SIAC Commissioner Agrees to Five-Year Contract Extension

ATLANTA, Georgia – SIAC Commissioner, Gregory Moore, and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Council of Presidents have agreed to a five-year contract extension, announced Monday by the league office. As the league’s fourth full-time Commissioner, since his appointment by the Council of Presidents in 2009, the SIAC has continued its 15-year streak of ranking first in average football attendance, created a football championship game, added the sport of golf, and added three member institutions (Central State, Spring Hill College, and Savannah State University). 

“By almost every objective measure the SIAC has grown stronger under the visionary leadership of Commissioner Moore. As Chairman of the SIAC Council of Presidents, I note and am appreciative of the support of our member presidents of Commissioner Moore’s proven and focused leadership, which has resulted in obvious competitive advantage for the SIAC. The board is extremely pleased with the commissioner’s performance for what has been a near-decade transformation of our conference. We look forward to the continuation of his outstanding leadership and the advancement of the SIAC over the next five years,” said SIAC Council of Presidents Chairman, Dr. George T. French Jr.

Commissioner Moore’s additional accomplishments include:

Financial Milestones:

• Doubled conference revenue
• Increased corporate sponsorship more than 400 percent
• Eight consecutive budget surpluses
• Eliminated all debt from SIAC balance sheet
• Creation of SIAC reserve fund approaching $1m in cash reserves.

Corporate Partnerships:

• Negotiated five year league-wide Nike “head-to-toe” partnership
• Multi-year partnership with ESPN
• New or extended partnerships with the Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Toyota, Alabama Power, Georgia Pacific Foundation.
• First NCAA conference to consummate league-wide all school Sidearm Sports partnership.
• First NCAA conference to partner with Silicon Valley Andreesen Horowitz portfolio company start-up (Bevel)

Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives:

• First NCAA conference to have women officiate a college football game
• First NCAA conference to enter into inclusion partnership with NBA Players Association
• Multi-year diversity and Inclusion officiating partnership with the NFL
• Served on NCAA DII inclusion Advisory Committee
   

Commissioner Moore stated, “I am grateful and humbled by the trust accorded to me by the SIAC Council of Presidents. My staff and I look forward to continuing our daily effort to identify creative and innovative opportunities to create meaningful value and enhanced experiences for our member institutions, student-athletes, alumni and fans.”

The agreement runs through the 2023-24 academic year.

About the SIAC:
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference headquartered in Atlanta and includes fourteen member institutions (Albany State University, Benedict College, Central State University, Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Paine College, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University). The SIAC sponsors six women's sports and seven men's sports.

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Benedict Announces 10-Game Football Schedule For 2018

COLUMBIA, South Carolina – Benedict College has announced a 10-game football schedule, with five home games, for the 2018 season.

The Tigers will open the season at home on Sept. 1 against Florida Tech. After road trips to Johnson C. Smith (Sept. 8) and Fayetteville State (Sept. 15), Benedict returns home on Sept. 22 to take on Fort Valley State. The Tigers close out September with a road trip to Central State (Sept. 29).

Benedict returns home on Oct. 6 to take on Virginia Lynchburg. After a trip to Atlanta to take on Clark Atlanta (Oct. 13), Benedict takes on Morehouse on Oct. 20 for Homecoming. Oct. 27 will be the final home game of the season against Albany State. The regular season concludes on Nov. 3 on the road at Kentucky State.

The Tigers finished 7-2 in 2017 and 5-1 in the SIAC, finishing in a tie for first place in the SIAC East Division in coach Mike White's third season.

Dates and times are subject to change.

Sept. 1 – Florida Tech, TBA
Sept. 8 - At Johnson C. Smith, TBA
Sept. 15 - At Fayetteville State, TBA
Sept. 22 - Fort Valley State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 29 - At Central State, 1 p.m.
Oct. 6 - Virginia Lynchburg, 2 p.m.
Oct. 13- At Clark Atlanta, TBA
Oct. 20 - Morehouse (Homecoming), 2 p.m.
Oct. 27 - Albany State, 2 p.m.
Nov. 3 - At Kentucky State, TBA

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Panthers, Trojans, and Bulldogs Set for NCAA DII Women's Regionals

Richmond, Virginia - Three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) women's teams are set to open regional play at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament today at Barco-Stevens Hall on the campus of Virginia Union University. CIAA participating women's teams are No. 1 Virginia Union University, No. 5 Virginia State University, and No. 8 Bowie State University.

NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Bracket

The CIAA Women's Basketball Champion and Atlantic Region No. 1 Panthers of Virginia Union will face the No. 8 Bulldogs of Bowie State in a CIAA re-match. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. ET at Barco-Stevens Hall. The two CIAA Northern Division teams met in the conference's championship finals contest on March 3rd when the Panthers sealed their season with a 73-57 victory over the Bulldogs. The regional host, Virginia Union is seeking their 3rd regional tournament advancement in the past three years. In 2016, the Panthers advanced to the Elite Eight while in 2017 the women's team went all the way to play in the Division II Women's National Championship.

At 7:30 p.m. ET, No. 5 Virginia State will face No. 4 Edinboro University. In the CIAA Tournament, the Virginia State Trojans were defeated in the semi-finals round by Bowie State and is currently 23-5. The Edinboro Fighting Scots recently won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Championship title and enter the regional tournament with a 26-3 record.

Game Information

ate	Away	Home	Time	Stats	Video
March 9	Bowie State	Virginia Union	5:00 PM	Stats	Video
	Virginia State	Edinboro	7:30 PM	Stats	Video

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FAMU men advance in MEAC Tourney

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Despite its struggles this season, including 14 road games over the first two months, the Florida A&M men’s basketball team rode a surge of momentum into the MEAC Tournament.

The Rattlers still are going strong.

Paced by Elijah Mayes’ 27 points and three others in double digits, No. 9 seed FAMU eliminated No. 8 seed Howard 88-78 in Tuesday’s opening-round game at The Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Rattlers (9-24) squandered an 18-point advantage but kept their composure as they rallied from a five-point deficit early in the second half.

Marcus Barham added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Desmond Williams chipped in 17 points and Justin Ravenel 14.

Winners of four of their last five, the Rattlers (9-24) advance into Wednesday’s quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Hampton (17-14). Tip-off is 6 p.m.

FAMU beat Hampton 75-71 in the teams’ lone regular-season meeting Jan. 27.



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NSU Announces 2018 Football Schedule

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Six home games, including the Labor Day Classic and a home date with James Madison, highlight Norfolk State's 2018 football schedule, which was released on Tuesday.

For the second straight season, the Spartans play six games in the friendly confines of Dick Price Stadium and face a non-conference slate comprised largely of in-state opponents.

Just like 2017, the 2018 schedule opens with consecutive home games. The Spartans welcome Virginia State University for the Labor Day Classic on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. This will mark the 52nd meeting between the old rivals.

The following week, the Spartans face JMU, last season's Division I FCS national runner-up. The Dukes and Spartans met for the first-time ever on Sept. 16, 2017 in Harrisonburg. The completion of the home-and-home series is set for Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. at Dick Price Stadium.

"We're excited to be able to open up with two straight home games again," head coach Latrell Scott said. "The Labor Day Classic is always a fun atmosphere for the two schools and the fans, and hosting JMU is another quality home game for our program."

NSU takes to the road for the first time on Sept. 15, when the Spartans face Liberty University in Lynchburg. The Flames, who are in the process of transitioning to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, went 6-5 last year, including a win over Baylor of the Big 12. The teams have played six times previously, with Liberty holding a 4-2 series edge. NSU won the last meeting in Lynchburg, 31-24 in 2012, with Liberty winning the return matchup in Norfolk in 2014.

"Playing at Liberty gives us the opportunity to measure ourselves against an FBS opponent, which we haven't done in a couple of seasons," Scott added.

The Spartans' fourth and final non-conference game of the season will be on Sept. 22 at South Carolina State. With Hampton University announcing it is leaving the MEAC later this year, MEAC teams will only play seven conference games in 2018, and SCSU was added as a fourth non-conference game for NSU, which will not count in the MEAC standings for either team.

The Spartans begin their seven-game MEAC schedule with a home date with Delaware State on Sept. 29 (4 p.m.). Other home games include a Homecoming matchup with North Carolina Central on Oct. 20 (2 p.m.) and consecutive contests against Howard (Nov. 10, 1 p.m.) and Morgan State (Nov. 17, 1 p.m.) to conclude the year.

"One of our goals this year is to build a real home-field advantage against our MEAC opposition, so we're really emphasizing playing better at home within our conference schedule," Scott said.

The MEAC road games include trips to Florida A&M (Oct. 6), Savannah State (Oct. 27) and defending champion North Carolina A&T (Nov. 3). NSU has an open date on Oct. 13.

"We're excited to return 16 of our 22 starters from our team last season," Scott said. "We feel like we have the talent to be a major contender in the MEAC."

Season ticket information will be released in the coming months.


2018 Football Schedule

SEP 1 (SAT) / 6 P.M. VS VIRGINIA STATE (LABOR DAY CLASSIC)
NORFOLK, VA. / WILLIAM "DICK" PRICE STADIUM

SEP 8 (SAT) / 6 P.M. VS JAMES MADISON NORFOLK, VA. / WILLIAM "DICK" PRICE STADIUM

SEP 15 (SAT) / TBA AT LIBERTY LYNCHBURG, VA.

SEP 22 (SAT) / 6 P.M. AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE ORANGEBURG, S.C.

SEP 29 (SAT) / 4 P.M. MEAC *VS DELAWARE STATE NORFOLK, VA. / WILLIAM "DICK" PRICE STADIUM

OCT 6 (SAT) / TBA MEAC * AT FLORIDA A&M TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

OCT 20 (SAT) / 2 P.M. MEAC *VS NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL (HOMECOMING)
NORFOLK, VA. / WILLIAM "DICK" PRICE STADIUM

OCT 27 (SAT) / TBA MEAC *AT SAVANNAH STATE SAVANNAH, GA.

NOV 3 (SAT) / TBA MEAC *AT NORTH CAROLINA A&T GREENSBORO, N.C.

NOV 10 (SAT) / 1 P.M. MEAC * VS HOWARD NORFOLK, VA. / WILLIAM "DICK" PRICE STADIUM

NOV 17 (SAT) / 1 P.M. MEAC * VS MORGAN STATE NORFOLK, VA. / WILLIAM "DICK" PRICE STADIUM

Bethune-Cookman Sweep Holy Cross in Home Opener

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Bethune-Cookman Softball completed a home opening sweep against Holy Cross on Tuesday afternoon as the Wildcats took game one by a 2-1 decision before turning around and capturing the nightcap by an 8-7 score line at Sunnyland Park.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN 2, HOLY CROSS 1 (Game 1)
Bethune-Cookman scored a pair of runs in bottom of the fifth inning to defeat visiting Holy Cross, 2-1 in the home opener for the Wildcats at Sunnyland Park on Tuesday afternoon. The game was the first of two played on the day between the two schools.

Bryanna Campos drew a walk from Holy Cross (2-4) starting pitcher Alexandra Held to begin the Bethune-Cookman at-bat in the home-half of the fifth inning. That sparked a pitching change as Holy Cross went with Olivia Sloane in the circle.

Sasha Killings pinch ran for Campos, immediately stealing second base before Brianna Sanders drew a walk of her own. Jacki Smith's ground out to second would advance both runners a base, setting the stage for sophomore Ryan Jackson to lace a two-run scoring triple to right field.

Bethune-Cookman (8-13) led 2-0 after five complete innings.

Holy Cross pulled a run back in the top of the sixth inning when Mandy McCarthy doubled to center field, allowing designated player Sydney Burr to single up the middle and score McCarthy and cut into the BCU lead, 2-1.

BCU sophomore pitcher Mariah Estrada entered the game with two outs and two runners on in the top of the seventh inning. She would walk centerfielder Jackie Brewster at the top of the order before getting Taylor Wahler to pop up to Kailey Richard at third base for the final out of the contest.

The win went to Alexis Bermudez for Bethune-Cookman, bumping her record to 3-4 on the season. She worked 6.2 innings in the circle for the Wildcats, allowing one run, scattering four hits and picking up four strikeouts against one walk. Estrada picked up her first save of the year with two batters faced in the seventh.

The Maroon and Gold was led at the dish by three players with a hit each, including Jackson's 1-for-2 effort and two RBIs in the game. Mariah Davis added a 1-for-3 game, while Richard also went 1-for-3 at the plate.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN 8, HOLY CROSS 7 (Game 2)
Cheyenne Smith's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed Taylor Sherritt to score from third and complete a come-from-behind win for Bethune-Cookman over visiting Holy Cross in non-conference softball action Tuesday afternoon at Sunnyland Park. BCU took the second game of the doubleheader, 8-7 to complete the doubleheader sweep.

With Bethune-Cookman (9-13) leading 6-0 after two innings, Holy Cross plated seven runs in the top of the fourth to capture their first lead of the day.

Holy Cross (2-5) sent 10 players to the plate in the top of the fifth.

Designated player Sydney Burr scored the first run of the inning for Holy Cross when Savannah Young delivered a RBI ground out to Jacki Smith at shortstop. The lead dimmed to 6-3 for the Wildcats three plays later when Jackie Brewster drove in two with a single to center field off BCU reliever Mariah Estrada. Shortstop Taylor Wahler followed with a run-scoring single of her own to cut the Holy Cross deficit at 6-4.

The Crusaders stepped out in front, 7-6 with one swing of the bat as Mandy McCarthy recorded a three-run homer to straight away center.

In the bottom of the sixth, BCU tied the game at 7-all when Cheyenne Smith scored from second, using a Mariah Davis single and a throwing error from Crusaders third baseman McCarthy trying to get Davis at first.

BCU had the bases loaded with one out in the home-half of the seventh, allowing Cheyenne Smith to drive a deep fly to right, giving Sherritt enough time to scamper in from third for the game-winning run.

The win went to BCU reliever Victoria Guzman (3-5), as the freshman worked 3.1 innings in the circle. She allowed three runs on three hits and picked up a game-high six strikeouts. The loss went to Olivia Sloane of Holy Cross in a relief effort, as she was tagged for two runs (one earned) on three hits, two walks and a strikeout.

The Wildcats were led offensively at the plate by Sherritt's 3-for-4 appearance and scoring one run. Ryan Jackson was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI. Meanwhile, second baseman Kailey Richard was also 2-for-4 at the dish with a game-high three RBIs and a run.

Bethune-Cookman returns to action Thursday back at Sunnyland Park when the Wildcats welcome UT Martin for a single non-conference contest at 2 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman Softball on Twitter (@BCUSoftball) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics

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Hampton Lady Pirates Softball Sweeps Virginia Cavaliers

HAMPTON, Virginia – Hampton University softball team scored early and held on for a pair of wins over the University of Virginia on Tuesday winning a doubleheader 3-2 and 8-3. The wins over Virginia were the first in program history.

In game one, Hampton scored twice in the first inning as DaSha Hill singled, stole second and scored on a pair of wild pitches. Alana VanDenburg followed two batters later with a solo blast over the left field fence for a 2-0 lead.

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After giving up a solo home run in the top of the third, Hampton pushed another run across in the home half of the inning as Hill walked, advanced to second, stole third and scored on a fielder's choice by VanDenburg.

The Cavaliers used another solo home run in the fifth, but Hampton kept them off the board the rest of the way for the 3-2 win. Allie Hotetz picked up the win throwing five innings and allowing eight hits with four strikeouts. Allyson Babinsack earned the save with two innings of no-hit relief. VanDenburg was 2-for-2 with two RBIs to lead Hampton.

Game two saw Hampton jump out again to a 2-0 lead after one inning as Hill singled, stole second and eventually scored on a fielder's choice by VanDenburg. She later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.

Hampton put two more up in the bottom of the second as Daniella Milloy singled and eventually scored on an error. Jada Fields walked and scored on a single by Cassidy Blackwell.

Virginia put up three in the top of the third on a three-run home run by Allison Davis, but Hampton answered with a three-spot of its own in the home part of the inning. Milloy singled in pinch-runner Camille King, while Jada Fields ripped a two-run double to right center to score Ashley Grassini and Milloy.



The Lady Pirates scored another run in the fourth as Kial Watts singled to second and advanced on a wild pitch before Grassini singled to left scoring Watts for the 8-3 lead.

Babinsack took the win throwing four innings and allowing five hits. Hotetz pitched a hitless three innings in relief. Watts, Grassini, Milloy and Lorena Alvarez had two hits each for Hampton.

The Lady Pirates return to action on Friday in the Blue-White Classic hosting LaSalle, Albany and Omaha through Sunday.

For more information on Hampton University softball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

UMES Hawks Advance in MEAC Tourney After Beating DSU Hornets

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore suffered through the swarm in the first half of its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament opening-round game on Tuesday (March 6) and trailed a hot-shooting Hornets squad 33-27 at the break.

But the Hawks used a 26-15 third quarter and saw four different players reach double digits in scoring as they ran away with a 77-60 victory in the second half. Eastern Shore will now face Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday (March 7) at 2 p.m.

“I thought Delaware State played a really good first five minutes,” Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. “I thought their energy was higher than ours. They made shots. They came ready to play and I think it kind of put us on our heels a little bit. What we were fighting against and talking about in the locker room is that when things don’t go well, we still have to play with a spirit of determination.”



The Hawks (11-19) found that spirit — and looked like a different squad — after the second half whistle.

They got 18 points from senior guard Alexus Hicks (Raleigh, North Carolina), who was 6-of-14 from the field — all behind the arc — and added four assists, four steals and three rebounds in 35 minutes. Hicks’ four 3’s in the third went a long way toward the Hawks establishing dominance in the contest.

“My teammates did a great job of finding me in the offense,” Hicks said. “They were penetrating and I was just getting to the open spot. They were looking to get it to me and I just made sure I knocked it down for them.”

Ciani Byrom (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was second with 17 points to go with four assists, a steal and a rebound in 32 minutes. She was 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

“I think (the difference in the second half) was just getting those jitters out,” Byrom said. “It is really a brand new team coming to the tournament with new players — and freshmen — that haven’t played in this atmosphere and we have a lot of pressure on us too. Just getting those out and letting them know to just play how you play and get comfortable.”

Delaware State (6-24) got 22 points from NaJai Pollard, but in the end it was the Hawk’s much deeper lineup that won the day.

Keyera Eaton (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Graduate transfer Martha Thompson (Bedford Heights, Ohio) came off the bench to score 11.

“It makes it much easier as a team when everybody contributes,” Byrom said. “It’s really tough to compete with a team that has four or five players in double digits when you only have two. It really makes a big impact when we all contribute as a team.”

Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) — who picked up her MEAC Rookie of the Year hardware before the game — finished with eight points and four rebounds in 20 minutes, but a third-quarter substitution after a hard fall as she went for a rebound ended up working out just fine for the Hawks.

Thompson put in some time at the four position, which allowed the Hawks to spread the floor and helped get open look from the outside. She also added five rebounds two steals and a block in 22 minutes off the bench.

“Buns (Gill-Miles) was playing well and tough inside,” Batchelor said. “We needed her rebounding presence. However, she has been playing through some nagging shoulder issues all year long. She took a fall and it forced us to play with Marty at the four. We have been doing that with her at the four and it gives us a little more versatility. Her size allows us to do that and it allows us another ball handler.”

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While Batchelor said he wished she had done so a few more times instead of settling for jumpers, Thompson’s driving to the basket forced Delaware State to make decisions on defense that allowed the Hawks to take advantage.

Jordyn Smith (Durham, North Carolina) battled on the inside and on the glass for the entire game, finishing with nine rebounds to go with five points and a steal in 24 minutes.

The Hawks turned the ball of just eight times and only committed seven fouls. The team scored 16 points off 14 Delaware State turnovers and scored 19 second-chance points with the help of 15 offensive boards.

The Eastern Shore bench held a 17-9 advantage over the Hornets subs.

For more information on Eastern Shore Athletics visit http://www.easternshorehawks.com/.

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.

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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.

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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.




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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

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

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."

CONTINUE READING

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.



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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



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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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