GARLAND, Texas — With four minutes left in a 78-53 blowout victory of Mississippi Valley State, facing heavy pressure in the backcourt, Southern University guard Ashley Augerson noticed a longtime teammate breaking free. Augerson heaved an end-to-end pass toward Aerica Hicks, a fifth-year senior who’s known for her defense — not for filling up the box score.
Nonetheless, Hicks hauled in Augerson’s pass, then scored on a layup — just as she was fouled from behind. She completed the three-point play, and the Jaguars bench erupted. By then, they had all but wrapped up a big win in the semifinal round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s tournament.
By then, they knew they’d play Saturday for another championship.
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Saturday, March 12, 2011
Grambling State Storms Back To Upset Jackson State
As the calendar was turning from January to February, the Grambling season appeared to be lost. Their record was 3-17, with a 1-8 mark in SWAC play. Somewhere, a switch was flipped. The Tigers won seven of their final nine contests, entered the SWAC tournament as the #6-seed, and promptly knocked off #3-seed Mississippi Valley State.
So Grambling wasn't going to let a measly 10-point halftime deficit against #2-seed Jackson State slow them down. They stormed back to score 41 second-half points, force overtime at a 66-all tie, and kept right on rolling to an 81-75 win in Friday's SWAC semi-final.
J-State unravels at end, bids season goodbye
GARLAND, TEXAS — They milled around the hotel lobby, some slouching on couches, others leaning against walls and a few walking around aimlessly - their faces in a blank stare, pointing at the ground.
Moments ago, the Jackson State basketball team had its season end in a most revolting fashion: The No. 2-seeded Tigers blew a late double-digit lead. They committed a flurry of late fouls and turnovers. They allowed a missed free throw to be put back to force overtime.
And they lost to No. 6-seeded Grambling 81-75 in overtime Friday in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals - a wild game not to be erased from their memory banks for some time.
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TSU Tigers upset in semifinals by Alabama State
GARLAND, TX - The Texas Southern Tigers believed they had the talent, drive and fortitude to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. They certainly had the bravado. But they didn't have quite enough time to get past Alabama State in the semifinals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.
The top-seeded Tigers fell behind by a huge margin in the first half and came up short in their attempt at a furious second-half comeback, falling 73-66 to the fourth-seeded Hornets on Friday night at the Special Events Center.
Alabama State (16-17) moves on to face Grambling State in today's SWAC championship game. TSU, on the other hand, is destined for the National Invitation Tournament after winning the SWAC regular-season title but failing to capture the tournament championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA.
Videographer: CelebrityMLMarketing; ASU Mighty Marching Hornets - The Story of Fight Fanfare
ASU one win away from SWAC title, NCAA tourney bid
GARLAND, Texas -- The Alabama State men's basketball team dominated the first half against Texas Southern and held on for a 73-66 win, advancing to the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament Championship game. For the second straight game, the Hornets never trailed.
ASU jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. After TSU responded with a 7-0 spurt of its own, the Hornets' Jeffery Middlebrooks and Ivory White hit a pair of 3-pointers pointers each.
Tremayne Moorer and Kenderek Washington also chipped in as ASU built a 19-point lead in the first half.
READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.
The top-seeded Tigers fell behind by a huge margin in the first half and came up short in their attempt at a furious second-half comeback, falling 73-66 to the fourth-seeded Hornets on Friday night at the Special Events Center.
Alabama State (16-17) moves on to face Grambling State in today's SWAC championship game. TSU, on the other hand, is destined for the National Invitation Tournament after winning the SWAC regular-season title but failing to capture the tournament championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA.
Videographer: CelebrityMLMarketing; ASU Mighty Marching Hornets - The Story of Fight Fanfare
ASU one win away from SWAC title, NCAA tourney bid
GARLAND, Texas -- The Alabama State men's basketball team dominated the first half against Texas Southern and held on for a 73-66 win, advancing to the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament Championship game. For the second straight game, the Hornets never trailed.
ASU jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game. After TSU responded with a 7-0 spurt of its own, the Hornets' Jeffery Middlebrooks and Ivory White hit a pair of 3-pointers pointers each.
Tremayne Moorer and Kenderek Washington also chipped in as ASU built a 19-point lead in the first half.
READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.
Division II South Regional: Benedict's Marcus Goode gives Tigers their claws
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- While the calendar turned to 2011, the Benedict men's basketball team was beginning to wonder just what kind of year it had to look forward to.
The Tigers already were off to a disappointing 2-4 start, had 11 new guys playing and lost a trio of returning starters for reasons nine-year coach Fred Watson would rather not discuss. Marcus Goode, the 6-foot-10 sophomore, had yet to play a single minute because of transfer rules.
"It was a little tough at the beginning," Watson said. That tough beginning ended as midnight struck on Jan. 1, 2011. After six games on the bench, Goode was eligible to play.
"When we started, everyone kind of counted us out," Watson said. "I knew if we could keep going until the big fella got here, we'd be OK."
Division II South Regional: Uptempo Stillman making second tournament appearance
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Stillman coach Michael Grant's philosophy is a shooter's dream. If you're open, pull the trigger, he says. Pass up an open jumper? Be prepared to take a seat.
"Now when we play and we pass up open shots, the bench is telling them to shoot the ball," said Grant, the Tigers' third-year coach. "It's expected now."
While Grant's offensive mantra may run contrary to more conservative coaches, the Tigers' high-octane attack has put Stillman (22-7) into the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in school history. The seventh-seeded Tigers will meet No. 2 seed Harding at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the opening round of the South Regional hosted at Spragins Hall.
Division II South Regional: Clark Atlanta doesn't shrink from top teams
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The Clark Atlanta Panthers may be the eighth seed out of eight teams, but don't think they will be intimidated by the prospect of playing South Regional host UAH on its home floor.
"Every time I pass Georgia Tech, I lose cell reception," said Clark Atlanta coach Darryl Jacobs earlier this week, moments after it happens. "It must be because we took them to overtime in November."
Just like UAH did with Alabama, the Panthers put a scare into their Division I neighbors during the exhibition season. That came on the heels of them falling by only seven points at last year's regional to eventual champion Valdosta State.
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The Tigers already were off to a disappointing 2-4 start, had 11 new guys playing and lost a trio of returning starters for reasons nine-year coach Fred Watson would rather not discuss. Marcus Goode, the 6-foot-10 sophomore, had yet to play a single minute because of transfer rules.
"It was a little tough at the beginning," Watson said. That tough beginning ended as midnight struck on Jan. 1, 2011. After six games on the bench, Goode was eligible to play.
"When we started, everyone kind of counted us out," Watson said. "I knew if we could keep going until the big fella got here, we'd be OK."
Division II South Regional: Uptempo Stillman making second tournament appearance
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Stillman coach Michael Grant's philosophy is a shooter's dream. If you're open, pull the trigger, he says. Pass up an open jumper? Be prepared to take a seat.
"Now when we play and we pass up open shots, the bench is telling them to shoot the ball," said Grant, the Tigers' third-year coach. "It's expected now."
While Grant's offensive mantra may run contrary to more conservative coaches, the Tigers' high-octane attack has put Stillman (22-7) into the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in school history. The seventh-seeded Tigers will meet No. 2 seed Harding at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the opening round of the South Regional hosted at Spragins Hall.
Division II South Regional: Clark Atlanta doesn't shrink from top teams
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The Clark Atlanta Panthers may be the eighth seed out of eight teams, but don't think they will be intimidated by the prospect of playing South Regional host UAH on its home floor.
"Every time I pass Georgia Tech, I lose cell reception," said Clark Atlanta coach Darryl Jacobs earlier this week, moments after it happens. "It must be because we took them to overtime in November."
Just like UAH did with Alabama, the Panthers put a scare into their Division I neighbors during the exhibition season. That came on the heels of them falling by only seven points at last year's regional to eventual champion Valdosta State.
READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.
New season begins as 8 teams seek Atlantic Regional title
EDINBORO, PA -- A month ago, the Shaw Bears were 13-10 and just about out of the running to make an NCAA Division II women's basketball Atlantic Regional appearance for the first time since 2008.
But today at 6 p.m., the eighth-seeded Bears (21-11), who earned their way to the regional by winning their sixth CIAA title in nine seasons, are the focus of the young, top-seeded host, No. 17 Edinboro (26-3), in the quarterfinals at McComb Fieldhouse.
"They are very talented with some great athletes, and I recruited one of their players," Edinboro coach Stan Swank said. "I knew about another of their players, a girl from Lakeland (Fla.), so it's not like you don't know about them."
What everyone with an interest seems to know about Shaw is that 6-foot 1-inch senior forward Demaria Liles, who played two seasons at...
Bears on hot streaks
Excerpt:
While Hill was chasing his first CIAA title as a head coach, Shaw women's coach Jacques Curtis was seeking to expand his already stocked repertoire. His season was filled with more ups and downs than a roller-coaster ride, but Saturday night proved doubly sweet for Shaw, as Curtis' team claimed the women's CIAA title with a 62-56 win over Johnson C. Smith.
The eighth-seeded Shaw women (21-11) open play today in the NCAA Division II championship tournament with a 6 p.m. road game at Edinboro (Pa.) University, a No. 1 seed. The Shaw men, a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Division II men's bracket, is set to face - for the third time this season - fifth-seeded Winston-Salem State at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night in West Liberty, W.Va.
Teams' successes boost Shaw pride
RALEIGH, NC -- Shaw University, a small private school in downtown Raleigh, sent both its men's and women's basketball teams off to national tournaments this week.
Today, Shaw's Lady Bears will play in the opening round of the NCAA Division II tournament in Edinboro, Pa., where they'll face the Edinboro Fighting Scots.
On Saturday, the men will begin their quest for national glory in West Liberty, W.Va., against in-state rival Winston-Salem State University.
Both teams cut down the nets at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte last weekend after winning the CIAA Tournament championships. The teams' winning ways have had a transformative effect on campus morale and spirit.
READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.
But today at 6 p.m., the eighth-seeded Bears (21-11), who earned their way to the regional by winning their sixth CIAA title in nine seasons, are the focus of the young, top-seeded host, No. 17 Edinboro (26-3), in the quarterfinals at McComb Fieldhouse.
"They are very talented with some great athletes, and I recruited one of their players," Edinboro coach Stan Swank said. "I knew about another of their players, a girl from Lakeland (Fla.), so it's not like you don't know about them."
What everyone with an interest seems to know about Shaw is that 6-foot 1-inch senior forward Demaria Liles, who played two seasons at...
Bears on hot streaks
Excerpt:
While Hill was chasing his first CIAA title as a head coach, Shaw women's coach Jacques Curtis was seeking to expand his already stocked repertoire. His season was filled with more ups and downs than a roller-coaster ride, but Saturday night proved doubly sweet for Shaw, as Curtis' team claimed the women's CIAA title with a 62-56 win over Johnson C. Smith.
The eighth-seeded Shaw women (21-11) open play today in the NCAA Division II championship tournament with a 6 p.m. road game at Edinboro (Pa.) University, a No. 1 seed. The Shaw men, a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Division II men's bracket, is set to face - for the third time this season - fifth-seeded Winston-Salem State at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night in West Liberty, W.Va.
Teams' successes boost Shaw pride
RALEIGH, NC -- Shaw University, a small private school in downtown Raleigh, sent both its men's and women's basketball teams off to national tournaments this week.
Today, Shaw's Lady Bears will play in the opening round of the NCAA Division II tournament in Edinboro, Pa., where they'll face the Edinboro Fighting Scots.
On Saturday, the men will begin their quest for national glory in West Liberty, W.Va., against in-state rival Winston-Salem State University.
Both teams cut down the nets at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte last weekend after winning the CIAA Tournament championships. The teams' winning ways have had a transformative effect on campus morale and spirit.
READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.
SSU to play season finale at MEAC tourney
The men’s basketball program at Savannah State gets a glimpse of the future today.The Tigers will play North Carolina Central at 11 a.m. at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. Currently as an Independent, SSU (11-18) isn’t exactly part of March Madness’ conference tournament hoopla. The Tigers will begin play in the MEAC next season.
“The guys are getting the chance to see what we’ll be part of next season,” SSU coach Horace Broadnax said. “Obviously, we’re not advancing but I think the guys will have a chance to see how (tournament) games become more intense in a one-and-done setting.”
Broadnax and the Tigers left campus Thursday and viewed part of the tournament quarterfinals Thursday night and the semifinals Friday.
EAGLES, TIGERS TO MEET IN MEAC TOURNAMENT BONUS GAME
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
The NCCU Sports Network will broadcast the MEAC Tournament Bonus Game only on the internet on Saturday due to a scheduling conflict, but fans are encouraged to tune in beginning at a 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 12 for a special edition of Eagle Gameday presented by the Hilton RTP. Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks and color analyst Joe SImmons will bring all the live action from the Lawrence Joel Colisuem.
CLICK HERE FOR NCCU vs. SSU at Saturday, 10: 30 a.m.
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MEAC: Hampton proves too much for Norfolk State
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| Hampton Coach Edward Joyner Jr. (Photo courtesy of HU Pirates Athletics) |
The Pirates (23-8) can prove it once and for all today when they meet Morgan State (17-13) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the MEAC's championship game (2 p.m., ESPN2 ). The winner earns the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
Hampton came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, victim of a three-game losing streak late in February that let Bethune-Cookman slip into the driver's seat in the regular-season race. But with Bethune-Cookman falling 61-48 earlier Friday to Morgan State, the Pirates became the highest remaining seed.
PIRATES RUN PAST SPARTANS INTO MEAC FINAL
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team advanced to the championship game of the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament on Friday with an 85-61 win over Norfolk State in the semifinals at the Joel Coliseum.
The No. 2 seeded Pirates (23-8) have won four in a row overall and four straight over the Spartans. It was Hampton’s largest win over Norfolk State since the Pirates beat the Spartans 85-57 on Dec. 8, 2001.
Hampton will take on No. 4 Morgan State, which defeated top seed Bethune-Cookman 61-48 on Friday, in the championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
The Pirates will be looking for their first MEAC Tournament title, and automatic NCAA Tournament berth, since 2006 – when Hampton defeated Delaware State 60-56.
Junior guard Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) led the Pirates with 30 points on 9-for-20 shooting, making four of his nine 3-pointers and all eight of his free throws. Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) added 15 points, seven rebounds and five steals.
Junior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with nine points. Senior guard Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.), on top of his team-high five assists, scored eight points.
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