S.C. State Lady Bulldogs Down NCCU in Opening Round of MEAC Tourney

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Ninth-seeded South Carolina State used a hot-shooting first half to build a 10-point lead, then beat back a second-half rally by North Carolina Central, the eight seed, to earn a 76-67 victory over the Lady Eagles Tuesday in first-round action of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at The Scope.

SC State will meet top-seeded North Carolina A&T on Wednesday at noon in quarterfinal action.

The Lady Bulldogs, who started the game with nine players but were down to only seven abled-bodies by game's end, nailed 66.7 percent (10-15) of their opportunities in racing to a 27-15 lead after one and made 7-14 (50.0) in the second to take a 51-41 advantage to the locker room. The 58-percent shooting was the best first-half showing of the year Coach Doug Robertson's team, which also connected on 2-4 attempts from long range in the opening half.

Graduate guard Bryeasha Blair had 21 points, including an 11-12 effort from the charity stripe, to power SC State, Regina Garret added 11 points – included 3-4 from beyond the arc – and Jasmine

Williams and Kyesha contributed 10 points each in the victory, which lifted Robertson's team to 12-17.

Williams had 12 rebounds and Garret seven for SC State, which enjoyed a 45-33 advantage on the boards.

"Today, we got a great team effort from our players," said Robertson. "We executed well in the first half and got some good looks around the basket. NC Central had recently beaten us pretty good (81-63) at home and we were without one of our starters, so I didn't know exactly what to expect.

"But we told the players that most of the women's games (all upsets) had been low scoring…in the 50s, so we wanted to push the ball up the floor and get up as many shots as we could. We ended up scoring 76 points. That's a lot of points for our."

SC State scored 76 points just five times during the campaign and two of the showings were against Division II or NAIA opponents.

A slow starting team most of the year, the Lady Bulldogs were surprisingly up by 10 after two periods. The Lady Eagles, however, began the third period with a 16-7 run to close the gap to 48-47 on a 3-pointer by Kieche White with 2:55 left in the quarter.

But Jasmine Williams got a follow shot to ignite a 6-0 spree that gave the Lady Bulldogs a 54-47 edge after three. The margin could have been larger had not SC State missed 4-6 free throws in the final 1:28 of the quarter, in which the Lady Eagles outscored the Lady Bulldogs 16-13.



N.C. Central got the first basket of the final period to close to within 56-49 on a Jada Blow basket, but Williams sandwiched two follow shot around a Garrett 3-pointer for SC State during a 9-4 run that pushed the Lady Bulldog advantage back to double digits, 63-53, with 3:02 on the clock.

The closest the Lady Eagles came out that was six points twice, the last time 65-59 on a steal and layup by Blow with just over two minutes to play. SC State finished the game on an 11-8 run for the final margin.

NC Central was led by Blow with 18 points. White added 16 and Jayla Calhoun 10 and a team-high nine boards for the Lady Eagles who ended the campaign at 9-21.

BOX SCORE

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NSU Spartans Go 5 Deep in Double Figures in 1st Round Win over MDES

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Five players scored between 12 and 16 points, and the result was a 78-68 win over Maryland Eastern Shore for the Norfolk State men's basketball team in the first round of the MEAC Tournament on Monday night at Norfolk Scope Arena.

Sophomore Steven Whitley led all players with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting with nine rebounds and seven assists. Junior Derrik Jamerson Jr. added 15 points, all on 5-of-7 3-point shooting. He helped the Spartans hit 11-of-19 from deep for the game.

Norfolk State improved to 14-18 on the year and advanced to the quarterfinal round to take on North Carolina A&T at 8 p.m. on Thursday night.

The Hawks (7-25) were led by Cameron Bacote and Logan McIntosh with 14 points each. Both teams shot 50 percent in the second half, as NSU's 10-point halftime lead stood the test of time.



The Spartans led the entire way after the opening bucket 15 seconds in. The advantage reached as much as 12 in the first half and 20 in the second.

NSU pushed out to a 17-5 lead to start the first seven and a half minutes of the contest, with six players scoring in the early going for the Spartans. It became a 22-10 lead midway through the half after Whitley sank a 3-pointer from the right corner.

A 9-3 run for the Hawks late in the opening stanza cut the Spartan lead to five, but Jamerson sank his second trey of the half with time ticking down to put NSU ahead 37-27. They held MDES to just 37.5 percent shooting in the first half.

Senior Kyle Williams and Jamerson had 3-pointers early in the second half to get the lead back up to 12. It went to 15 at 52-37 after Williams made another one at the 13:20 mark. It was part of a larger 15-4 run that extended the advantage to 57-39 with less than 12 minutes to go.



Pitt completed a 3-point play and drained a trey to keep the Spartan lead above 15. Jamerson also made another shot from long range to make it a 20-point ballgame with 7:39 left. A 9-0 run for the Hawks got them as close as 10 the rest of the way.

Williams finished with 13 points, scoring 3-of-6 from long range. Junior Alex Long and freshman Mastadi Pitt each added 12. For the game, NSU connected on 27-of-55 overall (49.1 percent).

Miryne Thomas totaled 12 points and 14 rebounds for Maryland Eastern Shore, which made 22-of-50 from the floor (44.0 percent). The Hawks made 13-of-17 from the foul line in the second half when both teams scored 41 points each.

BOX SCORE

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FAMU women pull upset in MEAC Tourney

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NORFOLK, Virginia -- After dropping their regular-season finale by 20 points to state rival Bethune-Cookman last Thursday, the Florida A&M Rattlers could have easily carried that disappointment into the MEAC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Senior guard Florence Ouattara stressed she planned to use the outcome as motivation, believing the Rattlers have the talent and resolve to compete against the conference’s elite teams.

FAMU demonstrated that potential Monday.

The 12th-seeded Rattlers upset fifth-seeded Howard 69-64 in opening-round play of the MEAC Tourney at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

Shakeyrra Morrison had 19 points, 11 rebounds and five steals to lead FAMU (7-23) into Thursday’s quarterfinals game against No. 13 Savannah State (5-24).

Savannah State stunned No. 4 Norfolk State 51-48 in Monday’s opener. It also beat FAMU 65-47 in Tallahassee Jan. 31.




CONTINUE READNG

Coppin State Women’s Hoops Can’t Finish Off Morgan State in 1st Round of MEAC Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Coppin State's women's basketball team's season came to an end with a 58-51 loss to Morgan State on Monday afternoon in the Opening Round of the MEAC Tournament at Scope Arena. The Eagles finish the year at 6-23 overall while the Bears improve to 16-14 and advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Genesis Lucas led Coppin with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Chance Graham notched her league-high 12th double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Candice Beverly also closed out her collegiate career with 12 points while making a career-high 8-of-9 from the free throw line.



Midway through the second period, Morgan went on an extended run to take control early on. After Lucas buried a three to put Coppin on top, 16-15 with 6:24 left in the half, the Bears scored ten-straight over the next three-plus minutes to go on top, 25-16 with 3:14 remaining.

Morgan took a 30-20 lead at the half, but the Eagles would not go away, cutting the deficit to three before the Bears rebounded to extend their lead back to, 42-34, early in the fourth quarter.

The teams traded baskets but after a pair of free throws by Morgan's Braennan Farrar with 8:35 remaining in regulation, Lucas and Graham, Coppin's All-Conference selections, led the Eagles on a 10-0 run to put Coppin on top 47-44 with 6:30 to go. Graham scored six points during the stretch while Lucas played suffocating defense and came up with some big rebounds during the rally.

Despite what seemed like enough momentum for Coppin, Morgan was able to keep it close and regained the lead with 1:32 to go. After an Eagles turnover, Tykyrah Williams then drove for a layup with just over a minute remaining, putting the Bears on top 52-49 with 1:04 left and prompting a Coppin timeout.

The Navy & Gold had a couple of chances inside on its ensuing possessions but came up empty as Morgan pushed the lead back to 55-49. A pair of free throws by Beverly cut it back to four but a Coppin turnover and clutch free throw shooting sealed the win for Morgan.

Coppin shot just 12-of-46 (26.1%) from the field but somewhat made up for it by making an impressive 25-of-27 (92.6%) from the free throw line. The Eagles committed 20 turnovers and were outrebounded, 46-37. Half of the Bears rebounds came on the offensive end as Williams and Lexus Spears both had double-doubles.

BOX SCORE



Lucas closes out her collegiate career ranked seventh in school-history with 1,313 points. She also ranks second with 460 assists, 2nd in 3-pointers (128) and fourth in steals (252).

Graham finished the season 309 rebounds which is the second-most in school single-season history.

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MEAC TOURNAMENT: Savannah State WBB Defeats Norfolk State to Advance at MEAC

NORFOLK, Virginia -- No. 13 seed Savannah State University women's basketball team (5-24) defeated No. 4 seed Norfolk State University (18-11) 51-48 Monday to start the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament in Scope Arena.
 
The Lady Tigers face either No. 5 seed Howard or No. 12 seed Florida A&M Thursday at 2 p.m.
 
Junior forward Kaylee Allen led the team with 21 points and added five steals, three assists and three rebounds, while freshman guard Heniaya Moton added nine points, five rebounds, four steals and four assists.  Freshman center Alexxus Sowell added eight points on 3-for-5 shooting from the floor with seven rebounds.
 
Savannah State scored seven of the first nine points of the game to take a five-point lead, 7-2, with 8:42 remaining in the first quarter, but Norfolk State scored 17 of the next 22 points to take a seven-point lead, 19-12, with 2:32 left in the quarter.  The Lady Tigers scored four of the final six points to cut the first quarter deficit to five points, 21-16. 
 
After a NSU jumper to being the second quarter to increase the lead to seven points, 23-16, with 9:32 remaining in the quarter, Savannah State scored nine of the next 11 points to tie the game at 24 with 6:09 left.  A Spartan layup gave NSU a two-point lead, 27-25, with 4:54 remaining, but the Lady Tigers scored seven of the final nine points to take a halftime lead of three points, 32-29.
 
The Lady Tigers scored the first four points of the third quarter to increase the lead to seven points, 36-29, with 8:31 remaining in the quarter, but Norfolk State scored the next four points to cut the lead to three points, 36-33, with 6:26 left.  Savannah State scored four of the next five points to increase the lead to six points, 40-34, with 2:40 remaining, but the Spartans scored the next five points to close within a point, 40-39, with 46 seconds left.  A Sowell layup with 30 seconds left gave the Lady Tigers a three-point, 42-39, third quarter lead.
 
Savannah State scored the first three points of the fourth quarter to increase the lead to six points, 45-39, with 8:11 remaining in the quarter, but Norfolk State scored nine of the next 12 points to tie the game at 48 with 2:17 left.  The Lady Tigers hit three free throws down the stretch to capture the three point win.
 
The Spartans were led by Kayla Roberts with 17 points and added six rebounds, while Raven Russell added 10 points, Khadedra Croker added 14 rebounds and Alexys Long added 10 rebounds.


 
Newspaper Box Score
Savannah State vs Norfolk State
3/5/18 11:00 am at 2018 MEAC Women's Basketball Tournament
At 2018 MEAC Women's Basketball Tournament
SAVANNAH STATE 51, NORFOLK STATE 48
SAVANNAH STATE (5-24)
ALLEN,Kaylee 6-18 7-8 21; MOTON,Heniaya 2-9 4-6 9; SOWELL,Alexxus 3-5 2-4 8;
FARMER,Nadia 2-6 0-0 6; BARTLETT,Jazmine 2-5 1-2 5; VANCE,Kayla 1-1 0-0 2;
JOHNSON,Teyah 0-0 0-0 0; ANDERSON,Jacqueline 0-3 0-0 0; GALLISHAW,Sabree 0-1
0-0 0; Whitehead,Johnna 0-0 0-0 0; Williams,Cortney 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-48
14-20 51.
NORFOLK STATE (18-11)
ROBERTS,Kayla 7-14 2-6 17; RUSSELL,Raven 2-12 4-4 10; FRANKLIN,Armani 1-5
5-8 7; CROKER,Khadedra 3-5 0-2 6; LONG,Alexys 2-11 0-0 4; SWINSON,Gabrielle
1-6 2-2 4; DEAS,De'Janaire 0-0 0-0 0; DAWKINS,Kendrea 0-3 0-0 0;
HANNAH,Yazmen 0-1 0-0 0; WEST,Zairya 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-58 13-22 48.
Savannah State................   16   16   10    9  -   51
Norfolk State.................   21    8   10    9  -   48
3-point goals--Savannah State 5-16 (FARMER,Nadia 2-5; ALLEN,Kaylee 2-7;
MOTON,Heniaya 1-3; ANDERSON,Jacqueline 0-1), Norfolk State 3-19
(RUSSELL,Raven 2-4; ROBERTS,Kayla 1-6; LONG,Alexys 0-4; SWINSON,Gabrielle
0-1; DAWKINS,Kendrea 0-2; FRANKLIN,Armani 0-2). Fouled out--Savannah
State-ALLEN,Kaylee, Norfolk State-None. Rebounds--Savannah State 33
(SOWELL,Alexxus 7), Norfolk State 47 (CROKER,Khadedra 14). Assists--Savannah
State 10 (MOTON,Heniaya 4), Norfolk State 10 (ROBERTS,Kayla 3). Total
fouls--Savannah State 22, Norfolk State 14. Technical fouls--Savannah
State-None, Norfolk State-None.
 
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Morgan State Men's Tennis Edges Johns Hopkins, 5-4

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Morgan State men's team won four of six singles matches to come from behind to beat the Johns Hopkins, 5-4, on Sunday afternoon at the JHU Tennis Courts.

The Bears improved its record to 2-4 on the season.Hopkins (1-1) suffered its first loss to Morgan State and falls to 4-1 in the series. The last two meetings have been decided by just one point.

"What a day for our men's program," said MSU coach Matthew Townes. "The guys came through with a big win today".

"They had to overcome wind, cold weather, an abrasive home crowd, and a hungry Hopkins team," added Townes. "They stuck to the game plan in crucial moments and it got them through. Johns Hopkins is a high quality program, and it's not everyday we get to play non-Division I opponents."

"I'm so happy for these guys, and I'm certain we are going to use this to build momentum as we head outside for the remainder of the season."

Eric Yoo and Vishnu Joshi opened the match with an 8-2 win at third doubles over Oguzhan Ceylan and Lucas Krusinski. Austin Gu and Joe Cartledge followed with an 8-6 decision at second against Nihit Rawal and Shrey Gupta. Arjun Ramakrishnan and Serhii Kharchev grabbed a point for the Bears with an 8-4 win over Dave Perez and Scott Thygesen at first.

Rawal tied the match by taking the first singles point with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Robby Simon at fifth. Lopez then defeated 6-4, 6-4 Aaron Carey to put Morgan State on top, 3-2.

Kharchev pushed the lead to two when he beat Perez 7-5, 6-3 at sixth. Justin Kang earned a point for the Blue Jays and made it a 4-3 match with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Gupta.

Gu followed with a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Krusinki at first to tie the match. Ceylan then won the match
for the Bears with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win at fourth over Cartledge.

Bear Note
Arjun Ramakrishnan (No. 1) was injured and forced everyone to play up a position.

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MEAC TOURNAMENT: North Carolina A&T State Survives Upset Bid in Overtime

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Senior Davaris McGowens did not appreciate having to leave Norfolk, Va., last year after being eliminated in one game at the conference tournament. Therefore, he made sure the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball team stayed a few more days in the military city by hitting two free throws with 2.3 seconds remaining in the Monday night’s MEAC Basketball Championship Tournament play-in game to lead No.4 N.C. A&T to a 62-61 win over No. 13 Delaware State at Scope Arena.

“When I got fouled, I thought this is it. If I make these two free throws, we advance,” said McGowens who played on last year’s team that was eliminated by Maryland Eastern Shore in a play-in game. “Once I got on the line, I just locked in and knocked them down. I thought about last year. I didn't want to have that same feeling. I knew I had to get it done.”

The win advances the Aggies (19-13) to the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament and will play Norfolk State 8 p.m., Thursday at Scope Arena. The last time the Aggies won a conference tournament was in 2013 when they won the tournament title.

“We survived tonight,” said N.C. A&T coach Jay Joyner, who was presented his MEAC coach of the year plaque before the game. “This time of the year it’s about advancing, and that’s what we did tonight. Plain and simple.”

BOX SCORE

Delaware State center Simon Okolue, who was a problem for N.C. A&T all game, put the Aggies in critical condition with a spin and dunk off a pass from Pinky Wiley. The slam gave the Hornets a 61-59 lead with 66 seconds to play. Things got even scarier for Aggie nation as junior Kwei Lartey missed a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession.

But fifth-year forward Denzel Keyes grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. The Aggies, who shot just 14-for-27 from the free throw line on Monday, saw Keyes hit one of two free throws to put the Aggies down one with 40 seconds remaining. With a 10-second differential between the game clock and the shot clock, the Aggies decided not to foul. The strategy worked.



N.C. A&T’s defense forced Kavon Waller to take a tough 3-point shot that Keyes rebounded. Keyes made an innocent pass over to freshman point guard Kameron Langley after his board. Langley took that pass and went deep to McGowens as he fired an 80-footer down the floor. McGowens, a former football player, went up to make the catch but was bumped by Waller. The foul sent McGowens to the line for his game winners.

“I was already in front of the guy who was playing me, so Kam and I just looked at each other and I gave him the signal to throw it. He delivered a pretty good pass,” said McGowens.

An interesting play ended the game. After a Hornets timeout, Waller tried to throw a length-of-the-court pass, hoping one of his teammates would come down with the pass and shoot for the game-winner. Waller’s Hail Mary caused a mad scramble in the air. As players tried to come down with the ball, a referee’s whistle blew inadvertently. The Aggies were given the ball and subsequently ran out the clock to end the game.

“I thought our energy level wasn't where it needed to be and it hurt us,” said Joyner. “But give these young men credit, they fought back. They have a way of just keep plugging away when they get behind. I think that is because they stay together and believe in each other. I feel like we got the bad game out of our system. We made some mistakes that we obviously can't continue to make if expect to win the tournament.”

N.C. A&T trailed 21-8 over the first 10 minutes of the game. But Okolue, who had 20 points on 10-for-12 shooting Monday, had to go to the bench with two fouls in the first half. From that point, the Aggies outscored the Hornets 21-7 to take a 29-28 lead with 3.6 seconds remaining in the half. A steal and dunk by Saleick Edwards gave the Hornets a 30-29 halftime lead, however.

The Aggies led by as many as six in the second half, but two Wiley free throws gave the Hornets a 57-55 lead with 1:15 remaining in regulation. But Keyes hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with 54 seconds remaining to tie the game and send it into overtime tied at 57.

The Aggies frontcourt was pivotal in the win. Junior Femi Olujobi scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Keyes had eight points and 12 rebounds and McGowens finished with 14 points and hit all four of his free throw attempts.

“I feel like our front court has been strong all year. We have three players who have at some point in the season, dominated the game. As a whole, we need to be very efficient because we are the spark for this team. Whether it's me, Denzel or Davaris, we have to roll with the hot hand and feed off each other.”

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2017-18 All-SWAC Women Basketball Honors Announced

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Texas Southern guard Joyce Kennerson has been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Monday. The announcement comes as part of the reveal of the 2017-18 all-conference teams.

Other individual honors unveiled were Defensive Player of the Year, which went to Southern forward Briana Green. Prairie View A&M doubled up on individual honors as guard Shala Dobbins earned Newcomer of the Year accolades and forward Jhyrah Cobb was named Freshman of the Year. Southern’s Sandy Pugh was named Coach of the Year. The awards and all-league teams were voted on by the SWAC’s coaches and sports information directors.

A first-team selection for the second-straight year, Kennerson led the SWAC in scoring at 24.1 points per game and currently stands among the top five in the country in the category, briefly leading the nation at one point this season. The Port Arthur, Texas native scored at least 20 points in 22 of Texas Southern’s 28 games this year. She also posted six 30-point games this season while dishing out 3.6 assists a night, good for fifth-best in the league.

Kennerson shot 41.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from deep, with both figures ranking her ninth and third, respectively in the conference. The junior’s 75.5-percent clip from the charity stripe is fifth-best in the league. Kennerson also accounted for 1.8 steals per game, tied for 10th best in the league.

Green continued to add to her stature as one of the most decorated players in recent SWAC history. Green averaged 16.6 points (ranked third in the SWAC) and 6.8 boards a night (fifth-best in the SWAC). On the defensive end, the senior boasts an average of 2.4 steals a night, tied for sixth-highest in the league. Green, a first-team selection at forward, anchored a Jaguars team that allows the second-least points a night in league play (58.4) and is tops in the league at defending the three-point line (22.4 3-PT%).

Dobbins asserted herself as an immediate difference maker for the Lady Panthers and is poised to set NCAA single-season records for free throws made, attempted as well as attempts per game. The Tulsa, Okla. native is second in the conference in scoring at 21.6 points per game, fifth in assists at 3.6 per night and tied for sixth in the SWAC with 2.4 steals a game.

A second-team All-Conference selection, Dobbins shot 79.6 percent from the line and is responsible for the top two single-game scoring performances by a SWAC women’s player this year, including a 40-point outburst against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the first such game by a SWAC women’s athlete in more than seven years.

Cobb posted eight double-digit rebounding games for the Lady Panthers and ranked fifth in the league in rebounded at 6.8 boards per game. She connected on 52.3 percent of her field goals and compiled a 1.5-blocks-per-game average, fourth-highest in the league.

After preseason polls tabbed Southern to finish fourth in the standings, Pugh guided the Jaguars to an outright regular-season crown, the No. 1 seed in the SWAC Tournament and a 15-12 (14-4 SWAC) overall record. Under Pugh, Southern boasts the best scoring margin (+10.8) in conference play and best overall turnover margin (+5.74) among league teams. This is the fourth time in five years that Southern has earned at least a share of the regular-season crown, and the Jaguars are the first SWAC women’s basketball team to win an outright regular-season crown since 2013, when Southern accomplished the feat. Grambling State landed two first-team selections, and Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff each garnered two slots on the second team.

The entire list of awards and first and second teams are below:

Courtesy: SWAC.org

ALL-SWAC FIRST TEAM
Guard – Joyce Kennerson – Texas Southern
Guard – Shakyla Hill – Grambling State
Forward – Briana Green – Southern
Forward – Monisha Neal – Grambling State
Center – Tatyana Calhoun – Alabama State

ALL-SWAC SECOND TEAM
Guard – Shala Dobbins – Prairie View A&M
Guard – Alexus Freeman – Alcorn State
Forward – Faith Ohanta – Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Forward – Miracle Rushing – Alcorn State
Center – Shawntayla Harris – Arkansas-Pine Bluff

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joyce Kennerson – Texas Southern

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Briana Green - Southern

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Shala Dobbins – Prairie View A&M

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jhyrah Cobb – Prairie View A&M

COACH OF THE YEAR
Sandy Pugh - Southern

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All-SWAC Men's Basketball Teams revealed

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The 2017-18 All-SWAC Men's Basketball Team was revealed Monday by the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) after ballots were cast by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Each member institution received one vote apiece.

The 2017-18 All-SWAC Teams were spearheaded by Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Martaveous McKnight, who doubled as both the SWAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

The transfer from Itawamba Community College rose to prominence by averaging the second most points per game overall (18.5). The Walls, MS native was ranked seventh in field goal percentage (.453), fifth in assists per game (3.5), 14th in free throw percentage (.718), third in steals per game (2.0), ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (.366), sixth in 3-pointers made per game (1.9), fourth in assist to turnover ratio (1.3), and fourth in minutes played per game (33.5).

McKnight guided the Golden Lions to a 12-win season, a five-game improvement for the program from the previous season. He scored in double figures in 22 games and was a three-time SWAC Player of the Week award winner during the season.

Additionally, McKnight was voted on as an All-SWAC first team selection at guard.

The SWAC Defensive Player of the Year award was awarded to teammate Trent Steen of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The senior from Forest Hill, Ark. ranked third in blocks per game (1.4) and helped the Golden Lions to the second fewest points per game allowed (71.1). Additionally, the team ranked second in field goal percentage defense (.427), second in 3-point percentage defense (.324), first in blocks (4.3), and was first in steals per game (8.0).

The SWAC Freshman of the Year went to Alabama State’s Jacoby Ross, who ranked second on his team and 13th in the conference in points per contest (12.5), 12th in field goal percentage (.419), ninth in assists (2.3), fifth in free throw percentage (.795), fifth in 3-point percentage (.379), ninth in 3-pointers made per game (1.8). The New Orleans, La. native had 16 games with double digit scoring efforts.

The SWAC Coach of the Year award went to Grambling State first-year coach Donte’ Jackson, who guided the Tigers to their first regular season conference championship in 30 years, elevating their record to the most conference wins in program history (13).

Grambling State also held the longest win streak among conference members this season, carrying an 11-game winning streak from Jan. 8 through Feb. 17.

Prior to GSU, Jackson spent three seasons as the head men’s basketball coach at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. where he led the team to the 2016 SIAC Championship and berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Rounding out the first team squad list were guards Ivy Smith Jr of Grambling State, forwards Zachary Hamilton of Prairie View A&M and forwards Dante Scott (Mississippi Valley State) and center Jared Sam of Southern.

Smith Jr. averaged 16.7 points per game, good for fourth in the conference, and led the SWAC in assists with 5.0 per contest. Hamilton was sixth in scoring (16.3 ppg) and led the SWAC in 3-pointers made per game (2.8).

Scott tied for the most points scored in a single game this season with a 41-point effort against Mississippi Valley State back on Jan. 20. Scott ranked ninth in scoring with 14.9 points per game. Sam totaled the most double-doubles in the conference with a league-high 14, most than double the total of any other individual player.  Sam was fifth in scoring at 16.5 ppg and also led the conference in rebounding with 9.2 per game. 

The second team includes: guards Gary Blackston (Prairie View A&M), A.J. Mosby (Alcorn State) and forwards Steen (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Shirmane Thomas (Grambling State) and and J.D. Wallace (Prairie View A&M) at the center position.


Courtesy: SWAC.org 

MEN’S BASKETBALL 2017-18 AWARD WINNERS 
 (Selected by SWAC Head Basketball Coaches and SIDs)

FIRST TEAM
Guard – Martaveous McKnight, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Guard – Ivy Smith Jr., Grambling State
Forward – Zachary Hamilton, Prairie View A&M
Forward – Dante Scott, Mississippi Valley State
Center – Jared Sam, Southern

SECOND TEAM
Guard – Gary Blackston, Prairie View A&M
Guard – A.J. Mosby, Alcorn State
Forward – Trent Steen, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Forward – Shirmane Thomas, Grambling State
Center – J.D. Wallace, Prairie View A&M

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Martaveous McKnight, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Trent Steen, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Martaveous McKnight, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jacoby Ross, Alabama State

COACH OF THE YEAR
Donte’ Jackson, Grambling State

SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU returns to full strength for SWAC tournament push

HEAD COACH MIKE DAVIS

HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern enters the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament as the No. 3 seed and the top-scoring team in the conference, led by two of the top five scorers in the league.

Yet somehow the Tigers (12-19, 12-6 in SWAC) missed out on any all-conference honors or accolades.

"It's definitely surprising. We may be the only conference where the leading scorer didn't make any team. I think they definitely missed something out there," said Donte Clark, the third-leading scorer in the SWAC with 18.3 points per game.

Beyond Clark, guard Demontrae Jefferson (24.1 points per game) and Trayvon Reed, who led the SWAC in blocks per game (2.8) and finished second in rebounding (8.8), also were snubbed, although Jefferson only played in 71 percent of the team's games. (The SWAC doesn't officially consider statistics for players involved in less than 75 percent of their team's games).

"You're happy for all the guys that made it; you don't want to take away anything from them. But I thought that we had some guys on our team who should've been on the all-conference team," coach Mike Davis said. "The winning is there and the scoring is there."

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Dillard Lady Bleu Devils Win 2018 GCAC Tournament Title

Dillard Wins Its First Conference Title Since 2004

NEW ORLEANS -- Dillard was trailing Edward Waters by nine points at halftime of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's tournament championship game when Coach Norbert Rome came to point guard Adriiana Jackson.

"He looked at me, he said 'Take over the game; I'm trusting in you and believing in you,'" said Jackson, who was selected first-team all-conference on Thursday. "I led the team, gave them direction, they believed in me, and we just pulled it through together."

With Jackson scoring a game-high 17 points and playing stifling defense, the Bleu Devils defeated Edward Waters 63-59 to win the GCAC title Sunday at Xavier.

It was the first conference title since 2004 for Dillard (23-5), who last reached the championship game that season. The Bleu Devils received an automatic berth in the NAIA women's tournament in Billings, Montana, which beginsMarch 14.

Jackson pestered Edward Waters' point guards and prevented them from penetrating the lane. That resulted in shots from the outside. Her teammates, most notably tournament MVP Alyssa Washington, helped, as Dillard had 12 steals in forcing 19 turnovers.

The Bleu Devils outscored the Tigers (25-6) 25-14 in the third quarter in turning a 33-29 halftime deficit into a 49-47 lead at the end of the third.

"I allowed Adriian to call the (offensive) sets on the floor; I allowed her to call the defenses," said Rome, the conference's Coach of the Year. "(Edward Waters') strategy was to slow down the game. We started picking them up full court and applying pressure. Once (Jackson) started going, the shooters started feeding off her."

On Waters' first three possessions of the fourth quarter, Dillard got a defensive stop and two turnovers that resulted a basket then a free throw by forward Alexia McDonald.

Jackson then forced a 10-second backcourt call on Tigers point guard Brittany Thompson, then drove for a floater that gave the Devils a 54-47 lead. After another EWC turnover, McDonald scored a three-point play, pushing the lead to 10 at the 7:54 mark.

FULL STATS

Edward Waters was able to close to 61-59 with 18.2 seconds left. Jackson broke the press and was intentionally fouled with 14.5 remaining and drained both free throws.

"I think Dillard just got to more 50-50 balls than we did," Tigers coach Charmaine Wilson said. "And, the third quarter was the difference in the game."

McDonald and Washington each had four steals. Washington, who scored 22 points in Dillard's semfinals win against Talladega, was joined on the all-tournament team by Dillard power forward Asia Parlow, Edward Waters center Brittany Rowell and guard Laquanza Glover and Xavier point guard Maya Trench.



DILLARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

3-PEAT: Dillard Bleu Devils Win 2018 GCAC Tournament Title

Dillard (20-9) is the first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team to three-peat since LSU-Shreveport won five in a row (2006-10).

NEW ORLEANS (The Advocate) - Dillard senior guard Quinton Jackson was at it again, getting the Bleu Devils off to a fast start in another game in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament.

Jackson scored 17 of his 24 points in leading No. 1 seed Dillard to a big halftime lead on the way to an 86-71 victory against No. 2 Xavier in the championship game Sunday at Xavier.

"There are a lot of good players on our team," said Jackson, the tournament's MVP and who scored 18 of his career-high 26 in the first half of Dillard's semifinals win against Talladega on Saturday. "We're playing really well together now, and I just wanted to be aggressive from the start."

It was the third consecutive GCAC tournament title for the Bleu Devils (20-9), who earned an automatic berth to the NAIA tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The bracket will be announced Wednesday, and the first round begins March 14.

Dillard, ranked No. 20 in the NAIA, became the first to win three GCAC tournament titles since LSU-Shreveport won its fifth in a row in 2010. And, for the first time, both its men's and women's teams won the tourney championship.

With Jackson leading the way with 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-3 on 3-point attempts, Dillard led 38-23 by shooting 50 percent (12-of-24).

The Gold Rush (24-8), who won just 10 games last season in Coach Alfred Williams' first season, closed to 40-29 at 17:50 of the second half. However, Devils center Joshua Simmons scored six points in a 10-0 run, returning control to Dillard, 51-29, at 15:38.

Williams said the first half deficit was difficult to overcome.

"We played hard, but we couldn't make shots (8-of-20, 0-of-4 on 3s in the first half)," he said. "I think playing three games on three consecutive days probably got to our legs."

Dillard held comfortable leads the rest of the way, including 70-50 with 4:10left.

Kristopher Allmon shot 13-of-14 on free throws in the second half, many coming with Xavier fouling near the end in an effort to have a chance, led Dillard with 27 points. Allmon, a senior chemistry major who prepped at Baton Rouge Redemptorist High School, has been accepted to Xavier's pharmacy school, which he will attend next fall.

Along with Jackson, teammate Simmons, Xavier's Jalen David and Virgil Davison and Philander Smith forward Christopher Journet were selected to the all-tournament team.

FULL STATS



DILLARD UNIVERSITY BLEU DEVILS ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Rush fall in final, await Wednesday word from NAIA

NEW ORLEANS — Jeff Dixon became the first Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball player in 10 years to score 30 points in a game. The Gold Rush shot 64.5 percent from the floor in the second half — 70.8 percent in the final 16 minutes.

Good stuff, but it wasn't enough as city rival Dillard took advantage of 37 Gold Rush fouls and led wire-to-wire Sunday in an 86-71 victory in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament before 1,088 fans at XULA's Convocation Center. It was the Bleu Devils' third straight GCAC Tournament title and the Gold Rush's fifth consecutive loss in the final — the third in the last four years — since it won the tournament in 1996.

XULA (24-8), ranked 25th nationally and the GCAC regular-season co-champion with Dillard, will receive strong consideration for an at-large bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Kansas City, Mo. The 32 qualifiers and bracket will be announced Wednesday, and first-round games will be played March 14-15. Dillard (20-9), which is ranked 20th, earned the GCAC's automatic bid.
     
Dixon, who finished with 30 points, was 12-of-18 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the line. His basket with 14 seconds remaining made the junior guard the first Gold Rush 30-point scorer since Mark Stewart's 33 at Mobile in a GCAC Tournament semifinal victory on March 7, 2008.
     
Dixon, who leads NAIA Division I in total assists and assists per game, also had eight assists and six rebounds.
     
Virgil Davison scored 12 points in the final 3:45 to finish with 18, but XULA's other two double-figure season scorers, Jalen David and Rayshawn Mart, combined for seven points and 2-of-13 from the floor.
     
Four starters from Dillard scored in double figures. Kristopher Allmon had 27 points — he made 16-of-17 free throws — Quinton Jackson had 24, Patrick Thompson scored 17, and Joshua Simmons had 11.
    
The 37 fouls were XULA's most in a game in the last 14 seasons. Dillard made 35-of-48 free throws for the game, 25-of-33 in the second half. The Gold Rush made 13-of-19 free throws on 17 Dillard fouls.
     
Dillard scored the first six points and held its largest lead, 35-15, after Thompson's basket at 4:09 of the first half. The Bleu Devils led 38-23 at halftime after outshooting XULA 50 to 34.8 percent from the floor, then maintained their double-digit advantage throughout the final period. XULA pulled to within 11 points three times, the last on Dixon's 3-point play with 1:23 remaining.
     
Dillard improved its second-half shooting, too, hitting 55 percent from the floor to finish at 52.3. XULA's game percentage was 51.9. The Gold Rush had a 27-25 rebound advantage, but Dillard was plus-8 in turnovers, committing 12 and gaining 20. Seven XULA turnovers, six in the first half, were the result of offensive fouls.
     
Davison and David were named to the five-member all-tournament team.
     
Dillard went 3-0 against XULA in a season for the first time since 1999-2000. The Gold Rush lead the series, which started in the late 1940s, 84-57, but Dillard leads 6-4 in postseason meetings.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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VUU Lady Panthers Are CIAA Champs!

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Tournament's Most Valuable Player Alexis Johnson recorded 21 points (5-of-14) and 18 rebounds to lead the No. 1 Northern Division seed Virginia Union University Lady Panthers pass the No.3 seed Bowie State University Bulldogs,73-57 to capture their fourth Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship, Saturday afternoon in the Spectrum Center.

With the victory, Union also captured win 500 in program history; while receiving and automatic bid to the Division II 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.

Jasmine Carter recorded the opening four points on lay-ups, followed by a three off the finger-tips of Rachael Pecota within the first 1:45 to give the Lady Panthers a quick 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs added recorded three of their first points at the 4:43 mark off a lay-up and an-one from Kyah Proctor, making it a 7-3 contest.

Although VUU closed out the quarter leading by 14, (20-6) Bowie continued to fight, outscoring Virginia Union (1-0) second chance points and out-rebounding the Panthers (10-9). Union finished the quarter shooting 77.8 percent (7-of-9) from the field, 66.7 percent (2-of-3) from downtown, and 80 percent from the foul line; while holding the Bulldogs to only 11.8 percent (2-of-17) from the floor and 66.7 percent (2-of-3) from the charity stripe.

The Lady Panthers sustained their intensity throughout the second quarter, taking a 32-16 lead into the locker room, but the Bulldogs kept the poise, outscoring VUU (4-2) in points off turnovers and (2-0) in fast break points. Both teams added six paint points, but Union edged BSU in bench points (7-0) and second chance points (4-2).

Kyah Proctor and Kiara Colston added a boost for Bowie, recording 10 of the Bulldogs 16 points in the second quarter. BSU closed out the half, shooting 18.2 percent (6-of-33) from the floor and 80 percent (4-of-5) from the foul line; while holding the Lady Panthers to only 30.8 percent (4-of-13) shooting from the field, 20 percent (1-of-5) from behind the arc, and 100 percent (3-of-3) from the charity stripe for the quarter and 50 percent (11-of-22) from the floor, 37.5 percent (3-of-8) from downtown, and 87.5 percent (7-of-8) from the line.

Virginia Union led by as much as 18 during the half; while outscoring the Bowie (16-10) points in the paint, (11-9) points off turnovers, (4-3) second chance points, and (15-3) bench points. The Bulldogs led (2-0) in fast break points.

Bowie tried scraping their way back in it during the third quarter, shooting 40 percent (8-of-20) from the floor, 50 percent (2-of-4) from downtown, and 100 percent (3-of-3) from the foul line. The Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 21-17 for the quarter and (7-4) points off turnovers. Both teams tallied 10 points each in the paint and four fast break points, respectfully.

Union finished the quarter shooting 50 percent (6-of-12) from the field and 62.5 percent (5-of-8) from the charity stripe. The fourth quarter saw no difference as the Panthers took a 24 points lead (71-47) at the 2:18 mark off free-throws from Rejoice Spivey. Bowie State struggled to fight back, but did show some spark, outscoring VUU (12-6) in points in the paint and (9-2) points off turnovers.

For the game, Virginia Union shot 45.7 percent (21-of-46) from the floor, 28.6 percent (4-of-14) from downtown, and 84.4 percent (27-of-32) from the charty stripe; while the Bulldogs shot 29 percent (20-of-69) from the field, 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from behind the arc, and 71.4 percent from the line.

VUU's Rachael Pecota led all scorers with 28 points on (9-of-17) shooting. She also added 10 boards in the win. Kyah Proctor led Bowie State with 22 points; while Kiara Colston chipped in 13 points, respectfully.

The teams collected 32 points each in the paint and 2 points each fast break points, but Union edged the Bulldogs (17-12) in second chance points and (29-14) in bench points. BSU led the Panthers (25-17) in points off turnovers for the game.

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CIAA WOMEN'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Alexis Johnson – VUU
Kiara Colston – BSU
Chrisanna Green – VSU
Michelle Fitzgerald – LU
Kyaja Williams – BSU
Shareka McNeill – VUU
Shecquan Bailey – LU
Rachael Pecota – VUU
Alex Smith – VSU
Sada Chatman - BSU

ALEXIS JOHNSON, VUU - TOURNAMENT MVP


VIRIGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Virginia Union Panthers Stun JCSU To Take CIAA Crown

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Virginia Union University men's basketball team claimed their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) title since 2006 with an 82-52 victory over Johnson C. Smith University Saturday night at the Spectrum Center. The championship marks the 20th overall championship in program history.

With the victory, Virginia Union is now the fifth team since 1975 to have both the men's and women's teams to claim the title in the same year; while receiving an automatic bid to the Division II 2018 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. The last team to do it was Shaw University in 2011.

Todd Hughes scored a game-high 22 points and six rebounds to lead the offensive attack for VUU. Andre Walker added a double-double, 19 points and 11 rebounds while William Jenkins also chipped in a double-double, 16 points and 11 rebounds. Kory Cooley would round out the double digit scoring for the Panthers with 13 points in the win.

The first half saw four ties and five lead changes with Johnson C. Smith outscoring the Panthers 14-10 in the paint, (5-4) points off turnovers, and (8-3) in bench points. Virginia Union claimed the edge (10-6) in second chance points; while both teams recorded two fast break points, respectively.

Authur Bennett recorded the opening points of the game on a lay-up at the 18:37 mark, gifting the Golden Bulls a quick 2-0 lead. Free-throws off the finger-tips of Jenkins knotted the game at 2-all. CIAA Player of the Year Robert Davis added a jumper at the 17:20 mark to take a 4-2 lead.

A back-and-forth half, the Panthers grabbed the momentum with 3:21 remaining (27-26) off a three-pointer from Hughes and took a 36-28 lead into the locker room, after shooting 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from the floor, 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from behind the arc, and 88.9 percent (8-of-9) from the line.

JSCU closed out the half, shooting 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from the field, 30 percent (3-of-10) from downtown, and 50 percent (3-of-6) from the charity stripe. Union led by as much as eight during the half; while out-rebounding the Golden Bulls (24-14).

The second half would be all VUU as the Panthers opened up the stanza with a 19-7 run to lead 55-36 over Johnson C. Smith with 11:16 left in regulation. The Golden Bulls trimmed at the deficit with a 3-point play from Roddric Ross but VUU then ballooned to tenacious lead after producing a 23-9 scoring margin that would eventually lead to the Panthers outscoring Johnson C. Smith, 46-24 and the Panthers cruising to the victory.

Davis was the only Golden Bull who reached double digits in scoring, he finished with 12 points, three rebounds and three steals.

For the contest, Virginia Union shot 50 percent from the floor (28-56), connecting 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) from long distance and 19-of-28 (67.9 percent) from the charity stripe whereas the Golden Bulls were responsible for 19-of-60 (31.7 percent) from field goal range, 25 percent (5-20) from the free-throw line and 53.9 percent (9-17) from the charity stripe.

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Gold Rush to get rematch with Dillard in GCAC final

NEW ORLEANS — Jalen David scored 16 of his season-high-tying 21 points in the second half Saturday to lift NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 79-69 men's basketball victory against Talladega in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at XULA's Convocation Center.
     
The Gold Rush (24-7) will play 20th-ranked Dillard (19-9) for the championship at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at XULA. Tickets are $5, and students from GCAC schools will be admitted free with their college ID.
     
David, a senior guard/forward who was named first-team All-GCAC Thursday, also grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds.
     
Virgil Davison scored 17 points for the Gold Rush, Rayshawn Mart had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Jeff Dixon had 11 points and seven assists.
     
GCAC Player of the Year Devonte Dixon led the Tornadoes (20-11) with 19 points. Chauncey Blakely had 14 points and eight rebounds, Arcuas McGhee had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Rayford Albright scored 12.
     
XULA trailed 36-35 at halftime after leading by five. David's basket with 15:52 remaining tied the score at 40, then the Gold Rush took the lead for good on its next possession when Elex Carter made his only field goal of the game.
     
Two Donovan Armstrong free throws with 33 seconds remaining gave XULA its largest lead, 77-63.
     
XULA outshot Talladega 42 to 32.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Tornadoes 42-37. 

XULA made 33-of-47 free throws to Talladega's 24-of-36. David attempted 19 free throws — the most by a Gold Rush player in nine years — and made 11. Davison was 7-of-8, Mart was 5-of-5, and Armstrong was 5-of-6.
     
Dillard, a 99-86 winner against Philander Smith in first semifinal, will try to become the first men's team to win the GCAC Tournament three consecutive times since former member LSU-Shreveport won it five straight years from 2006-10. Dillard was 2-0 against the Gold Rush during the regular season, including a 79-65 victory at XULA Feb. 17, and has beaten its longtime city rival six straight times.
     
XULA seeks its first GCAC Tournament championship since 1996.
     
Also Sunday, Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn will award two $500 scholarships if 500 XULA students attend the Gold Rush game. One scholarship will be for a student wearing gold; the other will be for the best sign.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Nuggets' season ends after rare GCAC semifinal defeat

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team picked the wrong time to finally cool off.

The Gold Nuggets shot 31.3 percent from the floor and lost 73-65 at home to Edward Waters in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

It was the first loss in eight games for XULA (15-12), whose season ended Saturday. The Gold Nuggets had shot at least 40 percent from the floor in its previous four games, a season high.
It also was the first loss in XULA's last eight GCAC semifinals. The Gold Nuggets had not lost in that round since 2009. They defeated Edward Waters in the 2015 ad 2016 semifinals.

The Gold Nuggets made six of their first 12 shots from the floor in building a 13-2 lead, then shot 27 percent the remainder of the game. But XULA stayed close, trailing 30-28 at halftime and 46-45 after three quarters. Then the Lady Tigers outscored the Gold Nuggets 10-2 to start the fourth quarter; that run included 3-pointers by Lashe Kirkland and Brittany Rowell.

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Mia Leite led Edward Waters (25-5) with 15 points. Laquanza Glover had 14 points and 15 rebounds, Rowell had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Brittany Thompson had 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
D
asia Pitre scored 15 points for XULA, and Maya Trench barely missed her second triple-double of the season — the 5-foot-2 sophomore point had 14 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and four steals. It was the final XULA game for senior center Angelle Simon, a two-year Nugget who started and had two points, two rebounds and two blocks in nearly 10 minutes.

Edward Waters shot 35.5 percent from the floor, outrebounded the Gold Nuggets 49-43 and made 21-of-30 free throws to XULA's 14-of-23. The Lady Tigers advanced to a GCAC final for the first time and will play regular-season champion Dillard at 1 p.m. Sunday at XULA.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Rush, Nuggets defeat ranked Carey teams on the road

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — Xavier University of Louisiana produced more road victories against ranked NAIA tennis teams when the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets both won 5-4 Friday against William Carey.
     
For the XULA women (5-7), it's their fourth road victory in the last 19 days against a ranked opponent — their second against a top-10 team. William Carey (4-1) is No. 6, and the Gold Nuggets are No. 10.
     
The XULA men (6-6), ranked second, reached .500 for the first time this season by beating the 12th-ranked Crusaders (4-2). It was the Gold Rush's fifth consecutive dual-match victory and second in a row on the road against a ranked team.
     
Catalin Fifea, a senior and an NAIA All-American last season, clinched for the Gold Rush on the first singles court with his 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory against Vladyslav Ladygin. Freshman Angela Charles-Alfred clinched for the Gold Nuggets at No. 3 with her 6-3, 6-0 victory against Maria Andreeva.
     
The Nuggets dominated at the top two singles positions, with Mariia Borodii defeating Alena Saettler 6-1, 6-0 and Charlene Goreau beating Nataliia Baliaeva 6-0, 6-1.
     
The Gold Rush trailed 2-1 after doubles, then got singles victories from Shaikh Abdullah, Chris Anders and Pierre Andrieu to take a 4-3 lead.
     
The XULA men have 16 consecutive dual-match victories against ranked NAIA teams not named Georgia Gwinnett. That streak began in 2016.
     
The Gold Nuggets will travel to Phoenix, Ariz., to play five times in four days, beginning with a 4 p.m. MST Thursday dual against NAIA No. 13 Arizona Christian, a first-time opponent. The Gold Rush will have more than two weeks off before playing 25th-ranked SCAD Atlanta March 18 at XULA Tennis Center.

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