Bluefield State: Lady Blues seeking return to respectability

BLUEFIELD, West Virginia — J.J. Oliver is thinking big. Real big. Bluefield State women's basketball has managed just 48 win over the last 10 years. Oliver thinks the days of just being happy with a rare victory are over.

Oliver wants the Lady Blues to challenge for the West Virginia Conference championship, tall words for a squad that has won 10 games just once since 1999, and lost an average of 22 games per season since then. Bluefield State has won just 24 league games since ‘03.



“If we don't win a conference championship then we didn’t attain our goal so it is not a successful season,” said Oliver, in his second season at Bluefield State. “Moral victories are over with at Bluefield State. “It is no longer just enough to compete in games, or just enough to just win a couple of games. The barometer is to win a championship and, on another level, a national championship.”

Don't think it can happen? Then don't expect to play for Oliver, whose Blues struggled with a lack of numbers last season, finishing with a 3-24 record. That was actually an improvement over a 1-26 mark in 2010.

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Xavier again collects one point apiece in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — For the fourth straight week Xavier University of Louisiana received one point in both of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 polls. Rankings were announced Sunday and are the last before the NAIA National Championships at Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 19.

The Gold Rush tied for 38th place in the men's rankings, and the Gold Nuggets tied for 42nd in the women's.

Both the Rush and the Nuggets will compete in the national meet with automatic bids by virtue of winning team titles at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 22

Oklahoma Christian's men are No. 1 for the fifth consecutive poll, and Azusa Pacific's women are top-ranked for the eighth consecutive time. The defending national team champions are the men of No. 4 Southern Oregon and the women of No. 2 Cal State San Marcos.
A postseason poll will be announced Nov. 23.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS 
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

Davenport working to keep SSU motivated

Savannah, Georgia -- Savannah State’s Steve Davenport has become part head football coach, part psychologist heading into the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers (1-8) have lost five in a row by an average score of 38.4 to 9.2. They haven’t scored a touchdown in their last nine quarters.

“Obviously, it’s difficult to keep reassuring your kids that things are going to get better, but that’s all you can do,” said Davenport as SSU prepares for Bethune-Cookman in Daytona, Fla., on Saturday.

The Tigers’ chances for a win faded quickly last Saturday against Norfolk State, which clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. SSU’s Chris Strong fumbled the opening kickoff and two plays later, Norfolk scored. Forty-two seconds into the game, the Tigers trailed 7-0.

Davenport said SSU had another key play go against ...

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FAMU Still In Contention for Playoff Birth

Tallahassee, Florida -- FAMU's win over North Carolina A&T eliminated the Aggies from playoff contention. The Rattlers are one of three teams left vying to be MEAC Champions.

"We're trying to get to these playoffs," says senior wide receiver Kevin Elliott. "If we win out there's a good possibility we will get to the playoffs."

However, if Norfolk State wins its season finale, the Spartans will be crowned champs. The question at hand for the Rattlers then becomes, should two teams from the MEAC be invited to the playoffs.

"Looking around the conferences this year, a lot of the stronger conferences have teams with more loses that normally have stronger records,' adds junior defensive tackle Padric Scott. "I think the competition level right now is going to be up for grabs.


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Xavier's Denzell Erves selected GCAC Player of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — Denzell Erves is a can't-miss winner.

The Xavier University of Louisiana junior, who made all 10 of his shots from the floor Wednesday in a season-opening victory against Carver, is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball for Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

He's the GCAC's first honoree of 2011-12 in that sport.

Erves, a 6-foot-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, did not attempt a 3-pointer or a free throw. He was 6-of-6 from the floor in the first half and finished with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. It's his second double-double with the Gold Rush.

Xavier defeated Carver 88-69 for its 16th consecutive victory in a season opener.

Erves is the second Gold Rush player to reach 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game since the start of the 2008-09 season and the first to do it at The Barn since Jarrel Lake had 20 points and 11 rebounds against Wiley on Nov. 10, 2007.

Eugene Johnson set the Gold Rush record for field-goal accuracy when he made all 13 of his attempts against West Alabama on Jan. 6, 1981. The best perfect-floor-shooting night for the Gold Rush this past season was Wanto Joseph's 7-of-7 against Tougaloo at The Barn on Jan. 22.

This is Erves' first GCAC weekly award. The Gold Rush earned the honor three times in 2010-11, including current XU players Jamaan Kenner and Anthony Simmons.

Xavier is playing tonight at seventh-ranked Vanderbilt — the second exhibition game in three days for the Gold Rush against an NCAA Division I opponent — before returning home to play St. Thomas (Fla.) at 6 p.m. Friday at The Barn. The St. Thomas game will tip off one hour earlier than originally announced.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Winston-Salem State Rams Crack AFCA Top 5

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State football players, Markus Lawrence, Jr., Kameron Smith and head coach, Connell Maynor all have been tabbed as CIAA Offensive Lineman, Quarterback and Coach of the Week respectively for their efforts versus UNC-Pembroke on Saturday afternoon in Pembroke, NC.

Markus Lawrence, Jr (6-4, 290, Jr, Charlotte, NC/Harding University HS) helped lead the Winston-Salem State offense to 435 yards of total offense and a punishing 278 rushing yards. This is the second times Lawrence, Jr has earned CIAA Offensive Lineman of the Week.

Kameron Smith (5-11, 180, R-Jr, Garner, NC/Garner Magnet HS) had a solid afternoon in leading the WSSU offense. Smith rushed 11 times for 23 yards, and finished 20 of 27 passing for 157 yards and three touchdowns in Winston-Salem State's 35-7 win over UNC-Pembroke. He connected with a season high 12 different receivers in the game.

Connell Maynor the #4 ranked Winston-Salem State Rams to a 35-7 win over UNC-Pembroke; capping off a 10-0 undefeated regular season. This is the Winston-Salem State University Rams’ first unbeaten regular season since 1978, when the head coach and current athletic director, William "Bill" Hayes led the Rams to the CIAA Crown.

Winston-Salem State will face off with CIAA Northern Division Champion, the Elizabeth City State University Vikings, Saturday, November 12th, in Durham, NC in the 2011 CIAA Football Championship Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The game will be televised "live" on Bounce TV.

2011 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – November 7, 2011

1.            Delta St. (Miss.) (27)	9-1
2.            Colorado St.-Pueblo	10-0
3.            Midwestern St. (Texas) (1)	9-0
4.            Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (1)	10-0
5.            Nebraska-Kearney	9-1
6.            Washburn (Kan.)	9-1
7.            New Haven (Conn.)	9-1
8.            Kutztown (Pa.)	9-1
9.            Pittsburg St. (Kan.)	8-1
10.          Minnesota-Duluth	8-2
11.          Northwest Missouri St.	8-2
12.          Abilene Christian (Texas)	7-2
13.          North Alabama	7-2
14.          Humboldt St. (Calif.)	8-1
15.          St. Cloud State (Minn.)	8-2
16.          Albany St. (Ga.)	8-2
17.          Missouri Western St.	8-2
18.          California (Pa.)	8-2
19.          West Virginia Wesleyan	9-1
20.          Colorado School of Mines	8-2
21.          Bloomsburg (Pa.)	8-2
22.          Wayne St. (Mich.)	8-2
23.          Mars Hill (N.C.)	7-2
24.          Slippery Rock (Pa.)	8-2
25.          Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)	7-2

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Courtesy Winston Salem State Athletics

GW Men's Hoops Dismantles D-II No. 8 Bowie State, 92-65

Washington, D.C. -- In its exhibition debut under new head coach Mike Lonergan, the George Washington men's basketball team eased by Bowie State, the nation's No. 8 ranked NCAA Division II team, 92-65 at Charles E. Smith Center Sunday evening.

The backcourt duo of senior Tony Taylor and junior Lasan Kromah combined for 35 points, 15 assists and seven steals to lead the Colonials past the Bulldogs in exhibition play for the second year in a row. GW posted an 82-64 win over BSU one year earlier.

Kromah, in his first live game action since the end of his rookie campaign in 2010, led all players with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and added six assists, while Taylor posted a near double-double with 12 points and nine assists along with a game-high five steals. Senior Aaron Ware also reached double-figures with 12 points, including 8-of-9 at the foul line, in 18 minutes off the bench.

GW set an up-tempo pace from the opening tip, raced out to a double-digit lead just over seven minutes into the contest and never looked back.

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