Grambling Tigers to face tough test versus PVAMU Panthers

GRAMBLING, Louisiana| The Grambling State University football team will take on Prairie View A&M in the 95th State Fair Classic in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) match-up on Saturday. Kickoff from the historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas is set for 4 p.m.
 
The Tigers broadcast crew of Santoria Black, Ossie Clark, Nick Harrison and Leon Thomas will call all the action on Grambling State Sports Radio Network. The game will broadcasted in Ruston (KPCH 99.3 FM) and Monroe (KJMG – 97.3 FM) and streamed online at www.gsutigers.com.
 
Grambling State (1-2 overall, 1-0 SWAC) will be looking for their second straight win of the season, and their 27th straight win against a conference opponent. The Tigers are coming into the game off a 34-0 win against Alabama State last weekend at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.  Grambling State scored on all three phases of the game, as the Tigers built a comfortable 21-0 first-quarter lead.
 
Prairie View A&M (2-3, 1-0) was in cruise control throughout last weekend as the Panthers rolled past Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 62-13. Quarterback Jalen Morton accounted for 511 yards and six touchdowns in the victory.
 
"They're going to try to score a lot of points," Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs said. "They've been very dominant in their first five games with scoring points. We have to make sure we can match their intensity, but we also have to make sure we are effective in making things uncomfortable for their quarterback and also stopping their running game because they have a really good running game. We've been in big games before. A lot of our kids have been in big games before so they're used to the magnitude of the football game, and we're ready to play."
 
About the Game
> This will be the 70th meeting between the two teams
> Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs is looking to remain perfect in the State Fair Classic
> Prairie View A&M head coach Eric Dooley will be making his first appearance as a head coach in the annual game
> The winner of Saturday's game will likely have an inside track at the SWAC West Division title
 
Grambling State-Prairie View A&M Connections
> The series began in 1950 as Grambling State holds a 51-17-1 mark, including winning the last four meetings
> Saturday's game will mark the 70th meeting between the two teams
> Grambling State is looking to avoid a loss in the Cotton Bowl, which hasn't happened since 2013
> Tigers head coach Broderick Fobbs is 4-0 against Prairie View A&M, including last year's 34-21 win
> The most points scored by Grambling State was 77 (1991) and 54 by Prairie View A&M (2015)
> It is safe to say that the 2015 game was the highest scoring game in the series (134 points)
> This will be the first matchup between Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs and former Tigers assistant Eric Dooley
 
Last Time Out
> Grambling State scored 21 first-quarter points and did not look back in recording its first shutout (34-0) since 2016
> The Tigers scored on all three phases of the game (punt return, interception and offensive touchdown)
> Malik Route began the scoring with a career-long 79-yard punt return for a touchdown
> Aldon Clark rushed 11 yards for a score to extend the lead to 14-0 midway through the opening quarter
> De'Arius Christmas capped the scoring in the opening quarter with his first-career interception return – 66-yards - for a touchdown  
> The Tigers recorded five sacks in the victory
> Grambling State amassed 291 total yards of offense, with 16 first downs
> Aldon Clark led the team in passing, while Kevin Dominique paced the ground game with 82 yards on 10 carries
> Percy Cargo, returning from an injury, led the defense with eight tackles
 
Inside the Numbers
> Broderick Fobbs and his Grambling State teams have won 26 straight SWAC games
> Senior kicker Marc Orozco is just 34 points shy of becoming the all-time GSU leader by a kicker. Orozco recorded 10 points (four extra points and two field goals) in a 34-0 win over Alabama State
> Prairie View A&M is averaging 35.8 points and 486.6 yards per game
> Grambling State's defense is allowing 27.7 points per contest
 
In The Rankings
> Grambling State is unranked in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll and the FCS Coaches Poll
> The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in the SBN Black College Coaches Poll and No. 3 in the BOXTOROW Coaches Poll
> Prairie View A&M is receiving votes in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll
> The Panthers is ranked No. 4 in the SBN Black College Coaches Poll and No. 5 in the BOXTOROW Coaches Poll
 
Accolades 
> De'Arius Christmas was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week and SWAC College Sports Madness Defensive Player of the Week
> De'Arius Christmas was named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy
> Malik Route earned the SWAC Specialist of the Week honor
> Prairie View A&M quarterback Jalen Morton was selected the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week, SWAC College Sports Madness Offensive Player of the Week and STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week

Up Next
Grambling State returns to Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 6. As Oklahoma Panhandle State comes to town. Kickoff against the Aggies is set for 6 p.m.
 
Home Games - Tickets Still Available
Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale at the GSU Ticket office and fan are encouraged to visit www.gsutigers.com or call the ticket office to purchase tickets. For more information on purchasing season tickets, call (318) 274-2625 or (318) 274-2629.
 
In addition, if you have purchased a ticket for the Sept. 15 game, that ticket will be honored at the gate for the Oct. 6 home game against Oklahoma Panhandle State.
 
Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.



By: Deja Harrison, Sports Information Staff
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Men's Basketball to Host 'Penny and Practice' on Oct. 11

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State men’s basketball program will host “Penny and Practice” on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Gentry Center. The event will provide fans a chance to support the program and get a first-hand look at the 2018-19 squad.

The team will practice at the Gentry Center while guests are served dinner. The night will include an auction and an opportunity to meet the players and coaching staff.

The event costs $50 per person with proceeds benefiting the TSU men’s basketball program.

Those wishing to attend are asked to please RSVP to Matt Richardson (EMAIL - mattrich803@gmail.com; PHONE - (615) 406-1663) by October 8, 2018.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Men's Basketball at Tennessee Tech to Air on ESPNU

BRENTWOOD, Tennessee --- The Tennessee State men’s basketball team’s Jan. 17 game at Tennessee Tech has been selected for an ESPNU broadcast as part of the Ohio Valley Conference’s television package released on Wednesday. All of TSU’s other road OVC games in addition to all of TSU’s home games are slated for ESPN+ broadcasts.

The OVC’s TV schedule includes nine total men's basketball games (six regular season contests and three OVC Tournament games) that will appear on one of the linear networks during the season. Four of the six regular season contests and the OVC Tournament semifinals will air on ESPNU, with two additional regular season games to air on either ESPNU or ESPNEWS.

The OVC Tournament championship game will air on ESPN2 at 7:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 9. The tournament will be held at The Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana for the second consecutive year.

In August, the OVC announced an extension of its media rights agreement to stream a minimum of 600 conference contests annually on ESPN+, the recently launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN. This year 209 men’s and women’s regular season Conference games will be streamed on ESPN+ as will approximately 110 non-conference contests.

ESPNU is the 24-hour college sports television network televises more than 650 live events annually. Action includes a variety of top football and men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as Olympic sports from 26 Division I conferences. ESPNU is the destination for premier collegiate and high school programming, including elite football, basketball, baseball, softball and lacrosse events.

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International division in partnership with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans across mobile and tv-connected devices. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ through the ESPN App for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).

Games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider. 

Announced TSU Men’s Basketball TV Games (As of 9/26/18)

• November 23 – at Kentucky – 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
• January 17 – at Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m. CT (ESPNU) 

2018-19 OVC ESPN Television Schedule

• January 3 – MEN - Jacksonville State at Belmont, 8 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• January 10 – WOMEN - Morehead State at Belmont, 4 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• January 17 – MEN - Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• January 24 – MEN - Belmont at Murray State, 8 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• January 31 – MEN - Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 6 p.m. (ESPNU or ESPNEWS)
• February 14 – MEN - Murray State at Austin Peay, 6 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• February 28 – MEN - Jacksonville State at Eastern Illinois, 8 p.m. CT (ESPNU or ESPNEWS)
• March 2 – MEN - OVC Tournament Semifinal #1, 7 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• March 2 – MEN - OVC Tournament Semifinal #2, 9 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
• March 3 – MEN - OVC Tournament Championship, 7 p.m. CT (ESPN2)

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Gold Nuggets visit St. Margaret's on WBCA service day

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana participated Wednesday in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Day of Service. Members of the 2018-19 team spent two hours beautifying the garden at St. Margaret's Hospice Care and visiting with residents.
     
"It was really relaxing," said Shae Johnson, a freshman forward/center from Riverside, Calif. "It made me feel like I was back home. My mom and I do a lot of gardening together. So I felt connected to her even though we are so many miles away. It felt good to give back to the community."
     
Coach Bo Browder's Gold Nuggets will open the season at 6 p.m. Oct. 31 against Stillman at XULA's Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Langston Football Ranked 14th in NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- The Langston University football team moved to the No. 14 spot in the third edition  of the 2018 NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office announced.

The Lions entered the 14th slot after tallying 173 total votes and are tied with Bethel (Tenn.); Langston is the highest Sooner Athletic Conference institution ranked, they trail No. 13 Cumberlands (Ky.) 176 votes to 173 votes.

Poll Methodology
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences.
• Each conference is given one rater for every four schools in the league.
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 25 points for each first-place vote, 24 for second-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team's ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appear on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered "receiving votes."

For the complete NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll, click here.

2018 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Poll Three (Sept. 24)

RANK	LAST WEEK	SCHOOL	RECORD	TOTAL POINTS
1	1	Saint Francis (Ind.) [16]	4-0	366
2	2	Morningside (Iowa)	4-0	351
3	3	Southern Oregon	4-0	339
4	4	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	3-0	323
5	5	Northwestern (Iowa)	4-0	309
6	6	Marian (Ind.)	3-0	294
7	7	Reinhardt (Ga.)	3-1	281
8	10	Evangel (Mo.)	5-0	257
9	9	Georgetown (Ky.)	3-1	250
10	11	Grand View (Iowa)	2-1	237
11	12	Baker (Kan.)	3-1	216
12	14	Kansas Wesleyan	4-0	184
13	16	Cumberlands (Ky.)	5-0	176
14	13	Langston (Okla.)	2-1	173
14	17	Bethel (Tenn.)	4-0	173
16	15	Benedictine (Kan.)	3-1	169
17	8	Concordia (Mich.)	3-1	161
18	19	Dickinson State (N.D.)	3-1	131
19	21	Arizona Christian	4-0	121
20	24	Montana Tech	3-1	81
21	25	Faulkner (Ala.)	3-1	67
22	NR	Webber International (Fla.)	4-0	62
23	23	Rocky Mountain (Mont.)	3-2	47
24	22	Montana Western	3-1	33
25	NR	Siena Heights (Mich.)	4-0	30

Dropped from the Top 25: Southeastern (Fla.), Saint Xavier (Ill.)

Others Receiving Votes: Avila (Mo.) 25, Southeastern (Fla.) 20, Midland (Neb.) 17, Eastern Oregon 7, Doane (Neb.) 5, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 4, Tabor (Kan.) 3

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Game Day Central | Charleston Southern at Hampton

DATE/TIME: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 AT 2 P.M. ET

Tickets: General Admission | Ticket Policy
Location: Hampton, Va. | Weather | Radar
Stadium: Armstrong Stadium (Cap. 12,000) | Stadium Guide
Gates: Open at 12:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Audio: Charleston Southern Sports Network (Stretch Internet)
Live Stats: HUPirates.comHistory: First Meeting

TEAM INFORMATION

Charleston Southern (0-2): Head Coach Mark Tucker | Roster | Schedule | Game Notes
Hampton (1-2): Head Coach Robert Prunty | Roster | Schedule | Game Notes

More Information: Follow us on Twitter @CSUSports and @CSUGameDay for up-to-date information on Game Day.

Gold Rush standout Roberts to lead Saginaw schools

NEW ORLEANS — Ramont Roberts, a standout guard for Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball teams during the 1990s, has been named superintendent of the Saginaw (Mich.) Public Schools district in his hometown.
     
Roberts was named interim superintendent in June. The Saginaw Board of Education voted 6-0 on Sept. 19 to remove the interim title and offer Roberts a three-year contract.
     
The board's vice president, Jason Thompson, told mlive.com that Roberts brought "some fresh ideas and some new innovative ways of reaching and assisting our children" since becoming interim superintendent.
     
"(Roberts) hit the ground running and made some major changes that's having a serious, positive impact on the district," Thompson said.
     
Roberts has worked in Saginaw schools since 2003, first as an assistant principal, then as principal at two different schools. Roberts moved to the central office in 2015 as assistant superintendent for human resources.
     
Roberts is one of 26 Gold Rush players to reach 1,000 career points. A 6-foot guard, he averaged double-figure points each of his last three seasons and finished with 1,176 points in 121 games. As a junior in 1995-96, he led the team with averages of 12.2 points and 3.5 assists and helped coach Dale Valdery's XULA team win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. No Gold Rush team since then has won that tournament.
     
As a senior in 1996-97, Roberts was a member of the GCAC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
    
Roberts received his bachelor's degree from XULA in 1998. He earned a master's from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, then a doctorate from Michigan State with a focus on urban education.
     
"We have an opportunity to reach each child," Roberts told The Michigan Banner in June. "Our responsibility as educators is to find that special way to reach each individual."

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Lincoln Announces 2018-19 Women's Basketball Schedule

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri -- Lincoln fans will have 16 chances to catch the LU women's basketball team at home as more than half of the Blue Tigers' games in 2018-19 will be played in Jason Gym.

Lincoln will tip-off the season at the MIAA/GAC Challenge in Magnolia, Arkansas with games against Southern Arkansas on Nov. 9 and Arkansas-Monticello on Nov. 10. LU will then be home for its next four contests, starting on Nov. 13, when the Blue Tigers host Stephens for a 6:00 p.m. CT contest. The Blue Tigers close the first month of the season by hosting McKendree (Nov. 21) and Blackburn (Nov. 26).

HEAD COACH MCWILLIAMS

Complete 2018-19 Lincoln Women's Basketball Schedule

The Blue Tigers will also be at home to open December, as LU welcomes Robert Morris-Springfield on Dec. 1, before opening MIAA play with road games at Northwest Missouri (Dec. 6) and Missouri Western (Dec. 8). Lincoln will also play games against William Jewell (at home, Dec. 15) and Upper Iowa (Dec. 18) before the holiday break, and will close out 2018 with a home game on Dec. 30 vs. the Saint Louis College of Pharmacy.
The remaining 17 games on Lincoln's docket will be MIAA contests, beginning on Jan. 3, when LU hosts Pittsburg State. Following a home game with Missouri Southern (Jan. 5), Lincoln will begin a season-long three-game road trip with stops at Lindenwood (Jan. 12), Central Missouri (Jan. 16) and Southwest Baptist (Jan. 19). The Blue Tigers return home to face Northeastern State (Jan. 24) and Central Oklahoma (Jan. 26) and will end the month with a contest in Topeka, Kan. against Washburn on Jan. 31.

The final month of the season for LU will begin in Kansas as Lincoln plays Emporia State on Feb. 2. Six of Lincoln's remaining eight games will be played at Jason Gym, starting with rematches against Missouri Western on Feb. 7 and vs. Northwest Missouri on Feb. 9. The Blue Tigers will play Nebraska Kearney (Feb. 14) and Fort Hays State (Feb. 16) in their final road games of 2018-19, then will begin a season-ending four-game homestand on Feb. 19 against Lindenwood. The regular season will conclude with games against Washburn (Feb. 23), Southwest Baptist (Feb. 27) and Central Missouri (March 2).

Lincoln is led by head coach Ayana McWilliams, who is in her third year with the Blue Tigers.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI MEDIA RELATIONS

Another hall of fame for XULA alum Leonidas Epps

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana graduate Leonidas Epps will be inducted Friday (Sept. 28, 2018) into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame in Atlanta. He will posthumously receive the organization's lifetime achievement award.
     
Epps was a 1942 XULA graduate and a member of the 1940-41 Gold Rush basketball team that was 29-0 — the only Louisiana collegiate men's basketball team to finish unbeaten in a schedule of more than five games. He earned a master's degree from Indiana University.
     
Epps achieved fame as a coach in multiple sports at Clark College in Atlanta from 1949-83. His teams won Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's championships in football, basketball, golf and track and field. He also served as athletics director and taught physical education classes. (Clark College became Clark Atlanta University in 1988 after the merger of Clark and Atlanta University.)
     
According to the book "Louisiana Athletes: The Top Twenty," Epps during the 1940s coached Audrey "Mickey" Patterson-Tyler, who in 1948 became the first African-American woman to win an Olympic medal (bronze, 200-meter dash).
     
Epps was inducted into the Clark College Hall of Fame (1980), the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1985), the SIAC Hall of Fame (1994) and the Clark Atlanta Athletic Boosters Hall of Fame. Clark Atlanta awards annually an endowed scholarship in his name. Clark Atlanta's gym was named in his honor upon his retirement in May 1983.
     
Clark Atlanta hosted a men's basketball tournament named for Epps in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
     
Leonidas Sondric Epps Jr. was born Oct. 5, 1918, in Hope, Arkansas, but grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, and graduated from Lincoln High School. He died Jan. 5, 1997.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU Rattler Golfers Open Season At Thomas U. Invite

VALDOSTA, Georgia – The FAMU Men’s Golf Team opened their 2018 Fall Schedule with a seventh place finish in the Thomas (Ga.) University Fall Invitational at the Kinderlou Forest Club in Valdosta, Ga., Sept. 24 and 25.

FAMU shot an opening round 308, followed by a final round 292, for a two-round total of 600.

Coastal Georgia (565) and host Thomas University (578) took the top two spots in the 13-team tourney.

Redshirt sophomore Ethan Mangum (Atlanta, Ga.) led way for FAMU, tying for eighth place with a two-day total of 145, highlighted by a one-under 71 in Tuesday’s final round.

Junior Cameron Riley (Freeport, Grand Bahamas), placed 11th, carding a two-day 147, after an opening round even par 72. Sophomore Alejandro Toro (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico), placed 13th, with a 148, shooting an even par 72 in Tuesday’s final round.

Also in the hunt for FAMU were sophomore Mulbe Dillard (Chicago, Ill.), who fired a second round 72, finishing with a 152 for the tournament; junior Prince Cunningham (Jacksonville, Fla.), who shot a two-day 153; junior Mahindra Lutchman (Orlando, Fla.), who fired a two-day 159; and rounding out the FAMU contingent was freshman Logan Bryant (Miami, Fla.), who finished with a two-day 160.

WHAT’S UP NEXT: FAMU travels to Atlanta this weekend for the Black College Hall of Fame Tournament, beginning Friday, Sept. 28.

INDIVIDUAL RATTLER SCORECARD

Kinderlou Forest Club * Valdosta, GA * Sept. 24-25, 2018

Round One – Par 72 (7022 Yards) * Round Two – Par 72 (6935 Yards)

Place Player 1st 2nd TOTAL

T8 Ethan Mangum 74 71 145

T11 Cameron Riley 72 75 147

T13 Alejandro Toro 76 72 148

T30 Mulbe Dillard 81 72 152

T35 Prince Cunningham 79 74 153

T48 Mahindra Lutchman 82 77 159

T50 Logan Bryant 81 79 160

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Volleyball Opens OVC Road Play at Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech

TENNESSEE STATE NOTES

Social Media: #BigBlueRisingTwitter: @TSU_Tigers | Instagram: @TSUTigers
Facebook: Tennessee State University Tigers

Game 13: Tennessee State (4-8, 1-0 OVC) vs. Jacksonville State (7-8, 0-2 OVC)

Date: Friday, Sept. 28, 2018
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. 
Arena: Kennamer Hall
Time: 7 p.m. CST
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Game 14: Tennessee State (4-8, 1-0 OVC) vs. Tennessee Tech (6-10, 0-2 OVC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Arena: Eblen Center
Time: 2 p.m. CST
Live Stream: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

#BigBlueRising

QUICK HITTERS: Tennessee State volleyball hits the road for its first Ohio Valley Conference road matches this season. TSU will play the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State Friday at 7 p.m. at the Pete Mathews Coliseum. Then, Big Blue heads to Cookeville to play TTU Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Tigers are 10-23 in the all-time series against Jacksonville State. Last season, the Gamecocks defeated the Tigers in both meetings, 3-2. Against Tennessee Tech, TSU is 17-39 in the alltime series. The Tigers swept the Golden Eagles at the Eblen Center last season, and ended the season with a 3-2 loss to TTU at home.

TSU UPDATE: The win over Eastern Illinois served as the 250th program win for Tennessee State. JoJo Kruize led the Tiger offense with 15 kills, with junior Julia Pierson following close behind with 13 kills and 5 blocks. Rivera Ortiz held down the backcourt with 23 digs with help from JUCO transfer Destiny Washington who dug up 13 balls. Current head coach Donika Sutton has been a member of the program for 54 of the wins, and was at the helm of the Tigers for 11. After sweeping Eastern Illinois in the second conference match of the season, the Tigers are 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The last time TSU was 2-0 in the league was 2007 - the year TSU won its first OVC Tournament and NCAA bid. 

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE: The Gamecocks finished conference opening weekend 0-2 after going five sets against both Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. Lina Kindermann leads JSU in kills with 169 while Lexie Libs facilitates the offense. 

SCOUTING TENNESSEE TECH: TTU is 6-10, 0-2 moving into week two of conference play. Rachel Thomas and Alice Verzani lead the offense while Kirsten Brugere holds down the back court. 

UP NEXT: TSU hosts its final non-confernce opponent of the regular season in MTSU in Kean Hall Tuesday, Oct. 2.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Norfolk State Basketball Announces Pair of Schedule Changes

NORFOLK, Virginia  – The Norfolk State men's basketball program announced today changes to a pair of games during the 2018-19 season, including one regular season contest and one exhibition.

NSU's exhibition game against Virginia State has been moved from Wednesday, Oct. 31 to Friday, Nov. 2. Game time is still set for 7 p.m. from Joseph Echols Hall. This will mark the third straight season the two teams will play an exhibition game prior to the start of the season.

In addition, NSU will now host Regent University on Tuesday, Nov. 20. Regent will replace NYIT, which was originally set to play NSU on that same day. Game time is still 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Echols Hall.

This weekend, the men's and women's basketball programs will hold their annual Spartan Madness at Echols Hall on Saturday, Sept. 29, beginning at 8:30 p.m. as part of Tip-Off Week. It was originally announced in early September that Spartan Madness would take place on Oct. 6 before a change of date occurred.

Along with Spartan Madness, the NSU Skate Party also was moved up a week. It will now happen this Sunday, Sept. 30, after an original announcement date of Oct. 7.



By: Mike Bello, Asst. SID
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS