GSU Eagles Close Non-Conference Play with Loss to North Carolina A&T

STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern Men’s Basketball closed non-conference play with a 71-65 loss to North Carolina A&T at Hanner Fieldhouse on Saturday night. The Eagles open league play in one week at Wofford on Saturday night, January 12th.

“I really felt like we were turning the corner with our effort and consistency, but consistency has been the word that has haunted us the entire non-conference season,” said Head Coach Charlton “C.Y.” Young. “We’ve got to do a better job of playing better early in games, we gave them a lead early tonight. The thing we learned tonight is that we need to do a better job at managing close games late.”

Junior Eric Ferguson, the SoCon Player of the Month in December, paced the Eagles with his fifth double-double of the season. He scored 22 points and 13 rebounds as he became the first SoCon player to post five double-doubles this season.

Tre Bussey and C.J. Reed each posted matching 12 points outings. Reed made a pair of baskets from downtown, but went 6-for-6 from the free throw stripe against A&T. Bussey reached double figures with four field goals, one from downtown and a trio of free throws. Reed added five assists to lead the Eagles.

North Carolina A&T had three players in double figures with both Adrian Powell and Jean Louisme scoring 23 points each. Jeremy Underwood added 12 off the bench as the Aggies scored 24 points in the paint and 18 off offensive rebounds. A&T out-rebounded the Eagles 38-34 and had 16 offensive rebounds to the Eagles’ 13.

Cleon Roberts broke a streak of three-straight games without a point with nine points in the contest. He made his first three attempts from beyond the arc as the freshman regained the hot-hand.

With 13:27 remaining in the first half, Ferguson picked up his 500th career rebound with a board on the offensive side. He becomes the 11th member of the 500 rebound club at Georgia Southern and the 10th player to score 1,000 career points and pull 500 career rebounds.

A 15-2 run by the Aggies in the first half allowed the visitors lead by as many as 11 points in the first half and take a 34-28 advantage into the halftime break.

Just a few moments into the second half, Georgia Southern went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 36-36 thanks to back-to-back bombs from downtown by Roberts, the second coming with 17:30 remaining. The teams traded the lead with neither squad able to pull an advantage of more than four points over the better part of the next 10 minutes.

Georgia Southern entered the final five minutes of the game down by three points, 56-53. A three-pointer by Reed with 4:09 brought the Eagles even at 56-56. A pair of back-to-back baskets by A&T, the second coming with 2:26 remaining gave the Aggies a 62-58 lead.

Coming out of the final media timeout, Ferguson made an old fashioned three point play to cut the lead to one at 62-61 with just better than a minute remaining. Over the final minute, A&T outscored the Eagles 9-4 to take the 71-65 victory over the Eagles.

Georgia Southern returns to SoCon play next weekend with a trip to Wofford on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Georgia Southern returns home on Monday, January 14th, for a crucial home date with the Davidson Wildcats.

Fans can follow their Eagles at GeorgiaSouthernEagles.com or receive short updates at facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics or on Google+ at gplus.to/GSAthletics.

FINAL STATS (PDF)

COURTESY GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Norfolk State Holds Off Furious Navy Rally, 74-68

NORFOLK, Va. -- Norfolk State built a 26-point lead, then withstood a furious Midshipmen rally to hand the Navy men's basketball team a 74-68 setback on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.

The loss drops Navy to 6-10 overall as the Mids wrapped up non-conference play. Norfolk State, last year's MEAC champion and third-round NCAA Tournament participant, improved to 7-10 overall. Navy trailed 54-28 with 13 minutes to play, and 56-34 with 10:22 to play when head coach Ed DeChellis inserted sophomore guard Kevin Alter (Rumson, N.J.) into the ballgame.

Alter ignited a rally with six three-pointers in a 10-minute span that saw Navy cut Norfolk State's lead from 26 (54-28) to six (71-65) with 13 seconds left. But Pendarvis Williams buried a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left and Navy could get no closer than five points at 73-68 with eight seconds left on Alter's sixth trifecta of the contest as Norfolk State held off the Midshipmen, 74-68.

Alter entered the game having scored just 35 career points with seven career three-pointers. He surpassed his career high of six points with his third three-pointer with six minutes to play and finished with a career-high 18 points and three assists in just 10 minutes of action. He finished 6-of-10 from the field, all from three-point distance.

"I'm really happy for him. He is an early guy and a late guy. He comes in early and stays late. He was feeling it tonight and fueled our comeback," said DeChellis.

"He is a great young man with great leadership skills and he earned some more time tonight. Hopefully, it will be a wake-up call for some other guys." Navy struggled immensely on both ends early on, as NSU sprinted out to a 17-4 cushion just seven minutes into the contest while shooting 5-of-7 from the field while the Midshipmen were just 2-of-12 during the same span.

The Midshipmen would trim the margin to 19-11 on a Tilman Dunbar (Fr. / Woodbridge, Va.) jumper with 10:10 remaining in the first half, but the Spartans countered with a 20-6 burst to grab a 39-17 lead with 3:29 to play, before settling for a 44-22 halftime advantage.

Norfolk State would shoot 15-of-24 (.625) from the field and 9-of-15 (.600) from three-point range in the first half, while Navy was 9-fo-27 (.333) from the field and 4-of-12 (.333) from deep. In addition, Navy had eight turnovers and was out rebounded, 15-11.

"We just ask the guys to do one thing and that is to give us everything they have and we did that the last 10 minutes. The first half we were just walking around. You can't play the game that way. We didn't compete the way we needed to compete," said DeChellis.

"The last 10-12 minutes we put some new guys in there and we said, `Let it go and go out there and compete and have fun.' We played the way Navy is supposed to play the last 10 minutes." For the contest, Navy shot 26-of-63 (.413) from the field, 12-of-30 (.400) from three-point range and just 4-of-6 (.667) from the free throw line, all coming in the second half. Navy had 14 turnovers and rebounds were even at 29.

Norfolk State shot 24-of-44 (.545) from the field, 9-of-22 (.409) from three-point range and 17-of-26 (.654) from the free throw line. Norfolk State was guilty of 17 turnovers.

The Spartans were 0-of-7 from three-point range in the second half after going 9-of-15 in the first half. Alter led the Midshipmen with 18 points and three assists in just 10 minutes of action. Dunbar added 12 points and three assists, while Worth Smith (So. / Mooresville, N.C.) narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Kendall Knorr (Fr. / Concord, N.C.) added nine points on three triples and Brennan Wyatt (Jr. / Greensboro, N.C.) recorded five points and five assists.

Navy's bench scored 41 of its 68 points, shooting 11-of-24 from three-point range.

Williams (21), Malcolm Hawkins (17) and Rob Johnson (15) combined for 53 of NSU's 74 points by going a combined 18-of-28 from the field and 9-of-17 from three-point range.


COURTESY NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETICS

Complete team effort leads to TSU Lady Tiger victory over Gamecocks

Jacksonville, Ala. --- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team shot a season-high 53.4 percent from the field and posted a season-high in points to defeat Jacksonville State, 88-68, Saturday afternoon in Pete Mathews Coliseum.

The 88 points is the most points scored since posting 90 against UT Martin last season.

Tennessee State (5-8, 1-1 OVC) had four players score in double-digits led by Kesi Hess' 22 points. The Dublin, Ohio native knocked down six three-pointers in the contest.

Destiney Gaston came off the bench to score 18 points while Jasmin Shuler finished the game with 16 points and three steals. Chelsea Hudson nearly recorded a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Tanesha Stenson also had a solid game for TSU with seven points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Rachel Allen dished out a game-high seven assists.

Jacksonville State (0-15, 0-3 OVC) was led in scoring by Marikate Gardler with 22 points while Briana Morrow added 14.

Both teams jumped out the gates on fire as each team was shooting at least 50 percent from the floor through the first five minutes. The teams battled and traded buckets over the next several possessions.

TSU managed to build its lead up to six on a couple of occasions but JSU continued to strike back.

Later in the half, Tennessee State was leading, 28-27, when a bucket by Chelsea Hudson sparked a 13-0 run that put the Lady Tigers on top, 41-27, with 3:42 remaining in the frame. The rally, fueled by TSU's defensive intensity, included five steals by the Lady Tigers.

The Gamecocks answered with a 6-0 spurt to cut the deficit down to eight but seven straight points by the Lady Tigers, including Kesi Hess' three-pointer at the buzzer made the score, 48-33, at the break.

TSU shot 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the field in the first half, including 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) from long range.
 

In the second half, TSU continued to build on the lead and stretched the advantage to 57-37 following a short jumper by Hess with 16:42 on the clock.

JSU cut into the lead after outscoring TSU, 7-2, but the Lady Tigers answered with a rally that made the score, 66-47, at the 11:44 mark.

The Lady Tigers maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.

Tennessee State finished the game shooting 53.4 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Lady Tigers also had 15 steals and outrebounded the Gamecocks, 39-35. The TSU bench outscored the JSU bench, 40-28.

Next, the Lady Tigers will travel to Cookeville to face Tennessee Tech on Monday, Jan. 7. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in the Eblen Center.

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube

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COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Franklin flourishes after Xavier gives her a second chance

SiMon Franklin: "I had to take ownership for what I
had done. I had to own up for it and get focused on
 what I’ve done and what needed to be done. All of
 this brought me closer to God. When I trust in Him,
 that is when I succeed. I am nothing without God."

NEW ORLEANS — SiMon Franklin, Xavier University of Louisiana's talented women's basketball guard, knows plenty about disappointment and coming back stronger.

In 2010, low grades disqualified her from registering for XU's second summer session. She appealed to the university and lost and was not readmitted until January 2011 after winning a second appeal.

"It was very humbling for me," said Franklin, now a fifth-year XU senior and a graduate of St. Joseph's Academy in Baton Rouge, La. "I thought, wow — is this really happening to me?"

But look at Franklin now. She changed majors — it's business management after many struggles in chemistry/pre-pharmacy — and has excelled. Since XU readmitted her, Franklin has passed 78 hours with a 3.5 GPA on a 4-point scale. Franklin's 3.67 GPA in 2011-12 qualifed her for the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Honor Roll. She produced the highest GPA on her team in 2011-12 and tied for seventh among Xavier's 73 student-athletes. Best of all, she's on course to receive a bachelor’s degree from Xavier on May 11.

"That's what I respect about Monee Franklin," XU head coach Bo Browder said. "She got knocked down, but she got up fighting."

Franklin said determination and faith in God were the keys to her comeback.

"I had to take ownership for what I had done," she said. "I had to own up for it and get focused on what I've done and what needed to be done. All of this brought me closer to God. When I trust in Him, that is when I succeed. I am nothing without God."

Franklin was ineligible to play for the Gold Nuggets in 2010-11 after starting her first two seasons for teams which were a combined 51-15, but last season she picked up where she left off. Franklin led the Nuggets with 10 points per game and 74 made free throws and was second with 70 steals. She was All-GCAC and chosen MVP of the GCAC Tournament, which Xavier won for the third consecutive year. The Gold Nuggets finished 26-9 after reaching the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship.

Through the first 12 games this season — Xavier is 10-2 and ranked ninth in NAIA D-I — Franklin leads the Nuggets with 9.5 points per game. She had career highs of 25 points and nine rebounds Saturday in a 66-64 loss to NAIA No. 24 Faulkner in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Montgomery, Ala. — that helped her earn her first GCAC Player of the Week award — but Franklin isn't shooting for those numbers every game.

"I just want to be a solid player," said Franklin, who needs 70 points to become the 19th XU woman to reach 1,000 in a career. "I want to be able to contribute on offense and defense. I want to be a great team player and bring energy to the floor. We have a very talented team. It could be anyone's night (to score 25)."

Franklin is the team's only senior and the captain.

"Monee leads by example," Browder said. "She communicates very well, but she leads by example even better. She's the hardest worker on the team, and that's what you want from your captain."

Said Franklin, "To be a team captain, you have to have great preparation and be able to communicate to a group of people. You have to be able to motivate people and create an atmosphere where people are excited to work together. I'm blessed to have this opportunity. It's definitely great preparation for the real world. I have a very understanding boss in Coach Browder, but he's very demanding."

After basketball season, Franklin will compete on XU's track and field team — she was a Class 5A state champion in the 800-meter run as a 10th-grader — then enter the workforce after graduation.

Eventually, she'll pursue a master's degree.

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

GW Women's Hoops Wraps Up Non-Conference Play at North Carolina A&T on Sunday

WHO: GW Women's Basketball (6-7)
WHAT: Game #14 at North Carolina A&T (8-5)
WHERE: Corbett Sports Center (5,700), Greensboro, N.C.
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 6 at 6:00 p.m.
STATS: Via NCATAggies.com
TWITTER: @GW_WBB
NOTES: GW Notes

WASHINGTON,  D. C.  -  The George Washington women's basketball team wraps up non-conference play on Sunday evening with its first-ever matchup with North Carolina A&T. Tipoff from the Aggies' Corbett Sports Center is set for 6 p.m.

GW (6-7) dropped its second straight game last Sunday, falling at Saint Mary's, 79-49.

Seniors Danni Jackson and Shi-Heria Shipp each scored 13 points in the loss. A win over the Aggies this weekend would give the Colonials a 7-7 record against non-conference opponents for the second year in a row, their most out-of-league victories since also winning seven in 2008-09.

Sunday's game is the third of GW's four-game road swing, which began out west with games against No. 8 California (Dec. 28) and Saint Mary's (Dec. 30) and also includes a trip to Massachusetts (Jan. 12) to open Atlantic 10 play. By the time the Colonials return to the Smith Center to host Saint Joseph's on Jan. 17, it will have been 26 days since their last game at home on Dec. 22.

Senior Megan Nipe (9.8 ppg) paces a very balanced Colonials' offense in which four players are averaging better than eight points per game. Graduate student Tara Booker is GW's top rebounder with 5.9 rpg, while Jackson is averaging 5.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game, ranking third and second, respectively, in the A-10.

GW's trip to North Carolina represents a homecoming for Shipp and head coach Jonathan Tsipis. Shipp is a native of Salisbury, N.C., which is approximately 50 miles southwest of Greensboro, while Tsipis went to high school in Durham (50 miles east of Greensboro) and graduated from the University of North Carolina.

North Carolina A&T (8-5) is coming off a 56-47 win over UNC-Wilmington on Thursday.

JaQuayla Berry led the Aggies with 15 points and seven rebounds. The Aggies have won two in a row and eight of their last 11 games. Two of their three losses in that span came against GW's Atlantic 10 rivals, Richmond and Charlotte. A&T and GW share two common non-conference opponents, William & Mary and Virginia Tech.

Both teams defeated the Tribe and lost to the Hokies. Berry paces the Aggies with 12.5 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per contest this season.

Amber Calvin is the top three-point threat in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, shooting at a 48.9 percent clip from long distance. A&T leads the MEAC in three-point percentage (.331) and ranks second in field goal percentage (.395).

Tarrell Robinson is in his first year as head coach at North Carolina A&T. He inherits a team that posted a 15-16 overall record in 2011-12 and returns all five starters.

The Aggies were picked to finish fifth out of 13 teams in the MEAC preseason poll. Berry was tabbed to the preseason all-conference first team, while Calvin and Tiffanie Adair were each named to the second team.

While Sunday's game marks the first-ever meeting between the Colonials and Hokies, GW has already played a pair of MEAC opponents this season, defeating Morgan State, 75-40, on Nov. 28, and Howard, 61-60, on Dec. 15.


COURTESY THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

ECSU Lady Vikings move forward after big win

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina  --  There are just fleeting moments when Alico Dunk wants to take a glance at last season.

One of those came Thursday on the heels of his Elizabeth City State women’s basketball team’s 96-86 win against defending Division II national champion Shaw.

After the victory in the team’s CIAA opener, Dunk can be pleased with his club’s improvement to begin 2013 after injuries and close defeats marked a 13-14 finish in 2011-12.

One of the close defeats came to Shaw, and another came to today’s opponent in St. Augustine’s.

The Lady Vikings would like to better serve last season’s memories to the past with another strong effort today against the Lady Falcons.

The 5:30 p.m. game is the second of three-straight CIAA contests at the R.L. Vaughan Center, with the third Monday against Fayetteville State.

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WSSU knows that Lincoln is no longer a pushover

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --   Winston-Salem State will take a seven-game winning streak into today’s game at Lincoln (Pa.).

It wasn’t long ago that Lincoln (8-2) was easy pickings in the CIAA — but not anymore. The Lions were picked to finish fifth in the Northern Division but have done very well under Coach John Hill, a former WSSU assistant who is in his third season.

The Lions have a 68-62 road win against Howard on their resume and also had a close loss to 14th-ranked Saint Leo’s.

Today’s game at 4 p.m. will, in Coach Bobby Collins’ view, start an important two-game stretch for the Rams (8-2, 1-0 CIAA). WSSU will play at Bowie State on Monday.

“Both teams are playing very well,” Collins said of Lincoln and Bowie State, the favorite in the coaches’ preseason poll to win the Northern Division. “They are both talented, so we have our work cut out for us.”

Kenny Sharpe, a 6-3 point guard, leads the ...

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