A familiar tune for A&M Lady Bulldogs

Bulldogs fall in SWAC first round for sixth time

BIRMINGHAM - Alabama A&M women's basketball coach Altherias Warmley had hoped this year would be different. Unfortunately for A&M, it was a lot like the previous ones.

A&M, which struggled early, battled back and appeared to be in control midway through the second half. But A&M faded down the stretch as Mississippi Valley State came away with a 67-61 victory in the opening round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday afternoon at Fair Park Arena.

"We made too many mistakes and got outhustled," said Warmley, whose team committed 20turnovers and was outrebounded 37-26. "Valley played hard and we didn't match their intensity. We made some mistakes at crucial periods in the game and time ran out on us.

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Late FTs lift Jackson State over Southern Jaguars

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The great game Southern Univerisity men’s basketball coach Rob Spivery predicted came to be. He just didn’t get the ending he wanted.

Guard Catraiva Givens made a pair of free throws with 6.5 seconds to play to lift Jackson State to a 56-55 Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal final Thursday at Fair Park Arena.

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Welcher's follow puts Delaware State in semis

Photo: DSU head basketball coach Greg Jackson said, "This game epitomized our season."

Freshman steals spotlight

RALEIGH, N.C. -- It could have been Roy Bright's night Thursday. For the most part it was, until a freshman stepped up and stole the senior's show.

First-year guard Trevor Welcher's rebound basket with 1.7 seconds left gave Delaware State a 64-62 win over North Carolina A&T in the quarterfinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament at the RBC Center.

The Hornets (14-15), seeded fourth, move on to play top seed and regular-season champion Morgan State (21-9) in today's 6 p.m. semifinals. The other semifinal pits third seed Norfolk State against No. 7 Coppin State.

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Golden Lions knock out Alabama A&M in SWAC first round

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Familiarity breeds confidence. The Arkansas-Pine Bluff men’s basketball team knows that motto, especially considering that they were going up against an opponent they had defeated twice during the regular season.

With their 72-59 victory over Alabama A&M Thursday afternoon in the first round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, the Golden Lions defeated the Bulldogs three times this season.

UAPB (13-17, 8-10 No. 6 SWAC) will take on second-seeded Mississippi Valley State at 2:30 p.m. today in Birmingham, Ala. in the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament.

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FAMU men fall short in MEAC tourney

Photo: FAMU's senior L.C. (Leslie) Robinson ends his Rattlers career scoring 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists against Norfolk State in MEAC Tournament.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The legs just weren't there when the Florida A&M men's basketball team needed some support.

Worn ragged after battling third-seeded Norfolk State on every possession, the sixth-seeded Rattlers simply couldn't make the shots they needed most in the final minutes. After taking a 53-51 lead with just over four minutes remaining, FAMU was running on fumes as the Spartans pulled away for a 69-61 victory in the quarterfinals of the MEAC men's basketball tournament.

FAMU ends its season 15-17.

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Hampton advances over Maryland-Eastern Shore

Photo: 20 points, 8 rebounds and senior leadership from Rachel Butler provided the Lady Pirates a another big win towards the MEAC Tournament Championship.

RALEIGH, N.C.-- Bad basketball can still lead to good results. The Hampton Pirates took what they could get in the second round of the MEAC Tournament Thursday — a 56-49 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore and a ticket to the semifinals vs N.C. A&T.

But getting there wasn’t pretty. A combined 5-for-31 on 3-point attempts and a 24.2 first half shooting percentage for the Pirates. But still, they advanced. “We might have been a little nervous. I talked to some of the freshman and tried to calm them down,” said Hampton guard Rachel Butler, one of the game’s bright spots, scoring 20 points.

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Delaware State Lady Hornets ends Morgan State's post-season, 67-49

Photo: Katreem Palmer scored a double/double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 2 block shots in the win over Morgan State.

Raleigh, NC --- The Delaware State women’s basketball team has reached the MEAC Tournament semifinals for the sixth time in eight years after a 67-49 win over Morgan State in a tournament quarterfinal at the RBC Center Thursday afternoon. The third-seeded Lady Hornets, defending MEAC Tournament champs, will face #2 Coppin State in the semifinals on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Delaware State has won five in a row and eight of the last nine to improve to 18-13 on the season.

Jameka Smith scored a season high 15 points, and Katreem Palmer tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Lady Hornets. Smith was five-for-seven from the field and five-for-eight at the free throw line.

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Howard U. grad coaches Mount St. Mary's into the NCAA tournament

Photo: Mount St. Mary's head basketball Coach Milan Brown.

Jim Phelan must be smiling. Mount St. Mary's is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since the coaching great handed the program over to his assistant, Milan Brown, five years ago.

Jean Cajou and Kelly Beidler each scored 15 points and the Mountaineers (18-14) beat Sacred Heart, 68-55, last night in the Northeast Conference championship game in Fairfield, Conn.

"In the back of my mind, I knew that bringing a championship home would definitely be great for me," said Brown, a former Howard University point guard who was an assistant to Phelan the last time the Mount went to the NCAA tournament in 1999. "But it's going to put a smirk on his face too, even though I know he was so nervous that he didn't watch the game."

Grambling elminated by Mississippi Valley, 79-73

BIRMIMGHAM, Ala. – Grambling State's season came to end on Wednesday afternoon as the Tigers were eliminated by Mississippi Valley State 79-73 in the first round of the SWAC Tournament at Fair Park Arena.

After a sluggish start, GSU overcame a 24-14 deficit by going on a 16-5 run to take a one-point lead into halftime. The Tigers picked up where they left off and opened the second half with a 5-1 spurt as they led 36-30 after three straight jumpers by Andrew Prestley. Grambling held on for dear life after the early run as MVSU kept chipping away at the lead but they managed to remain ahead until midway through the second half.

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No offense, but ASU too much for TSU

BIRMINGHAM, AL -- Following Alabama State's final regular-season game -- a 20-point thrashing of Jackson State -- ASU head coach Lewis Jackson made no secret of the fact that he was unhappy with his team's defense. The Hornets had allowed 83 points, and that was simply unacceptable in Jackson's world.

So, in an effort to please their head coach, the ASU players went into their match up with Texas Southern in the first round of the SWAC Tournament on Wednesday with a defense-first mindset. Pretty much everything the TSU tried, the Hornets shut them down.

The Tigers shot a meager 26 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded by 15. ASU won easily, 67-49.

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Alabama State no match for PVAMU Lady Panthers

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- After defeating the Alabama State Lady Hornets 74-57, two victories is all that stands between the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers (21-10, 15-3 SWAC) and their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth.

The Lady Panthers used an all around team effort to knock off ASU in the quarterfinal round of the 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball tournament. Shavonne Smith had a huge night offensively scoring a game high 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor.

Smith contributed 25 of the Lady Panthers 40 first half points. The 5-8 senior guard also connected on 4-of-9 three point attempts while dishing out 3 assists and tallying 2 steals.

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JSU beats Alcorn 62-51 in women's quarterfinals

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Jackson State University women's basketball team opened the 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament with a 62-51 win over in-state rival Alcorn State Wednesday afternoon.

First team All-SWAC performer LaSharee Christian scored a game high 22 points to lead JSU to the win. Erlexis Cooper followed with 19 points on 8-12 shooting. Cooper also recorded a game-high four steals. Brittney Dowdy came off the bench to score 10 points on 5-8 shooting.

Tanika Nunez led Alcorn State with 14 points and Corneshia Hollis added 10 on 4-8 shooting.

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Hampton Pirates lose in OT to Coppin State

Photo: Senior guard Rashad West had a monster scoring game with 27 points and 3 assists in loss to Coppin State Eagles to closeout his MEAC career.

Hampton squanders a 17-point lead and drops a heartbreaking MEAC tournament quarterfinal.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Coppin State ousted No. 2 seed Hampton University from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament, 75-74 in overtime Wednesday in a quarterfinal at the RBC Center.

Hampton dominated the first half and led by 15 points at halftime, but the Pirates allowed the Eagles to chip away at their lead. It was down to single digits midway through the second half and soon gone.

There was life for Hampton (17-12) late, but eventually the inspired seventh seed pulled this one out.

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SC State Falls to Top-Seeded Morgan State Bears 77-68

Photo: Jerrell Green, Jarmar Smith and Marquise Kately enjoys the success of the Bears historic MEAC champiionship season.

RALEIGH, NC – South Carolina State’s first season under Tim Carter came to an end Wednesday at the RBC Center where the 7th-seeded Bulldogs fell 77-68 to top-seeded Morgan State in quarterfinal action of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Tournament.

Guard Jessie Burton had a game-high 22 points and center Jason Johnson added 17 and a game-high 10 rebounds in the loss for SC State which completed the season at 13-20. Julius Carter came off the bench for 10 points and eight boards for the Bulldogs.

Morgan State, which is having its best season in 14 years, improved to 21-9 and advanced to Friday’s semifinals. Marquise Kately and Reggie Holmes each had 19 points to lead the Bears while Jamar Smith added 15 in the victory. MEAC Defensive Player of Year Boubacar Coly contributed nine points and nine boards each for the Bears.

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FAMU knocks off UMES 70-58

Photo: FAMU's Lamar Twitty scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds in a superb effort against the UMES Hawks.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The defending MEAC champions look right at home at the RBC Center.

On the same floor that it won the MEAC tournament a year ago, the Florida A&M men's basketball team took its first step toward repeating by beating Maryland-Eastern Shore 70-61 in the first round of the conference tourney.

The sixth-seeded Rattlers (15-16) saw a 10-point halftime lead trimmed to one midway through the second half before finally pulling away from the 11th-seeded Hawks.

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Both Rattlers teams played extremely well today, and the Lady Rattlers can hold their heads high for putting a scare into the Lady Aggies. Our men's team will give Norfolk State more than they handle tomorrow. The Rattlers are still defending MEAC Tournament Champions for another day, and anything can happen.

Coppin State streaks past Lady Bulldogs to Semifinals

Photo: Shooting guard Rashida Suber had a lights-out game scoring 24 points to lead the Eagles to the Semifinals.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Senior Rashida Suber scored 24 points and Coppin State advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament with a 64-51 victory over South Carolina State at the RBC Center. Coppin State (20-11) won its ninth straight game by limiting South Carolina State to 27.9 percent shooting.

It marked the 19th consecutive game in which the Eagles held an opponent below 40 percent shooting for the game. Marie Reid led South Carolina State (13-17) with 15 points, while Brittany Baity added 10 points and 13 rebounds.

The Eagles also received 15 points from Shalamar Oakley and 10 points from Danielle Anders.

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FAMU takes Lady Aggies to wire before falling 76-65

Photo: Denise Tate snatched 8 rebounds and 11 points in season ending loss to the #1 seeded Lady Aggies.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The shots that seemed to fall so easily in the first half were nowhere to be found. The crisp passing, the sure hands, the air of confidence -- all gone when it mattered most.

What was left for the Florida A&M women's basketball team was a group of players who simply had nothing left to give. Their faces on the court told that story well enough. Their words after the game simply confirmed what was plainly evident.

The Lady Rattlers pushed top-seeded North Carolina A&T to the absolute limit in the second round of the MEAC tournament Wednesday morning. But the Aggies pushed back a little harder in the closing minutes to claim a 76-65 victory.

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S.C. State Topples Bethune-Cookman

Photo: SCSU head basketball coach Tim Carter records first MEAC Tournament win over Bethune Cookman Wildcats.

Jason Flagler scored 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half as No. 8 South Carolina State rallied past No. 9 Bethune-Cookman for a 78-69 win in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament first-round game on Tuesday night at the RBC Center.

The Bulldogs (13-19) advance to a 7 p.m. quarterfinal game on Wednesday against top seed Morgan State. The Wildcats’ season ends at 11-21.

Flagler scored nine points in a decisive second-half run that gave SCSU the lead for good. After a three-point play by Bethune-Cookman’s Kevan Creppy tied the game at 56 with 6:27 left, the Bulldogs went on a 15-4 spurt over the next three and a half minutes to take a 71-60 lead. Flagler started the run with two free throws, and also added a put-back, a three-point play and a short jumper off the glass.

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No surprise, Morgan State routs Norfolk Lady Spartans

Photo: MEAC 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, Corin Adams.

by MSU Sports Information

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 11, 2008)-It took Morgan State a little longer to get going than head coach Donald Beasley would have liked, but in the end his sixth-seeded Lady Bears had an 86-65 victory over No. 11 Norfolk State on Tuesday evening in the opening of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament, held at the RBC Center.

Phylicia Jones recorded her first collegiate double-double, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds and scoring a career-high 14 points, while Corin Adams and Jasmine Sellers added 14 and 12 points, respectively for the Lady Bears.

With the victory, Morgan State improved to 19-10 on the season, thus setting the school record for victories on the Division I level, surpassing the previous mark of 18 wins, which they recorded last season. It was also the second consecutive year that Morgan State has won its first tournament game and the first time that’s happened since 1996-2000 when the Lady Bears won four-straight tournament openers.

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Coppin State Eagles knocks out Howard Bison

Photo: Coppin State senior guard Tywain McKee.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Senior guard Tywain McKee scored 18 points and nailed a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining to lead Coppin State to a 55-54 victory over Howard in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament on Tuesday at the RBC Center.

With the Eagles clinging to a 53-51 lead, McKee hit two free throws to seal the victory for Coppin State.

"I just had to make the free throws," McKee, who leads the MEAC in free throw shooting percentage, said.

Curtis White hit a three-pointer at the buzzer bringing the final score to 55-54.

The Eagles (13-20) will advance to the quarterfinals where they will face second-seeded Hampton at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday (March 12).

Antwan Harrison added 12 points for Coppin State, which has won nine of its last 10 games.

"Howard never quit," said head coach Ron Mitchell. "We didn't play as aggresively tonight as we have down the stretch, but we did enough to win. We will have to do a better job against Hampton."

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Back to old school

Photo: Raheem DeVaughn was nominated for a Grammy this year for "Woman," a single from his album. The former Coppin State University student career has taken off and he is on track to major stardom.

Young R&B singer espouses love over misogyny

Raheem DeVaughn isn't one of those snooty musicians who doesn't like to be labeled. In fact, the rising young singer and songwriter goes out of his way to supply interested observers with a handy description of his place in the musical cosmos. "R&B hippie neo-soul rock star" is DeVaughn's preferred handle, and while he might be jumping the gun on the rock-star part, DeVaughn has otherwise nailed his sound.

"I wanted to create a body of work that's my version of the Marvin Gaye albums," says DeVaughn. "The reality is I grew up on Babyface and Boyz II Men and Jodeci, but I definitely identify more with the old-school artists."

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Raheem DeVaughn - She's not you


Raheem DeVaughn - Woman

Fomer Howard Bison player has team one win away from NCAA bid

Photo: Mount St. Mary's head baskeball coach Milan Brown, a former Howard University and MEAC star player.

Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers take on Sacred Heart in NEC final with former Howard University Bison point guard Milan Brown heading the 'Mount' program.

EMMITSBURG, MD - The Mount St. Mary's basketball team was practicing in virtual silence earlier this week, alone in its quiet gymnasium, when Milan Brown, the team's trim, neatly dressed fifth-year coach halted the action with a sharp bleat of his black whistle.

Brown, a former point guard who looks younger than his 37 years, almost always has his whistle clenched between his teeth, ready to bring practice to a stop at a moment's notice. Sometimes, he doesn't even bother to remove it before he speaks, barking out instructions, encouragement or discipline like a man whose jaw has been wired shut.

But on this day, he calmly took the whistle out of his mouth, and in gentle tones, locked eyes with his players. "You all better get your mind right," Brown said, in soft but stern tones. "Get your mind right -- right now. Because you won't be able to do it later."

Brown, a basketball lifer, was trying to impart the kind of wisdom that comes only with experience. He knew that this might be the last chance for his team to truly focus without any distractions, because ready or not, Mount St. Mary's might be on the verge of something big.

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Coppin State Snaps Losing Streak with Sweep of North Carolina Central

BALTIMORE – Behind a gutty pitching performance from Jeremiah Cothiere, the Coppin State Eagles baseball team beat North Carolina Central, 11-7, in game one of a double header sweep on Tuesday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium. The win snapped a 55-game losing streak for the Eagles, the longest losing streak in Division I baseball history.

The Eagles won game two, 7-6, on a walk off wild pitch with the bases loaded to improve their record to 2-10 on the season while North Carolina Central fell to 1-9.

In the opener, Cothiere, a junior from Lake Worth, Fla, started shaky allowing six runs over the first two innings, only to settle in and keep NCCU off the scoreboard over the next three frames.

Trailing 4-0 after the top of the first, the Eagles answered with six runs of their own off NCCU starter David Scott. Brandon Alexander led off the inning with a walk, stole second and came around to score on Jerry Matos’ double to left field. After a pop out brought the first out of the inning, Matos stole third, and then scored on a single by Patrick Regalado. After back to back errors allowed Carlos Russell and Angel Recci to reach base, Roman Batista singled to right field scoring Regalado, with Russell and Recci both coming around to score on a bad throw from the outfield to give the Eagles a 6-4 lead.

“I finally got the monkey off my back,” said head coach Harvey Lee after the game. “The kids deserve this. There have been a few games where calls didn’t go our way, but I wanted them to see they really are a good team.”

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Time for cheering to start at Boo Williams Sportsplex

The new sports facility is ready for the games to begin after this evening's ceremony.

HAMPTON, VA - Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, a Chesapeake native, and CBS commentator James Brown are among the noted guests expected tonight at the invitation-only grand opening at the Boo Williams Sportsplex.

The $13.5-million, 135,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility opens after the 6 p.m. ceremony with city of Hampton recreation basketball. Hampton Mayor Ross A. Kearney II and Hampton University President William R. Harvey are also on the program.

Williams said Monday that Hampton native Howard White also hopes to attend but might have a scheduling conflict. White, a Kecoughtan graduate and Nike executive, has purchased naming rights for one of the two pavilions at the complex.

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Reid Leads S.C. State To Win Over Bethune-Cookman

Marie Reid scored 13 of her game-high 25 points in the second half and the defense held Bethune-Cookman scoreless for almost 10 minutes of the second half as South Carolina State rolled to a 66-45 win over the Lady Wildcats in the first round of the MEAC women’s game at the RBC Center. The Lady Bulldogs (13-16), Number 7 seed, advance to the Wednesday’s quarterfinal round where they will take on the Number 2 seed, Coppin State at 12:30 pm.

A 6-4 sophomore transfer from Memphis, Reid connected on 6 of her nine shots in the second half, many coming low post moves on the block, to help SC State, extend its four-point halftime lead to 53-35 at the 9:30 mark.

Bethune-Cookman (6-24) suddenly went cold during a stretch of 9:42, missing several shots. The Lady Wildcats missed 27 of their 32 attempts after intermission, including 0 for 11 from three-point land.

Reid got plenty of support from junior forward Janell Moore, who recorded a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds as SC State dominated their shorter opponents, 53-36 on the glass.

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Reid isn't good enough to be named to the ALL-MEAC women's team, but she just goes out and score 25 points and pull down 11 boards to demolish BCU and FAMU. And this Lady Bulldog is not a starter, but the sixth woman. Wow! She's All MEAC in our book.

Morgan State Bears Earn Three Top Honors at MEAC Tip-Off Banquet in Raleigh

Photo: MSU's Jamar Smith, 2008 MEAC Player of the Year, doing his thing against FAMU in Tallahassee.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2008 all-conference teams Monday evening at the Tip-Off Banquet held at the North Hilton Raleigh Hotel. Morgan State’s Jamar Smith earned the 2008 MEAC Player of the Year award, as voted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Todd Bozeman, also of Morgan State, was named the MEAC Coach of the Year, as voted on by his peers and Boubacar Coly was named as the 2008 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Todd Bozeman guided the Morgan State Bears to their best regular season finish with a 14-2 conference record and a 20-9 overall mark. In only his second year at the helm, Bozeman’s Bears earned the school’s first regular season championship and will enter tournament play as the number one seed.

Coly recorded an unprecedented nine Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, including six in a row. He led the MEAC in blocked shots and rebounds, both of which he ranked nationally. He also led the MEAC in double-doubles with six and has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 17 games. As a senior, he finished the season averaging 9.6 points and 11.1 rebounds a game. He has also amassed 76 blocked shots.

Smith, the third best scorer in the MEAC, led his team in scoring all season averaging 17 points a game. A senior, he has also posted 10 double-digit scoring performances, three double-doubles and three games with 10 or more rebounds. He has started in 27 games this season, averaging over 30 minutes in each, and has tallied 35 assists, 17 blocked shots and 29 steals.

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Former Jefferson star accepts leader role for streaking FAMU Rattlers

Photo: Rattlers senior guard L.C. Robinson.

L.C. Robinson is no stranger to the leader’s role.

He was league MVP while a senior at Jefferson. He was the scoring leader as a sophomore at Highland Community College. And now he’s on top of his game, and on top of the scoring charts for Florida A&M, as the Rattlers approach his final postseason.

“It’s been one of those years. It’s been a lot — a lot — of fun,” Robinson said during a phone interview Monday night. “It’s been a different role for me this year than it was last year. I’ve had to be a leader a lot more this year. I’ve been there before, though; it felt natural to me.”

Robinson, the 6-foot, 180-pound senior, started in 32 of 35 games last year, averaging 11.3 points while finishing second in the MEAC in 3-point field goals made (103).

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Coppin State’s Shalamar Oakley named MEAC Player of the Year

Photo: Shalamar Oakley, Coppin State University, MEAC 2008 Women's Player of the Year.

RALEIGH, N.C.-The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2008 All-MEAC honorees at the MEAC Tip-Off Basketball Tournament Banquet on Monday evening at the North Hilton Raleigh. Coppin State guard Shalamar Oakley was selected the Player of the Year as voted by the leagues’ Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors.

North Carolina A&T Head Coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs was selected by her counterparts as the 2008 Coach of the Year. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Casey Morton was chosen as the Rookie of the Year, while Corin Adams of Morgan State was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

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Lady Rattlers defeat Howard to face #1 seed N.C. A&T

RALEIGH, N.C. - Stephanie Foster scored a game-high 18 points and Q'Vaunda Curry added 15 to lead Florida A&M (FAMU) to a 69-59 win over Howard in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's tournament at the RBC Center. The Lady Rattlers (14-16), the Number 9 seed, will take on the Number 1 seed, North Carolina A&T State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 10 am.

FAMU set the tone early when it reeled off an 18-0 run during a seven-minute stretch that saw them erase a 10-6 deficit and take a 24-10 lead at the 7:52 mark of the first half. The run was fueled by some hot three-point shooting as the Lady Rattlers hit on 6 of 13 from beyond the arc.

"We were much more composed than were in the loss in Washington," Florida A&M Head Coach Debra Clark said. "I think we had more of a sense of urgency. We had a lot more at stake with four seniors and we did not want this to be the end of the road."

She continued, "We knew they (Howard) were capable of putting up big numbers, so we wanted to defend. "They made several runs, but each time we responded with a good defensive play, forcing them into tough shots."

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Final: South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs 66, Bethune Cookman 45

Final: Morgan State Lady Bears 86, Norfolk State 65

Last chance for A&M seniors to grab SWAC title

Bulldogs will meet Mississippi Valley Thursday

They came at a time when the women's basketball program at Alabama A&M wasn't very good. In fact, when Rebekkah Barnes, Felicia Drummond and Christian Malone and company showed up four years ago, the Bulldogs were in the midst of their sixth straight losing season.

Still, they took a chance and it paid off.

"The best decision is not always the most popular decision," said Barnes, who is from Tampa, Fla. "It's where you feel the most comfortable and where you can make your presence felt." Combined, they have certainly made their presence felt.

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UAPB heads to Birmingham for SWAC tourney

BIRMINGHAM Ala. — The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions men’s and women’s basketball teams will head out to Birmingham Alabama today in preparation for the 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference postseason basketball tournament which gets underway on Wednesday. Both UAPB teams will play their first round games on Thursday with the No. 6 seeded Golden Lions taking on No. 3 seeded Alabama A&M at 2:30 p.m. The No. 5 seeded Lady Golden Lions are scheduled to match up with the No. 4 seeded Lady Jaguars of Southern University in the 5:30 p.m. game immediately following at the Fair Park Arena.

Both UAPB teams will arrive at the arena to partake in an afternoon shoot-around/practice today. Coaches and players will later attend the annual SWAC tournament banquet before that evening before getting in a final walk through before play tips off on Wednesday at noon with a men’s game between Alcorn State and Jackson State.

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`Sweet Lew' has ASU basketball atop SWAC

Photo: Alabama State University head baskeball coach Lewis Jackson.

They call him "Sweet Lew" because of the silky stroke he had sinking jump shots for coach James Oliver. It can only get sweeter for Alabama State University basketball fans if Lewis Jackson can lead his team to three more victories starting Wednesday night at Fair Park Arena.

Three more wins and regular-season champion ASU earns its third automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Three more wins and boyhood dreams of playing on college basketball's biggest stage will come true for the 19-9 Hornets.

Jackson, though, has already reached one of his lifetime goals.

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Obama appearance attracts 9,000 supporters to Jackson State University

Sen. Obama Brings Message Of Hope, Change To Jackson State

A capacity crowd at Jackson State University's Lee E. Williams Athletic Center cheered in support of Senator Barack Obama's speech there Monday night.

The Illinois senator spoke for just under an hour to about 9,000 vocal supporters on the eve of Mississippi's primaries.

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A&M Gaines making a push for more playing time

Inside linebacker David Gaines has played primarily on special teams during his first two seasons at Alabama A&M.

He played in four games in 2006 and was credited with four tackles.

He played in all 11 games last season and was credited with 15 tackles. A rising junior, Gaines believes he's ready to be a contributor on defense, and if his play in Sunday's scrimmage is any indication, the 6-foot, 214-pounder could be right. Unofficially, Gaines was credited with six tackles, a sack and three pass breakups in the nearly 90-play scrimmage.

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AAMU defense takes charge in scrimmage

Unit bounces back from poor showing a week ago

Alabama A&M's offense held the upper hand through the first two weeks of spring practice. Quarterback Kevin Atkins and company torched Brawnski Towns' defense a week ago in the first scrimmage of the spring.

On Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs' defense bounced back. Free safety Al Donaldson intercepted two of Atkins' passes and end Jeremy Maddox also had an interception as Towns' defense avenged last week's thumping.

"I think we're getting a little better on pass coverage," Towns said after the Bulldogs forced four turnovers in the almost 90-play scrimmage inside Louis Crews Stadium. "We got a little better in terms of turnovers, too. We had some kids really hustling and getting to the football.

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Alabama State University begins spring drills

Alabama State's spring football practices were likely to be a bit hectic no matter what. The first steps in installing a new offense tend to have that effect. The offense is a version of the one being used at Texas Tech now. That system saw quarterback Graham Harrell average more than 43 pass attempts per game in his career.

One of the key players not on campus is junior college transfer quarterback Reid Herchenbach, who is expected to challenge for the starting role next season. Barlow said Saturday that Herchenbach was brought in by new offensive coordinator Ben Noonan, who had been tracking Herchenbach for a while.

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Southern rolls by Arkansas-Pine Bluff

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- The Southern baseball team started Southwestern Athletic Conference play on a positive note, sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a doubleheader Sunday. In the first game, Chase Richard (1-0) went the full seven innings, striking out nine and giving up one run in a 10-1 win.

In the second game, Southern won 10-0 behind another complete game, this time from Jared Maloy. Maloy (1-2) gave up only three hits and struck out 12 with just one walk.

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Please meet Corey Phillips

The long, slow ascent to 498 pounds started when Corey Phillips broke his ankle.

Bones cracked and ligaments tore while playing defensive tackle for Florida A&M, leaving him to haul his 6-foot, 6-inch, 320-pound frame around on crutches for nine months.

But while he wasn't working out like a football player anymore, he continued to eat like one. He got married, had four sons, and in October found himself at nearly 500 pounds.

A sturdy wood chair led him to the scale.

"I sat down in a chair and it broke," Phillips said. "That was the chair that broke the fat man's back. That was it, man."

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Great for Corey! Hope his story serves as an inspiration to others.

FAMU QB candidate leaves school

Michael Johnson, the Florida A&M University quarterback candidate who was charged on Feb. 22 with filing a false police report, is no longer at FAMU.

FAMU’s new football coach, Joe Taylor, said on Monday that Johnson is no longer enrolled at the university. Taylor believes Johnson is now at Elizabeth City State University in his native North Carolina, which would make that the third university Johnson has been a student at in the past four months.

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The Morgan Lacrosse Story: Independent Documentary Film

Photo: Morgan State University's 1975 Lacrosse Team -'Ten Bears'

INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY FOR PBS: 'THE MORGAN LACROSSE STORY'

View Movie Trailer for The Morgan Lacrosse Story: Click on Blog Title Above.

The Morgan Lacrosse Story, is slated to air nationally on PBS April 4th at 10 pm. The film chronicles the rise of the country’s first and only college lacrosse team at a historically black university--Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Producer: Luke David

The Morgan Lacrosse Story will be screened at the Morgan State University Murphy Fine Arts Center at 7 pm on March 11, 2008. It begins airing on public television on April 4th at 10:00 PM. Contact your local PBS station to find out when it will be aired locally.

This Documentary Brings Alive the Legacy of the First and Only College Lacrosse Team at a Historically Black Institution in the 1970's.

WASHINGTON, DC - College lacrosse was at the center of a significant storm in the early 1970's, a riveting story that is coming into full view for the first time on television with The Morgan Lacrosse Story, a new documentary film for PBS. An accounting of the first and only college lacrosse team at a prestigious and historically black institution, Baltimore's Morgan State University.

When a young white administrator reluctantly accepted the position of head lacrosse coach at Baltimore’s Morgan State University, a six-year journey culminating in a shocking upset began. The Bears’ solidarity and determination to succeed changed the sport of lacrosse forever, even as they played in a racially charged period in our nation’s history — the early 1970s.

An emotionally-charged film that deals with issues of race and class during the Civil Rights Era, The Morgan Lacrosse Story uses the official team sport of Maryland as a vehicle to tackle complicated issues, and to honor the legacy of a groundbreaking team who would eventually pull off one of the greatest upsets in intercollegiate sports history.

By introducing viewers to the courageous individuals who made this important part of history and allowing them to tell their stories directly, this highly dynamic one hour documentary film connects the audience to the real emotions of their experience.

The Morgan Lacrosse Story was produced and directed by Luke David, a Producer/Editor at TEAM Sound & Vision. David felt a responsibility to make the documentary after being deeply inspired by the book Ten Bears, co-written by Chip Silverman, the team's coach, and Miles Harrison Jr. "It's rare to get the chance to work on something that you want to be a part of, a legacy worth preserving," David says. "Once I became aware of this story, there was no way I was going to let it go, or leave it in someone else's hands.

"With the archival resources that Chip had available, we knew we had to get things moving right away while everything was still intact. The real hook came once I started meeting the players and I realized how compelling they were as individual characters, let alone the civil rights backdrop of what they accomplished."

Edited by David and TEAM Sound & Vision editor Ian Rummer, with audio mixing performed by TEAM Sound Designer/Mixer Scott Rhame, The Morgan Lacrosse Story is set in Baltimore, but the themes contained within quickly reveal themselves to be universal. The events of the team's formation and rise to prominence are re-told by the players themselves, and examined in historical context by thoughtful and informed narration by Wendell Pierce from HBO's "The Wire".

In addition, hundreds of photographs from the collections of Silverman and his players have been gathered for the film, as well as newspaper clippings from almost every game they played.

Through the prism of a sport infused with the spirituality of its Native American roots, The Morgan Lacrosse Story, made possible by the creative inspiration of TEAM Sound & Vision and the generous support of Constellation Energy, the parent company of Baltimore Gas & Electric shows how this determined group harnessed the power of the game to change the college landscape forever.

"This is a positive story," Luke David concludes. "So many stories about race relations have a sour ending or feel hopeless, but here there's a resolution and a spiritual element. I hope people take the time to watch it, absorb the material and realize that things aren't always as inclusive as we think they are, but with courage things can be different and better."

Hampton Pirates seeks some redemption

Photo: Hampton University head basketball coach Kevin Nickelberry.

Blown out in NCAA in'06, Pirates gird for MEAC tourney

HAMPTON, VA -- Hampton coach Kevin Nickleberry spent much of Friday in Richmond in search of a recruit or two who could further help elevate the Pirates' program to national prominence.

The Pirates, of course, captivated college basketball fans with a stunning victory over No. 2-seed Iowa State in the NCAA tournament in 2001. They were invited back to the postseason party two years ago but suffered a 22-point setback to Monmouth in an opening-round game at the University of Dayton.

Nickleberry, in his second season, is eager to prove the Pirates are a far better team than the one that appeared shell shocked in the spotlight of March Madness.

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2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament Schedule

Photo: Delaware State University Lady Hornets sophomore Ashley Thompson takes the ball to the hole against Morgan State University Lady Bears.

2008 MEAC Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule

Tuesday, March 11 - Opening Round
11:00 AM Game 1- No. 7 South Carolina State vs. No. 10 Bethune-Cookman
1:30 PM Game 2 - No. 8 Howard vs.No. 9 Florida A&M
4:00 PM Game 3 - No. 6 Morgan State vs. No. 11 Norfolk State

Wednesday, March 12 - Opening Round/Quarterfinals
10 AM Game 6 - No. 1 North Carolina A&T vs. Winner of Game 2
12:30 PM Game 7 - No. 2 Coppin State vs.Winner of Game 1

Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
NOON Game 11 - No. 3 Delaware State vs. Winner of Game 3
2:30 PM Game 12 - No. 4 Hampton vs.No. 5 Maryland E. Shore

Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
NOON Game 15 - Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 12
2:30 PM Game 16 - Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 11

Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPNU)
1:00 PM Game 19 - Winner of Game 15 vs. Winner of Game 16


2008 MEAC Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule

Tuesday, March 11 - Opening Round
6:30 PM Game 4 - No. 7 Coppin State vs. No. 10 Howard
9:00 PM Game 5 - No. 8 South Carolina State vs. No. 9 Bethune-Cookman

Wednesday, March 12 - Opening Round/Quarterfinals
3:00 PM Game 8 - No. 6 Florida A&M vs. No. 11 Maryland E. Shore
7:00 PM Game 9 - No. 1 Morgan State vs. Winner of Game 5
9:30 PM Game 10 - No. 2 Hampton vs. Winner of Game 4

Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
6:00 PM Game 13 - No. 3 Norfolk State vs. Winner of Game 8
8:00 PM Game 14 - No. 4 Delaware State vs. No. 5 N.C. A&T

Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
6:00 PM Game 17 - Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 14
8:00 PM Game 18 - Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 13

Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPN Classic)
4:30 PM Men’s Bonus Game: N.C. Central vs. Winston-Salem State
8:00 PM Game 20 - Winner of Game 17 vs. Winner of Game 18

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MEAC Women's Tournament

Photo: Coppin State University shooting guard Rashida Suber has averaged 16.6 points a contest in conference play.


ELEVATOR

N.C. A&T

Finished MEAC schedule 15-1 (23-6 overall) and won first regular-season title since the 1989-90 season.

Bethune-Cookman

Started season with four losses and have lost six of the past eight to drop to 6-23 overall, 2-14 in the league.

BY THE NUMBERS

81.3 - Points per game in conference play by league leader N.C. A&T.

50.4 - Points allowed per game in conference play by league leader Delaware State.

8.2 - Hampton's league-best rebounding margin in conference play.

47.2 - N.C. A&T's league-best shooting percentage.

WHAT TO WATCH

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MEAC Men's Tournament

Photo: Morgan State University point guard Reggie Holmes will lead the Bears high powered offense in the MEAC Tournament.


ELEVATOR

Morgan State

Squad has players among the conference's top five in scoring, rebounding and assists. Finished first in the MEAC (14-2, 20-9 overall).

Hampton/Norfolk State

Tied for second at 11-5 in conference. Hampton was 18-11 overall. Norfolk State was 15-14 overall.

Howard

The Bison (3-13, 6-25 overall) averaged a league-worst 54.4 points per game in conference play.

BY THE NUMBERS

21.4 - MEAC scoring average for league's leader, Maryland-Eastern Shore guard Ed Tyson.

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MEAC holding final Raleigh tournament

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference brought its basketball tournament here three years ago with high expectations. Growth, publicity and income were all but promised to the league, which would send its champion to the NCAA Tournament.

Three years later, on the eve of its final tournament in Raleigh, the MEAC is about to leave town; neither of its Raleigh winners advanced past the play-in game in the NCAA field of 65; and the Division I league is looking for a new home.

The MEAC will hold its final Raleigh tournament today through Saturday at the RBC Center. There will be some parties to attend, but many here aren't weeping about the tournament's impending departure.

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FAMU's El-Amin comes up a tick short

The history books are safe — at least for now.

Florida A&M University's Mujahid El-Amin came up a full second short on Sunday in his quest to become the first swimmer from an Historical Black College or University to qualify for the NCAA championships.

Competing at the James E. Martin Invitational at Auburn University in Alabama, El-Amin did well enough in the preliminaries to earn a spot in the final.

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UAPB next up for Alabama A&M 'Dogs

Alabama A&M will have to get revenge against Arkansas-Pine Bluff if it is going to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Bulldogs, who wrapped up the third seed in next week's tournament at Fair Park Arena in Birmingham, will take on the Golden Lions Thursday at 2:30 p.m. UAPB swept A&M this season, winning 65-59 at Elmore Gym and 70-65 in Pine Bluff.

"We're hoping the third time is the charm for us," A&M coach Vann Pettaway said Saturday night. "I'm hoping my history will remain the same. I don't know of a team that has beaten me three times in the same season."

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Alabama State Hornets should waltz through the SWAC tournament and win the NCAA bid without being tested. The SWAC has been so weak this season, that it makes you question if the Hornets will be competitive in the NCAAs. Anyhow, AAMU is going to be home watching it all on television and grumbling about how the season got away from them. There is always a next year...

Jackson State's Comegy giving backups long look

Photo: JSU Tigers head football coach Rick Comegy.

The Jackson State football team held its first scrimmage of spring workouts Saturday with several projected starters out with injuries.

Defensive end Marcus Benard (shoulder), defensive tackle Dennis Coit (foot), quarterback Tray Rutland (shoulder), linebacker Marcus Jamison (wrist), DT Anthony Atkins (hip), wide receiver Rodney Gray (knee) and defensive back Domonique Johnson (shoulder) have all been out during the spring.

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Alcorn State baseball sweeps Alabama State, leads SWAC East 6-0

LORMAN - Alcorn State moved to 10-1 and 6-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East by completing a three-game sweep over Alabama State on Saturday.

The Braves put 15 hits together with 12 walks. They beat the Hornets 14-5 two times on Friday. For the three games, Alcorn racked up 40 runs and 45 hits.

Grambling baseball takes two from Prairie View

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- Grambling State won the first two games of a three-game series against the Prairie View by the score of 4-2 and 3-0 in games one and two respectively.

The Panthers struggled offensively, tallying only one hit in game one against grambling ace Mario Jefferson. In seven innings of work, Jefferson struck out nine and didn't allow a run.

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