XU' Erves earns a pair of player-of-the-week awards



DENZELL ERVES #15
6'-7"/205 FORWARD, JUNIOR
Hometown: VICKSBURG, MS
VICKSBURG HIGH SCHOOL



NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Denzell Erves received a pair of honors Monday. He was chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball, and he shared Louisiana Player of the Week with two others.

Erves, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, averaged 17 points, 9.5 rebounds and shot 56.5 percent from the floor to help the Gold Rush (22-7) close the regular season with GCAC road victories against Fisk and Dillard. Against Fisk he had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season -- the most by an XU player since the start of 2003-04 -- and he had 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks to help the Rush complete a regular-season sweep of its longtime city rival. He helped Xavier score back-to-back 20-point victories in conference for the first time since January 1996.

Erves tied for the Louisiana award, which is chosen by a Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel, with Trevor Gaskins of Louisiana Tech and Ricky Tarrant of Tulane.

It's the third time this season that Erves won the GCAC award. Teammate Anthony Simmons has won twice this season, and Cordell Hadnot and Nick Haywood did it once each.

In 29 games this season, Erves is averaging 9.4 points and a team-best 6.6 rebounds. He has started 28 times and leads Xavier with 29 blocked shots.

Xavier will play Fisk at 4 p.m. EST Thursday in the quarterfinals of the GCAC Tournament at Jacksonville, Fla.

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

Grice helps FAMU Rattlers women's basketball team earn 20th victory

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Just before game time Monday night, Florida A&M senior women's basketball player Antonia Bennett had a sit-down with sophomore Jasmine Grice. The conversation lasted about 10 minutes.

"I was telling her she's got to shoot the ball and be confident when she shoots it," Bennett said. "I just felt like I had to talk with her."

Grice later admitted she was so inspired by the talk and that's why she went out and scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Rattlers to an 81-64 victory over Norfolk State at the Lawson Center.

FAMU needed the spark Grice provided, especially after an uninspired first half that ended with the Spartans leading 32-29. The story changed in the second half, though, and 10 minutes in it was clear FAMU wouldn't be denied its first 20-win season in 15 years.

FAMU (20-7, 12-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) was denied a chance for its 20th win Saturday night when it lost to Hampton. With that loss went first place in the MEAC as well.

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Shaw seeks sweet sweep

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The Shaw men's and women's basketball teams enter this week's CIAA tournament as favorites to win back-to-back championships.

The men's team closed out the regular season with a two-point victory over St. Augustine's last Thursday and carry a 20-game winning streak into their first game. As the No. 1 seed in the Southern Division bracket, the Bears received an opening-round bye and will play 9 p.m. Thursday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.



The Shaw women's team also closed out the season with a victory over St. Augustine's and earned the top seed in the Southern Division. The No. 1 seeded Bears face today's winner between No. 4 Elizabeth City State and No. 5 St. Augustine's College on Wednesday. They have a chance to repeat as champions for the first time since winning four straight league tournament championships from 2002 to 2006.

"We've got to stay sharp," Shaw women's coach Jacques Curtis said. "We're playing well now. Besides us, the three best teams are Johnson C. Smith, Winston-Salem State and St. Aug's. All the top teams on our side. We beat Winston by 30. We beat Smith by 33. And (Thursday) we beat St. Aug's by 40-something. We have to stay sharp."

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Tuskegee Men, Fort Valley State Women Lead SIAC Tournament Brackets

ATLANTA, Georgia  -  Tuskegee, winner of the regular season SIAC men's hoops title, will join Fort Valley State Lady Wildcats as the top seeds of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.

The tournament for the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs kicks off Tuesday at Frank L. Forbes Arena on the campus of Morehouse.

Tuskegee won the men's title with a 16-8 mark (16-10 overall). FVSU was 18-4 in conference (20-6 for the season).

Men's Bracket

2/28/2012

Game 1: Claflin vs. Lane, 2 p.m.

Game 2: Fort Valley State vs. Miles, 8 p.m.

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Xavier's Taylor is first GCAC Player of the Week for 2012

NEW ORLEANS -- Zach Taylor, who delivered in doubles and singles for Xavier University of Louisiana in a comeback victory against William Carey on Saturday, is the first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week of the men's tennis season.

Taylor, a senior from Monroe, La., and a graduate of St. Frederick High School and Ventura College, teamed with Loic Didavi for an 8-5 No. 1 doubles victory against the Crusaders' Jody Claassen and Thomas Rizk.

Taylor's 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles against 31st-rated Ricky Keppeler tied the dual at 4. Xavier, ranked ninth in the NAIA, rallied from a 4-1 deficit to beat 13th-ranked William Carey 5-4.

Taylor was 4-0 in singles and 4-0 in doubles in February. He and Didavi were third -- Xavier's highest NAIA position ever -- in the ITA's preseason doubles rankings. Taylor was a three-time GCAC Player of the Week in 2011. Xavier (4-1) will play NAIA No. 10 Shorter at 2 p.m. next Monday at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.

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

Delaware State Hornets suffer technical defeat

DOVER, Delaware -- Just when it appeared that Delaware State's men's basketball team had pulled out yet another thrilling victory Monday night, the referees pulled the plug on the celebration.

Tahj Tate appeared to have secured the victory with a follow-up slam dunk with 1.1 seconds to play, but a technical foul was called as fans stormed the court at DSU's Memorial Hall, causing a delay of game.

Morgan State's Aric Brooks then sank both free throws and the Bears were rewarded with a stunning 73-72 win in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game, ending the Hornets' record 10-game MEAC winning streak.

Delaware State's players and coaches were shocked that the win was pulled out from under them. "I feel like we was cheated," Tate said. "They said the tech was for our bench for rushing the floor, but I didn't see it."

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WSSU women putting emphasis on defense

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - For the Winston-Salem State women to win the school's first CIAA tournament title in basketball, solid defense will be critical.

That's the message coach Steve Joyner Jr. has been preaching. WSSU, 17-9 and seeded No. 3 out of the Southern Division, will play Lincoln (7-21) in its tournament opener at 5 p.m. today at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.



The Rams easily defeated the Lions 94-44 on Jan. 16 at the Gaines Center, but the danger will be in not looking too far ahead, to a possible quarterfinal Wednesday against Johnson C. Smith.

Guard Taylar Wells said the key for the Rams is no secret. "Coach doesn't ever worry about offense because we can score, so he's always stressing about our defense," Wells said. WSSU is No. 2 in the CIAA in scoring average (71.3 ppg) behind Shaw (74.8 ppg).

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