MEAC Basketball Tournament Tickets On Sale Starting Monday, Oct. 15

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Ticket books will be on sale for the highly-anticipated 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament beginning Monday, Oct. 15. This year’s tournament gets underway March 11-16 at the Norfolk (Va.) Scope Arena.

Each ticket book contains nine tickets, one for each session, which provides entrance for one (1) person to attend all 22 men’s and women’s games, including the championship finals on Saturday, March 16. The men’s title game will tip at 1 p.m., followed by the women’s title game approzimately an hour after the conclusion of the men's game.

Ticket books are available for purchase at all 12 member institutions, the Scope Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, the MEAC Administrative Office and online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available by calling the MEAC at (757) 951-2055 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Ticket books for general admission are available for $150 plus handling fees. Senior and student prices are also available with proper identification for $120. Floor seating is also available for weekly packages.

Fans interested in sitting within their university’s fan block are encouraged to contact their institution’s ticket office directly.

For more information about the 2019 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, please visit www.MEAChoops.com.
 

Session 1 - Monday, March 11 - 4 games - 2 p.m.
Session 2 - Tuesday, March 12 - 4 games - 2 p.m.
Session 3 - Wednesday, March 13 - 2 games - 12 p.m.
Session 4 - Wednesday, March 13 - 2 games - 6 p.m.
Session 5 - Thursday, March 14 - 2 games - 12 p.m.
Session 6 - Thursday, March 14 - 2 games - 6 p.m.
Session 7 - Friday, March 15 - 2 games - 12 p.m.
Session 8 - Friday, March 15 - 2 games - 6 p.m.
Session 9 - Saturday, March 16 - 2 games - 1 p.m.

About the MEAC Tournament
The MEAC Basketball Tournament is a single-elimination championship playoff that involves Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Savannah State, and South Carolina State.

The tournament games are played at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia. Both the men’s and women’s champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament. The North Carolina A&T State Lady Aggies and North Carolina Central Eagles won the 2018 women’s and men’s titles, respectively, and received bids to the NCAA Tournament.

About Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia is a city of some 245,000 residents and more than 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the cultural, educational, business and medical center of Hampton Roads, hosts the world's largest naval base, the region's international airport and is one of the busiest international ports on the East Coast of the United States. The city is undergoing a successful renewal, including new office, retail, entertainment and new residential development along the rivers and bay front, and revitalization projects in many of its neighborhoods. Norfolk's residents and city officials have long supported sports programs at all levels.

About VisitNorfolk
VisitNorfolk is the official Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Norfolk. VisitNorfolk, a non-profit organization is dedicated to enhancing the role of travel and tourism in our economy by producing high volumes of both leisure and convention visitors, tax revenues and travel related jobs in Norfolk. VisitNorfolk also provides the resources and tools to ensure our visitors stay in Norfolk is both a productive and enjoyable one. For more information, visitnorfolktoday.com or call 800-368-3097. #Norfolk, Virginia,

MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEDIA RELATIONS

Grambling State Tigers takes to the road to visit Texas Southern

GRAMBLING, Louisiana | The Grambling State University football team will carry the momentum after last week's victory as GSU visits Texas Southern in a key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game. Kick off from BBVA Compass Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
Grambling State's 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 (2-3 overall, 1-1 SWAC) are coming off its best offensive output of the season last weekend with a 62-7 home victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State. Geremy Hickbottom threw for a career-high 297 yards, with three passing touchdowns and three running touchdowns as GSU rolled past the Aggies. For the first time all season, Grambling State amassed over 500 total yards of offense in the win. GSU will look to get back into the win column Saturday against Texas Southern. In the last SWAC game, Grambling State came up just short in a 22-16 loss on Sept. 29 to Prairie View A&M.
 
Texas Southern (1-4, 0-1) enters off a 42-21 home loss last week to Alabama A&M. TSU is seeking its first victory since Week 1 and its first win over Grambling State since 2013. Texas Southern amassed 367 total yards, with 222 coming through the air, against the Bulldogs. In addition, TSU quarterback Glen Guillette was 21-of-46 passing (222 yards), with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

 
About the Game
> This will be the 66th meeting between the two teams
> The series began in 1950, with Grambling State capturing a 26-6 victory
> Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs is looking to remain perfect against Texas Southern
> GSU is riding a four-game winning streak in the series
 
Grambling State-Texas Southern Connections
> The series began in 1950 as Grambling State holds a 44-18-3 mark, including winning the last four meetings
> Grambling State is looking to avoid back-to-back SWAC losses for the first time since 2014
> The last time Grambling State lost two SWAC games came in 2014
> Tigers head coach Broderick Fobbs is 4-0 against Texas Southern, including last year's 54-20 win
> Grambling State scored a series-high 58 points in 2005
 
Last Time Out
> Grambling State raced out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead against Oklahoma Panhandle State
> GSU put the game out of reach with and put the game away with a 27-point second quarter
> Geremy Hickbottom threw three touchdown passes and ran for an additional three scores
> Quintin Guice, Devohn Lindsey and Lyndemian Brooks each caught touchdown passes
> Cecil Cherry capped the scoring and big night with a 37-yard interception return
> Geremy Hickbottom led the ground game with 71 yards on six carries
> Johntavious Robinson rushed four times for 54 yards and one score
> Malcolm Williams and DeAndre McCarthy each recorded five tackles
 
Last Time Against Texas Southern
> Grambling State and Texas Southern last met in 2017 with GSU capturing a 50-24 victory
> Devante Kincade closed out his senior home campaign with four total touchdowns
> Devante Kincade connected with eight different receivers and threw for 247 yards on 21 of 34 passing and rushed seven times for 22 yards
> GSU led 14-3 after one quarter and took a 27-10 into the half
> A Devohn Lindsey 19-yard touchdown reception from Devante Kincade put the game away late in the third quarter
 
Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State had won 26-straight SWAC games during a three-year span, but will now look for its first conference win since 2014
> Senior kicker Marc Orozco is just 24 points shy of becoming the all-time GSU leader by a kicker
> Texas Southern is averaging 19.2 points and 342.6 total yards per game
> Grambling State is averaging 27.2 points and 354.8 total yards per game
 
Accolades 
> Geremy Hickbottom was selected the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week
> De'Arius Christmas is a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy

GSU NOTES (PDF)
TEXAS SOUTHERN NOTES (PDF)
INSIDE THE GAME
LIVE STATS
LISTEN LIVE
WATCH LIVE
 
Dodging Traffic
> It will be a busy weekend in Houston
> Rice has a home game against UAB with a noon (central) kickoff
> Prairie View A&M will be playing host to Southern at 5 p.m.
> With the Boston Red Sox defeating the New York Yankees in the ALCS, the Houston Astros will now play Game 1 and 2 on the road in Fenway Park. If the Yankees had won the series, the Astros would have hosted Game 1 and 2 at Minute Maid Park, which would have caused congested traffic in downtown Houston

Up Next
Grambling State concludes its two-game road swing on Saturday, Oct. 20 in Lorman, Miss. against Alcorn State. Kickoff against the Braves at Spinks-Casem Stadium is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN3 and later broadcasted on ESPNU.
 
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.
 
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: Brian Howard, Sports Information Director
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Ward Paces Lady Tigers against Lady Golden Lions

BOX SCORE

GRAMBLING, Louisiana | Kevreion Ward finished with a match-high 15 kills, but it wasn't enough as the Grambling State University volleyball team fell, 3-0, to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) match on Thursday night at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly.
 
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-15 overall, 3-6 SWAC) took the first two sets, 25-15, and held match point in the third set at 24-23. However, Grambling State (5-18, 3-6) battled back and won the third, 26-25, before dropping the fourth set, 25-18.
 
Ward paced the Lady Tigers with 15 kills on 44 total attacks, with nine errors for a .136 hitting percentage and added eight digs. L'Muriell Thrower and Sheila Borders tallied 19 and 18 assists, respectively. Defensively, Erineka Mollere led the way with a match-high 27 digs, while Talicia Langchipped in with 11 digs.
 
Charis Adefolarim led three Lady Golden Lions players in double-digit kills with 15. Haley Gomez and Kendalle Howard each recorded double-doubles of kills and digs. Gomez registered 12 kills and a team-high 15 digs, while Howard chipped in with 12 kills and 12 digs. Britney Sahlmann finished with a match-high 43 assists, while Cheyenne Odgers added 11 digs.
 
Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State finished with a .086 hitting percentage (43 kills, 30 errors, 152 total attacks)
> Arkansas-Pine Bluff registered 53 kills, 21 errors, 149 total attacks (.215 hitting percentage)
> The Lady Tigers recorded 62 digs, 41 assists, 6.0 total team blocks and two service aces
> The Lady Golden Lions tallied 58 digs, 50 assists, 8.0 total team blocks and five service aces
 
Up Next
Grambling State concludes its three-match homestand on Wednesday, Oct. 17 when Tougaloo College comes to town. The match is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
 
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.

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 

'Penny and Practice' Gives TSU Supporters an Inside Look at the Program

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Friends and supporters of the Tennessee State men’s basketball program gathered at the Gentry Center last night for the first-ever ‘Penny and Practice’ event.

“For the first time doing ‘Penny and Practice’ I think it was great. I’m so glad that we did it,” Head Coach Brian “Penny” Collins said. “We had a chance to meet some potential donors, and fans got an up-close look at our guys. It’s going to grow – I’m already thinking about next year’s event.”



PHOTO GALLERY

The night consisted of dinner and silent auction items before practice got underway. Fans got to see the team go through various drills in a high-tempo, high-energy practice.

Following the practice, a live auction included trips with the team to road games at Kentucky, Memphis, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky. Also through the auction, fans won the opportunity to go through a home game experience at TSU with access to the pregame meal, pregame shoot around and the locker room speech.

The Tigers will host an Oct. 31 exhibition game versus Tennessee Wesleyan at the Gentry Center to open the season before the first official game on Nov. 10 at Lipscomb.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

TSU Tigers Look to Rebound at Murray State

Tennessee State Game Notes | Murray State Game Notes
2018 Tennessee State Media Guide | Live Stats

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

Game 7: Tennessee State (2-2, 1-1) at Murray State (2-3, 2-0)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018
Location: Murray, Ky.
Stadium: Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800)
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN+
Audio: 102.1 FM
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Series Information: This is the 29th meeting with Murray State holding a 15-13 advantage. The teams first met in 1988, a 22-7 win for Murray State on their home field. After the Racers took the first two meetings, Tennessee State came back to earn its first win, 23-17, in 1990 at MSU. The win started a five game streak for the Big Blue before the Racers grabbed the next three contests. MSU went on its own five game win streak from 2008-12. The Tigers won two consecutive meetings before the Racers gained back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016.

Last Meeting: Despite 555 yards of total offense, Tennessee State football team could not hold off Murray State’s second half surge in a 38-31 road defeat. Ronald Butler set career highs for passing yards (329) and rushing yards (109). The Tigers held a 20-17 halftime lead over MSU, before the Racers outscored TSU 21-11 in the second half. LaQuarius Cook tallied 11 total tackles to pace the defense. TSU drove 64 yards in 14 plays on the game’s opening drive, setting up a 31-yard field goal by Lane Clark. MSU used two scores to take a 14-3 after one quarter of play. Patrick Smith picked up his first touchdown of the day on a 20-yard pass from Butler to bring the Big Blue back within four at 14-10. Trailing 17-10, Butler found Sabree Curtis for a 16 yards touchdown. The Tigers closed out the half with Clark’s second of his three field goals, a 25 yarder as time expired.  MSU scored on their first two possessions to take a 31-20 lead, prior to a 20 yard field goal by Clark. Murray State needed just 13 seconds to get back on the scoreboard on a 75-yard pass play. Butler found Smith for a touchdown to bring the Tigers to within nine, but could not get any closer.

Head Coach Rod Reed is in his ninth season at the helm of the Tigers and holds a 51-44 record. Coach Reed earned his 50th victory against Bethune-Cookman and became just the third coach in Tiger history to reach the milestone. John Merritt tops the list with 174 victories in his 20 years (1963-83) for a .806 winning percentage (174-35-7), while Harry Kean spent 10 years in charge of TSU from 1944-54 and compiled a 93-15-3 record (.838). The Big Blue is 8-1 in season openers under Reed, including a 17-10 win at FBS opponent Georgia State in 2017. The lone opening day loss came at the hands of Bethune-Cookman, 12-9, at the 2013 John Merritt Classic.

Tennessee State: The Tigers committed five turnovers, three unforced, leading to a 49-34 loss at Austin Peay. Receiver Chris Rowland registered a career day, catching 11 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Rowland added another 34 yards on punt returns for 213 all purpose yards. Redshirt freshman Shawn McColley led all rushers with 78 yards on 11 touches. Vincent Sellers led the defense in tackles with nine, three solo and one for loss. TSU continues to show success on third downs, converting 47 percent of their opportunities which ranks first in the Ohio Valley Conference and 14th in the nation. The Tigers rank ninth in FCS play averaging 33:35 in time of possession. Rowland leads the country in all purpose yards (187.67/game) and receiving yards per game (138.3/game). The junior also ranks third in receptions per game at 8.7 and sixth in punt returns with a 17.5 average. Dajour Nesbeth continues to be one of the top defenders in FCS, ranking fifth in passes defended (1.8/game) nationally. Freshman Antonio Zita ranks seventh in FCS with 1.75 field goals per game and 14th in FG percentage at .875.

Murray State: The Racers are 2-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play after starting the season with three straight losses. The Racers feature the running of D.J. Penick and Rodney Castille. Penick has rushed 65 times for 376 yards and four touchdowns. Castille averages 8.1 yards/carry, amassing 325 yards on 40 attempts. Drew Anderson runs the offense, averaging 216.6 yards through the air. Anderson has thrown for 1,083 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions, while completing 93-of-166 pass attempts. MSU has shared the ball, as 16 separate players have hauled in a pass, including eight who have eight or more receptions. Malik Honeycutt leads all MSU receivers with 11 receptions for 237 yards. Jonathan Moss, Tyre Gray and Castille have each pulled down 10 passes each. Quincy Williams leads the defense with 48 tackles, 33 solo, 5.0 for loss, four passes defended, three breakups, an interception and a force fumble. Kenny Wooten equaled Williams in stops behind the line of scrimmage and tops the Racers with 4.0 sacks and three quarterback hurries.

Last 10 Results:2016 - Murray State 38, Tennessee State 31
2015 - Murray State 46, Tennessee State 43 OT
2014 - Tennessee State 48, Murray State 33
2013 - Tennessee State 17, Murray State 10
2012 - Murray State 49, Tennessee State 28
2011 - Murray State 58, Tennessee State 27
2010 - Murray State 28, Tennessee State 23
2009 - Murray State 9, Tennessee State 6
2008 - Murray State 24, Tennessee State 17
2007 - Tennessee State 42, Murray State 28

TV: ESPN+. Neal Bradley will serve as play-by-play along with Josh McKeel who will provide analysis.

Radio: 102.1 FM will carry the game live with Greg Pogue (play-by-play), Albert Dawson (analyst), Gary Dawson (sideline) and Craig Ladd (Scoreboard). Pregame will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Quotes:
TSU HEAD COACH ROD REED(on last week’s game at Austin Peay)
“I thought that we came out really, really flat. I didn’t do a good enough job of getting us ready to play this week. Give credit to Austin Peay. They took advantage of everything that we gave them. You just can’t go on the road and turn the ball over five times and give them the ball back in plus territory. They took advantage. They had 14 points off turnovers. It was disappointing. I thought our kids fought hard. I thought we tried to give ourselves a chance to win the game. It was ‘tit for tat’ for a minute, but one too many turnovers.”

(on receiving updates from Staci Abercrombie – mother of Christion Abercrombie) 
Obviously, she texts me every time something good happens. I ask her if she would do that for me and keep me abreast with everything that’s going on. He is showing some improvement and doing some things that are really positive so we’ve got to keep praying and hopefully he’ll continue to progress on a daily basis. I’m really happy for him and the family right now. We’re going to keep praying for them.”

(on facing Murray State)
“We’ve got a good Murray State team that we’re going up against on their turf. We haven’t played particularly well there. They spread the ball around. They’ve got some good running backs. They’ve got good receivers. Defensively, they get after you. They’re not going to let you run the football. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

(on Murray State’s offensive output last week) 
“They still throw the ball. Don’t get it twisted. They still throw the ball a lot. When you get spread out, I think they took what the defense gave them. They were in some three down stuff, and I think they gave up the edges a little bit. They did a really good job. Their backs do a good job of jump cutting and finding the right holes. Their line has done a terrific job blocking. They do just enough to keep you off balance in all areas.”

MURRAY STATE HEAD COACH MITCH STEWART(on last week’s performance)
“I’m really proud of the way the guys played, the way the guys fought. It was an incredible game Saturday night. It always is against a team like Eastern Illinois. Hats off to those guys. They fought their butts off, and we were just fortunate that we were able to find a way to win at the end. I’m very proud of our guys.”

(on his team’s challenge facing TSU)
“Now they have the challenge of racking it back up and doing it again against Tennessee State. They’re a team that is obviously very athletic and plays with a lot of effort. The one thing I always like is when I watch another team, I like to watch their kickoff unit and see the way that they cover because I think you can tell a lot about their team watching their kickoff unit cover. Tennessee State’s kickoff coverage team is downright scary the way that those guys run and the effort that they have covering the field. We’ve got our hands full. I think it will be a great atmosphere. It’s going to be beautiful weather, and we’re hoping to get as many people in the seats as possible.”

(on preparing for TSU with only four games to go off of)
“Obviously, that factors into your preparation because you don’t have a lot of stuff to go off of this year. Tennessee State is an athletic bunch. They’re big, they’re physical and they play hard. Coach (Rod) Reed has done a tremendous job. The effort with which his kids play with is tremendous. They play very, very hard, and they’ve got some explosive players. Chris Rowland. Holy smokes. That dude can go. He’s as electric as they come.”

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CHIDI OKEKE
(on moving on after the loss)
“It was tough, especially losing our lineman to injury. I didn’t think we played well even before the injury came up. All we have to do is come back next week and do what we have to do. Stay locked in.”

LINEBACKER JAHSUN BRYANT(on what the defense did well against Austin Peay)
“I thought we did well in all aspects of the defense, its just mental errors. We had a linebacker fall down – Blair Edwards. I had to step up, and it didn’t fall off one bit, but it’s a tough loss.”

(on how to put Austin Peay behind them)
“We just go to practice, go to work, watch film and keep going.” 

WIDE RECEIVER AL-MALIK MOORE(on moving on from the loss)
“You just go to practice. Everyone has to get their head right. Everybody has to come and play together as a team.”

(on facing Murray State)
“Really, everyone has to play together as a team. We all have one goal, and that’s to win.”

LINEBACKER DANTE' FERGUSON, JR.(on the defense's effort against Austin Peay) 
“We were trying to play strategically throughout, we had a set game plan and things didn’t work out like we planned.”

(on the pre-game prayer versus Austin Peay)
“It meant a lot because we see Christion as our brother. We may not be blood, but we built a bond over the summer. It’s his first year on the team, and we felt like this is our brother and we’re losing a part of our team with our brother in the hospital.”

(on how the team responded during the week)
“We’re very active in practice. We just have to do more to get the W because we did not do what we’ve practiced. We have to do more to execute.”

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama A&M hosting Alcorn State in SWAC East showdown

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Aqeel Glass noticed the potential early.

While spending time with his receivers during the hot, humid days of summer, Glass realized he was surrounded by an abundance of playmakers.

All Glass had to do was get the ball in their hands.

Through six games this season, that has not been a problem.



Glass has completed passes to 14 different receivers and is the quarterback of one of the SWAC's most productive offenses, which has Alabama A&M in contention for the conference's East Division title.

Alabama A&M (3-3, 2-1 in SWAC) hosts Alcorn State (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday for homecoming. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

This is a contest between the top two teams in the East Division standings.

"This is a huge conference game," Alabama A&M coach Connell Maynor said. "Alcorn has been the best team in our division for the past four years. They've been the standard on this side of the conference.

"It's like they say, 'to be the best, you have to beat the best.' So this is a great opportunity for our players to compete and see if we can take that next step."

Glass has been a significant factor in Alabama A&M's success.

The 6-foot-5 and 215-pound sophomore from St. Louis is No. 3 in the conference in passing yards per game (196.7) and passing efficiency (121.9). Glass has passed for 1,180 yards and 10 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions.

But what is most impressive is how Glass consistently spreads the football around. He has completed passes to 14 different receivers, which is the most in the SWAC, and Alabama A&M has four receivers with more than 100 receiving yards.

Freshman Brian Jenkins Jr. leads Alabama A&M with 332 receiving yards and a touchdown on 28 catches (11.9 yards per catch), while Marceles Clash has 187 yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions (12.5 yards per catch). Zabrian Moore has 153 yards and a touchdown, while Octayvious Miles has 129 yards and a touchdown.

"We established a strong working relationship with Aqeel during the offseason," Jenkins said. "Everything that's happening now is a product of the work we put in this summer."

Glass agreed.

"We've got a lot of playmakers on our team," he said. "During the offseason, we got a lot of good work in, building a good connection with timing, routes, etc.

"All of these guys are extremely competitive and can make things happen when you get the ball in their hands. Every single one of them is capable of having a huge game on any given week."

Glass has grown this season as a passer, but the area most discussed by Alabama A&M's coaching staff is his development at making correct reads.

Alabama A&M's new offensive system is heavily dependent on run-pass options, which means the quarterback's pre- and post-snap reads dictate whether or not a play is successful.

"And Aqeel has done a good job of making the right decisions," Maynor said. "For example, last week the coaches said in the headset that Aqeel should throw the ball to Octayvious when the ball was snapped, and that's the decision he made.

"That's happening more times than not. When the quarterback and the offensive coordinator are seeing the same thing, you've got a recipe for success."

Now Alabama A&M is facing one of the nation's top defenses. Alcorn State is ranked No. 2 in the FCS in total defense, holding opponents to 242 yards per game. Alabama A&M is ranked 39th in the FCS, and second in the SWAC, in total defense, holding opponents to 369.7 yards per game.

Alabama A&M will try and counter that with a balanced offensive attack. The Bulldogs are averaging 145 rushing yards and 206.8 passing yards per game.

Trevon Walters rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns last week during a 42-21 win at Texas Southern.

Walters leads Alabama A&M with 323 yards and four touchdowns, while Jordan Bentley has rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns.

"Balance is what you want from an offense," Maynor said. "When you're balanced, effective at running and passing the football, you've got a great opportunity for success."

Alcorn State at Alabama A&M
2018 Homecoming
KICKOFF: 2 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium
RECORDS: Alcorn State (4-2, 2-1 in SWAC); Alabama A&M (3-3, 2-1)
PRE-GAME ACTIVITIES: Kid's Zone at softball field; Athletic Director's Tent at intersection of Holloway and Bates Circle; Bulldog Walk at 12:45 p.m.
HALFTIME FESTIVITIES: Check presentations from National Space Club and Inspire and Achieve; Aramark Presentation; Miss AAMU and Homecoming Court; President's Welcome; Performance by Marching Maroon and White.

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

SSU women's basketball program announces seven newcomers for the 2018-19 season

CEDRIC BAKER
HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Savannah State University head women's basketball coach Cedric Baker has announced his team's recruiting class for the 2018-19 season.
 
These student-athletes hail from four different states and range in height from five-foot-eight to six-foot-four.
 
Among the new players is Savannah native Ja'Brekia Bass.
 
Bass, a 5'8" guard played at Beach High School. During her senior year at Beach she averaged 9.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. She made second team All-State, All Greater Savannah girls' basketball First Team and Region 3-AAA First Team. As a  junior, she averaged 9.5 points and 7 rebounds per game in helping her team win the Class AAA state championship. She also made first team All-State, All Greater Savannah girls basketball first team and was named Region 3-AAA Player of the Year.
 
Rounding out the newcomers are Robbi Allen, Ta'Quasia Lampkin, Azhana Maxwell, Mya Jones, Le'andrea Gillis and Alexus Bryant.
 
Allen, a 5-8 guard from Nashville, North Carolina, averaged 19.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game at Nash Central High School. She was the 2017-18 Telegram All-Area Girls Player of the Year, 2017-18 Eastern Plains Athletic Conference Player of the Year and made First Team All-District 3. She also scored a career-high and school record 39 points during a game.
 
Lampkin, a 6-1 guard hails from Beaufort, South Carolina, where she averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game at Battery Creek High School. She was First Team All-LowCo, First Team All-State Class 3A and was selected to play in the South Carolina State All-Star Game.

Maxwell, a 5'9" guard from Lithonia, Georgia, averaged 22.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game at Martin Luther King High School. She ended her high school career with 1,972 points. She was named the DeKalb County Tip Off Most Valuable Player, made Class AAAAAA All-State Second Team, and was named Region 4-AAAAAA Most Valuable Player. As a junior she was named to the Region 4-AAAAAA First Team and during her sophomore year made the Region 4-AAAAAA Second Team.

 Jones, a 5'10" guard from Commerce, Ga., averaged 21.6 points, 4.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game at Franklin County High School. During her senior season, she led her team to the Class AAA Final Four, made the Class AAA  All-State First Team and selected to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Game. She made the Class AAA All-State First Team as a junior and during her sophomore year made Class A All-State Second Team and was named Region 8-A Player of the Year.

Gillis, a 5'10" forward from Adrian, Ga. is an ESPN three star player that was ranked the 74th best wing prospect in class of 2018. She sat out her senior year at Truetlen County High School due to injury, but during her junior year she made Class A All-State First Team, All-Middle Georgia First Team and was named Region 3-A Player of the Year while averaging 24.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 3.3 steals per game. During her sophomore campaign she averaged 22.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and made Class A All-State First Team, All-Middle Georgia First Team and Region 3-A Player of the Year. As a freshman she earned Class A All-State Second Team, All-Middle Georgia First Team and Region 3-A First Team.

Bryant, a 6'4" post player from Jacksonville, FL, averaged 14.7 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, as a senior at First Coast High School. She received Honorable Mention Gateway Conference.

SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Game Central Football: SSU vs. Morgan State

COURTESY: SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Savannah State Tigers I Game Notes: Click Here (PDF)

(1-4, 0-2 MEAC)
vs.
Morgan State Bears I Game Notes: Click Here
(1-4, 0-1 MEAC)
October 13, 2018
Theodore A. Wright Stadium
(Savannah, Ga. 6 p.m.)

Listen Live Radio: 90.3 FM Savannah Click Here
Live Stats Link: Click Here
TV: ESPN3
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Tigers on Instagram (Follow for game photos): Click Here
Purchase Tickets Online: Click Here

The Series:  Morgan State leads, 10-0

After getting their first overall win of the season, the Tigers look for their first conference win when the team takes on Morgan State University on Saturday in Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

Tiger Bites

- This is the third of four consecutive home games for the Tigers. SSU is 1-1 so far in this four home-games stretch; falling to Bethue-Cookman, then defeating Charleston Southern.

- The Tigers are currently the national and MEAC leader in punt returns averaging 30.2 yards per return.

- SSU's win over Charleston Southern was the first time the Tigers defeated a team from the Big South Conference.
 
MR. ALL PURPOSE
JaMichael Baldwin leads SSU with 502 all-purpose yards. He has 359 kick return yards, four rushing yards, 18 receiving yards, and 121 punt return yards.
 
THE RAEBURN FILE
SSU head coach Erik Raeburn is known as a rebuilder. In his first head coaching job at Coe, he had back-to-back 6-4 seasons. In his third season, his team went 10-2 and made the Division III playoffs. At Wabash, he made the Division III playoffs his first two years. He went 8-2 in his third year, but bounced back to go 12-1 in his fourth season and earned another trip to the Division III playoffs. SSU went 3-7 in Raeburn's first season with the Tigers and 3-8 a year ago so there is optimism in the air on the marsh.

LONG RETURN
Donald Rutledge's 75 yard interception return against Charleston Southern was the 5th longest in school history behind Neely Lovett (100 yds), Reggie Jackson (95 yds), Ulysses Smith (90 yds) and Chris Gillam (76 yds).
 
BIRTHDAY WISHES
Kicker Giovanni Lugo was born Oct. 9 and defensive back Terrence McCray was born Oct. 13.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
SSU's defense held Charleston Southern to no touchdowns and just 123 total yards. It was the best effort by a SSU defense since 1998 when they held Elizabeth City to zero yards total offense in a 16-2 victory.
 
THIRD QUARTER BLUES
SSU has been out-scored 59-0 in the third quarter this season.
 
PICK 'EM
Dating back to last season, SSU defenders have intercepted at least one pass in the past six games.
 
CAREER-HIGH
Defensive lineman Aaron Robinson had a career-high nine tackles against Charleston Southern.

LOOKING BACK
The 1998 Savannah State football team finished their season giving up just 143 points.

200 CLUB
Stefen Banks had six tackles against Charleston Southern and now has 200 for his career.
 
WATCH LIST
Senior defensive lineman Stefen Banks has been named to the Black College Hall of Fame 2018 Black College Player of the Year Watch List.
 
PRO TIES
Defensive line coach Tom Sims, safeties coach Paul Humphries and corner back coach Glenn Davis all played professional football. Sims played defensive line in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings. Humphries played for a pair of seasons in 1997 and 1999 in the Canadian Football League for the British Columbia Lions and Toronto Argonauts. Davis played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL and three years of arena football with the Orlando Predators, the Carolina Cobras and the Wilkes-Barre Pioneers.
 
WHERE'S THE BEEF
Eight members of the SSU team weigh at least 300 pounds.
 
MILITARY MAN
SSU defensive back Terrance McCray is a military veteran. The junior from Charlotte served in the Marines.
 
DID YOU KNOW
Former SSU head football coach Theodore "Ted" Wright was also the head football coach at FAMU. At SSU, Wright is known more for his days as a head basketball coach.
 
ABOUT THE MEAC
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a NCAA Division I Conference, is in its 45th year of operation heading into the 2015-16 academic school year. 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.

HOME GROWN
Seven members of the team hail from Savannah and come from six different of the local high schools (New Hampstead, Islands, Bible Baptist, Johnson, Windsor Forest and Jenkins .
 
THE SIZE OF IT
Sophomore offensive lineman Michael Johnson is the largest player on the squad at 330 pounds while wide receiver Monroe Thorton is the smallest at 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds. Johnson along with tight end Steve Hagan are both listed  at 6-foot-7.
 
MOVING BACK TO D-II
In April 2017, the Savannah State administration made the decision to move SSU athletics from Division I to Division II. SSU began the three-year transitional period in July of 2018. This is the final season the Tigers will play as members of the MEAC.

SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS