This Is Game Week: Morgan State vs. Delaware State

GAME TIME
Morgan State (2-7, 1-4) looks to snap a 3-game losing streak when they host Delaware State (2-7, 2-4) in the final home game of the season. The match-up will kick-off in Hughes Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. and will be televised live by ESPN3 and  broadcast by WEAA, 88.9 FM. The Bears enter the 2018 season under the leadership of interim head coach Ernest T. Jones. Delaware State completed the 2017 season with a 2-9 overall mark and went 2-6 in the MEAC. The Hornets will enter the contest fresh off 25-9 victory against Savannah State 25-9 last Saturday in Dover.

GAME COVERAGE

TELEVISION: SPORTSfever Television Network (STN) will be broadcasting the game live ... Phil Shoener will handle the play-by-play duties with color analyst Emory Hunt.

•  National platform (86 million HHs)
ESPN3 (Accessible on line at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. ESPN3 also airs on DirecTV with the ESPN app—available to 20 million DirecTV subscribers—and on Xfinity with Xfinity X1 Voice Remote and X1 App—available to 22.5 million Xfinity subscribers, including 5 million in Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic region.)
 
•  Baltimore DMA (1.1 million HHs)
WBAL 11.2 Me TV (11.2 over-the-air, Comcast 208/HD 1169, Anne Arundel 165, Atlantic Broadband 520, Armstrong 92/453, Easton Utilities 91, Verizon FiOS 460, Dish Network 247)
 
•  Delay & Replay Sunday November 11 7 am and Midnight, Tuesday November 13 1 pm, Wednesday November 14 Noon
Cleveland, Erie, Youngstown, Columbus, Buffalo, Akron, Toledo, Charleston DMAs (2.6 million HHs)
SPORTS TIME OHIO (Erie Time Warner 21-23/HD308-1308, Armstrong 47/HD177, Sharon Time Warner 76/HD 308-1308, DirecTV 662, Dish Network 431)
 
LIVE STREAM: ESPN3

RADIO: WEAA, 88.9 FM is the flagship station for the Morgan State Bears ... Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play with Renard Stubbs and Kelvin Bridgers in the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org. 

LIVE STATS: Click Here

SOCIAL NETWORKS
Fans can keep up-to-date with all MSU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/MorganStBears and @MorganStateFootball. You can also become a fan of the Bears on Facebook at Facebook.com/MorganStateBears.

TICKETS
Season ticket plans—which include a ticket to all five home games, including homecoming start at only $95. Premium seats are now available for purchase by calling 443.885.1522 or visiting MSU Student Center Athletics Ticket Office during business hours (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or visit  morganstatebears.com/tickets.

THE SERIES
• Saturday's matchup marks the 63rd meeting between the two schools.  
• Morgan State leads the series against Delaware State with an overall record of 35-27.
• The Bears have won 8 of the last 10 meetings against Delaware State since 2008, including a string of 7-straight (2010-2016).

THE COACHES
•  Morgan State - Ernest T. Jones (Alcorn State, '95) joined the Bears as the Defensive Coordinator in 2016 and was previously a JUCO head coach at ASA Miami (2015 - 8-2 record); he has also worked at Connecticut, Notre Dame, Univ. of Buffalo, Cincinnati, Alcorn State, Central Michigan, Oberlin, Kentucky State and Concordia. CAREER RECORD (12-19, 2 yrs); RECORD AT MSU (2-7, 1st yr).
•  Delaware State - Rod Milstead (Delaware State, '92) enters his first season as head coach at DSU. He was a standout offensive lineman for the Hornets from 1988 to '91 before an eight-year career in the National Football League. He was a member of San Francisco's 1995 Super Bowl champion squad. RECORD AT DSU (2-7, 1st yr), CAREER RECORD (same).

QUICK HITS
•QB DJ Golatt Jr. had one of the best performances by a Bear this season. The redshirt-freshman threw completed 19 of 39 passes for 257 yards and tossed three touchdowns last Saturday against Bethune-Cookman. 
• The Bears recorded a season-high 229 yards on the ground against UAlbany and had 226 vs. Howard.
• Three players on defense have totaled 30 or more tackles thus far, led by senior LB Damare' Whitaker, who ranks second in the MEAC with 75 total tackles (52 solo). LB Ian McBorrough (65 tackles, 9 TFLs, 6 sacks) and LB Rico Kennedy (52 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2.5 sacks) are second and third in tackles, respectively.
• MSU's defense ranks T-No. 1 in the MEAC in turnovers gained with 16 (13 interceptions, 5 fumbles).
• The Bears defense held Bethune-Cookman to just 26 passing yards.
• The Bears rank No. 2 in the league in sacks (23).
• Ernest T. Jones' Bears are predicted to finish 9th in the MEAC's 2018 Preseason Order of Finish.

LAST TIME vs. DELAWARE STATE - NOV. 11, 2017
DOVER, Del. -- Keenan Black threw a touchdown pass to Trey Gross, then threw for the two-point conversion, with nine seconds remaining to give Delaware State a 33-30 edge over Morgan State.
•The Hornets (2-8, 2-6 MEAC) trailed 30-25 when Black fired a 3-yard touchdown to Gross with nine seconds left to play and followed that with a two-point conversion pass for the final score.
•Delaware fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter and was down 23-13 at the break. A Wisdom Nzidee field goal midway through the third and a 23-yard scoring pass from Black to Kwannah Kollie tied it up at 23-all as the quarter ended.
•Black finished with 234 yards and four touchdowns passing. Nyfease West ran for 119 yards on 19 carries.
•Sophomore DeAndre Harris, making his first start of the season, completed 20 of 27 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns for the Bears (1-9, 1-6). Harris also led the Bears on the ground with 12 carries for 86 yards (7.2 avg).

A WIN WOULD ... 
...give Ernest T. Jones his third win as MSU's head coach and his 13th career win.
... mark the Bears' first win against Delaware State since a 20-17 win on Oct. 1, 2016 in Baltimore.
... mark MSU's first home win of the season.
... improve the Bears' all-time series record lead to 36-27 since 1945.
... mark the Bears third win of the season - matching the most wins since 2016.

A GLANCE AT THE DELAWARE STATE
•  Delaware State finished 2017 with an overall mark of 2-9 and went 2-6 in conference play. The Hornets finished 0-7 in road contests.
•  DSU enters Saturday's contest riding a 2-game winning streak with wins versus N.C. Central (28-13) and a 25-6 win last week against Savannah State. 
•  Head coach Rod Milstead' (DSU, 91) offense ranks No. 6 in the league averaging 306.2 yards of total offense (188.4 rushing; 117.8 passing). They have scored 7 rushing TDs and 7 passing. DSU is averaging 15.9 points per contest (No. 9 in MEAC).
•  DSU's offense is led by sophomore QB Jack McDaniels. The 6-3, 215-pound Lorton (Va.) product has completed 63-of-128 passes (49.2%)  for 628 yards (Ranks No. 9), with 5 TDs and 5 INTs. 
• RB Brycen Alleyne is averaging 4.6 yards per carry with three TDs. The 5-6, 165 pound senior has 487 yards (No. 5 in MEAC) on 107 carries, while sophomore Mike Waters (5-8, 210) has 83 carries for 338 yards.
• Senior wideout Taronn Selby  (5-11, 175) and sophomore Trey Gross (6-4, 200,) are two ofHornets' top receivers. Selby has 29 catches for 263 yards (29.2 avg/g) and a TD, while Gross (Annapolis, Md.) has 27 catches for a team high 444 yards (49.3 avg/g) and 3 TDs. 
• DSU is allowing 381.1 yards of total offense (rushing 180.1; passing 201.8). 
• The Hornets rank No. 2 in the league in running the football by averaging 188.4 yards per contest. 
• DSU ranks No. 3 in the league in time of possession (30:10).
• DSU's D is led by sophomore LB  Brian Cavicante (Portsmouth, Va.) and DB   Jahad Neibauer(Harrisburg, Pa.). Cavicante, (6-0, 220) leads the league in tackles (77) and tackles for loss (15.5). He also has a sack and two fumble recoveries. Neibauer (5-10, 185) ranks No. 11 with 56 stops to go along with 7.0 TFL and ranks No. 9 in the MEAC in passes defended (6 BUs, INT). He was recently named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording a sack in the endzone for a safety, an interception and 30-yard return, in addition to five solo tackles to lead the Hornets' defensive effort last week against Savannah State.

PRESEASON PICKED 9TH 
Morgan State was picked to finish ninth (9th) to MEAC defending champion and Preseason #1 North Carolina A&T and #2 Howard.
 
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Seven (7) Morgan State football players were named to the 2018 MEAC preseason team, which was voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.  Senior defensive lineman Malachi Washington and junior linebacker Rico Kennedy were first-team selections. Senior offensive linemen Joshua Miles and Matthew Thompson were third-team picks, along with junior wideout Manasseh Bailey, junior linebacker Ian McBorrough, and senior defensive back Carl Garnes. The seven preseason All-MEAC performers are part of a group of 37 lettermen and 16 starters returning for the 2018 Morgan State football season.
 
BEARS OPEN 120th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 120th season of football and will open the 2018 campaign under interim head coach Ernest T. Jones, set to enter his first year at the helm and his third year at Morgan State.
 
RETURN MEN 
The 2018 Morgan State Bears return 37 letterwinners, including 16 starters - 7 on offense, 8 on defense and 1 on special teams.
 
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS 
The Bears enter the 2018 season looking to post their first winning season since going 6-5 in 2009. MSU's 7-6 record in 2014 was vacated. 
 
NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Bears will open the 2018 campaign against four non-conference opponents. MSU opens the season against Towson (Sept. 1) in the 'Battle for Greater Baltimore', followed by road trips versus  Akron (Sept. 9), Univ. at Albany (Sept. 15) and the N.C. A&T (Sept. 22) game will also be recorded as a non-conference contest. 
 
BEARS OPEN 41st SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 41st season in the MEAC when they host South Carolina State for Homecoming on Oct. 6.
• The Bears opened the 2017 MEAC schedule with a 49-17 loss against #15 N.C. A&T at Hughes Stadium. 
• The Bears kicked off its first season in the MEAC in 1971. Morgan State withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fiscal year, before returning to the MEAC in 1984.
 
EDWARD SCOTT NAMED TO FCS ADA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Division I Football Subdivision Athletics Directors Association announced that Morgan State's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Edward Scott will serve on its Executive Committee. Scott represents the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE CLASSROOM
The Morgan State football team has had great success in the classroom.
• Most recently, the Bears produced a 3.24 GPA during Summer 2018.
• The 2017-18 school year saw the Bears achieve their highest single-year GPA in program history.
• The program had 31 Athletic Director Honor Roll Members in the Fall of 2017, a 41% increase from the previous Fall. 

MORGAN'S 1968 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM TO BE HONORED 
Morgan State's 1968 CIAA Championship Football team celebrates its 50th Year Anniversary for its historic Morgan vs. Grambling football game was held on September 28, 1968.
• Morgan's 1968 CIAA Championship team compiled a record of 8 wins and 1 loss to end the winning streak record of 32 victories and 1 loss from 1964 thru 1968.
• The team will be honored at halftime of the Morgan State vs. Bethune-Cookman contest on Nov. 3rd at Hughes Stadium.

MSU LEGEND EDDIE P. HURT NAMED TO 2019 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME BALLOT
76 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 100 players and 32 coaches from the divisional ranks make-up the 2019 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.  Morgan State head coach Eddie P. Hurt is among the list of nominees.
•  Hurt led Morgan's football teams to six Black College National Championships and won 14 CIAA titles. 
• Eleven of his squads executed undefeated seasons, including a non-losing string of games from 1932 to 1938. 
•  His 1943 team did not allow a score from a single opponent.

MSU SENIORS PREPARE FOR FINAL GAME
The following is the list of the Morgan State senior football players who will be competing in their last regular season as collegiate student-athletes. These 15 seniors will be working diligently to complete their final courses so they can obtain their degree and take a step into the world as educated young men. The 2018 seniors are:

3	Corey Holmes	Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
86	Mujahid Fricke	North Brookside, N.J.
66	Joshua Miles	Baltimore, Md.
74	Matthew Thompson	Perry Hall, Md.
59	Adrien Allen	Baltimore, Md.
12	Alex Raya	Beaumont, Calif.
22	William King	Baltimore, Md.
7	Damare' Whitaker	Washington, D.C.
50	John Honeycutt	Baltimore, Md.
99	Antoine McCray	Forestville, Md.
9	Ayodeji Agbelese	Lanham, Md.
55	Chris Fatogoma	Baltimore, Md.
53	Joshua Holley	Baltimore, Md.
25	Darius Johnson	Baltimore, Md.
24	Corvon'Tra Revell	Suffolk, Va.

FOLLOW US IN CYBERSPACE 
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
• Follow us on social media:
            Facebook: /MorganStateBears
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MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BEARS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Former MSU Head Coach Earl Banks Selected As 2018 AFCA Trailblazer Award Recipient

WACO, Texas – Earl Banks, former head coach at Morgan State University, has been named the American Football Coaches Association's recipient of the 2018 Trailblazer Award. The award will be presented, posthumously, during the AFCA Honors Luncheon on Monday, January 7, at the 2019 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

The AFCA Trailblazer Award was created to honor early leaders in the football coaching profession who coached at historically black colleges and universities. Past Trailblazer Award winners include Charles Williams, Hampton (2004); Cleve Abbott, Tuskegee (2005); Arnett Mumford, Southern (2006); Billy Nicks, Prairie View A&M (2007); Alonzo "Jake" Gaither, Florida A&M (2008); Fred "Pops" Long, Wiley (2009); Harry R. "Big Jeff" Jefferson, Bluefield State (2010); Edward P. Hurt, Morgan State (2011); Vernon "Skip" McCain, Maryland-Eastern Shore (2012); Marino Casem, Alcorn State (2013); Gideon Smith, Hampton (2014); Eddie Robinson, Grambling State (2015); Oree Banks, South Carolina State and West Virginia State (2016) and John Merritt, Jackson State and Tennessee State (2017).

Banks played football for the University of Iowa from 1946 until 1949, and was an All-Big Ten and All-America selection at guard. After graduating from Iowa in 1950, Banks joined the New York Yankees of the old American Football Conference, but an injury cut his professional playing career short after just one season.

In 1951, Banks became the defensive line coach and head baseball coach at Maryland State College. During his time there, he led the baseball team to four Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships.

In 1960, Banks took over the head coaching position at Morgan State from 2011 Trailblazer Award winner, Edward Hurt. In his 14 seasons as head coach, he would lead the Bears to six CIAA titles, one CIAA Northern Division championship and one Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. Banks had an overall record of 96-31-2 after he retired from coaching 1973 and produced three undefeated seasons from 1965 through 1967. He guided Morgan State to four bowl games, winning the 1965 Orange Blossom Classic and the 1966 Tangerine Bowl.

Banks sent countless players to the NFL, including Willie Lanier to the Kansas City Chiefs, Leroy Kelly to the Cleveland Browns, George Nock to the Washington Redskins and John Fuqua to the Pittsburgh Steelers, to name a few. But turning out professional players was not Banks main concern. He was quoted as saying, "I want to develop a good citizen, a man who can contribute something and give back to society. I try to treat a player like he is my son. I want him to tell me his troubles. As for the professional angle, if I think he's among the chosen few who can make it, then I try to get him ready for that profession. If he's not, then I stress getting everything he can out of his schooling so he can find a decent job when he graduates. I want him to reach the pinnacle of success in whatever field of endeavor he chooses."

From 1970 to 1983, Banks also served as the athletic director at Morgan State. In 1992, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1993, at the age of 69, Banks was killed in a car crash when he suffered a heart attack and lost control of his car.

The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football."

For more information on the AFCA and its programs, visit www.afca.com, or follow us on Twitter @WeAreAFCA.

By Vince Thompson, AFCA
AMERICAN FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION

90th Eagle-Aggie Rivalry Football Game to Air on ESPNU/ESPN3

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The 90th gridiron meeting between rivals North Carolina Central University and North Carolina A&T State University has been selected by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) to air on ESPN3 on Saturday, Nov. 17 in Durham, N.C. at 2 p.m. and will re-air on ESPNU that evening.

All games on an ESPN network are available through WatchESPN, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

The highly-anticipated Eagle-Aggie rivalry contest will once again feature a pair of teams that have shared or won the past four MEAC Football Championships outright. Both teams have participated in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl and are once again in the mix for the 2018 MEAC Football Championship hunt. North Carolina A&T State is currently ranked 14th in the latest STATS FCS and 13th in the FCS Coaches polls while North Carolina Central leads the MEAC in several statistical catagories while also boasting an 11-3 record in the month of November since 2014.

The Eagles have won three of the last four match-ups, but the Aggies triumphed by a score of 24-10 last season.

This marks the third consecutive season the game will be televised on an ESPN network.

MEAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama State Football and Jackson State set to battle Saturday

MONTGOMERY, Alabama | The battle for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division is picking up as the weeks count down in the 2018 season, and two of the teams battling for the crown meet Saturday afternoon at ASU Stadium.

Alabama State (3-5, 2-2 SWAC) and Jackson State (4-4, 3-2 SWAC) will face each other at 2 pm Saturday afternoon in a game shown on ESPN3. The game will be carried on the Hornet Sports Network beginning with the pregame at 1:30 pm.

Although Jackson State leads the all-time series 28-13-1, the Hornets have won the last four meetings and six of the last eight in the series. Alabama State was able to come away with a 13-3 victory last season in Jackson, however, the last three meetings have been decided by an average of just seven points per game. Dating back to 2010, only three games in the series have been decided by 10 or more points, including last season.

Alabama State enters the contest after a 30-21 victory over Texas Southern, ending a two-game losing streak for the Hornets and giving the team their second win at home on the season. The Hornets rode the arm and leg of KHA'Darris Davis, who finished with 104 yards rushing and 275 total yards of offense. He also accounted for three touchdowns on the day – one on the ground and two through the air. They also used an interception return from Joshua Hill – one of two interceptions on the day for the junior – and a safety by Trevor Goodrum to run past the visiting Tigers.

The last time Hill had multiple interceptions in a game came last season when the then-sophomore helped Alabama State pick off five Jackson State passes en route to the victory.

On the defensive side of the ball this season, Darron Johnson (61 tackles) leads the team in tackles. He, along safeties Kurron Ramsey (52) and Hill (43), have continued to lead the team in tackles. The Hornets are among the nation's best in fumbles forced and recovered this season, and have recorded 53 tackles for loss and 10 tackles as a team.

Offensively, Ezra Gray returned for the first time in two weeks against Texas Southern and caught three passes out of the backfield to lead the team alongside Jeremiah Hixon, who caught his first touchdown pass in his career. Wallace Corker leads the team in receiving this season with 17 receptions, while Tyrek Allen leads the team in big-play receptions with three touchdowns over 65 yards.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University football, follow us on social media at @BamaStateFB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook), and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State University athletics at BamaStateSports.com.



ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama State TFXC set to compete in NCAA Regionals at FSU

MONTGOMERY, Alabama | After claiming the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) cross country championship back on October 22, Alabama State has had time to rest and train for this week's NCAA South Region meet in Tallahassee.

The meet will be hosted by Florida State at the Apalachee Regional Park, a course the Seminoles were to host a meet earlier this season that was washed out due to the Hurricane. It was also a meet the Hornets were prepared to run in near the end of the regular season.

The Lady Hornets qualified as a full team, and are led by Arion Span who finished second in the SWAC championships with a time of 18:33.05. The junior finished behind Scolasticah Kemei of Mississippi Valley State and ahead of Grambling State's Naomi Kiprop to help the Lady Hornets capture the team crown.

Mariyah Archibald, running her first conference championship race, finished ninth for the Lady Hornets with a time of 19:31.39; followed by fellow freshman Vinnelle Grant in 12th with a time of 19:52.92. Hannah Mezidor rounded out the top 20 for Alabama State, finishing 16th with a time of 20:04.83.

On the men's side, Matthew Kibet qualified to run this week at the regionals with his eighth-place finish at the SWAC championships – which earned him all-conference honors. He finished with a time of 26:45.47 in his first conference championship race.

The meet is scheduled to be run Friday morning, beginning at 8:30 am.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University cross country, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateTFXC (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

UAPB men ready to run at NCAA South Central Regionals

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions shocked the Southwestern Athletic Conference world by claiming its first SWAC Cross Country Championship since 1993 and the first under head coach Chris McCoy. For the last few weeks, the team has been training and preparing for the next step; the 2018 NCAA Cross Country South Regional Championship in Texas at the Watts Cross Country Course. The 10K race is scheduled for Friday, November 9 at 10:15 a.m. on the campus of Texas A&M.

"I knew we had a good chance of winning a conference championship," said McCoy. "We had the people and the personnel available to win, so we just had to put it all together. We had three guys come in from junior college, and when I recruited them, I knew they could run. They were really humble and ready to be a part of a championship team, so it all worked out. As for my returners, we started off a little slow. We had to get back in shape because it was a long summer. The good thing is that they wanted to run faster than they ran last year, so if they listened, I knew we would have a better chance at being successful this season."

On the morning of Monday, October 22, Coach McCoy and his team were prepared to do whatever it takes to win a SWAC championship. Prior to this race, McCoy's teams were inching closer to the top, but never finished better than third place, until now.

"The morning of our race, my motivational speech was simple," said Coach McCoy. "I told my team to go and run for yourself. If you take care of self, everything else will fall in place. We stopped using the term 'run,' so now we use 'race.' If they race to their capability, we knew we could win a championship."

And that's exactly what the Golden Lions did; UAPB finished with a total of 62 points as Wade Garner led the way with a fourth place finish, posting a time of 26:20.3. With a time of 26:50.44, Laurel Heath finished in 10th place for UAPB. Garner earned First-Team All-SWAC Men's Cross Country honors while Heath earned Second-Team All-SWAC honors.

Friday's race is uncharted territory for this group; tis is the first time that a McCoy led team is heading to the NCAA Cross Country South Regional Championship, but coach is confident in his team.

"I feel like we can go out there and finish in the top 20. The team is excited and we look forward to the challenge."

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Nuggets sweep GCAC awards; Ducros a first-time winner

NEW ORLEANS — Taylor Ducros became the sixth Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball student-athlete of 2018 to receive a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference weekly award when she was chosen Defender of the Week for Oct. 29-Nov. 4.
     
The Gold Nuggets swept the three honors. Kayla Black is Attacker of the Week for the third time this season, and Eva Le Guillou is Setter of the Week for the eighth time. XULA was 3-0 this past week, including two victories against Tougaloo to win the GCAC regular-season championship by two matches over the Lady Bulldogs.
     
Ducros, a junior from the New Orleans suburb of Luling, La., and a graduate of McGehee School, had 36 digs, averaged four digs per set and had no errors in 18 receptions of serve. She produced a match-high 13 digs in the first victory against Tougaloo, then shared match honors the second time against Tougaloo with 11 digs.
     
Ducros helped XULA limit Tougaloo to .027 hitting, including minus-.116 in the first meeting.
     
Black, a sophomore from the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, and a graduate of St. Pius X High School, hit .367 with 45 kills (5.63 per set) and 19 digs. Black had nine kills in the third set at Tougaloo and finished with match highs of 20 kills and 11 digs. Her 20 kills are a school record in a three-set match.
     
Le Guillou, named the NAIA National Setter of the Week Tuesday, produced 102 assists (12.75 per set) and five aces. A sophomore from Velizy-Villacoublay, France, Le Guillou at Tougaloo set a school record for assists in a three-set match with 45.
     
The GCAC weekly awards are the first for Ducros in volleyball — she also won during the 2017 track and field season — the sixth of Black's career and the 11th of Le Guillou's career. Le Guillou extended her all-sports school record for weekly awards in a season and tied teammate Tiffany Phillips for the most career volleyball awards.
     
The Gold Nuggets (24-6) are the No. 1 seed in the GCAC Tournament at SUNO. They have a first-round bye and will play in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday against fourth-seeded Edward Waters or fifth-seeded Talladega. The championship match will start at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Week 10 MEAC Fan Choice (Play & Player)

NORFOLK, Virginia -- In the closest vote yet seen, North Carolina A&T State's Malik Wilson won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Fan's Play of the Week for Week 10, thanks to his outstanding performance on special teams this past Saturday. Florida A&M, meanwhile, swept the Fans' Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week awards.

Rattlers quarterback Ryan Stanley was the fans' choice for Offensive Player of the Week, while the fans tabbed linebacker Elijah Richardson as their Defensive Player of the Week.

Late in the third quarter of Saturday's game in Greensboro, N.C., Norfolk State had cut the Aggies' lead to 21-20 after a 25-yard field goal from Josh Nardone. But Wilson took the ensuing kickoff at the 1-yard line, running to high right and breaking through a tackle before cutting back to the left and speeding toward the end zone.



Ninety-nine yards later, the Aggies led 27-20 en route to a 37-20 victory.

Stanley went 23-for-41 through the air in this past Saturday's showdown against Howard, completing 56 percent of his passes and racking up 272 yards. He also had two touchdowns for the Rattlers.

Richardson had eight total tackles against the Bison, six of which were solo stops. Three of those tackles were for loss.

Check back on MEACSports.com and the MEAC's official Twitter page (@MEACSports) next Monday and Tuesday for the polls for Week 11, and let your voices be heard in determining the MEAC's Fan's Play and Players of the Week.

MEAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

GAME NOTES: NCCU football at Bethune-Cookman on ESPNU

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University "Eagles" vs. Bethune-Cookman University "Wildcats"

THE KICKOFF
Thursday, November 8, 2018 – Kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

THE SITE
Daytona Stadium (9,601 capacity) - Daytona Beach, Fla.

THE RECORDS
N.C. Central (4-4 overall, 2-2 MEAC); Bethune-Cookman (5-5, 3-2 MEAC)

MEDIA COVERAGE
Audio: NCCU Sports Network "GameCentral" at NCCUEaglePride.com (internet stream). Broadcast starts at 6:40 p.m. (Carter Woodiel, play-by-play).
Television: ESPNU (ESPN3/WatchESPN). Broadcast starts at 7:00 p.m. (Tiffany Greene, play-by-play; Jay Walker, analyst).

QUICK HITS
• Thursday's contest will air live on ESPNU.
• This will be the 10th meeting between the Eagles and the Wildcats since the teams first met in 1994. Bethune-Cookman leads the series 7-2.
• Last season, B-CU completed a 48-yard Hail Mary pass on the final play to stun the Eagles with a 13-10 road win, ending NCCU's chances for a fourth straight MEAC title.
• In 2015 in Durham, the Eagles held a 26-7 third quarter lead over B-CU, but the Wildcats rallied to go ahead and then blocked NCCU's potential game-winning 18-yard field goal try with just 32 seconds left to edge the Eagles 28-26.
• NCCU has a 11-3 record in the month of November since 2014.
• NCCU has a 1-3 record away from O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, while B-CU is 2-1 at home.
• Against Edward Waters on Saturday, NCCU created 559 total yards, the 10th most in school history, including 379 rushing yards, the ninth most in school history, the highest rushing total since 2003, and the Eagles' fourth straight contest with at least 200 ground yards.
• NCCU leads the conference and ranks 18th in the NCAA Division I-FCS in tackles for loss with an average of 7.6 per game.
• NCCU boasts the top red-zone offense in the MEAC and ranks 11th in FCS, scoring 90.0 percent of the time. The Eagles are 27-of-30 inside the 20-yard line, with 17 touchdowns and 10 field goals.
• NCCU senior defensive lineman Darius Royster has more tackles for loss than last season's team leaders (Roderick Harris and Antonio Brown with 8.5). Royster owns 10.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage (3rd in MEAC, 37th in FCS) and four forced fumbles (1st in MEAC, 3rd in FCS).
• NCCU senior safety Davanta Reynolds, the Preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team (Second Team), ranks fourth in the MEAC with 62 tackles (7.8 per game).
• Since the start of the 2012 season, NCCU has scored 38 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including three defensive scores last year and two this season.
• NCCU is under the direction of first-year head coach Granville Eastman, who accepted the interim role after Jerry Mack left to be the offensive coordinator at Rice.

ABOUT NCCU FOOTBALL
NCCU won three consecutive MEAC championships from 2014-16, and represented the MEAC in the 2016 Celebration Bowl versus Grambling in the Georgia Dome.
NCCU Recent Records:
2017: 7-4 overall, 5-3 MEAC
2016: 9-3 overall, 8-0 MEAC – MEAC champions
2015: 8-3 overall, 7-1 MEAC – MEAC co-champions
2014: 7-5 overall, 6-2 MEAC – MEAC co-champions

THE SERIES
This will be the 10th football meeting between NCCU and Bethune-Cookman since the teams first met in 1994. Bethune-Cookman leads the series 7-2. In that first match-up on Sept. 24, 1994, the Eagles captured a 24-5 road victory in Daytona Beach, Florida. On Oct. 23, 2010, B-CU, as the 14th ranked team in the nation, earned a 23-10 win in Durham. On Oct. 29, 2011, the Wildcats amassed 525 yards during a 34-6 victory to spoil NCCU's homecoming. On Oct. 27, 2012, B-CU scored 28 unanswered points to overcome a three-point second-half deficit en route to a 42-17 win. In 2013, the 13th-ranked Wildcats pounded out 436 rushing yards to beat the Eagles 38-14 in Durham. On Nov. 1, 2014, the 20th-ranked Wildcats overcame a 14-7 halftime deficit to down the Eagles 34-20. On Oct. 3, 2015, B-CU rallied from a 26-7 third quarter deficit and blocked a potential game-winning 18-yard field goal try with just 32 seconds left to edge NCCU 28-26 in Durham. On Oct. 1, 2016, NCCU used a dominant second-half performance to finish with 489 yards of total offense in a 31-14 victory in Daytona Beach, Florida. On Nov. 11, 2017, B-CU completed a 48-yard Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game for a stunning 13-10 road win.

11/11/17 - B-CU 13, NCCU 10 (Durham, N.C.)
10/1/2016 - NCCU 31, B-CU 14 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
10/3/2015 - B-CU 28, NCCU 26 (Durham, N.C.)
11/1/2014 - #20 B-CU 34, NCCU 20 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
11/2/2013 - #13 B-CU 38, NCCU 14 (Durham, N.C.)
10/27/2012 - B-CU 42, NCCU 17 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)
10/29/2011 - B-CU 34, NCCU 6 (Durham, N.C.)
10/23/2010 - #14 B-CU 23, NCCU 10 (Durham, N.C.)
9/24/1994 - NCCU 24, B-CU 5 (Daytona Beach, Fla.)

THE LAST MEETING
(Bethune-Cookman 13, NCCU 10 - Durham, N.C. - Nov. 11, 2017) With 16 seconds remaining in a critical MEAC match-up, North Carolina Central University took its first lead of the game with a fourth-down, 4-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Chauncey Caldwell to sophomore receiver Xavier McKoy. However, on the game's final play, starting with just five seconds on the clock, Bethune-Cookman University quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr. rolled to his left, set his feet and fired a pass to the end zone, where the ball was deflected and caught by Keavon Mitchell for the game-winning, 48-yard touchdown. The wild 13-10 Wildcat victory ended NCCU's run for a fourth consecutive conference championship.

THE LAST MEETING IN FLORIDA
(NCCU 31, Bethune-Cookman 14 - Daytona Beach, Fla. - Oct. 1, 2016) NCCU used a dominant second-half performance to finish with 489 yards of total offense in a 31-14 victory over Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida, snapping a six-game losing skid to the Wildcats.

LAST WEEK
NCCU 52, Edward Waters 12 (Durham, N.C.) - NCCU kept its homecoming festivities going as the Eagles dominated on the gridiron defeating NAIA foe Edward Waters College 52-12 inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. NCCU created 559 total yards, the 10th most in school history. The Eagles finished with 379 rushing yards, their highest rushing total since 2003, and their fourth straight contest with at least 200 ground yards.

Bethune-Cookman 30, Morgan State 28 (Baltimore, Md.) - Jimmie Robinson ran for a career-best 208 yards and three touchdowns as Bethune-Cookman defeated Morgan State, 30-28. As winds circulated around Hughes Stadium throughout the contest, and gusts reaching upwards of near 30 miles per hour, Bethune-Cookman looked to the ground game to get things going against the elements. Quarterbacks David Israel and Jabari Dunham shared time behind center for the Wildcats, but it was a season-high 314 yards on the ground that led the Maroon and Gold to its sixth straight win against the Bears.

THE COACHES
NCCU: Granville Eastman (Saint Mary's, 1992) is in his first season as a college head coach. With 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to his credit, Eastman joined the NCCU staff in January 2014, serving as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and safeties coach until his promotion to interim head coach on Dec. 8, 2017. Prior to joining NCCU, Eastman spent nine seasons (2005-13) as the defensive coordinator at Austin Peay State University in Clarkesville, Tennessee. During his 11 total seasons at APSU, he coached defensive backs and linebackers, and also served as special teams coordinator (2003-04) and interim head coach (winter 2013). Eastman coached four seasons (1999-2002) at Tiffin University in Ohio, including the last three seasons as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, while working with defensive backs and defensive line during his tenure. A native of Toronto, Canada, Eastman secured his first coaching position at York University in his hometown, where he spent two seasons (1994-95) working with defensive backs. He then served as a defensive graduate assistant for three seasons (1996-98) at Arkansas State University, earning a master's degree in sociology in 1999. Eastman was a two-time all-city defensive back at Stephen Leacock High School in Toronto before attending Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where he was a three-year letterman as a defensive back. Twice Saint Mary's played in national title games while he was there. Eastman earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's University in 1992.

B-CU: Terry Sims (Knoxville, 1994) was introduced as the 15th head coach at Bethune-Cookman University on Dec. 22, 2014. The native of Jesup, Georgia, took over the program after spending the previous five years as an assistant coach for the Wildcats. Before arriving in Daytona Beach, Sims spent four seasons as recruiting coordinator, special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Howard University. Sims has also made assistant coaching stops at the University of Louisville-Lafayette, Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern, and Austin Peay. Sims is a 1994 graduate of Knoxville College, where he was a team captain as a defensive back on the gridiron, while also patrolling center field in baseball. He earned a master's degree from Louisville in 1997.

NCCU FOOTBALL ON ESPN TV NETWORKS
Since 2011, when NCCU became official members of NCAA Division I (FCS), the Eagles have played in 10 games on ESPN TV networks (7 ESPNU, 2 ESPNews, 1 ESPN2). NCCU has a 4-6 record in those games, but the Eagles were 2-1 last season.

EAGLES TURN DEFENSE, SPECIAL TEAMS INTO POINTS
Since the start of the 2012 season, the Eagles have demonstrated a knack for finding the end zone when the offense is off the field. In the past 77 games, NCCU has scored 38 touchdowns on defense and special teams, including two this season, three in 2017, three in 2016, six in 2015, five in 2014, nine in 2013 and 10 in 2012. In that time, the Eagles have made trips to the end zone on 14 punt returns, six kickoff returns, three blocked field goal returns, 11 interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

LEVERETT RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
NCCU offensive lineman Nick Leverett is one of only 22 college football players selected for distinguished recognition on the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, as announced by Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has been one of the most esteemed honors in college football for more than 25 years, celebrating the remarkable accomplishments of college football student-athletes on the field, in the classroom and in the community. A native of Concord, North Carolina, Leverett is a two-time All-MEAC offensive lineman and team captain, a three-year graduate with a degree in criminal justice and a 3.37 overall grade point average, a campus leader, and an active participant in community service. Two other NCCU football student-athletes have earned distinction on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® in recent years, Jordan Reid (current NCCU running backs coach) in 2013 and Carl Jones in 2016.

NINE NCCU EAGLES VOTED TO PRESEASON ALL-MEAC TEAMS
Nine NCCU Eagles were voted to the Preseason All-MEAC Football Teams. Earning All-MEAC First Team honors for NCCU are Preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year senior defensive back Davanta Reynolds, sophomore running back Isaiah Totten, junior offensive lineman Nick Leverett, and junior defensive lineman Kawuan Cox. Three NCCU Eagles on the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team are senior tight end Josh McCoy, sophomore offensive lineman Andrew Dale, and senior defensive lineman Randy Anyanwu. Receiving Preseason All-MEAC Third Team honors are junior wide receiver Xavier McKoy and senior defensive back De'Mario Evans.

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY EAGLES SPORTS INFORMATION

Spring Hill College Badgers Volleyball Team Earns NCAA Bid

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Spring Hill Badgers volleyball team made history on Wednesday, earning its first-ever berth into the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship after a 3-1 victory over Kentucky State.

The Badgers took advantage of their first year of postseason eligibility in both the SIAC and the NCAA, sweeping their way through the conference tournament and finally knocking off a three-time SIAC champ Kentucky State in the finals.

"I think the finals of the SIAC were exactly what you hope they would be – a hard-fought, every-point-matters battle between two good teams. For Kentucky State, their effort was awesome and we had to match them point-for-point and play-for-play," said Spring Hill head coach Peggy Martin.

Nerves seemed to be getting to the Badgers in the early going of the contest. Spring Hill dropped the opening set of the game 25-23, breathing life into Kentucky State's team who had fought back through the loser's bracket to reach the finals.

SIAC Tournament MVP Kassandra Fairly

However, the Badgers would roar back in the second stanza, evening the match at one set each after a 25-19 victory. From there it was all Spring Hill as the Badgers grabbed the third set 25-17 and rode that momentum into a decisive 25-12 win in the fourth and deciding set.

"I expected we'd come out nervous because we had never played in something this high stakes before," said junior setter Emmarose Neibert.

She continued, "We've never played in a conference championship [before]. We had to gather back into the mindset that [Kentucky State] wants this as much as we do and we have to want it more."

Spring Hill's Kassandra Fairly was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Kassidi Sterrett and Allison Weimer were also named to the All-Tournament Team. Martin was tabbed Coach of the Tournament.

The Badgers, ranked #9 in the South Region, now await tournament pairings.

SPRING HILL COLLEGE BADGERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Graham, Little On SAU Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

RALEIGH, North Carolina – Nicole Graham and Carl Little are the women's basketball assistant coaches for Saint Augustine's University (SAU) this season. Both assistants have coaching experience on the Division II level.

Graham joins the Lady Falcons after one season on the women's basketball staff at Clark Atlanta University. The Lady Panthers won the SIAC regular-season and tournament titles in addition to reaching the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2018.

Before coming to SAU, Little spent three seasons as men's assistant basketball coach at Columbus State University. He helped direct the Cougars to the 2016 Peach Belt Conference regular-season title and back-to-back NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.

Little is also the head coach of the All Army men's basketball team. The squad comprises of Active Duty, National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers from around the world. The All Army team won the Armed Forces Tournament Championship in 2016 and 2017, their first titles in over 14 years.

"Little brings leadership from coaching at Columbus State and the U.S. Army team," said Montel Jones, who is entering his first season as Lady Falcons' head coach. "Nicole brings youth and energy. She connects with the players and has great knowledge of the CIAA."

A Charlotte, N.C., native, Graham started her collegiate playing career at Fayetteville State University before transferring to Brevard College. With a year of eligibility remaining, Graham enrolled at Clark Atlanta University as a graduate transfer in honor of her aunt, Cynthia Graham Hurd, a Clark Atlanta graduate who was among the victims of the 2015 Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, S.C.

On Senior Night, instead of receiving a framed replica of her No. 23 game jersey, Graham was presented with a No. 9 jersey representing the victims killed in the church shooting. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Brevard College in 2016 and a Master of Public Administration degree from Clark Atlanta University in 2018.

A native of Virginia Beach, Va., Little is currently a captain in the U.S. Army. He is an Assistant Professor in the Military Science department at Saint Augustine's University.

Little played basketball collegiately at Virginia State University from 1998 to 2000 before joining the military. He graduated from Liberty University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. Little played basketball professionally in Italy and Japan.

The Lady Falcons open the season at home against the University of Mount Olive on Saturday, Nov. 10. Tipoff is 2 p.m. at Emery Gymnasium.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Isler’s Double-Double Not Enough for Alcorn on Opening Night

Isler’s Double-Double Not Enough for Alcorn on Opening Night https://t.co/UlhnlbgN7h

— Alcorn Sports (@BRAVESSPORTS) November 7, 2018

LORMAN, Mississippi -- In her first appearance in an Alcorn State University women's basketball uniform, junior Toddriana Isler registered a double-double, but Lane College finished on top 70-58 in the season-opener Tuesday at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.

Isler, who is one of eight newcomers on the roster, poured in a game-high of 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. She also got her hands on four steals.

Junior Jada Hargrove turned in a solid all-around effort for Alcorn (0-1) with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Junior Charisma Walker neared a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The game was very tightly contested until midway through the fourth quarter when Lane (1-0) was able to leap ahead and take a double-figure advantage. Hannah Porchia paved the way with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

The Lady Braves got off to a slow start as Lane scored the first eight points in the game. Alcorn got on the board with a lay-up by Hargrove, but the Lady Dragons stayed ahead 16-7 at the end of the first quarter on a last-second three-pointer by Addie McNeely.

Alcorn came out of the gates hot in the second and quickly tied the game with a 9-0 run which included a long-range shot from Hargrove. A lay-up by Isler kept it even at 27-27, but Lane's Alexis Harris scored on the team's final possession of the half to give the Lady Dragons a 29-27 edge at the break.

The Lady Dragons were getting to the free throw line in the third and built a 39-32 advantage before the Lady Braves again made a push. Four free throws from senior De'Asia Brown cut the deficit to 45-42, and a lay-up by Walker kept the score within three at 49-46 heading into the fourth.

Alcorn was down just 54-51 at the 6:47 mark when the Lady Dragons went on a decisive 9-0 run to catapult ahead to a 63-51 lead with just 2:35 remaining. Lane's largest lead 69-55 came after a pair of free throws by Lequita Callaway.

Alcorn had a cold shooting night as the team went 20-for-68 (.294) from the field and 1-for-15 (.067) from three-point range.

The Lady Braves will look to bounce back Saturday when they travel to UTEP for a 7 p.m. tip.

BOX SCORE

NOTES
- It was the first-ever meeting between Alcorn and Lane.

- The Lady Braves are now 2-2 in home-openers under head coach Courtney G. Pruitt.

- Hargrove posted her sixth career double-figure scoring game. Her five assists matched a career-high.

- With Isler's big night, the Lady Braves have seen a student-athlete notch a double-double 10 times over the last two seasons.

Quoting Alcorn head coach Courtney G. Pruitt
Opening Statement
"We had the opportunities to win tonight. I can't say that we're not upset, because we are very upset and disappointed about the loss. When you have eight new players, you're trying to get them to gel, and it's a tough thing when everybody is new. We're trying to balance different lineups - we came out with new starters in the second half than we did in the first. Shooting 29 percent from the floor didn't help. Nevertheless, we're optimistic and we see the bright spots that we have and we just have to get better."

On the ball just not going Alcorn's way tonight
"There were a ton of 50-50 balls that we couldn't get our hands on, and there were also a lot of turnovers that we caused that we didn't capitalize on. Instead, we'd either turn it right back over or we took a bad shot. Those are learning curves that we have to fix. Hats off to Lane College because they were very aggressive and played a great game. I was happy that our girls did not give up and played their hardest all the way until the final buzzer. Still, we've got a long way to go and a lot of work to do."

On Isler's double-double
"Toddrianna is a junior college All-American and she knows her way around the basketball court. She's going to play her heart out every night but we just have to make sure others are getting the ball as well. I felt that Jada came in and did a great job tonight, but we still didn't have enough from our bench. A couple players had poor shooting nights, but we just have to keep working and improve."

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY BRAVES ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Howard Women’s Basketball Wins Their Season Opener Versus La Salle, 57-54

Howard Women’s Basketball Wins Their Season Opener Versus La Salle, 57-54 https://t.co/MzBrzNvoYP #SayLess #BleedBlue https://t.co/PzkWym7McN

— Howard Athletics (@HUBisonSports) November 7, 2018

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Howard University women's basketball leaves Philadelphia with its first victory of the season tonight. The Bison (1-0) defeated the Explorers (0-1), 57-54, in Tom Gola Arena.

Junior guard Sarah Edmond led the Bison tonight, putting up 22 points in her 32 minutes of play. In the first quarter the Bison went toe to toe with the Explorers, keeping the game close with lead changes and tied scores. Ultimately the Explorers pulled away ending the quarter up, 14-11.

Howard got off to a slow start in the second quarter. In the first few minutes of the quarter La Salle had a 12 point advantage over the Bison, cranking the score up, 23-11. A foul by La Salle's Shalina Miller gave Edmond an opportunity to break the scoring drought. Edmond made one of two free throws, bringing the score to 23-12. Another foul by Shayla Sweeney put freshman Krislyn Marsh at the free throw line. She made one of two, giving the Bison 13 points to the Explorers 23. Sarah Edmond put up the next eight points for the Bison, delivering layups and free throws to close the scoring gap. Curstyn Moore, Krislyn Marsh and Jayla Thornton contributed to the final points of the quarter. The Bison, however, could not catch up to take the lead going into the half. They ended the quarter down three, 24-27.

The second half was turnaround time for the Bison. In the third quarter the Explorers were on the board first but the Bison were able to capitalize off of a foul followed by a layup to tie the quarter 28-28. Howard did not look back. A steal by Tariah Johnson gave the Bison the lead and they maintained it the remainder of the quarter, keeping the Explorers down by nine, 46-37.

A concerted effort by the Explorers almost became a comeback. La Salle went on a 12-2 run to regain the lead, 49-48. The Bison were up for the competitive play, coming away with the victory, 57-54. This is the eighth meetup but only the second win over La Salle for the Bison.

Leading scorers for the Bison were Edmond, freshman Krislyn Marsh, Star Fitzgerald-Greer and Ayonna Williams. In her collegiate debut, Marsh led the Bison with 17 rebounds, followed by Williams' 10 and Fitzgerald-Greer with nine.

The Bison will host their home opener in Burr Gym on Friday, November 9 against the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders. Tip-off is 3 p.m.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

LU Lions Rally to Defeat Division I Morgan State in Season Opening Exhibition Game

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Lincoln University women's basketball team rallied from a double digit deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to defeat Division I Morgan State University 51-46 in their season opening exhibition contest at Hill Field House in Baltimore, Maryland Tuesday evening.

Shakira Edwards (Newark, N.J./Bloomfield Tech) scored nine of her team high 11 points in the fourth quarter while Kenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) had seven of her ten points that same period as the Lions outscored the Bears 26-11 in the final ten minutes to earn the win.

Edwards narrowly missed a double-double, pulling down a team-high nine rebounds. Shahra Madison (Chesapeake, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School (Chesapeake College)) grabbed eight boards, including six off the offensive glass.

Naomi Bolasingh led the Bears with 14 points while Ashia McCalla grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Trailing 35-25 to start the period, the Lions scored the first six points to cut the Bears lead to four 35-31. Bolasingh sank three of four free throws on MSU's next two possessions to push the Bears' lead back to seven at 38-31 with 7:14 remaining. Lincoln the exploded for 14 straight points to erase the deficit and take a 45-38 lead with 3:46 remaining.

A traditional three-point play from Edwards started the run with DeAshia Young (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Public Safety Academy (Labette CC)) adding two free throws on LU's next possession. Spencer then tied the game with a layup at the midway point of the period. Edwards scored the next five points and Spencer's two free throws made the score 45-38.

Adre'onia Coleman's basket broke the run at the 3:34 mark before Bryanna Brown (New York, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin (Nyack)) sank two free throws to push the lead back to seven at 47-40. Morgan State made one final push, scoring six straight points to close within one 47-46 with just under a minute remaining but would not score again. The Lions made four of six free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.

BOX SCORE

Neither team shot exceptionally well over the course of the game with the Lions making 15 of 59 shots (25.4%) and the Bears 13 of 54 (24.1%). Lincoln connected on 18 of 33 free throws shots (54.5%) while Morgan State made just 16 of 25 (64%). The Bears had a slight advantage on the glass outrebounding the Lions 49-46.

Lincoln's first official games of the 2018-19 season will take place on Friday and Saturday, November 9-10 as they compete in the CIAA-PSAC Challenge event hosted by Kutztown University. The Lions play Kutztown on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and will square off against Bloomsburg University on Saturday.

THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION