Tennessee State Tigers Releases 2013 Football Schedule

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The Tennessee State University department of athletics has released a tentative schedule of the program football games for the 2013 season.  The Tigers have commitments to three classics -- The John Merritt Classic (vs. Bethune-Cookman), Southern Heritage Classic (vs.Jackson State) and the Gateway Classic (vs. Central State, OH),  along with their Ohio Valley Conference schedule. 

A total of eleven games are on the schedule for the Tigers that ended the 2012 season with an 8-3 record.

9/01  Bethune-Cookman, Nashville, TN, John Merritt Classic, LP Field
9/14  Jackson State, Memphis, TN, Southern Classic, Memphis, TN
9/21  @Tennessee Tech., Cookeville, TN*
9/28   Central State (OH), St. Louis, MO, Gateway Classic
10/5   Southeast Missouri, Nashville, TN*
10/12 @Jacksonville State, Jacksonville, AL*
10/19 @UT Martin, Martin, TN*
10/26  Eastern Illinois, Nashville, TN*
11/2   @Eastern Kentucky, Richmond, KY*
11/9   Austin Peay, Nashville, TN
11/16  Murray State, Nashville, TN*

11/30  FCS Playoffs

*OVC game

Gold Rush extend longest NAIA poll streak of Jackson era

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 16th in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday. The Gold Rush are in the top 25 for the 15th consecutive time — the program's longest streak since the start of the 1999-2000 season, which also makes it the longest streak during Dannton Jackson's 10 seasons as head coach.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 28th time in 29 polls.

This is the fourth poll of 2012-13, the third of the regular season and the first since Dec. 11. The Gold Rush were 16th in the previous poll.

Voting was based on games through Sunday. Xavier won 70-66 at Talladega the following day to improve to 14-3 overall and 2-0 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Gold Rush share first place in the GCAC with Philander Smith, which received votes and tied for 28th place.

The Gold Rush won 5-of-6 games between polls, with the only loss a 72-71 decision at then-No. 10 William Carey. The Crusaders are sixth in this week's poll.

GCAC and city rival SUNO, which was 25th in the previous poll, dropped out.

The next poll will be announced Jan. 15.

Xavier will play its next four games at XU's new Convocation Center, including Tougaloo at 5 p.m. Saturday and SUNO at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 6) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Cumberlands (7) 15-1 276 2 2 Columbia (Mo.) (4) 16-0 265 6 3 Lewis-Clark State 18-0 264 11 4 Oklahoma Baptist 14-2 258 1 5 Pikeville 15-1 254 4 6 William Carey 13-2 229 10 7 Lee (Tenn.) 13-1 221 3 8 Westmont 12-3 218 5 9 Science & Arts 8-2 195 14 10-tie Montana State Northern 15-2 186 tie-22 10-tie Cal State San Marcos 13-4 186 15 10-tie Texas College 13-2 186 24 13 Evangel 11-4 171 18 14 Lindsey Wilson 15-2 166 8 15 Concordia (Calif.) 11-3 158 19 16 Xavier 13-3 148 16 17 Bethel (Tenn.) 14-2 143 17 18 Westminster (Utah) 13-3 128 7 19 Rogers State 12-4 127 9 20 Emmanuel (Ga.) 15-2 117 NR 21 Southwestern Assemblies of God 12-3 94 RV 22 Oklahoma City 8-2 81 tie-22 23 Faulkner 14-3 78 21 24 Campbellsville 14-3 61 RV 25 John Brown 12-3 60 RV Others receiving votes: MidAmerica Nazarene 55, The Master's 47, Texas Wesleyan 35, Philander Smith 35, Hope International 27, SUNO 8, Our Lady of the Lake 6, Great Falls 5.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

SCSU Lady Bulldogs get key win against Winthrop, 62-52

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  Doug Robertson was too emotionally drained Tuesday at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center to carry through with his promised “celebration”.

The South Carolina State women’s basketball coach saw great significance in a victory over visiting Winthrop University. It not only would snap a two-game losing streak, but also give the Lady Bulldogs a perfect 4-0 mark against Big South opponents and 7-1 against fellow Palmetto State teams.

After the Lady Eagles erased a 16-point lead in the second half, it appeared Robinson would have to put his post-game plans on hold. Instead, S.C. State regrouped to dominate the final 6:48 of the contest and claim the 62-52 win before 472 fans that included students from Felton Laboratory.

“I think our conference (the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) benefits a lot from having success against any conference,” S.C. State head coach Doug Robertson said. “Our RPI (Ratings Performance Index) as a conference, it’s a little low (28th as of Jan. 6 compared to 31st for the Big South). But I think the more success we continue having as a conference in terms of non-conference victories, I think our image and perception will continue growing. We’ll get a little more respect on a national level.”

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Chatting with Howard U. head women's basketball coach Niki Reid Geckeler

HEAD COACH NIKI REID GECKELER
HOWARD UNIVERSITY LADY BISON

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Question: You are hours away from embarking on three months of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action, how did non-conference play prepare the team for the conference road?

Coach G: We had a very challenging out-of-conference schedule with nationally ranked opponents and I feel that every game tested us in different ways. We have always been a defensively oriented team and we have played some of the best perimeter and post players in the country with this non-conference schedule. So, I truly believe that this schedule has prepared us for the tough MEAC games that we have ahead.

Question: Currently, you are at .500 and boasting victories against Temple, Pepperdine, Loyola (Md.), Mount Saint Mary's and Bowie State, how did you achieve those wins and what has been the consistent coaching strategy in those wins.

Coach G: Defense…defense…defense. Our young ladies understand that they must defend in order for us to win games. The Temple game truly supports my philosophy. Defense along with a blue-collar approach and teamwork will help propel us in this conference this season. I am proud of our young ladies and the defensive effort that they bring to the hardwood each and every day.

Question: What growth and understanding have you gained from your losses?

Coach G: Our losses always force the staff and I to reflect on areas of improvement. We want to be playing our best basketball in the months of February and March so as a staff we continue to teach, motivate and make sure our young ladies remain together during those challenging moments.

Question: Saadia Doyle, Cheyenne Curley-Payne, Kara Smith, Jerrelle Gorham and Nicole Deterville have started each contest thus far, why these five?

Coach G: Four of these young women started for us a season ago and led this team to a 24-9 record and a postseason bid. Jerelle Gorham has worked hard during the off-season and earned herself the final fifth starting position. The chemistry that they bring to the court has proven to be beneficial for the program.

Question: On Jan. 4, 2013, Saadia Doyle reached her second season-best outing with 32 points what did you tell to get such an outstanding offensive outing?

Coach G: Saadia is a special player who always steps up when her team needs her. She has proven that she can play with the best of them as she had 36 points at Penn State early in November. Her offensive performance against Temple was one of the best I have witnessed. She was effective in the paint, with her midrange game and even from the 3-point line. When you have a special player like this it is our job to put her in situations to score and she has done that for us this season.

Question: Cheyenne Curley-Payne is 5 feet 4 inches, but continues to be a top rebounder, especially in the defensive rebounding category, how does she do it?

Coach G: She may be 5'4" but her heart, her grit and her passion for the game makes you think she is 6'4. As a head coach you want that point guard who can run the show and one who commands the respect of her teammates...that is Cheyenne Curley-Payne. She has a tremendous basketball IQ and her timing is impeccable, she is a head coaches dream.

Question: What excites you the most about conference play?

Coach G: This conference is so competitive and you can see it by the wins that several of our MEAC counterparts have won. So what excites me the most is the fact that every game in conference play will be a fight and you must bring your best basketball every night.

Question: Would you like to say anything to Howard Lady Bison fans and followers?

Coach G: Every city we have traveled to whether it is Malibu, Calif., or Columbus, Ohio or Chicago, Ill., or our faithful DC metropolitan family, there has been great support for our program. I would like to say thank you Bison Nation and we will continue to work hard to make the Mighty Blue and White proud! HU...You Know!

NEXT WOMEN'S GAMES:  Hampton at Howard, 2 p.m., Saturday, January 12, 2013.
Norfolk State at Howard, 5:30 p.m.,  Monday, January 14, 2013.

NEXT MEN'S GAMES: Hampton at Howard, 4 p.m., Saturday, January 12, 2013.
Norfolk State at Howard, 7:30 p.m., Monday, January 14, 2013


COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: HOWARD-BISON.COM
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY

Ram Ramblings: Collins, Rams finding a nice groove

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Coach Bobby Collins and his Winston-Salem State men’s team are in a good groove these days.

The Rams hit the road after the Christmas break and beat Lincoln (Pa.) and Bowie State to run their winning streak to nine games. The Rams are 10-2 and will head into a home matchup with Virginia State on Thursday with a lot of momentum.

 After Monday night’s win I talked to Collins on his cell phone before the Rams headed back to campus and he was very encouraged.

This afternoon the new coaches Division II poll came out and the Rams jumped from No. 23 to No. 17.

The nine-game win streak is the longest in Collins’ seven years at WSSU and it comes at a good time. The Rams are getting to their meat of the CIAA schedule, and Collins knows they will get every opponents best shot.

“I’m happy to be winning and ...

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Lincoln Lions looking for new head football coach

LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania  – It may not be a surprise, but it is official: Olabaniji (O.J.) Abanishe is out as Lincoln’s head football coach.

“We’re looking for a new head coach and hopefully we’ll be able to identify someone by the end of March,” said LU Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee.

 

“It wasn’t a surprise,” Abanishe confirmed. “We had talked about it prior to the start of the season and when we struggled, it was a move they felt they had to make.”

The Lions went 1-9 last fall in Abanishe’s fifth and final season at Lincoln. He was hired in 2008 to resurrect a program that had been discontinued for nearly half a century. His overall record (8-42) reflects the inherent difficulties starting a program from scratch, but he helped guide Lincoln through uncharted waters, including a move from NCAA Division III to II in 2010, paving the way for entry into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 

“I thanked my assistant coaches before ...

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Big dreams: Choctaw grad chasing NFL aspirations

FORT WALTON BEACH  –  From his outsized personality to his 6-foot-8, 335-pound frame, nearly everything about Choctaw graduate Terren Jones is big.

And so are his dreams.

Four years ago, Jones was a little-recruited behemoth of an offensive tackle coming out of Choctaw, sliding under the radar of big-name programs and going unnoticed as a recruit despite his size and ability. But that didn’t stop Jones. Instead, Jones followed his dream of continuing his football career and turned in an incredible four years at Alabama State University in Montgomery, a tenure that included becoming the school’s first four-time All-SWAC performer and one that has landed him in a spot in the Raycom Collegiate All-Star Game in Montgomery, Ala. on Jan. 19.

But again, Jones isn’t stopping here.

Instead, the Fort Walton Beach native is doubling down on his football aspirations, following his dream of playing professional football as he begins preparations for the 2013 NFL Draft. Coming off a senior year where he earned recognition as an Associated Press First Team FCS All-American, Jones is looked upon by some draft experts as one of the top small-school players in the country.

For Jones, the chance to enter the NFL Draft conversation is just another chance to prove people wrong – and it’s a chance to keep playing the sport he loves.



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