WSSU Rams say they’re not satisfied just being back in semis

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Winston-Salem State is in the same spot it was in last season — the semifinals of the Division II football playoffs.

WSSU (13-0, ranked No. 2) will play West Texas A&M (12-2, ranked No. 16) at 6:30 Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Rams lost in the semis last season, 21-14 to Wayne State. Many of the players from that team are back, and they’ve had a long time to chew on the loss.

Wide receiver Jamal Williams said Tuesday that reaching the semifinals again is nice but that it won’t mean anything if the Rams don’t win.

“It’s more so that we are trying to refocus again,” Williams said. “We had focus for the last two playoff games, and now we have to raise the bar even more knowing that this is where we were at this point last season. We haven’t done anything different, but we want to come out and prove to ourselves that we can get it done.”

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Coleman scores 29 points as B-CU thumps Stetson, 86-63

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman's Adrien Coleman hit 13 of 14 field goals on the way to a game-high 29 points, and all he could talk about after the game was defense.

Actually, just about everything went right for the Wildcats as they dismantled Volusia County rival Stetson 86-63 in a non-conference game Monday night at Moore Gymnasium.

 

B-CU (3-6) shot 63.5 percent from the field, forced 19 turnovers -- leading to 24 points -- and hit 7-of-14 3-pointers.
 

“When we play good defense it makes it easier for us to get out on transition and that makes the game much for fun for us,'' said Coleman, who got out on the break all night and also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.
 

“He's a really good player,'' Stetson coach Casey Alexander said of the 6-5 Coleman. “He has a real knack to get to the basket and draw fouls.''
 

After losing three in a row, the Wildcats looked like they were having fun Monday. They jumped out to a 46-23 halftime lead, notching seven steals and hitting 20 of 29 shots from the field.

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Reports: B-CU's Jenkins candidate for Southern U. head-coaching job

COACH BRIAN JENKINS ON THE MOVE...

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  On a day when Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins won a regional coach of the year award, The Times-Picayune and The Sports Network reported he is one of six candidates to be the next head coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

But B-CU athletic director Lynn Thompson said Monday night that Southern has yet to contact the Wildcats to ask permission to interview the third-year coach.

"(Jenkins) got a call last week from Southern, and he instructed them that they had to contact me,'' Thompson said. "And I haven't heard from Southern.''

Jenkins, 41, was named the Football Championship Subdivision Co-Region Two Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association, the AFCA announced Monday. He shared the award with Stony Brook's Chuck Piore.

Jenkins could not be reached for comment Monday night.

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WSSU flattens Allen University 82-45

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Sometimes, pancakes win out over watching basketball.

While Winston-Salem State was well on its way to an easy 82-45 win over Allen University at the Gaines Center, there was also a late-night pancake dinner for hungry students in the cafeteria.

With about seven minutes to go in the game and the Rams comfortably ahead by 30 about 150 or so students piled out of the Gaines Center.

“I did see that,” said point guard Marcus Wells, who was already out of the game as Coach Bobby Collins cleared his bench. “That’s okay though, because we had a big lead. And you know what, I’m about to go get me some of those pancakes myself.”

The Rams, who won their fifth in a row to improve to 6-2, had little trouble feasting on the overmatched Yellow Jackets, an NAIA school from Columbia, S.C., that fell to 2-10 on the season.

Wakefield Ellison, who is playing his best ball of his two-year career at WSSU, led the way with 15 points off the bench. Freshman Michael-Ofik Nzege had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Justin Glover scored 11 points with three assists.

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ECSU Vikings spring into 2013 with momentum

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina  --  For two days, the text messages, e-mails and phone calls have been pouring in.

But Elizabeth City State football coach Waverly Tillar hardly considers them distractions.

“It’s great,” he said Monday while seated behind a huge silver cup the Vikings were awarded after upending favored Tuskegee 28-13 in Saturday’s Pioneer Bowl in Columbus, Ga.

“I’m getting a lot of positive feedback from students, staff, alums and friends of Vikings football. And I appreciate it all.”

The trophy, almost big enough to serve as a hot tub, put an exclamation mark on what had been an up-and-down season for ECSU (8-4) and erased the memories of a strong effort that went for naught in the CIAA championship game. There, the Vikings dropped a 34-19 decision to undefeated Winston-Salem State after leading late in the third quarter.

“I am so proud of these guys,” said Tillar, who secured his first postseason coaching victory after losing four CIAA title games, two NCAA Division II playoff games and the 2009 Pioneer Bowl. “I can’t say enough about their effort against a team like Tuskegee.

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TSU Men's Basketball to Take on Drexel on Tuesday Night

 

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  –  The Tennessee State men’s basketball team will look to win its third consecutive game when the squad hosts Drexel on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

The Tigers are coming off an 83-72 victory in their first true road win of the season at Alabama A&M. It was a well-played game by the Tigers, who committed a season-low 10 turnovers.

“The first thing that I was proud of in the game against Alabama A&M was that the team limited its turnovers,” head coach Travis Williams said. “We made good decisions offensively and took good shots.”

Senior forward Robert Covington led TSU in the win with 27 points, but Kellen Thornton, Patrick Miller and Jordan Cyphers also ended up in double-figures.

Williams has received production from a handful of players all season long, and Saturday was no different, as TSU had eight players finish with at least 15 minutes against the Bulldogs.

“I tell every player on the team to always be ready, and whether they come in on offense or defense, the guys have been receptive,” Williams said.

The Tigers will need to continue to get production from everyone on the squad when they take on the Drexel Dragons, who were pegged to win the Colonial Athletic Conference before the season.

However, it has been a rough first few games for the Dragons so far this season, as they limp into the Gentry Center with a 2-5 record.

Drexel has four players who average in double-figures in points, but Damion Lee leads the team with 17.4 per contest.

Hanging onto the ball has been a problem so far for the Dragons, as the team has averaged nearly 14 turnovers per game and has only recorded 28 steals.

“We are going to have to get back quickly in transition on defense and communicate on both ends of the court. If we play smart and play together on every possession then I think we will be okay,” Williams said.

The Tigers will look to improve to 4-5 on the season with a home win over Drexel on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Livingstone College promotes Williams to head football coach

Coach Daryl Williams

SALISBURY, North Carolina  --  Livingstone has promoted football offensive coordinator Daryl Williams to head coach.

Williams replaces Elvin James, who was fired after three seasons and a 3-28 record, including 2-8 in 2012.

“I felt it was imperative we make a coaching change to turn around our football program,” Livingstone Athletics Director Andre Springs said in a statement. “We appreciate the work coach James did during his tenure; however, we need to be much more competitive on the gridiron than we have been in recent years. Coach Williams has a solid background in coaching, including stints at Texas Southern University and Alabama State University. We feel he’s the right man to get Livingstone’s football program on the right track at this time.”

Williams was associate head coach and quarterback coach at Texas Southern from 2007-2011. During the 2010 season, Texas Southern won the SWAC championship.
 

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