WSSU seniors have come full circle

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  A mixed bag of 21 seniors will play their final home game for Winston-Salem State in the NCAA Division II football semifinals Saturday against West Texas A&M.

It’s not every day that your final home game is on a stage this big.

Several of those seniors can think back to their freshman season of 2009, when they endured a 1-10 record against a Division I schedule before the school rejoined the CIAA. In that season, players such as Malcolm Rowe, Markus Lawrence, Barry Tripp, Khendra Reid, Ricky Rozier and Landen Thayer saw what it was like on the bottom.

Now they are part of one of the best Division II teams in the country.

Several other seniors, who transferred to Winston-Salem State, also have played a part in helping the second-ranked Rams win 26 of their last 27 games. The Rams (13-0) have a chance to advance to the school’s first national championship game.

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Southern to announce head football coach finalists Friday

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Southern University athletic director William Broussard confirmed in a text message Thursday night that the Jaguars will announce the finalists for its football head-coaching position Friday morning.

Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins was one of six semifinalists for the job, Southern announced Monday on its athletic website. Broussard said he interviewed Jenkins by phone Tuesday.

Monday's announcement said Broussard would pick a maximum of three finalists who would potentially make on-campus visits and that the athletic director expected to present his final choice for the job to Southern's Board of Supervisors at its next meeting Dec. 14.

In a statement Tuesday, B-CU athletic director Lynn Thompson said ...

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SWAC title game looks like a dandy

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --   Although the FCS playoffs take center stage this weekend, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State still have a lot to play for, with the SWAC title up for grabs in Birmingham, Ala.

UAPB is making its first appearance in the championship game since 2006 and the Golden Lions have arguably been the most consistent SWAC team this season. Offensively, Arkansas-Pine Bluff is fairly balanced, averaging 204 rushing yards per game and 196 passing yards per game. Justin Billings (768 yards, five touchdowns) and Dennis Jenkins (539 yards, four touchdowns) offer a nice one-two combo for quarterback Ben Anderson, who leads the team and ranks second in the SWAC in total offense with 236 yards per game.

Jackson State's last SWAC title came in 2007 - the 16th in program history - and the Tigers earned a berth in the contest this season despite having a 2-4 record after a 34-24 loss versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 6.

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Florida A&M BOT vice chair wants faster process

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A search committee that will help identify FAMU’s next head football coach will begin its work on Friday, but at least one member of the school’s Board of Trustees said Wednesday that the process is taking too long.

Spurgeon McWilliams, vice chairman of the BOT, suggested that athletic director Derek Horne and interim president Larry Robinson take control of hiring the man who will replace Joe Taylor, who retired from coaching college football a month ago.

McWilliams said forming a committee, which will include students and faculty, would be wasting time.

“We don’t need a group of students and faculty members sitting around trying to decide who is going to be the next coach,” McWilliams said during a break at Wednesday’s meeting. “This is an important decision because the football coach drives the whole economic situation for the athletic program. Those two people should have made the decision by now.”

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Wolf Pack on target in upset of NAIA No. 13 Gold Rush

NEW ORLEANS -- Robert Lovaglio scored 27 points for the second consecutive game, and Loyola shot 61.1 percent from the floor Wednesday in a 77-67 men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana at XU's Convocation Center.

The Wolf Pack (7-4) won for the second time in five days against a ranked opponent and gained a season split with the Gold Rush (9-2). Xavier won 73-67 at Loyola on Nov. 13.

Lovaglio was 8-of-14 from the floor, made 10-of-12 free throws and grabbed seven rebounds. He scored 15 second-half points and was Loyola's only double-figure scorer. Six teammates scored eight points apiece.

Wanto Joseph scored a career-high-tying 26 points for Xavier, and Xavier Rogers scored 11. Joseph, who scored 26 in the first Loyola game this season, also had five rebounds and five assists.

Loyola outscored Xavier 9-3 in the first 8½ minutes and led 32-29 at halftime. After Xavier took its final lead, 49-48, on a Rogers basket with 10:50 remaining, Jared Townsend's 3-pointer put the Wolf Pack ahead to stay 22 seconds later. Lovaglio scored six points during an 11-0 run which gave Loyola a 69-56 lead with 2:45 remaining.

It was the second time this season that Loyola shot 60 percent or better. It was the first time since January 2005 that a Xavier opponent was that accurate.

Both teams made the same amount of field goals and 3-pointers, but Loyola prevailed by making 27-of-38 free throws -- 19-of-23 in the second half. Xavier was 17-23 from the line and 7-of-12 in the second half.

Xavier, which shot 57.2 percent its previous three games, finished at 42.3. Loyola had a 30-23 rebound advantage.

Xavier's two best post players, Anthony Simmons and Denzell Erves, each committed a fourth foul in the first four minutes of the second half. Neither fouled out, but Simmons finished with six points and five rebounds -- he was trying for a fourth consecutive double-double -- and Erves had season-lows of four points and four rebounds. It was the first time this season that Erves did not score at least 10.

After taking fall semester final exams, the Rush will travel to Mobile, Ala., for a 5 p.m. game Dec. 14 against Martin Methodist in the Spring Hill Classic. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 5 p.m. Jan. 12 against Tougaloo.

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

Gold Nuggets defeat Wolf Pack for fifth consecutive victory

NEW ORLEANS -- Paige Gauthier and Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored 12 points apiece Wednesday to lead NAIA No. 10 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 54-44 women's basketball victory against city rival Loyola at XU's Convocation Center.

The victory was the fifth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (7-1), who won despite being outscored 6-0 in each half.

Gauthier scored 10 first-half points and gave Xavier its first lead, 10-8, on a 3-pointer at 12:49 of the first half. The Gold Nuggets led 35-20 at halftime and took their biggest lead, 48-29, on Danielle Tucker's 3-pointer with 9:28 remaining.

Jasmine Brewer scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Rebekah Greer had 10 points for Loyola (3-6), which lost its third in a row and its fifth straight on the road. Loyola equaled its loss total of last season, when it reached the NAIA Division I National Championship.

Xavier outshot Loyola 35.1 to 27.9 percent from the floor and had a 39-32 rebound advantage. Sophomore guard Talor Hixon grabbed a season-high-tying eight rebounds to lead the Nuggets for the second time in three games.

Gauthier and Whitney Gathright each made two of Xavier's six 3-pointers.

The Nuggets lead the series 29-6 and have won all 16 meetings at Xavier.

After taking fall semester final exams, the Nuggets will travel to William Carey for a 6 p.m. game Dec. 14. It will be Xavier's first road game of the regular season. The next XU home game will be against NAIA No. 13 Bethel (Tenn.) at 2 p.m. Jan. 2.

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

SWAC Championship Buzz: Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Jackson State

SWAC CHAMPIONSHP BUZZ-Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Jackson State (Miss.)

WHAT: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (9-2) vs. Jackson State (7-4)

WHEN: Saturday, noon

WHERE: Birmingham's Legion Field

TV: ESPNU

LINE: None

THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE: Well, obviously it will determine the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion. But what makes the SWAC title so special for the teams involved is that each team plays all nine opponents in the 10-team conference. So, you get a true champion. Also, the teams don't participate in the FCS playoffs. This is it for them. The winner will also make a strong case to chosen as black college football mythical national champion by sports writers across the country.

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

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