Gold Rush welcome 4 more for upcoming season

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball has added four more newcomers for the 2018-19 season.
     
Third-year head coach Alfred Williams announced Wednesday the signing of:
     •  Ed Carter, a 6-foot-1 guard from Detroit and Edison Public School Academy. A transfer from NCAA Division I University of Detroit Mercy, Carter will major in mass communications at XULA and be a sophomore on the roster.
     •  Haji Jawara, a 6-11 junior center from Oslo, Norway, and Persbraaten High School. A transfer from Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, La., Jawara will major in sociology at XULA and pursue minors in business and psychology.
     •  Anfernee King, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Donalsonville, Ga., and Seminole County High School. King transferred from Olney Central College, a two-year school in Olney, Ill., and will major in business sales and marketing.
     •  Johnell Lane, a 6-3 junior guard/forward from Gonzales, La., and East Ascension High School. A transfer from the University of Texas at Tyler, Lane will major in social justice.
     
"All four of these young men are of high character and possess a strong work ethic," said Williams, who last season led the Gold Rush to a 24-9 record, a share of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship and a berth in the NAIA Division I National Championship tournament.
     
Carter redshirted at Detroit Mercy this past season after playing in 20 games in 2016-17. Carter averaged 18.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game as a senior at Edison (2015-16) and received honorable mention on the Associated Press Class C All-State team. As a junior he averaged 17 points, 7.5 assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Carter was honorable mention All-Detroit as a junior and senior.
     
"Ed Carter is a versatile combo guard," Williams said. "He has a lot experience from the Division I level. He is a capable 3-point shooter. He's a leader. He's a throwback old-school guard."
     
Jawara averaged 11.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per 40 minutes the past two seasons. He spent his freshman season at New Mexico Junior College before transferring to BPCC, where he had high games of 17 and 15 points and 13 rebounds.
     
"Haji has a ton of potential," Williams said. "He is a very active rebounder and shot blocker. He has great hands. He's a great teammate."
     
King made 86 percent of his free throws and averaged 6.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 assists per game for Olney Central in 2017-18. He shared the team lead in steals and was third in assists. At Seminole County he was first-team Region 1-AA as a senior (2015-16), and as a junior he made the Georgia Sportswriters Association Class AA All-State first team after averaging 18.3 points, seven rebounds, 4.5 assists and 5.6 steals for a state champion.
     
"Anfernee is a throwback old-school guard in the same mold as Ed Carter," Williams said. "He's a combo guard who can score, shoot and pass. He's defensive-minded, and he loves to win."
     
This past season Lane averaged 13.1 points and 4.8 rebounds and made 39.2 percent of his 3-pointers (65-of-166) for the second-winningest team in UT Tyler history (17-9). Lane was All-American Southwest Conference honorable mention in its East Division. He was all-district at East Ascension as a senior.
     
"Johnell is a knockdown shooter with great size," Williams said. "He has the ability to stretch the floor and open lanes for everyone else. His work ethic is unbelievably strong."
     
XULA, a qualifier for nationals 11 of its past 14 seasons, will open the season Oct. 26 against Keiser at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The home opener will be Nov. 1 against Carver at the Convocation Center.

Ed Carter		Haji Jawara		Anfernee King		Johnell Lane

2018-19 XULA Men's Basketball Signees
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.*	Hometown	High School (Previous College)
Jevon Berry	G	6-3	164	Fr.	Arnaudville, La.	Cecilia
Ed Carter	G	6-1	180	So.	Detroit, Mich.	Edison (Detroit Mercy)
Breshaun Delpit	F	6-7	205	Fr.	New Orleans, La.	Landry-Walker
Haji Jawara	C	6-11	215	Jr.	Oslo, Norway	Persbraaten (Bossier Parish CC)
Anfernee King	G	5-10	160	So.	Donalsonville, Ga.	Seminole County (Olney Central JC)
Johnell Lane	G/F	6-3	170	Jr.	Gonzales, La.	East Ascension (UT Tyler)
William Loyd	F	6-5	218	Jr.	Baton Rouge, La.	Madison Prep (Spring Hill)
Donovan Saine	G	6-4	200	Fr.	Detroit, Mich.	Oak Hill Academy
* XULA athletic classification in 2018-19 Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

Prairie View A&M late addition to UNLV’s schedule

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The original plan was for tradition-rich Grambling State to play UNLV on Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

But Grambling and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority couldn’t reach terms on the contract, and the Rebels (1-1) scrambled to schedule Prairie View A&M (1-2) for the 7 p.m. football game.

Though Prairie View also is a historically black college or university, this isn’t part of what was supposed to be a three-year deal with HBCU teams. Jackson State in 2016 and Howard last season were part of that arrangement.

“Any time you get a chance to go against some of those nontraditional guys you don’t normally see on your schedule, it’s kind of neat,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “It’s been a good experience, and we’re excited about this game, and I’m sure it’s good for them, too.”

Jackson State received $300,000 from UNLV and $300,000 from the LVCVA so that it could bring its band early to perform leading up to the game. The Rebels won 63-13. Howard received the same deal last season to bring its band, but also left with a 43-40 upset victory.

Prairie View will travel solo and receive $350,000 for making the trip.

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Newberry Wolves set for Thursday matinee vs. VUL Dragons

Wolves and Dragons meet for second straight season

NEWBERRY, South Carolina -- Newberry welcomes Virginia University of Lynchburg to Setzler Field for an unusual Thursday afternoon kickoff.

The game was changed from Saturday to assist Virginia University of Lynchburg in returning home safely, with conditions expected to deteriorate considerably beginning Friday as Hurricane Florence nears the Atlantic coastline.

WHO: Virginia University of Lynchburg at Newberry College
WHERE: Historic Setzler Field on the campus of Newberry College
WHEN: 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 13
RECORDS: Newberry is 0-2. Virginia University of Lynchburg is 1-1.
LIVE VIDEO: www.newberrywolves.tv
LIVE STATS: www.newberrystats.com
LIVE AUDIO: www.newberrywolves.tv, WKDK-AM 1240 in Newberry County, www.wkdk.com, WKDK app, "WKDK" on TuneIn Radio app
WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy skies will become partly cloudy later in the day. The high will be 89 degrees with winds from the north at 10 to 15 mph.
SERIES HISTORY: Newberry leads the series 1-0 after defeating the Dragons 55-7 in the teams' first-ever meeting last September.
TICKETS: Available at the gate. Evacuees will be admitted free.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORYLINES

1. Of Newberry's nine losses since a 35-33 defeat against Tuskegee in the 2016 playoffs, seven have come by eight points or fewer, including both of the Wolves' losses this season.
    
2. Newberry has allowed two plays from scrimmage of over 20 yards this season, both in the Western Carolina game, while the Wolves' offense has nine such plays. The longest rush allowed against the Catamounts was 17 yards and the longest against Florida Tech was seven.
    
3. Florida Tech managed just eight rushing yards on 29 carries last Saturday, the fewest yards allowed by Newberry since Livingstone's -39 rushing yards on 32 carries in September 2010. 
    
4. Florida Tech's 230 yards of total offense marked the 18th time since the start of the 2014 season that a Newberry opponent has been held to 250 yards or less.
    
5. On 11 second-down rushes this season, Austin Barnes has reached the line to gain eight times and is averaging 8.5 yards per carry. He has rushed for a first down on all five of his "2nd and short" carries. 
    
6. Jamarcus Henderson has 223 tackle for loss yards, the most of any active Division II player and second across all NCAA divisions. His 11-yard tackle for loss on a first-quarter completion by Florida Tech gave him the Division II lead by five yards over Angelo State's Markus Jones.
    
7. Newberry is 4-1 on Sept. 13 in its history with an average margin of victory of 32.5 points in the four wins, including a 70-20 blowout win over Limestone in 2014 that eclipsed a 99-year-old school scoring record. That game kicked off at 9:45 p.m. and ended in the early morning hours of Sept. 14 after a nearly four-hour lightning delay.
    
