NSU Spartans' possible MEAC title in jeopardy after stinging loss

NORFOLK, Virginia - The Norfolk State Spartans failed to exorcize the demon that has become Delaware State on Wednesday night. Now they need help if they are to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's regular-season title. And the Spartans will probably have a nightmare or two about the six-point lead they blew in the game's last three minutes. They will lament the 10-1 run they allowed the Hornets to make to start overtime.

Delaware State ended up winning 73-63. But from the looks on the Spartans' faces, the Hornets won this game when Tahj Tate rebounded a missed 3-pointer by teammate Casey Walker and banked home the stickback with 1.4 seconds remaining to force the overtime with the game tied at 59.

"I think we were really deflated by that tip-in," Spartans coach Anthony Evans said. "It really got to us."

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VUU -- Pistons' Ben Wallace sets NBA record for games played by undrafted player

Auburn Hills, Michigan — If Pistons coach Lawrence Frank had a vote, he wouldn't hesitate voting Ben Wallace (Virginia Union University) into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Frank's endorsement Tuesday came about 90 minutes before Wallace set an NBA record for games played by an undrafted player (1,055).

"Oh, yeah," Frank said. "Who knows in terms of the voting? But (from my perspective), without a doubt (Wallace is in). "You look at what he's done — he's a champion, four-time defensive player of the year. I think without a doubt he has credentials to be Hall of Fame-worthy."

Ben Wallace Airballs Free Throw, Makes Three-pointer

Wallace set the record when he replaced Greg Monroe with 54.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Tuesday's game against the Spurs. The Pistons trailed 29-20 at the time, and eventually lost 99-95. The record had been held by former Spurs guard Avery Johnson (NJ Nets Head Coach), (Southern University graduate).

Wallace said he's not worried about the Hall of Fame, but would gladly accept the nod if he gets voted in. "It doesn't matter what (the player) thinks, it's all up to what everybody else thinks," Wallace said. "If (voters) say I'm a Fall of Famer, then I gotta agree with them."

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TSU Track & Field Inks Four during Signing Period

 Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University Track & Field Director Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice announced the signing of four student-athletes during the recent National Letter of Intent signing period that began on Feb. 1.

Clairwin Dameus, Leslye Williams, Jerome Henderson and Quamel Prince all signed their National Letter of Intents to suit up for the Tigers during the 2012-13 academic year.

"I am excited about our incoming class," noted Cheeseborough-Guice. "We went after some strong student-athletes that will make a difference right away."

Dameus, a native of Boynton Beach, Fla., is known as a multiple event specialist. The Santaluces Community High School (Palm Beach County) product won a first place medal at the 2011 ESPN Rise Championships in Orlando. Dameus recorded personal bests of 19-6 ½ in the long jump and 14.50 in the 100-meter hurdles. The incoming freshman competed in the AAU National Junior Olympic Multis Championships and finished as state runner-up in the long jump.

View Dameus' video here.

Williams, a native of Nashville, joins the Tigerbelles after setting four school records at Martin Luther King Magnet School. The sprinter was an AAU National Qualifier in 2007, 2010 and 2011. She also claimed a state title in the 200-meter dash with a run of 24.92 seconds. Williams holds several regional championships in the 100-meter, 200-meter and both relay events.

Clarksville product Jerome Henderson joins TSU next season after competing in the AAU Junior Olympics on four occasions. Henderson won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.74 at the 2011 Great Eight at Vanderbilt University. The Clarksville High football star also earned top-10 finishes in the TSSAA 100-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relays.

View Henderson's video here
Antioch's Quamel Prince captured the state title in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:51.27. Prince also clocked times of 48.71 in the 400-meter dash and 4:03.53 in the 1,500-meter run.

Coach Cheeseborough-Guice feels that these four additions along with others in the future will help continue the Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles' goal of reaching an OVC title.

"I think this adds another piece to the puzzle," said Cheeseborough-Guice. "This will help us continue to move forward and contend for an OVC Championship."

TSU Track & Field competes in the 2012 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Gentry Center on Feb. 24-25.

2012 TSU Track & Field Signees - Feb. 1 Signing Period
Clairwin Damues, Fr. - Sprinter - Boynton Beach, Fla. (Santaluces Community High School)
Quamel Prince, Fr. - Sprinter/Middle Distance - Nashville, Tenn. (Antioch High School)
Jerome Henderson, Fr. - Sprinter - Clarksville, Tenn. (Clarksville High School)
Leslye Williams, Fr. - Sprinter - Nashville, Tenn. (Martin Luther King Magnet School)

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Divens Signs NFL Contract with Tennessee Titans

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Former Tennessee State University football player Lamar Divens signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday.

Divens, who played for the Tigers in 2006 and 2007, signed an undrafted free agent contract with Baltimore in 2008. In the summer of 2011, he was released by the Ravens. The Fayetteville, Tenn., native signed a practice squad contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in December, but was a free agent this season. Divens has played in five NFL games during his four-year career.

At TSU, Divens played in 14 games and inked 46 tackles during his career. He also notched six tackles-for-loss during that span. For Lincoln County High School, Divens won 5A Mr. Football honors and was named first team All-State.

Divens joins four other Tigers already in the National Football League: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Philadelphia Eagles), Anthony Levine (Green Bay Packers), Cecil Newton (Baltimore Ravens) and Javarris Williams (Houston Texans).

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Rattlers Release 2012 Football Schedule

2012 Rattler Football Schedule (.pdf)

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The Florida A&M Department of Athletics announced its 2012 football schedule today with the Rattler gridders heading to Music City USA to face the Tennessee State Tigers in the "Big" John Merritt Classic, then traveling west to face the Oklahoma Sooners of the Big 12 Conference.

Head Coach Joe Taylor and the Rattlers aim to improve on its 7-4 record last season and compete for the MEAC crown. With a core of returnees and a host of promising newcomers, the Rattlers start off the season with a visit to Nashville, Tenn. on Sept. 1, to face the "Big Blue" Tigers of Tennessee State. The match-up will be the first for the Rattlers and Tigers since the 2010 Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic.

The Rattlers and Tigers had previously mixed it up in the Atlanta Football Classic for 13 straight years before the "100 Black Men of Atlanta" brought in the Jaguars of Southern University as the Rattlers' opponents last season. TSU defeated FAMU 29-18 in their last meeting in 2010. Prior to that, the Rattlers had won eight consecutive Atlanta Football Classics over the Tigers. TSU is banking on a strong recruiting class from head coach Rod Reed to strengthen its team for the upcoming season.

On Sept. 8, the Rattlers visit the Sooners of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. The Rattlers will face one of the favorites in the Big 12 Conference on their home turf.

On Sept. 15, the Rattlers will return home to the friendly confines of Bragg Memorial Stadium to face the Pirates of Hampton University. The Rattlers would like to get revenge on the Pirates for a tough 23-17 loss in Hampton, Va. last season.

Sept. 22 finds the Rattlers in Dover, Del., to face the Hornets of Delaware State University. Head Coach Kermit Blount looks to improve on the Hornets' 3-8 record in his inaugural season. Last season, the Rattlers bested the Hornets 34-7 at Bragg Stadium.

The Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic, which takes place annually on the final weekend of September, will take place on Sept. 29 in the Georgia Dome. This will mark the second consecutive year the Rattlers will face the Jaguars of Southern University in the classic. Last season, FAMU freshman quarterback Damien Fleming led the Rattlers to three second half scores to defeat the Jaguars 38-33. Jaguars head coach Stump Mitchell will look to exert revenge on the Rattlers, especially since they were interested in Fleming as well.

On Oct. 6, the Rattlers will visit the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., for a MEAC matchup with the resurgent Howard Bison. Last season, the Bison pulled an improbable comeback to defeat the Rattlers on homecoming. The 29-28 upset catapulted the Bison into the spotlight, finishing with a record of 5-6. They capped their wins last season with a 10-7 win over Hampton in the battle of the HUs.

On Oct.13, the Rattlers will celebrate Homecoming against the Savannah State Tigers. Last season the Rattlers romped to a 47-7 victory over the Tigers, led by a 200-yard performance by running back Al-Terek McBurse. This will be the first visit to Tallahassee for the Tigers since they were fully admitted into the MEAC.

In back-to-back home football weekends, the Rattlers will welcome Buddy Pugh and the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University on Oct. 20. The Rattlers snapped their eight-year drought against the Bulldogs with a gritty 27-24 win in Orangeburg, S.C. Quarterback Damien Fleming was solid for the Rattlers, completing 34-of-40 passes for 297 yards. The game would be locked away for the Rattlers as Ronald Jackson got a crucial first down in Bulldog territory on a fake punt.

The Rattlers will be open on Oct.27.

The North Carolina A&T Aggies will get another shot at the Rattlers after feeling they allowed victory out of their grasp last season. In the 2011 game, the Rattlers eked out a 26-20 win in a hotly contested battle. The fiercely competitive game resulted in 299-yards in penalties.

The Prince Hall Shriner's Diabetes Football Classic will take place on Nov.10, against the Eagles of North Carolina Central University. It will be the Eagles' first visit to Tallahassee as full members of the MEAC. Last season the Rattlers handily defeated the Eagles 31-10 in Durham, N.C.

The pinnacle of the season will be on Nov. 17 as the Rattlers take on the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida Classic in Orlando. The Wildcats took advantage of Rattler turnovers to prevail 26-16 on 2011. Joe Taylor and B-CU's Brian Jenkins are now 1-1 in head-to-head matchups. The Rattlers will look to tame the Wildcats on the final day of the regular season to have their shot at the MEAC title.

2012 Florida A&M Football Schedule

Sept. 1, at Tennessee State, Big John Merritt Classic, Nashville, TN
Sept. 8, at Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Sept. 15, Hampton,* Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Sept. 22, at Delaware State,* Dover, DE
Sept. 29, at Southern, Atlanta Football Classic, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 6, at Howard, * Washington, D.C.
Oct. 13, Savannah State* (Homecoming), Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Oct. 20, South Carolina State,* Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 3, at North Carolina A&T,* Greensboro, NC
Nov. 10, North Carolina Centra,l* Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 17, Bethune-Cookman, at Florida Classic, Orlando, FL

Season Tickets Prices
$60 General Admission (Limited Quantity
$75 - Reserved
$100 Chair Back Box Seating (Renewal Only)
$125 - Reserved Basketball Included
$150 - Chair Back Box Seating with Basketball Included (Renewal Only)

For ticket information, please call (850)599-3141

Rattler Booster packages are available now by calling their office at (850) 224-6093. For more information on the Rattler Boosters, please visit TheRattlerBoosters

Don't forget, if you can't make it to a home game, you can sign up to Rattler Vision, where you can watch the game streamed to your laptop or home computer. To sign up to Rattler Vision, go to FAMUAthletics

COURTESY: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

OU Sooners finalize 2012 schedule with UTEP, Florida A&M

NORMAN, Oklahoma - The OU football team will face UTEP, Florida A&M and Notre Dame in nonconference play during the 2012 season, the university announced Wednesday morning.

The announcement comes one day after the Big 12 released its 2012 conference schedule. The full release means the Sooners will play six home games, five road games and the OU-Texas game in Dallas on Oct. 13.

OU coach Bob Stoops said the athletic department has a philosophy of playing a challenging schedule to give the Sooners a chance to vie for a championship.  "I know that Joe Castiglione puts our program's best interests at the forefront when scheduling our opponents and it shows with the quality of teams on our schedule," Stoops said.

Florida A&M, Kansas State, Kansas, Notre Dame, Baylor and Oklahoma State will each make the trip to Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in 2012.

The Sooners' home opener against Florida A&M on Sept. 8 marks the first meeting between the schools. The Rattlers are a Football Championship Division program that compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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Rattlers of Florida A&M likely headed to OU's Owen Field on Sept. 8

CAMPUS CORNER, Oklahoma — Add this to your schedule intel from today: Florida A&M will likely fulfill the FCS role in the fall.

My friend Coley Harvey at the Orlando Sentinel saw something today indicating OU (University of Oklahoma) and FAMU will get together Sept. 8 at Owen Field. I see no reason at all to doubt it — especially considering I first heard the Rattlers as an option early this morning. (I inserted FAMU as a possibility in our web story when the Big 12 schedule was released.)

Let’s hope they bring the band. (Coley reminded me a hazing scandal currently has the band in timeout.)

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Big 12 champions OSU face Savannah State in Season Opener

STILLWATER, Oklahoma - Seven home games, including visits from Big 12 newcomers West Virginia and TCU, highlight the 2012 Oklahoma State University football schedule.

The Cowboys open the season Sept. 1 when the defending Big 12 champions face Savannah State in the initial meeting between the schools. The following week the Cowboys hit the road for the first time when they travel to Tucson to face Arizona. The Cowboys and Wildcats will be meeting for the third straight year. They will face each other in Arizona for the first time since 1942.

On Sept. 15 Louisiana visits OSU. The Ragin Cajuns, who will be in Stillwater for a second straight season, are coming off a win in the New Orleans Bowl.

Following an open week, Oklahoma State opens Big 12 play against Texas. The Longhorns will be in Stillwater for the first time since 2009. Another open week follows the Texas game before OSU travels to Kansas on Oct. 13.

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Oklahoma State football: Who is Savannah State?

A new low comes to Oklahoma State football on Sept. 1. Maybe a new low for Big 12 football. The worst program to ever grace a Big 12 schedule.

OSU hosts Savannah State on Sept. 1, and there is no pleasant way to put this. Savannah State will be the worst opponent the Cowboys have ever played, at least going back to World War I. I can’t speak for some of the teacher colleges of the Woodrow Wilson era. But Savannah State will be the worst in at least 90 years. There is no shame in Stillwater when it comes to scheduling.

Savannah State is a Division I-AA program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Savannah State joined the MEAC for the 2010 season and was independent the eight years before that. Before 2002, Savannah State was NCAA Division II, the level at which Central Oklahoma and Southwestern State play.

Here are Savannah State’s season records going backwards from 2011: 1-10, 1-10, 2-8, 5-7, 1-9, 3-8, 0-11, 2-8, 0-12, 1-9, 2-7, 2-8. That’s 12 seasons in the 2000s, with 20 total victories.

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