Langston Knocks Off Wiley and LSU Alexandria; Moves to RRAC Championship Game on Saturday

LONGVIEW, Texas -- A strong second half performance paved the way for the Langston Lions to knock off Wiley College 92-84 in the Raising Cane's RRAC Men's Basketball Tournament first round on Thursday, March 1.

The Lions (19-10) were knotted up at 39-39 at halftime before outscoring the Wildcats 53-45 in the second half to advance to the second round of the RRAC Men's Basketball Tournament.

Brandon Eboigbodin led Langston with 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting and snatched 12 rebounds; Dante Bailey was right behind him with 21 points on the night. James Morris, Jr. pumped in 13, Devin Campbell added 12 while Diamante Langston and Kevin Booze finished with 11 apiece.

The Langston Lions (19-10) now square off with number one seed LSU-Shreveport on Friday, March 2 in the semifinal round of the Raising Cane's RRAC Men's Basketball Tournament. Tip-off time is set for 7:30 p.m. CST.\I

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With the win, @langstonsports advances to play @lsuagenerals in the RRAC men's championship game tomorrow...

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Rush crush Tigers, get quick rematch with Talladega

NEW ORLEANS — Virgil Davison picked up where he left off Wednesday, making his first four 3-pointers and scoring 23 points to lead NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 68-47 men's basketball victory Friday against Edward Waters in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Dillard's Dent Hall.
     
The Gold Rush (23-7), seeded second, will play third seed Talladega in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday at XULA's Convocation Center. Talladega beat SUNO 102-80.
     
On Wednesday XULA got 26 points from Davison and beat Talladega 74-62 to clinch a share of the GCAC regular-season championship with Dillard.
     
Davison was 4-of-4 from long range in 89 seconds to turn a tie at 7 into a 19-9 XULA lead at 12:29 of the first half. The Gold Rush didn't lose the lead thereafter.

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Jalen David had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Gold Rush, and Joseph Williams had 11 points and six rebounds. Reserve point guard Donovan Armstrong also grabbed eight rebounds, a career high that tied David for game-high honors.
     
Omar Banaga scored 12 points, Will Ibeh 11 and Robert Thomas 10 for seventh-seeded Edward Waters (8-21).
     
The Gold Rush outshot the Tigers 47.5 to 35 percent from the floor. XULA made 24-of-41 free throws to the Tigers' 14-of-23.
     
"It was an OK effort," XULA coach Alfred Williams said. "We're going to have to play much better this weekend to have a chance to win the tournament."
     
Williams, however, praised Davison, who finished with five 3-pointers to increase his season total to 84. Davison is No. 4 on the XULA all-time season list for made 3s and the third Gold Rush player to reach 80 in a season. Mark Stewart did it twice (2006-07 and 2007-08), and Morris Wright did it in 2015-16.
     
"Virgil was ready to rock and roll," Williams said.
     
XULA has won four straight and nine of its last 10 games.
     
XULA led 35-28 at halftime and twice led by 25, the second time at 66-41 when Davison made 4-of-4 free throws — the result of Banaga's foul and ensuing technical foul.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Benedict Tigers' Brandon Morris Hits 1,000 Point Milestone

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Brandon Morris' game-high 22 points in Wednesday night's SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal matchup with Central State were not only big in that it helped keep the Tigers' season alive, but also pushed Morris past the 1,000 career points milestone in his two seasons with Benedict.

The senior forward scored 524 points in 29 games during the 2016-17 season, averaging 18.1 points per game and being named SIAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Through Wednesday night this season, Morris has scored 510 points in 29 games for a 17.6 average. He has now scored 1,034 points in his two seasons as a Tiger.

The Tigers advanced to the tournament semifinals, where they will face Clark Atlanta, the second seed from the East. That semifinal matchup with be Friday night at 8:45 p.m. (Eastern). Benedict lost both regular-season meetings against Clark Atlanta, falling by three points in Atlanta and two points in Columbia.

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SIAC Basketball Tournament Recaps: Quarterfinals (Day 3)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) kicked off their quarterfinals rounds for the 2018 SIAC Basketball Tournament.
 
Game 10 (Women): No. 1 Clark Atlanta , No. 4 Miles 
Box Score | Clark Atlanta Recap |  Miles Recap
 
Newcomer and Freshman of the Year, Naomi Holloway led in scoring for the Lady Panthers as she posted 17 points and added three rebounds. Senior, Lauren Turner followed up by adding another 13 points to go along with her eight rebounds. The Panthers capitalized on the Miles Lions ball handling errors as they scored 22 of their points on turnovers. After cutting it close in the first two quarters, the Panthers drove to the paint and pulled away in the second half as they took the lead. Miles’ Jasmine Hollis lead the Lady Golden Bears in shooting with 13 points, but came up short as the Lady Panthers finished 60-34. The Lady Golden Bears fall to 9-21 on the season and the Clark Atlanta Panthers will advance to face the winner of Game 14, LeMoyne-Owen versus Clafin, on Friday at 1:00 p.m.
 
Game 11 (Men): No. 1 Morehouse 82, No. 5 Fort Valley State 75
Box Score | Morehouse Recap |  Fort Valley State Recap
 
Morehouse’s mindset was to survive and advance as they defeated Fort Valley State, 82-75 in their first game of the tournament. Jordan Wallace led the Maroon Tigers in scoring as he posted 23 points most of which came in the paint. SIAC Player of the Year, Tyrius Walker followed up by adding 14 points and four rebounds. Despite the Maroon Tiger’s struggle shooting in the first half, their scoring off turnovers and off the bench is what allowed them to be more effective in the first half. Fort Valley State Wildcats fall to 13-16 on the season as the Morehouse Maroon Tigers advance to the semifinals and will face the winner of Game 15: Lane vs. Claflin on Friday, March 2 at 3:15 p.m.
 
 
Game 12 (Women): No. 1 Central State 78, No. 4 Benedict 56
Box Score | Central State Recap |  Benedict Recap
 
Senior, Sierra Harley led the Lady Marauders with 18 points as had an all-around performance shooting 77.8 percent inside the paint, 66.7 percent from behind the arc, and perfect shooting from the free-throw line. Juniors, Falon Edwards and Chervelle Cox followed with double-digit scoring. Although the Lady Tigers had an excellent rebounding game, their turnovers costed them the game. The Lady Marauders shot over 50 percent in all categories and capitalized on turnovers which accounted for 29 of their points. The Benedict Lady Tigers fell to 10-17 on the season and the Central State Lady Marauders will advance to the semifinals where they will face the winner of Albany State vs. Kentucky State on Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Game 13 (Men): No. 1 Central State 66, No. 4 Benedict, 70
Box Score | Central State Recap |  Benedict Recap
 
Senior, Brandon Morris led the Tigers to their overtime victory over No. 1 Central State University, 70-66. Morris shot 61.5 percent in the paint and 46.2 percent from the free-throw line while adding nine rebounds, a pair of assists, and a steal. Cairo Brown and Freshman of the Year, Jelani Watson-Gayle, both finished the game in double digit scoring. Central State led over the Tigers for most of the game until it became tied later in the second half. During that half, the Marauders struggled in shooting from the paint and the three-point line and fouled within the last seconds of the game which allowed Benedict to tie the game, 63-63. In overtime, Benedict shot well which Central State struggled to post points. The Marauders fall to 14-15 overall as the Benedict Tigers advance to face the winner of Game 17, No. 2 Clark Atlanta versus No. 6 Albany State.

For more information on the tournament, CLICK HERE!



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Gold Nuggets advance to a Saturday semifinal at home

NEW ORLEANS — The late-season surge of Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball continued Friday when it rolled to an 80-60 first-round victory against Tougaloo in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at SUNO's The Castle.
     
The Gold Nuggets (15-11), seeded third, won their seventh in a row. They'll play second seed Edward Waters or seventh seed SUNO in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Saturday at XULA's Convocation Center.
    
Mikayla Bates tied her career high with 16 points, Essence Wells scored 13, and Maya Trench had 11 for XULA. Gina Smith grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and reached double figures for the sixth time this season. DeDe Martinez blocked six shots, the most in a game by a Gold Nugget in 31 years.
     
XULA led 53-26 at halftime after scoring its most points in the half of a GCAC Tournament game since March 1, 2001. The Nuggets' perimeter game was potent; they made 7-of-9 3-pointers in the first half en route to a season-high 60 percent (9-of-15) for the game. Wells made 4-of-5 3s.
     
Jermani Thompson scored a career-best 23 points, Jamesia Grice 11 and Debraia Bell 10 for the Lady Bulldogs (10-17).
     
The Gold Nuggets scored 33 second-quarter points, their most ever in that period.
     
"The first half I thought we played like the team I thought we would be all season," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "The second half we didn't play very well."
     
XULA has reached 70 points in every game of its win streak. In the first 19 games it reached 70 six times.
     
"We're just trying to stay humble and hungry," Bates said.
     
With Martinez leading the block party — she had three in each half — XULA finished with 12, its most in a game in the last 14 seasons. Smith and Angelle Simon had two blocks apiece, and Bates and Ireyon Keith had one apiece.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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MEAC Women's Bracket Set for 2018 MEAC Basketball Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia — The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced its women’s pairings for the 2018 MEAC Basketball Tournament, March 5-10 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. North Carolina A&T State will be the top seed after concluding the regular season with a 15-1 mark in MEAC play and owning the tiebreaker over Bethune-Cookman.

2018 MEAC Basketball Tournament Women's Bracket

Bethune-Cookman also went 15-1 in MEAC play, but fell to the Aggies on Feb. 26 and will be the No. 2 seed. Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T State will be regular-season co-champions. Both the Aggies and Lady Wildcats earn first-round byes, and North Carolina A&T State will play in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, March 7 at 12 p.m. The Aggies will face the winner of the No. 8 North Carolina Central/No. 9 South Carolina State matchup slated for Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m.

Games will start on Monday, March 5 with the No. 4 Norfolk State/No. 13 Savannah State matchup at 11 a.m. and the No. 5 Howard/No. 12 Florida A&M contest to follow roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. Monday’s third game will pit the No. 6 seed, Morgan State, and the No. 11 seed, Coppin State.

Bethune-Cookman will face the winner of the No. 7 Maryland Eastern Shore/No. 10 Delaware State contest in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday at approximately 2 p.m.

Defending tournament champion Hampton earned the No. 3 seed, and the final first-round bye, for the second straight season with a 12-4 mark in MEAC play. The Lady Pirates will face the winner of the Morgan State-Coppin State match-up on Thursday, March 8 at 12 p.m.

The 2017-18 regular-season champions, first team honorees and award winners including Player, Rookie, Defensive Player and Coach of the Year, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to the honorees’ first games in tournament play.

The 2018 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off Monday, March 5, and will conclude on Saturday, March 10 with the men’s and women’s championship games. The women’s game will begin one hour after the end of the men’s game and will be rebroadcast on ESPNU. It will air the following day, Sunday, March 11, at 11 a.m.

The men’s finale will begin at 1 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN2. The preliminary games will also be streamed live on ESPN3. Live statistics of all games will be available on the conference’s official website and the tournament’s official website, www.MEAChoops.com.

For tournament information, log on to www.MEAChoops.com. For the latest on MEAC sports, visit www.MEACsports.com.

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MEAC Announces 2017-18 Men's Basketball Postseason Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Bethune-Cookman senior Brandon Tabb was named the 2017-18 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year, the conference announced today. Howard’s RJ Cole was selected as the Rookie of the Year, while Soufiyane Diakite, from Bethune-Cookman, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. North Carolina A&T State head coach Jay Joyner was named the MEAC Coach of the Year.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Tabb is one of the most prolific scorers and shooters in the MEAC as he averaged 19 points over the course of the regular season. The Hampton, Va. native ranks as one of the top free throw shooters in the nation with a 92.7 clip (114-of-123) from the line while also a major threat from beyond the arc as he ranks second in the MEAC with 94 three-pointers made. He has two 30-point performances with highs of 34 against Coppin State and Morgan State and 13 games with 20-plus point outings. Tabb also tied for the MEAC’s single-game high in three-pointers made with eight at Georgia Tech.

His 94 made three-pointers are second in Bethune-Cookman single-season history behind his 2016-17 totals of 106 makes. He is also on pace to become BCU’s career leader in free throw percentage.

Cole is on pace to set major records as he currently ranks sixth nationally and leads the MEAC with 23.7 points per game and 6.2 assists in his first season. The Union, N.J. native also leads the MEAC in three-pointers made with 105 and rarely takes a break as the league leader in minutes played. He has the second-highest single game scoring output this season with 42 versus UNC Wilmington and has scored 30-plus points on five occasions while scoring 20-plus points 24 times. Cole also has had one game with 10 assists this season and also rewrote the MEAC record books with 13 Rookie of the Week awards.

Diakite leads the MEAC with 9.6 rebounds per contest and also ranks on top with 17 contests of 10-plus rebounds along with a total of 28 blocked shots. A three-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, Diakite has highs of 17 rebounds versus Norfolk State with four blocks versus North Texas. He also leads the MEAC in offensive rebounds with 3.1 per game and is also first with 6.5 defensive rebounds per outing.

Joyner has orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in MEAC and North Carolina A&T State history as he led the Aggies to an 18-13 overall and 11-5 conference mark after a 4-28 campaign in 2016-17. Picked to finish last in this year’s MEAC Preseason Poll, Joyner led the Aggies to their most wins since 2012-13. His 11 conference wins only marks the third time the Aggies have surpassed 10-plus MEAC wins since 2000. The Aggies ended a 36-game losing streak on the road to non-conference opponents earlier this season when they defeated Jacksonville while also knocking off East Carolina of the American Athletic Conference. Joyner also had three players earn either All-MEAC second or third team honors with another on the All-Rookie Team.

Tabb and Cole are joined on the 2017-18 All-MEAC First Team by Hampton’s Jermaine Marrow, Morgan State’s Phillip Carr and Howard’s Charles Williams.

The 2017-18 regular-season champions, first team honorees and award winners including Player, Rookie, Defensive Player and Coach of the Year, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to the honorees’ first games in tournament play. Tournament play begins Monday, March 5 and runs through March 10 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.  For more information, log on to www.MEACHOOPS.com.

2017-18 Men’s Basketball All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Player of the Year: Brandon Tabb, Bethune-Cookman
Rookie of the Year: RJ Cole, Howard
Defensive Player of the Year: Soufiyane Diakite, Bethune-Cookman
Coach of the Year: Jay Joyner, North Carolina A&T State

First Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
RJ Cole	G	6-1	Fr.	Howard	Union, N.J.
Brandon Tabb	G	6-4	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Hampton, Va.
Jermaine Marrow	G	6-2	So.	Hampton	Newport News, Va.
Phillip Carr	F	6-9	Sr.	Morgan State	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Charles Williams	G/F	6-6	So.	Howard	Richmond, Va.
Second Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
Desmond Williams	F	6-6	Sr.	Florida A&M	Atmore, Ala.
Femi Olujobi	C	6-8	Jr.	North Carolina A&T	Long Island, NY
Dexter McClanahan	G	6-5	Jr.	Savannah State	Stockbridge, Ga.
Shawntrez Davis	F/C	6-9	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Atlanta, Ga.
Raasean Davis	C	6-9	Jr.	North Carolina Central	Chicago, Ill.
Third Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
Isaiah Bailey	G	6-6	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Compton, Calif.
Alante Fenner	G	6-5	Sr.	Savannah State	Lake Wales, Fla.
Devaris McGowens	F	6-7	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Greenville, S.C.
Denzel Keyes	F	6-4	Sr.	North Carolina A&T	Kinston, N.C.
Lamar Morgan	G/F	6-6	Jr.	Coppin State	Willingboro, N.J.
All-Rookie Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
RJ Cole	G	6-1	Fr.	Howard	Union, N.J.
Miryne Thomas	F	6-8	Fr.	Maryland Eastern Shore	Cleveland, Ohio
Kameron Langley	G	6-2	Fr.	North Carolina A&T	Greensboro, N.C.
Jordan Perkins	G	6-1	Fr.	North Carolina Central	Greensboro, N.C.
Reggie Gardner, Jr.	G	6-3	Fr.	North Carolina Central	Bowie, Md.

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Top honors for Williams, Mart; David, Davison All-GCAC

NEW ORLEANS — Four members of the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team received Gulf Coast Athletic Conference end-of-season awards Thursday, including major honors for Joseph Williams and Rayshawn Mart.

Williams was voted GCAC Defensive Player of the Year and, naturally, landed a spot on the All-Defensive team. Mart was named Freshman of the Year.
     
Teammates Jalen David and Virgil Davison made All-GCAC. David was on the first team, and Davison was on the second.
     
Williams, a 6-foot-6 senior forward from Memphis, Tenn., and a Lausanne Collegiate School graduate, leads the conference and ranks seventh in NAIA Division I with 1.8 blocked shots per game. His 42 blocks are the most by a Gold Rush player since Alex Williams — no relation — had 46 in 1986-87.
     
The recognition was the second this week for Williams. Tuesday he was announced as a landslide winner in online fan voting for next month's NABC-NAIA Shoot & Slam presented by U.S. Bank. Williams earned the fourth and final spot in the dunk contest.
     
Mart, a 6-3 guard from Houma, La., and a graduate of H.L. Bourgeois High School, is the third Gold Rush player to receive the GCAC freshman award, joining Shaun Dumas (2004-05) and Lucas Martin-Julien (2013-14). Mart leads GCAC freshmen this season with 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Among all players he ranks 15th in the conference in scoring and 10th in rebounding.
     
David — a 6-4 senior guard/forward from Mount Vernon, N.Y., and a former Mount Vernon High School and Moberly Area (Mo.) Community College standout — is averaging 12.1 points and five rebounds through 29 games this season. David was second-team All-GCAC a year ago.
     
Davison, a 5-8 junior guard from Memphis and a former Hillcrest High School and Dyersburg State Community College standout, leads XULA with 13.9 points per game, and his 79 made 3-pointers are No. 4 on the XULA all-time season list.
     
Davison scored a game- and season-high 26 points Wednesday in a 74-62 home victory against Talladega that gave XULA a share of the GCAC regular-season championship with Dillard. The Gold Rush are 22-7 and ranked 25th nationally.
     
XULA is seeded second in the conference tournament and will play seventh seed Edward Waters in the first round at 5 p.m. Friday at Dillard's Dent Hall.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Bates, Wells capture GCAC end-of-season honors

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Mikayla Bates and Essence Wells received Gulf Coast Athletic Conference end-of-season awards in women's basketball Thursday.

Bates was voted to the All-Defensive team, and Wells was second-team All-GCAC.

Bates, a 5-foot-7 junior guard from Baton Rouge, La., and a University Lab School graduate, ranks seventh in NAIA Division I and second in the conference with 2.9 steals per game.

Wells, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Irving, Texas, and a MacArthur High School graduate, leads the Gold Nuggets with 10.2 points per game and 36 made 3-pointers. She is third on her team with 43 steals and 34 assists.

The basketball honors are not the first in Wells's family. Her mother, Cassandra Lumpkins Johnson, was named to the Sun Belt Conference all-time team in 2005. Her uncle, Tony Harris, was American South Conference Player of the Year in 1989-90 and played parts of three seasons in the NBA. Johnson and Harris achieved their honors at the University of New Orleans.

The XULA women are 14-11 and seeded third in the GCAC Tournament, which will begin Friday. The Gold Nuggets will play sixth seed Tougaloo at 2 p.m. at SUNO's The Castle.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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