8. Virginia University of Lynchburg opened the season by defeating junior college powerhouse Louisburg 30-28. The Dragons forced five turnovers and finished with 14 tackles for loss to hand Louisburg its first loss since 2015.
    
9. The Dragons have gone 1-16 over their last 17 games, being outscored 873-180 in the process. Newberry did not allow VUL to score an offensive touchdown in last year's 55-7 win.

MORE INFORMATION

For complete coverage, view game notes from the Newberry Athletic Communications staff or the South Atlantic Conference's Weekly Report.

IMPORTANT LINKS
Rosters: Newberry | VUL
Stats: Newberry | VUL
Schedule: Newberry | VUL
Standings: SAC | VUL

By: Randall Stewart, Director of Athletic Communications

NEWBERRY COLLEGE WOLVES ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Florida Atlantic Football Prepares for Bethune-Cookman

BOCA RATON. Florida -- The Florida Atlantic University football team holds an eight-game win streak in the confines of FAU stadium and will put that on the line this weekend when the Owls play host to Bethune-Cookman University on Saturday at 6 p.m.
 
The team, 1-1 on the young season, will wear all red this week. The game will be produced by STADIUM and will air on South Florida outlets so consult your provider as well as on Facebook.
 
Upcoming Events
Head Coach Lane Kiffin as well as a selected assistant coach and a player will join ESPN West Palm 106.3's Ken LaVicka, from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13 at Biergarten Boca Raton, 309 Via De Palmas #90, Boca Raton, Fla. 33432. The show will also air live on ESPN West Palm 106.3 and on the ESPN App.
 
Fox Sports Florida
For the third consecutive year, FAU's Frank Forte will host the weekly show, "Inside the Owls Burrow." The show will be broadcasted on Fox Sports Florida each Thursday at 4 p.m. and will re-air each Saturday at 9:30 a.m. This week's show features: Head Coach Lane Kiffin's recap of the Air Force game as well as a preview, running back Kerrith White in the "Pads off" segment and Cornerbacks Coach Keynodo Hudson in "Mic'd Up." Running back Silver Saunders will showcase the best mode of transportation on campus and player reaction to the new locker room.  

2018 Florida Atlantic Roster
https://fausports.com/roster.aspx?path=football
 
FAU Week 3 Game Notes
https://fausports.com/documents/2018/9/12/Game_3_Finall_2_files_merged_.pdf
 
To Purchase Football Game Tickets 
For season tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS. All games will be carried by ESPN West Palm 106.3 and also can be heard on the ESPN App.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY OWLS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

JCSU Cancels Athletic Events in Anticipation of Impact from Hurricane Florence

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith University Department of Athletics has cancelled all athletic activities in preparation for the impact of Hurricane Florence.

"We take the safety of our student-athletes, coaches and fans very seriously and have decided to act with an abundance of caution," said Director of Athletics Stephen Joyner Sr. "We are being proactive because of the impact that has been predicted for the Charlotte region."
s
The football game against Virginia Union University on Saturday, Sept. 15 has been cancelled.

The volleyball match against Shaw University scheduled for Monday, Sept. 17 has also been cancelled.

JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Livingstone College Football Versus Lane College Has Been Canceled

SALISBURY, North Carolina – Due to the forecast of inclement weather from Hurricane Florence, Livingstone College football game at Lane College scheduled for this Saturday (Sept. 15) in Jackson, Tennessee has been canceled.

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE  ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Hurricane Florence Forces Postponement of Howard University/Savannah State University Football Game

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The approaching Hurricane Florence has forced the postponement of another college football contest on the East Coast.

Saturday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game between Howard University and Savannah State University, slated for 1 p.m. at Howard's Greene Stadium, has been postponed in order to ensure the safety of the participating teams and fans.

MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis Thomas says a make-up date is to be determined and will be announced as soon as possible.

"Obviously, the health and safety of our student-athletes, staffs and fans of both universities are of utmost concern for us," said Thomas. "Should the path of Hurricane Florence pose a threat to any other events involving our institutions, we will quickly alert our fans."

About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) begins its 48th year of intercollegiate competition heading into the 2018-19 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 12 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

Ryan McGinty | Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)

Week 3: Tennessee State - Rod Reed Teleconference Audio

NEXT GAME: Saturday, Sept. 22 at Eastern Illinois

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Arkansas-Pine Bluff faces long odds at South Dakota State

BROOKINGS, South Dakota -- South Dakota State opened as 51-point favorites this week against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Wait, where are you going? Don’t leave. It’s still an important game for the Jackrabbits. And potentially an interesting one.

After losing their season opener to thunderstorms – a game that won’t be made up – any game is meaningful for SDSU, and the one after Pine Bluff is at North Dakota State (with a bye week in between). The Jacks played like they were in midseason form in their season opener – a 45-14 thumping of Montana State, and even if Vegas thinks the Golden Lions are incapable of giving the Jacks a challenge this weekend, SDSU wants to build on its strong start.




“Starting off on the right foot is important,” said SDSU receiver Cade Johnson, who tied a school-record with four touchdown receptions in the win over the Bobcats. “We did that last year and ended up having one of the best seasons in school history. Getting that first game under our belt and giving guys more confidence is really nice, because the offense starts clicking, the defense starts doing what they do – we’re gonna be unstoppable if we keep that up.”

CONTINUE READING

Western Michigan Bronco Football Game Three - Delaware State

Western Michigan (0-2, 0-0 MAC)
vs. Delaware State (0-2, 0-0 MEAC)
Sept. 15, 2018 • 7 PM ET
Waldo Stadium (30,200) • Kalamazoo, Michigan

TV: ESPN+
TV Talent:

Play By Play – Dan Gutowsky

Analyst – Je'Rod Cherry

Radio: Bronco Radio Network - 96.5 FM
WMU NOTES
DSU NOTES

COACHING FACTS
WMU Head Coach: Tim Lester (Western Michigan, 2000)
Record at Western Michigan: 6-8 (2nd Season)
Career Record: 46-31 (8th season)

DSU Head Coach: Rod Milstead (DSU, 1992)
Record at DSU: 0-2 (1st season)
Career Record: 0-2 (1st season)



STORYLINES
• After starting the season with losses to Syracuse and No. 21/22 Michigan, the Broncos look to rebound, hosting Delaware State on Saturday, Sept. 15. It will be the first ever meeting between the Broncos and the Hornets. This will mark the 12th straight season for WMU to host an FCS opponent, dating back to 2007.

• Launched in 1992, Saturday is WMU's 27th annual CommUniverCity game. CommUniverCity is a popular fall celebration designed to focus on community-university partnerships. Local organizations tailgate for this particular game in a tent tailgate lot in the outfield of the WMU baseball field (Hyames Field), located behind the southwest end zone. Admittance to the baseball field tailgate area is by invite only. Fireworks are also held at halftime of the football game. The CommUniverCity game is one of the most attended games year after year for WMU. The Broncos are 21-5 all-time in CommUniverCity games.

• WMU put up 621 yards of total offense in the season opener against Syracuse, but was held to only 208 total yards this past week on the road at No. 21/22 Michigan. The Broncos defense has produced two sacks each game and forced and recovered a fumble against Syracuse. WMU has not recorded an interception this year.

• Against Syracuse, WMU had a 300-yard passer, one 200-yard receiver as well as a 100-yard receiver, and a 100-yard rusher. A majority of  WMU's offense at Michigan came on the ground - 123 yards, compared to 85 yards passing.

•  Western Michigan is coming off a 6-6 overall record in 2017, and went 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos won four of their first six games, with the two losses coming at No. 4 ranked USC and at Michigan State in the first two weeks of the season, but the Broncos struggled down the stretch as injuries took their toll on the team. Western Michigan had 21 season-ending injuries in 2017, among them starting quarterback Jon Wassink, as well as five running backs, five wide receivers and five defensive backs.

IMPORTANT DATES
WMU begins its MAC schedule Saturday, Sept. 29, at Miami University. The Broncos' first home conference game is against Eastern Michigan, Saturday Oct. 6 (Noon kickoff), which will be WMU's 95th annual Homecoming game, as well as Youth Day and Family Weekend.

GEORGIA STATE KICKOFF ANNOUNCED
ESPN has announced that the Western Michigan at Georgia State football game on Saturday, Sept. 22 has been slotted for a 2 p.m. ET kickoff and will be carried on ESPN+. The Sept. 22, 2018 matchup will be the first ever meeting between Western Michigan and Georgia State. The Panthers make a return trip to Kalamazoo on Sept. 14, 2019, as part of a home-and-home contract. Located in Atlanta, Georgia State is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers play their home games in what was formerly known as Turner Field, which served as the home ball park of the Atlanta Braves from 1997–2016.

YOUNG TALENT
50 players on Western Michigan's 106-person roster are freshmen or redshirt freshmen. The Broncos have 24 sophomores, 22 juniors and just 10 seniors (with two of those 10 being graduate transfers).

• 13 Broncos (six true freshmen) played in their first collegiate game in the season-opener against Syracuse on Aug. 31. Three of those players were starters on offense (Fr. WR Jayden Reed, RFr. WR Jaylen Hall, RFr. LT Jaylon Moore). WMU also played a freshman long snapper (Bryce Bouwens) and punter (Nick Mahalic).

SCOUTING DELAWARE STATE
• Delaware State is coached by Rod Milstead in his first season at the helm of the program. Returning to coach at his alma mater, Milstead was a standout offensive lineman for the Hornets from 1998-91 and played eight years in the National Football League. Most recently the head coach at La Plata High School in Maryland from 2015-2018 prior to Delaware State, Milstead has also spent time at Lackey High in Maryland, North Carolina Central University, and was DSU's offensive line coach in 2014.

• The Hornets have opened their 2018 slate 0-2, most recently falling 45-14 at Saint Francis (Pa.). In its season opener, Delaware State faced Mid-American Conference member Buffalo and lost 48-10.

• Delaware State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), is coming off a 2-9 overall record in 2017 and was selected to finish 10th of 10 teams in the conference preseason poll. The Hornets are six-time MEAC champions, most recently in 2007, in which they finished 9-0 in conference play.

• Delaware State is 0-4 all-time against the Mid-American Conference and are facing Western Michigan for the first time. The Hornets have faced Buffalo and Kent State twice.

• The Hornets return both starting quarterbacks from last season. Sophomore Jack McDaniels and junior Keenan Black both saw time in the starting role in 2017. Four Hornets were recognized on the 2018 Preseason All-MEAC Teams, including three first-team selections. Defensive Back Keyjuan Selby, punter Fidel Romo-Martinez, and linebacker Brian Cavicante were first team members, while running back Brian Alleyne was voted to the second team.

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION

Augusta Jaguars Sets 10 Events In 2018-19 Golf Schedule

AUGUSTA, Georgia – The 2018-19 Augusta University men's golf schedule has been released by sixth-year head coach Jack O'Keefe. The new schedule features five fall tournaments and four spring events before the MEAC Golf Championship. 

2018-19 Augusta Men's Golf Schedule 

The Jaguars will start the year off in Sugar Grove, Ill Sept. 15-16 at the Northern Illinois Intercollegiate, hosted by Northern Illinois, at Rich Harvest Farms. Rich Harvest Farms was the site of the men's and women's 2017 NCAA National Championships, the 2015 Palmer Cup, and numerous regional and conference tournaments. 

A few days later, Augusta travels to Scottsdale, Ariz. Sept. 21-23, to play in the Maui Jim Intercollegiate, hosted by Georgia State, at Mirabel Golf Club. It is the third straight season the Jags will compete in the event. 

October begins with a trip to Fairfax, Calif. on Oct. 8-9 where Augusta will play in Cal Berkeley's Alister MacKenzie Invitational at the Meadow Club. After the first Cali trip, it's back to this side of the country for the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational in Bradenton, Fla. Oct. 21-23. Augusta returns to Isleworth Country Club for the eighth straight season at Central Florida and North Texas' co-hosted tourney. The fall portion of the schedule will end in Kiawah S.C. at the Kiawah Classic at Turtle Point Golf Club, Nov. 4-6, hosted by Charleston Southern. 

Spring kicks off with another trip to California for the Southwestern Invitational Feb. 25-26. The Jags will travel back to Thousand Oaks, Calif. to play in Pepperdine's event for the fourth straight season at North Ranch Country Club. A trip to the beach is up next at the Gary Freeman Invitational, hosted by Bethune-Cookman, in Daytona Beach, Fla. at the LPGA International Golf Club March 7-8. 

March will end with AU's fourth consecutive visit to the Linger Longer Invitational, co-hosted by Kennesaw State and Mercer at The Landings in Eatonton, Ga. on March 15-17. 

The Jaguars host the 41^st 3M Augusta Invitational April 6-7 at Forest Hill Golf Club – the home of the Jaguars. Augusta's home event ends the regular-season schedule and will feature 15 teams competing on the eve of The Masters. 

The MEAC Golf Championship is set to take place April 18-20 with locations still being determined. Six sites across the nation play host to the 2019 NCAA Regional Championships from May 12-15, before the 2019 NCAA National Championships May 17-22 in Fayetteville, Ark. at The Blessings Golf Club. 

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics / on Twitter at @AugustaJags and on Instagram @augustajags.

AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY JAGUARS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

B-CU Ridder Announces 2018-19 Hoops Schedule

HEAD COACH RYAN RIDDER

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University men's basketball Head Coach Ryan Ridder has announced his team's 2018-19 schedule that features a daunting non-conference slate, 14 home games, and contests across 13 different states.

"We are very excited to announce our 2018-2019 schedule. Our staff has worked extremely hard to put together a challenging non-conference slate as well as welcome quality in state opponents to Historic Moore Gymnasium. We return a solid core group of guys and have added quality pieces to the mix. Our team is very enthusiastic about the challenges in the non-conference, but our goal is to be playing our best basketball in March," said Ridder.

Bethune-Cookman begins its quest for its first berth in the NCAA Tournament with two challenging road games. The season tips off on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at DePaul University in Chicago. The Wildcats venture further north to play Marquette University on Saturday, Nov. 10 in a game that is part of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

Marquette reached the quarterfinals of the 2018 NIT and has made 32 NCAA Tournament appearances, while DePaul has reached the Big Dance 22 times.

BCU opens its home schedule on Tuesday, Nov. 13 against Trinity Baptist College at Moore Gymnasium. The Wildcats will also host Johnson University (Nov. 15) and Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 20) before hosting fellow Floridians Stetson (Nov. 26), Florida Atlantic (Dec. 1), and Jacksonville (Dec. 15).

The road schedule continues its challenges with ACC opponent and 2018 NCAA Tournament participant Miami on Nov. 17, and an early December California swing with games at St. Mary's, San Jose State, and Cal Poly. BCU closes 2018 with a frigid finish at Quinnipiac (Dec. 19) and Boston University (Dec. 21).

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season co-champions begin their defense with five road January games. The conference opener is against MEAC Tournament champ North Carolina Central on Jan. 5. The month brings journeys to Howard, Norfolk State, Morgan State, and Coppin State. BCU's first home MEAC game is set for Jan. 19 against Delaware State with a Monday matinee vs. UMES to follow on Jan 21.

The schedule flips in February with five games at Moore Gym and just two away from the World's Most Famous Beach. BCU hosts NCCU on Feb. 2 and North Carolina A&T State on Feb. 4.

The following weekend the Wildcats entertain Norfolk State and Howard while Daytona 500 weekend sends the 'Cats on a short trip to South Carolina State (Feb. 16) and Savannah State (Feb. 18).

The home schedule draws to an end against Florida A&M on Feb. 23 and SCSU on Mar. 2.

After the season finale at FAMU on Mar. 7, the 2019 MEAC Championship starts on Mar. 11 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

Follow Bethune-Cookman Men's Basketball on Twitter (@BCUHoops) 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).

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Big South Announces 2018-19 Women's Basketball Conference Slate; Hampton Opens on Road

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Big South Conference announced its 2018-19 Women's Basketball conference schedule on Tuesday afternoon which in turn finishes off the schedule for Hampton in its inaugural Big South season.

Hampton will start its conference schedule on the road in Charleston, S.C. on January 5 taking on the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern.  They'll remain on the road with a date in Asheville, N.C. on January 8 to face UNC Asheville.

2018-19 Big South Conference Schedule

The first home Big South matchup will take place two days later as Hampton entertains in-state foe Radford University at the Convocation Center.  Another in-state opponent visits on January 15 when Hampton hosts Longwood.

The Lady Pirates will then visit Campbell (Jan. 19) and Winthrop (Jan. 22) before finishing off the month with a home matchup against fellow new Big South member USC Upstate on January 29.

In February, the Lady Pirates start off on the road at High Point (Feb. 2) before hosting three straight conference tilts against Presbyterian (Feb. 5), Campbell (Feb. 12) and Charleston Southern (Feb. 16).

That will lead them into a stretch of four out of five games on the road as Hampton will visit Gardner-Webb (Feb. 19), Longwood (Feb. 23) and Presbyterian (Feb. 26) to close the month.  After hosting High Point on March 2, Hampton will visit Radford three days later and will finish the regular-season hosting Winthrop on March 9.

The 2019 Big South Women's Basketball Championship will shift to a home-site, earned-seed format with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds hosting the quarterfinal and semifinal round as part of a new double-pod system.  Three first round games at the No. 6, 7 and 8 seeds open the Championship on Tuesday, March 12, followed by the quarterfinals (March 14) and semifinals (March 15) at the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with the highest remaining seed hosting the Championship game on Sunday, March 17.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

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

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS 

Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball Releases 2018-19 Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Two early games against NCAA tournament teams and a December meeting with the Florida Gators are part of the 2018-19 Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball schedule, Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis announced today [September 11, 2018].

After opening the season in Historic Moore Gym on Wednesday, November 7 against Edward Waters, the Lady Wildcats host Liberty, who won the Big South championship and faced Tennessee in the opening round of tournament, on Wednesday, November 9.

The following week, Bethune-Cookman's first road contest is at USF, who won 26 games and made the Big Dance as an At-Large team from the American Conference. Also on the schedule is Jacksonville, who, like B-CU, participated in the WNIT.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN WOMEN'S SCHEDULE

On December 5, B-CU travels to Gainesville to face Florida for the first time since 2013.

The goal as always, is to get the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season champions prepped for league play and to get that first tournament championship since 1984.

"We are laser focused on taking that next big step and getting to the NCAA tournament," said Blair-Lewis, who won her third consecutive MEAC Coach Of The Year honors and fourth overall last year. "To do that, we're going up against a high level of competition and I'm eager to see how we respond."

In addition to Edward Waters and Liberty, B-CU's 13-game home slate includes Florida International, Flagler College and North Florida. Road trips include Georgia Southern, the Georgia State Christmas Tournament Dec. 20-21 in Atlanta and a holiday break game at UNC-Charlotte on December 28.

MEAC conference play begins January 5th at North Carolina Central, with the home opener on January 19 against Delaware State. League champion North Carolina A&T comes to Daytona beach on Monday, February 4.

As for arch-rival Florida A&M, B-CU goes to the highest of seven hills on February 23 while the Rattlers come to Daytona Beach on March 7 for the regular season finale.

Led by MEAC Player Of The Year Angel Golden and MEAC Defensive Player Of The Year Ashanti Hunt, the Lady Wildcats set a program record with 24 victories last season, enjoyed a two-week stint in the College Insider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, and participated in the WNIT for the third consecutive year.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Big South Releases 2018-19 Men's Basketball Conference Slate; Hampton Opens At Home

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  – The Big South Conference announced its 2018-19 Men's Basketball conference schedule on Wednesday morning as the teams will play a 16-game slate.



2018-19 Big South Men's Basketball Conference Schedule

The 11 Big South members will play six teams twice and four teams once to determine the 2018-19 regular-season champion.  League play will feature one three-game week (Jan. 21-26), each team will have two byes during the conference season, and two new national television appearances comprise the slate.  In additional, four Thursday dates -- Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 -- will be ESPNU Wildcard selections 21 days in advance.

Hampton University will open conference action in the friendly confines of the Convocation Center taking on Charleston Southern on January 10.  Defending regular-season champion UNC Asheville makes its first visit to Hampton two days later.

The Pirates then hit the road to take on Presbyterian (Jan. 16) and Gardner-Webb (Jan. 19) before returning home to tangle with fellow Big South newcomer USC Upstate on January 24.
January will close with Hampton hosting Campbell on the 26th and then visiting Farmville, Va. for a matchup with Longwood on Jan. 30.

The month of February opens with Hampton on the road at High Point on Feb. 2 before they will host Big South Tournament winner Radford on February 7.   Hampton will visit Winthrop (Feb. 9) and Campbell (Feb. 13).   High Point comes to Hampton on Feb. 16 with Longwood returning the matchup five days later. 

The Pirates close February at Radford (Feb. 23) before hosting Winthrop on Feb. 28.  That game against Winthrop will be shown on either ESPNU or ESPNNews as part of the Big South TV Schedule at 7 pm.  The regular season will close on March 2 with Hampton visiting USC Upstate.

As the women's conference schedule was announced yesterday, there are four dates where both Hampton teams will be in action at the same location.  Three of those take place at home on January 10 (women v. Radford/men v. Charleston So.), January 26 (women v. Gardner-Webb/men v. Campbell) and Feb. 16 (women v. Charleston Southern/men vs. High Point).  Both teams will be at High Point on February 2.

The 2019 Big South Men's Basketball Championship will again be a home-site/earned seed format that returned in 2017.  First round games at the No. 6, 7 and 8 seeds open the Championship on Tuesday, March 5.  The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played at the No. 1 seed on Thursday-Friday, March 7-8, while the highest remaining seed will host the championship game on Sunday, March 10 at 1:00pm on ESPN.

For more information on Hampton University men's basketball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com. 
 
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Virginia Union 2018-19 Women's Basketball Schedule Released

2018-19 Women's Basketball Schedule

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Virginia Union University's women's basketball team, the defending CIAA Champions, will tip off the 2018-19 season by hosting the VUU Graduate Richmond Tip-Off Classic on November 9 and 10 in Richmond, Va.

VUU will open the Classic by facing Cheyney University at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 9, and will then face Edinboro University at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 10.

Three of the eight NCAA Tournament teams from last season will be featured in the tournament. Virginia State University will face Edinboro at 7:30 p.m. on November 9 while the Lady Trojans will face Cheyney at 2:00 p.m. on November 10.

The Lady Panthers will also make a trek to Florida when they play in the Nova Southeastern Thanksgiving Classic on November 23 and 24.

VUU opens the 2018-19 CIAA season when it travels to Orangeburg, S.C., to face CIAA newcomer Claflin University.

"I am extremely excited about the upcoming 2018-2019 season and truly believe we have both the depth and experience to compete for another CIAA title," said VUU Head Women's Coach AnnMarie Gilbert. "We return nine players from last year's 28-3 squad and welcome the addition of eight talented newcomers. We play an exciting schedule which includes a three-game trip to Florida and overall will have us battle-tested and ready for post-season play."

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS