Perfect game on final day leads Maryland-Eastern Shore to Kutztown 1st place win

READING, Pennsylvania  -  The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) took another first place finish and with it their second straight Kutztown Golden Bear Invitational Title, besting Vanderbilt in the finals 4-1 to claim the first place trophy. Along the way they shot a perfect 300 in the first match of the day, it is just the second time in school history the Hawks have shot a perfect 300 game in Baker play.

The Hawks, who dominated the tournament from start to finish, opened the day as the number one seed, facing the second-seeded Commodores from Vanderbilt. UMES jumped out to a one game lead with a 246-189 win but Vandy rebounded to even the match at two with a 233-197 win. Then it happened, the Hawks were perfect, shooting 300 and collecting all 12 strikes and besting Vandy's 166. The perfect five line-up was: Kristie Lopez (Ponce, Puerto Rico), Valentina Collazos (Cali, Colombia), Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Mexico), Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia) and T'nia Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.). With a perfect game and 2-1 lead you would think UMES was cruising toward the finals, but the Commodores won the next three games 234-214, 188-170 and 225-201 for the 4-2 win.

It was the first loss of the tournament for UMES and the emotional roller coaster from 300 to a loss sent them searching for an answer. They would have to find it against Norfolk State, the four-seed, who topped Wisconsin-Whitewater in the three vs. four match-up.

It was a struggle getting it back together and head coach Kristina Frahm juggled her line-up. Lopez went out, Collazos went to lead-off and Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) entered. It wasn't long before Tatiana Munoz (Ibague Tolima, Colombia) replaced Collazos, but the shuffling worked. After Norfolk took a 2-0 lead (224-177, 186-167), UMES would find their line and take a 3-2 lead (241-176, 277-235, 239-186). Norfolk rebounded to win game six 194-181 to tie it up and a final game seven would mean a trip to the finals for the winner. The Hawks then edged it out 201-194 to set-up the rematch with Vandy.

"It was a close match" said Frahm. "Norfolk bowled well, and I think we all panicked a little after the first loss, but we got it together enough to advance and that is what mattered."


On Video Day 3: UMES vs. Norfolk State (move to 3:15:54)
                  UMES vs. Vanderbilt (move to 4:14:55)
                  Norfolk State vs. Sacred Heart (4:14:55) 


In the final rematch Munoz, Buja, Alvarado, Ramirez and Falbo kept up the momentum, taking a 217-190 win in the first game before allowing Vandy to tie it up with a 231-177 win in game two. Then it was all Hawks. UMES cruised to three straight wins, 238-204, 223-203, 200-183 and taking the 4-1 win and the tournament title.

"It is a great feeling to come to the nation's largest tournament and lead the entire way," said Frahm.
"It is a good confidence booster heading to Texas where we will see some teams that we don't normally bowl."

With the wins, UMES finishes the tournament 14-1 and improved their overall record to 52-8. They have now led the field 11 of the 12 days they have bowled so far this season.

Sacred Heart (12-3) and Vanderbilt (11-4) were the only two other teams to earn more than 10 wins in the event. They finished third and second respectively. Norfolk State was fourth with a solid tournament, while St. Francis (Pa.) rounded out the top five.

Wisconsin-Whitewater, Kutztown, Stephen F. Austin, Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth rounded out the top ten. Fellow MEAC schools Delaware State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina Central, Florida A&M, Coppin State, Howard and Morgan State were 13th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 25th respectively.

UMES now heads to Arlington, Texas for the Prairie View Invitational Feb 2-4.

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DONALD HEATH: SSU shines in front of ESPN cameras

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  There’s an old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

Try running that by Savannah State University.

One only knows the reception ESPN received after arriving on campus last Monday for SSU’s men’s basketball game against Bethune-Cookman.

The sports leader usually hauls a trailer of negativity on its way to the college by the sea. Only a few months ago, ESPN’s College GameDay was here before SSU’s game with Florida State.

The crew discussed the season-opening 84-0 pounding from Oklahoma State and talked about the Tigers’ 70-point underdog status for the next week while foreshadowing a second pummeling from the Seminoles.

Two years ago, ESPN came to campus to look into the dismissal of football coach Robbie Wells. The storyline pursued? A reverse discrimination claim of a white coach against the historically black college.

ESPN’s trucks rolled in during the 2004-05 basketball season. That season, SSU drew national headlines during its dubious fast break to an 0-28 record.

Talk about kicking a tranquilized Tiger missing claws and teeth.

This time, ESPN arrived with another agenda.

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2013 CIAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IS BACK!

Battling for MEAC title, NCCU feels the hate

NCCU Sports Network Broadcast Link (GameCentral)

GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. Morgan State (PDF)

DURHAM, North Carolina —  None of that chest bumping for N.C. Central’s Emanuel “Poobie” Chapman.

When he gets introduced before games as the Eagles’ starting point guard, he’ll run out like he’s going to collide with NCCU hype man Karamo Jawara before hitting the brakes in exchange for a little dance -- you might call it the Poobie Hustle.

That goes over just fine when NCCU is at home in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium, but it’s the sort of thing that could come off like fingernails on a chalkboard when the Eagles are on the road.
NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said there’s little love for his team around the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as it is.

“We are the black Duke,” Moton said.

The Poobie Hustle doesn’t exactly engender warm fuzzies in hostile MEAC gyms, nor did NCCU guard Jeremy Ingram blaring his eyes and stretching open his mouth at A&T’s home crowd the way he did in December after knocking down shots in what turned into the Eagles’ first conference win of the season.

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Stillman men, women look to continue hot streak

TUSCALOOSA | The Stillman College men’s and women’s basketball teams are riding winning streaks. The Tigers have won six games in a row on the men’s side and three straight on the women’s side.

The Tigers will try to extend those streaks tonight at Tuskegee in a doubleheader. Stillman will visit LeMoyne-Owen on Thursday before hosting rival Miles this Saturday.

 

During the six-game streak for the Stillman men, the Tigers have been outscoring their opponents by nearly eight points per contest while shooting better than 44 percent from the floor. Stillman has also outrebounded its opposition by an average of 3.2 rebounds per contest, with the Tigers’ defense forcing nearly 15 turnovers per game.

 

Stillman is 11-6 overall and 7-2 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association action. Stillman has three active players averaging double-figure scoring: Ladarius Rhone at 13.7 points per game, D’uanaway Barnes with a 13.3-point average and Jeffrey Wherry at 11.7 points per game. In the paint, Tuscaloosa natives Markeith Madison (9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game) and Torrean Walker (8.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and two blocks per game) are giving the Tigers a balanced attack.

 

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU's 'Showtime' Wells put on quite a show

FAYETTEVILLE,  North Carolina  –  I’ve been watching point guard Marcus Wells so long I still check to make sure he hasn’t used up his eligibility.
 

Wells, a senior who is a four-year starter for Coach Bobby Collins, had such an impressive game on Saturday night in an 86-65 whipping of Fayetteville State it had to be his best game of his career. And, make no mistake about it, it’s been a long career.

 

While Collins relies on a lot of junior college players and Division I transfers to build his program Wells was a freshman four years ago when WSSU endured its last season in a transition to Division I that was ultimately halted. Wells is the lone player from the program from that season who is still around.

 

B-Daht, the Rams' PA announcer, nicknamed Wells "Showtime" earlier in his career and that's because Wells loves to dribble through a crowd or try to make the impossible pass. He did none of that on Saturday night playing a solid game and the results were there.

 

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Alabama State Hornets Announce 2013 Mid-Year Enrollees

MONGOMERY, Alabama  --  The Alabama State University Football Program announces its 2013 mid-year enrollees:

2013 Mid-Year Enrollees	Position	HT	WT	Class	Hometown/Previous School
Imarjaye Albury	DL	6-0	292	Fr.	Miami, Fla./West Virginia
Arsenio Favor	QB	6-3	239	RS-Jr.	Montgomery, Ala./Southern Miss.
Samuel Gibson	FS	6-2	205	Jr.	Prattville, Ala./Arkansas State
Demechery Hickingbottom	OL	6-4	325	Jr.	Meadville, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Anthony Jacob	OL	6-8	342	So.	Atlanta, Ga./Central Florida
Jafar Mann	OL	6-4	305	Fr.	Stone Mountain, Ga./Florida
Dionte Ponder	CB	5-11	160	Jr.	Ocala, Fla./Troy
Robert Roquemore	OL	6-5	300	So.	Oxford, Ga. /Georgia Military
Chaz Sampson	WR	6-5	191	So.	Grand Prairie, Texas/North Texas
Ka'Ra Stewart	CB	5-10	190	Fr.	O'Fallon, Missouri/Missouri

 

IMARJAYE ALBURY
Defensive Line (6-0, 292) – Miami, Fla. (Northwestern High/West Virginia)
Two-star prospect by Rivals.com…as senior, made 65 tackles (12 TFL), and four sacks…two-time all-county selection…played in Nike South Florida All-Star Game…did not play at West Virginia

ARSENIO FAVOR
Quarterback (6-3, 239) – Montgomery, Ala. (Stanhope Elmore/Southern Miss.)
Played in 12 games over two seasons for Eagles…last season played in five games with three starts, completing 37-of-67 passes for 650 yards with 3 TDs and 3 INTs while rushing 42 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns.

SAM GIBSON
Safety (6-2, 205) – Prattville, Ala. (Prattville High/Arkansas State)
Played in five games at LSU as redshirt freshman in 2011, making three tackles…three-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com…as quarterback, passed for 2,472 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,186 yards and 18 touchdowns in final two seasons at Prattville, leading team to 6A State Championship.

DEMECHERY HICKINGBOTTOM
Offensive Lineman (6-4, 325) – Meadville, Miss. (Franklin County High/Copiah-Lincoln Community College)
Helped Copiah-Lincoln to 9-3 season in 2012 in winning the MACJC State Championship and finishing the season ranked No. 14 in the final NJCAA poll.

ANTHONY JACOB
Offensive Lineman (6-8, 342) – Atlanta, Ga. (Westlake High/Central Florida)
Played in three games as reserve lineman at Central Florida in 2011…as high school senior and team co-captain, named first-team All-Region grading at 86 percent with 31 pancake blocks in helping team earn playoff berth…earned basketball team's character and rebounding award as junior

JAFAR MANN
Offensive Lineman (6-4, 305) – Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson High/Florida)
Did not play at Florida in 2012…rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com as high school senior…ranked No. 30 Defensive Tackle in the nation according to ESPN…ranked No. 54 out of the state of Georgia according to Scout.com…helped lead Stephenson to a 9-2 record his senior season.

DIONTE PONDER
Cornerback (5-11, 160) – Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic High/Troy)
Signed with Troy out of high school…was redshirted in 2010 and did not play in 2011…rated as three-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com…second-team All-County as senior…recorded 56 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries as senior…versatile athlete caught 24 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown in high school career…also played basketball and ran track (100 meter dash, long jump and 4x100 relay).

ROBERT ROQUEMORE
Offensive Lineman (6-5, 300) – Covington, Ga. (Newton High/Georgia Military)
Signed with Memphis out of high school before transferring…lettered all four years at Newton High as offensive tackle… named first-team all-Region in 2009 and 2010…helped block for a quarterback who threw for over 1,000 yards in both 2009 and 2010...Rams also logged over 1,600 yards rushing in 2010.

CHAZ SAMPSON
Wide Receiver (6-5, 191) – Grand Prairie, Texas (Timberview High/North Texas)
Originally committed to Tulsa before signing with North Texas…signed with North Texas out of high school…had 28 catches for 646 yards and nine touchdowns as high school senior...was ranked as a Top 100 area recruit by the Dallas Morning News.

KA'RA STEWART
Cornerback (5-10, 190) – O'Fallon, Mo. (O'Fallon High/Missouri)
Signed with Missouri out of high school…ranked by ESPN as the No. 13 overall prospect at any position in the state of Illinois, and also as the nation's No. 26 safety…played one year at O'Fallon High, playing running back and defensive back/linebacker...earned 1st-Team All-Conference honors at outside linebacker as a senior, recording 35 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries (one that he returned for a touchdown) and 2 interceptions…also ran two kickoffs back for scores, while also rushing for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns.



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