Alabama A&M falls to Jackson State, 35-21, knocking Bulldogs from SWAC East contention

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Alabama A&M's hopes for a repeat trip to the SWAC Championship were erased Saturday afternoon in a 35-21 loss to Jackson State.

the Bulldogs, who opened the season with six consecutive wins, have dropped three of their last four games and stand 7-3 overall, 6-3 in the SWAC, with a season-finale at Auburn next Saturday at 1 p.m.

A&M needed to defeat Jackson State, then hope that Alabama State -- owner of the tie-breaker over A&M -- lost Saturday evening at Southern to win the SWAC East title.

Jackson State quarterback Clayton Moore riddled A&M with 233 yards of passing and he rushed for 54 more. Rakeem Sims gained 125 yards on 21 carries for Jackson (6-4, 6-2).

Alabama A&M senior quarterback Deaunte Mason had three touchdown passes, to Toriono Upshaw, Reshaad DeJarnett and Montarius Smith. However, he was only 17-for-40 and made a costly fumble that Jackson's Ryan Griffin returned for a 35-yard touchdown, giving the hosts a 28-7 lead in the third quarter that A&M couldn't overcome.


READ MORE

Norfolk State Spartans send off seniors with a W

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- Norfolk State’s defense forced a season-high five turnovers, four in a 20-point first quarter, and the Spartans notched their second shutout of the season in a 30-0 Senior Day victory over Morgan State on Saturday afternoon at Dick Price Stadium.

Nico Flores passed for 216 yards and two touchdown for the Spartans (4-7, 2-6 MEAC), who close the season on a two-game win streak. The Bears (3-7, 2-5), who were held to 221 yards of offense, lost their fifth in a row.

NSU’s defense set the tone for the afternoon on the first drive of the game. The Bears received the opening kickoff, but on the second play of their possession, Spartan defensive lineman Cameron Jude sacked MSU quarterback Robert Council and forced a fumble. NSU linebacker Jamal Giddens pounced on it at the Bears’ 4-yard line. Two plays later, freshman Brendon Riddick scored on a 2-yard TD run. The extra point hit the upright, keeping the Spartans’ lead at 6-0.

On MSU’s next possession, NSU safety Keenan Lambert picked off a third-down pass by Council deep in MSU territory. On the third play of the Spartans’ next drive, Flores hit Xavier Boyce for a 16-yard TD pass, putting NSU on top 13-0 at the 11:17 mark of the first quarter.

READ MORE

Spartans send off seniors with a W

WSSU rallies, repeats as CIAA champion

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  Second-ranked Winston-Salem State won its second straight CIAA title by beating Elizabeth City State 34-19 on Saturday afternoon at Durham County Stadium.

The Rams improved to 11-0 and most likely assured themselves of a first-round bye in the Division II playoffs. The pairings will be announced Sunday at 5 p.m.
 

The Vikings (7-4) gave the Rams all they could handle in the first half. They knocked out starting quarterback Kameron Smith, who didn’t play in the second half because of a shoulder injury.

But backup Anthony Carrothers was more than ready to step in. He went 7 for 11 for 123 yards and three touchdowns and ran the offense to near perfection in Smith’s absence.

Maurice Lewis ran for 120 yards on 21 carries, and DeQuann Leak and Bryce Sherman combined to rush for 92 yards.

Wide receiver Jameze Massey, the game’s MVP for WSSU, had six catches for 115 yards and a championship-game record three touchdown catches.

 

READ MORE

 

Winston-Salem tops Elizabeth City 34-19 for CIAA Championship

DURHAM The Winston-Salem State Rams are CIAA champions once again.

With starting quarterback and Garner native Kameron Smith out for the second half, sophomore signal-caller Anthony Carrothers rallied Winston to a 34-19 come-from-behind victory over Elizabeth City State on Saturday at Durham County Stadium. The victory gives the Rams their second straight undefeated CIAA season and a 16-game win streak.

But to use an old cliché, the game was much closer than the score. Elizabeth City led 9-0 after the first quarter, only the second time this season the Rams trailed after the period.

“I told the guys we weren’t going to score 48 points in this game, it was going to be much closer,” said Winston-Salem State coach Connell Maynor, the CIAA coach of the year. “I told them to just stay patient, play one play at a time, one quarter at a time.”

Smith threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter to give the Rams the lead: a 10-yard strike to Jamal Williams and a 26-yard pass to Jameze Massey, co-MVP of the game.

Smith then suffered a shoulder injury on a sack just as the first half ended and did not return.

READ MORE

Xavier tops Dillard for 2nd straight GCAC tourney victory

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team defeated city rival Dillard 25-12, 25-16, 25-18 for the Gold Nuggets' second victory in as many matches Thursday at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Gold Nuggets (20-7), the defending champion, reached 20 victories for the second consecutive season. They'll play at 4:30 p.m. Friday against SUNO for the right to advance to Saturday's championship round. The tournament is double elimination. SUNO defeated Tougaloo 25-21, 25-21, 25-20 to join Xavier as the tournament's other 2-0 team.

Xavier, which swept Philander Smith in the first match Thursday, took advantage of a Dillard team which needed five sets to defeat Talladega in the third match and had about two hours to rest and refuel before playing the Gold Nuggets. Xavier led 5-0 and 9-2 in the first set and closed it with a 10-2 run. It was the fewest points Xavier ever had allowed to Dillard in an opening set.

The Nuggets trailed 7-5 in the second set, then took the lead for good with a 6-0 run. Dillard led 8-3 in the third set, but the Nuggets rallied for their first lead, 15-14. After Dillard scored three consecutive times for a tie 17, Xavier ended the match by scoring eight of the final nine points.

"We played with high energy and great composure throughout the match," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said. "We had to make adjustments with our lineup due to injuries, but we controlled the momentum for the whole match. It was a great team effort."

Xavier defeated the Lady Bleu Devils (6-14) for the second time in six days and the third time this season. It was the Nuggets' seventh consecutive victory against Dillard, and it tied the series at 7.

The Nuggets have won four in a row, 7-of-8 and and 15 of their last 18 matches. Xavier has won 26 consecutive matches against GCAC opponents since the start of 2011 — 20 in the regular season, six in the tournament.

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

CIAA Notebook: Wilkins has helped ECSU offensive line

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- Elizabeth City State is back in the championship game despite having to revamp its entire offensive line from last season.

The Vikings (7-3) will take on Winston-Salem State on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Durham County Stadium. The Vikings lost 38-18to the Rams last season in the championship game.

One of the newcomers to the offensive line for the Vikings is Jairus Wilkins , a junior-college transfer. Wilkins, a 2009 graduate of Parkland High School, is 6-2 and 280 pounds.

The Vikings are led by running back Daronte McNeill , who has rushed for 1,145 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Converted wide receiver Petey Boone has also come on lately and has rushed for 203 yards on 36 carries.

McNeill, who was last season’s CIAA offensive player of the year, is the school’s all-time leading rusher with 4,489 yards and 54 touchdowns.

READ MORE

Riding a wave of success, honors, but not at Navy

KAMERON SMITH, 2009

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Quarterback Kameron Smith of Winston-Salem State is tough to gauge.  He’s riding one of the hottest streaks of his quarterbacking life but he shrugs it off like he shrugs off would-be tacklers.

“I’m just enjoying it,” Smith said earlier this week as he tried to sum up a second straight unbeaten regular season for WSSU.

The Rams (10-0) are cruising toward another playoff berth — they are ranked No.2 in NCAA Division II — but before then they will take on Elizabeth City State (7-3) in the CIAA championship game on Saturday in Durham.

For Smith, who not that long ago was a converted wide receiver at Navy, it’s all about his preparation and attention to detail. It all came together this season, and that’s why he was named the CIAA’s offensive player of the year earlier this week.

When Smith went to Navy after a successful career at Garner High School in Raleigh, he was intent on playing quarterback. But a broken thumb his freshman year and a subsequent move to wide receiver wasn’t what he had in mind.

He transferred to WSSU before the 2010 season and has been Coach Connell Maynor’s most important recruit.

READ MORE

XU Gold Nuggets sweep Philander Smith in GCAC first round

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Xavier University of Louisiana trailed briefly in the first and third sets but still rolled to a 25-11, 25-16, 25-17 women's volleyball victory against Philander Smith in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

    

The Gold Nuggets (19-7), the defending champion, will play at 6 p.m. today against the winner of a 2 p.m. match between Talladega and Dillard. Philander Smith (7-28), the host school, will play in the losers bracket at 8:30 a.m. Friday against the loser of the Edward Waters-Tougaloo match.
    

Xavier trailed 3-0 and 4-1 to begin the match but took the lead to stay with a 6-0 run to give the Nuggets an 8-5 advantage. Xavier closed the set by winning 13 of the final 16 points, including another 6-0 run which gave the Nuggets a 21-9 lead.
    

The Nuggets scored the first seven points of the second set, then closed with a 12-4 burst after Philander Smith cut the margin to 13-12.
    

Xavier trailed 3-0 and 6-5 in the final set before scoring six consecutive points to take the lead to stay. The Nuggets ended the match by scoring the final five points.
    

"Everyone played well. No one stood out offensively," XU coach Christabell Hamilton said after the Nuggets' third consecutive victory and their 14th in 17 matches. "Jodi Chatters was pretty consistent on the back row."
    

Xavier defeated the Lady Panthers for the second time this season and leads the all-time series 3-0.
    

It's the third consecutive year that the Nuggets won their opening match in this tournament, which is double elimination.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: GCACSPORTS