame, to trim JKST’s lead the just three runs.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the sixth, to make the score 8-4. The 8 runs would be enough, as Jackson State was able to hold off a late charge, for the 8-6 win.

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Grambling State holds off FIU for road win

MIAMI, Florida --  A night after being shutout, the Grambling State University baseball team pounded out 11 hits and got a two-run homer by Chris Perez as the Tigers held off a late rally by FIU in picked up an 8-7 victory over the Panthers on Saturday night at FIU Baseball Stadium.

"It was a great team win," Grambling State head coach James Cooper said. "We almost completely emptied out our bench in both games, but the big key is that everyone has been ready before their name gets called to go in. That's been the major key in executing in ball games."

The Panthers (2-3) scored one run in the first inning, two in the second and one in the third to grab a 4-0 lead through three innings.

Grambling State (4-3) cut the margin to 4-2 when Perez belted a two-run homer in the fifth and tied the game at 4 with two runs in the sixth.

With one down in the inning, Trevin Bolden singled and scored when Ace Felder tripled. Felder came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Shannon, tying the game at 4.

FIU quickly responded with a run in the bottom half of the sixth and the Panthers kept the slim 5-4 lead until the eighth when the Tigers exploded for four runs on four hits and took advantage of an error.

With one out in the top of the eighth, Isaiah Torres doubled. Bolden drew a walk and Phil Adams, who pinch ran for Torres, advanced a base with a balk. Felder reached on a fielder's choice as Adams scored on an error. Shannon was intentionally walked to load the bases with the game tied at 5.

Perez reached on a fielder's choice as Bolden was out at home. Chris Campbell followed with the timely hit, a singled, plating Felder from third. D'Quan Matthews added a two-RBI single as Perez and Shannon scored to give Grambling State an 8-5 lead.

FIU responded with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Daniel Beizer came on in the ninth, working with a one-run game. The Panthers had two on and two out, but Beizer got Michael Harkcomswinging for the final out.

Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State finished with 11 hits and left nine on base.
· D'Quan Matthews, Ace Felder and Chris Campbell had two hits apiece, with Matthews driving in two runs.
· Marshawn Taylor, Isaiah Torres, Trevin Bolden, Cameron Shannon and Chris Perez (two RBIs) each had one hit.
· Anthony Hernandez started for the Tigers, but didn't figure in the decision. He went five innings and gave up four runs on five hits, with four walks and four strikeouts.
· Daniel Wilson, Christian Marquez (1-0) and Daniel Beizer pitched in relief.
· Christian Marquez worked one inning in relief and fanned two to get the win.
· Daniel Beizer picked up the save in two innings of work.
· FIU registered 11 hits and stranded 10 on base.
· Diandre Amion, Lorenzo Hampton, Derek Cartaya, Logan Allen and Jose Garcia each recorded two hits.
· Andres Nunez started on the hill for the Panthers and gave up two runs on four hits, fanned six and walked two in 4.1 innings.
· Steven Casey, Chandler Raiden (0-1), Andrew George and Everett Hurst pitched in relief.
 
News & Notes
· The Tigers are now 1-1 in road games.
· Grambling State has now won four out its last five games.
· The Tigers are now 3-2 in one-run games.
 
Up Next
Grambling State concludes its three-game series on Sunday against FIU. First pitch from FIU Baseball Stadium is set for 11 a.m.
 
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Alabama State split with Southern Saturday at Wheeler-Watkins

COURTESY: ALABAMA STATE ATHLETICS

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State split a non-conference doubleheader with Southern at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex, winning game one 12-6 before falling 7-3 in the nightcap.

Alabama State (5-3) had a pair of big innings in the opener, scoring five in the second and five more in the fifth. The Hornets started the scoring in the second inning when Joshua Dunson was hit by a pitch, pushing home Gustavo Rios for the 1-0 lead. The lead continued to grow when Joseph Estrada cleared the bases with a double down the left field line to extend the lead to 4-0, before Rios walked to drive in Estrada for the 5-0 lead through two.

The Hornets got back on the board again in the third on the third home run of the season for Ray Hernandez for a 6-0 lead, before he and Hunter Allen both homered in the five-run fifth inning. The Hornets added another run in the fifth inning when Dunson scored on passed ball for the 9-0 lead; before Noel Cheneau scored on an Estrada sacrifice fly. The scoring was completed in the fifth on a solo home run by Yamil Pagan for an 11-0 lead – the fourth for the Hornets on the day.

Southern was able to get on the board with four to trim the lead to 11-4, before Santiago Garcia scored on a wild pitch to push the margin to 12-4.

GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Darrius Wright (2-0) picked up the win with six innings of shut out baseball, allowing just two hits. He struck out eight and walked two in the victory. Chase Laney came on in relief to work three innings with one strikeout.

In the nightcap, Southern was able to jump out to an early 6-0 lead through the first four innings – scoring a pair of runs in the second and three in the fourth. Alabama State was able to answer with a run in the fifth on a Cheneau home run – his first collegiate home run and the fifth of the day for Alabama State. They were able to trim the lead to 6-3 with a pair of runs in the sixth when Cheneau recorded a two-run single.

Dalton Wilder (0-2) suffered the loss, working three innings and allowed five runs – three earned – off of seven hits with a career-high seven strikeouts. Ivanniel Vazquez pitched an inning in relief, while Terrell McCall came out of the bullpen to work five innings and allow one run off of five hits with strikeouts.

Hernandez led Alabama State in hitting, going 4-for-8 in the two games with four runs scored and a pair of runs batted in, while Cheneau finished with three hits and Rios a pair. Estrada led the way with four runs batted in.

Alabama State returns to action Sunday with a single game scheduled at 1 pm against Southern at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

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