XU Gold Nuggets lead from start to finish against Holy Names

NEW ORLEANS -- Jasmine Grant scored 15 points Friday to lead four starters in double figures in Xavier University of Louisiana's 73-49 women's basketball victory against Holy Names in the Xavier Classic.

Grant, a senior guard who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the final day of this event a year ago, also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

SiMon Franklin and Brandi Young scored 12 points apiece for the Gold Nuggets (5-3), ranked 16th in NAIA Division I, and Jazmoné Kelly had 11 points, a season best, eight rebounds and five steals. Young had a season-high seven assists.

Xavier never lost the lead after scoring the first six points. The Gold Nuggets led 34-25 at halftime, and the final margin was their largest of the game.

Sarah Kilewer scored 16 points and Souljah Evans 15 for Holy Names (4-8). Both scored 11 first-half points.

Kelly and Franklin scored four points apiece in a 12-0 run which gave Xavier a 49-33 lead with 13:13 remaining. Holy Names never got closer than 11 points thereafter.

The Gold Nuggets, who entered the game shooting 37.1 percent from the floor, shot a season-best 49.2 percent -- 57.1 in the second half -- and limited the Hawks to 31.7 percent. Xavier gained 37 turnovers.

Both Xavier and Holy Cross finished 1-1 in the eight-team, two-day event. Rust defeated Mobile 62-61, Tuskegee defeated Texas College 66-52, and Langston beat Dillard 55-42 in Friday's other games. Tuskegee and Langston were the only teams to win both their games. Rust and Dillard were 1-1, and Mobile and Texas College were 0-2.

Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against William Carey at The Barn in a PSBlive.com webcast.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Much is at stake for Grambling and Southern in Bayou Classic

New Orleans, Louisiana -- When Grambling plays Southern today in the 38th annual State Farm Bayou Classic, there will be more at stake than bragging rights. With a victory today at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Grambling can clinch a berth to the Dec. 10 SWAC championship game in Birmingham, Ala..

If Southern (4-6, 4-4) wins, it would force a four-way tie for first place in the Western Division with Grambling, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Prairie View.

Under that scenario, Arkansas-Pine Bluff would gain the berth in the conference championship because it went 2-1 against Grambling, Southern and Prairie View.

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GAME TIME: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC

GSU goes for SWAC title shot

The 38th Bayou Classic is, in a sense, both a championship game and a championship game qualifier.

A Grambling win puts the Tigers in the Dec. 10 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game, something that seemed like a pipe dream after a 1-4 start.

"We were shaky coming out of the gate, but we kept the faith and overcame adversity," said GSU center Julian Wyndon, a Captain Shreve product. "We subconsciously knew we'd be here. We kept winning and kept working hard."

Subsconsciously or otherwise, GSU (6-4, 5-3) needs only a win today over Southern in the 1:30 p.m. kickoff to play in the title game.

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ASU athletic director talks about program's future

Montgomery, Alabama -- The steel beams are visible to motorists who commute on Inter­state 85 every morning, a reminder that things are changing at Alaba­ma State University.

The $50 million football stadi­um that is entering its second phase of construction between Hall Street and Forest Avenue on the east side of the campus is the most noteworthy change to the Hornets' athletic program, but there are plenty of other changes, both in personnel and facilities.

Early last week, ASU athletic director Stacy Danley sat down with the Montgomery Advertiser to discuss his vision for the Hornets' athletic program ...


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Turkey Day Classic -- Alabama State 30, Tuskegee 21: Hornets withstand Golden Tigers' rally

Montgomery, Alabama -- The Turkey Day Classic wouldn't be a classic without some drama.

Alabama State put together its best first half of the season, then withstood a furious second-half rally before scoring late to hold off Tuskegee 30-21 in front of 18,587 fans at Cramton Bowl on Thursday.

For the Golden Tigers (4-6), it was a missed opportunity to avoid their first losing season since 2003. For Alabama State (8-3), it was a chance to snap a two-game losing streak in the series and end the season on a positive note after two late-season losses ruined its hopes of playing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game.

"This was our Super Bowl," ASU senior tailback Tim Clark said. "We don't get to go to the SWAC Championship (Game), so we wanted to come out with a good effort and finish strong."

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Turkey Day Classic highlights: Alabama State vs. Tuskegee (Video courtesy ASU)

Langston rolls past XU in matchup of ranked NAIA teams

NEW ORLEANS — Ayanna Jackson scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half Thursday to lead NAIA No. 19 Langston to a 59-44 women's basketball victory against No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana in the Xavier Classic.

The Lady Lions (6-0) snapped the 14-game home win streak of the Gold Nuggets (4-3).

Kimberly Jones and Shontice Simmons scored 12 points apiece for Langston, and Tayla Vaughn scored 10. Jones grabbed 11 rebounds.

SiMon Franklin scored eight points for Xavier, which never led. Langston took the lead for good in the second minute and limited Xavier's two leading scorers this season, Jasmine Grant and Keldra Hall,.to a combined two points.

Baskets by Danielle Kennebrew, Brandi Young, Paige Rochelle and Dalila Robinson in a 9-2 run helped Xavier cut Langston's lead to 28-25 by halftime. But Langston started the second half with a 12-4 run, including 3-pointers by Jackson and Simmons, to take a 40-29 lead with 14:21 remaining. The Gold Nuggets never got closer than seven points thereafter.

Kennebew's second of two consecutive baskets trimmed Langston's lead to 52-44 with 3:13 remaining, but that was Xavier's final score. The Lady Lions made 7-of-8 free throws in a closing burst.

Xavier shot a season-low 30 percent from the floor. Langston shot 35.2 percent and had advantages of 46-38 in rebounds, 15-6 in made free throws and 6-2 in made 3-pointers. Jackson made three 3-pointers, and Langston limited Grant, Xavier's leading perimeter shooter, to 0-for-1 from behind the arc in a scorless 23 minutes.

Langston, a 62-47 loser to Xavier on the opening night of the Xavier Classic a year ago, gave the Gold Nuggets their biggest loss at The Barn since a 70-55 decision against SUNO on Feb. 12, 2007. It's the second time in 11 seasons that Xavier suffered a double-digit home defeat. Langston also snapped Xavier's seven-game Thanksgiving Day win streak and has won 31 of 34 since losing to the Nuggets in 2010.

Xavier has a two-game losing streak for the first time since the first week of January 2010.

In the other Xavier Classic games, Dillard defeated Rust 77-76 in overtime, Holy Names defeated Texas College 63-59, and Tuskegee beat Mobile 61-58.

Friday's games will match Rust vs. Mobile at noon, Tuskegee vs. Texas College at 2 p.m., Langston vs. Dillard at 4 p.m. and Xavier vs. Holy Names at 6 p.m in a PSBlive.com webcast. Helen Cox will play Terrebonne in a high school girls game at 10:30 a.m.

Box Score

Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Dorton's points and passes rally Tuskegee against Mobile

NEW ORLEANS — Amelia Dorton accounted for 16 points in the final 11½ minutes Thursday to help Tuskegee rally for a 61-58 women's basketball victory against Mobile in the Xavier Classic.

The meeting was the first between these Alabama colleges.

Dorton scored 10 of her 14 points — including four consecutive made baskets — and assisted on three scores to lead the Tigerettes (3-1) back from a 45-39 deficit, their largest of the game.

Kajuanna Rivers scored on a pass from Dorton with 4:03 remaining to put Tuskegee ahead to stay, 57-55. Mobile's last lead was 55-53 on Alice Honnery's basket with 4:42 remaining, but the Lady Rams (2-4) committed four turnovers and went 1-of-5 from the floor thereafter. Mobile missed two shots on the final possession, including Allison Michael's 3-point attempt with four seconds remaining.

Nnenna Eze scored 12 points and Jennifer Anoka 11 for Tuskegee, an NCAA Division II member, and both grabbed seven rebounds. Eze, Torreece Maxey and Alondra Rivers had four steals apiece.

Freshman reserve Briana Edwards had season-highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds for NAIA member Mobile. Courtney Bayliss and Honnery scored 10 points apiece, and Honnery had nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

Anoka scored four points in the final 14 seconds of the first half to give Tuskegee a 31-26 lead at the break.

Mobile outshot the Tigerettes 40 to 36.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 50-37, but the Lady Rams committed a season-worst 32 turnovers, 18 more than their opponent.

On Friday Mobile will play Rust at noon, and Tuskegee will play Texas College at 2 p.m.

Ed Cassiere, SID
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Ronolo's 3-point play helps Holy Names top Texas College

NEW ORLEANS — Britni Ronolo scored a season-high 21 points, including a 3-point play with 15 seconds remaining, to help Holy Names earn a 63-59 women's basketball victory Thursday against Texas College in the second game of the Xavier Classic.

Ronolo, a senior center, was fouled while scoring on an offensive rebound, then made a free throw to give the Hawks (4-7) a 62-59 advantage. Myesha Carrington missed two free throws for Texas College (0-5) on the next possession, then Annie Mahoney made the first of two free throws with three seconds remaining to clinch the victory.

The Lady Steers took their final lead, 57-56, when Sekeya Roberson made two free throws with 1:36 remaining. Danika Potestio's 3-pointer gave the Hawks a 59-57 lead with 53 seconds remaining, then Shirley McGowen scored eight seconds later to tie the score.

Souljah Evans scored 13 points for Holy Names, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Adrienne Davis scored a season-best 13 points, all in the second half, for Texas College. Roberson scored a season-high-tying 11, and McGowen had 10. Roberson had nine rebounds and five steals, but she also committed 11 of the Lady Steers' 41 turnovers.

Holy Names committed 35 turnovers. Neither team shot well from the floor — the Hawks finished at 32.9 percent and the Lady Steers at 30.8.

Holy Names led 28-20 at halftime. Texas College grabbed its biggest lead, 50-46, when Ashli Smith made the second of two free throws with 6:18 remaining. There were five ties and five lead changes thereafter.

It was the first time this season that the Hawks allowed fewer than 68 points.

On Friday Texas College will play Tuskegee at 2 p.m., and Holy Names will play NAIA No. 16 Xavier at 6 p.m. in a PSBlive.com webcast.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA