FAU Tennis Falls to Florida A&M

ORLANDO, Florida  -  The Florida Atlantic University men's tennis team fell to 0-2 on the season with a 5-2 setback to Florida A&M University on Sunday at San Lando Park in Orlando.

The Owls earned the doubles point when the tandem of senior Jose Fantova and sophomore Richard Meade won a tiebreaker at the No. 2 position. Sophomore Robert Dubuque and freshman Andrei Morin-Kougoucheff picked up a victory at No. 3 doubles 8-7 (7). However, Florida A&M won five of the six singles matches to record the victory. Sophomore Will Neuner picked up the only singles victory with a 6-3, 6-0 win at the No. 2 position. The victory marked his third straight and 11th win overall. Three of the six singles matches went three sets. FAU returns to the court on Saturday, February 2 at 10 a.m. against Florida State University in Tallahassee. The team host Troy University on Sunday, February 3 at noon. Florida A&M 5, Florida Atlantic 2

Singles
No. 1 Salif Kante (FAMU) def. Jose Fantova (FAU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Will Neuner (FAU) def. Admire Mushonga (FAMU) 6-3, 6-0
No. 3 Chidi Gabriel (FAMU) def. Andrei Morin-Kougoucheff (FAU) 7-5, 6-2
No. 4 Takura Happy (FAMU) def. Richard Meade (FAU) 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Zack Evenden (FAMU) def. Sean Bacha (FAU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 Temeura Asafu-Adjaye (FAMU) def. Matthew Samberg (FAU) 7-6, 5-7, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 Kante/Happy (FAMU) def. Bacha/Neuner (FAU) 8-2
No. 2 Fantova/Meade (FAU) def. Gabriel/Mushonga (FAMU) 8-7 (3)
No. 3 Robert Dubuque/Morin-Kougoucheff (FAU) def. Asafu-Adjaye/Evenden (FAMU) 8-7 (7)

Final Stats


COURTESY FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Mansfield's Verlan Hunter commits to Grambling State

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling continues to build a football pipeline into Mansfield High School.

For the second time in as many weeks, the Tigers have landed a commitment from a Wolverines football player.

Mansfield wide receiver Verlan Hunter, a 6-foot-3 1/2, 190-pounder, pledged to the Tigers on Monday, joining teammate Arkez Cooper, who committed last week.

“They told me I had an opportunity to get in and play if I put in the work,” Hunter said.

Hunter, a two-sport standout who helped lead the Wolverines to the state basketball semifinals, caught 16 touchdown passes for the Class 2A playoff participants.

It was just Hunter’s second season of high school football.

“I think Grambling got the steal of the state,” Mansfield coach Glen Hall said. “They got a big, big-play receiver.”

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Godby Cougars' Helms commits to Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Luke Helms, an inside linebacker who played on Godby High School’s state champion football team two months ago, has decided to pass on potential offers from several SEC and ACC programs as he has committed to FAMU.

Helms, who took a weekend visit to FAMU, will join his brother, Matthew, a defensive end who played on special teams for the Rattlers last season.

“I made the decision early because we had been praying for it for a long time; just trying to fit into the right school and to see what God wanted me to do and where he wanted me to be,” Helms said Sunday night. “We started calling coaches for their perspective on life and football and theirs (FAMU’s) lined up exactly with ours. That is one of the main reasons I committed.”

He said he’d visited six schools, including Georgia Tech, Florida, Purdue and Vanderbilt before making his decision.

As a member of the Cougars’ championship team, Helms (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) was credited with 120 tackles, four sacks, and 10 quarterback hurries. He played only his senior season at Godby after spending the previous year at North Florida Christian. Helms began his high school career at Leon.

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2013 HONDA BATTLE OF THE BANDS SHOWCASE

ATLANTA, Georgia - The 2013 Honda Battle of the Bands Showcase exceeded all expectations, even without the Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band, which is still on university imposed suspension. Watch as much improved Edward Waters College and Albany State puts on great shows... Edward Waters, the pride of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, clearly had a superior musical sound for the small category bands. Go EWC Tigers!

If you missed Saturday night Super Bowl for HBCU Marching Bands, here are some high definition and surround sound highlights courtesy of local videographers. 

The winners?  It's a tie...  Enjoy!  (beepbeep)

TONIGHT ON ESPNU: Texas Southern vs. Alabama State

College baseball: Alabama State to tackle defending NCAA champs

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Alabama State’s baseball team won 20 games for the first time in 10 years last season under first-year coach Mervyl Melendez and tied for second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division race.

So what does Melendez do for an encore? How about scheduling a three-game series with defending national champion Arizona?

The Hornets opened baseball practice on Friday with an eye toward playing in Major League Baseball’s Urban Invitational for the second consecutive year and a trip to Tucson, Ariz., to play the Wildcats in a three-game series in late April.

“If you want to get to the promised land, you have to get through some obstacles and some difficult situations,” Melendez said. “Going to play Arizona is not going to be easy, but in order for us to become the team that I believe we can be, and the program I believe we can be, we’ve got to play good teams. And it doesn’t get bigger than playing the defending national champions.”

The trip to Hi Corbett Field to play the Wildcats is ...

ASU HORNETS 2013 BASEBALL SCHEDULE

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2013 MEAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

TICKET BOOKS ON SALE NOW!

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Ticket books are on sale now for the 2013 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament scheduled for March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia.

Each ticket book provides entrance for one (1) person to attend all 24 men’s and women’s games including the championship final slated for Saturday, March 16 with the men’s game starting at 2 p.m. followed by the women’s game at 5 p.m.
 

Ticket books can be purchased at all 13 MEAC university ticket offices, Norfolk Scope Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, the MEAC Administrative Office and online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available by calling the MEAC at 757-951-2055 or Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.
 

Fans interested in sitting within their university’s fan block are encouraged to contact their institution’s ticket office directly.
 

The annual MEAC Basketball Tournament marks in first year back to the City of Norfolk since 1997. Norfolk will serve as the tournament’s host through 2015. The Hampton University Lady Pirates and the Norfolk State Spartans men’s and women’s teams earned the tournament crowns last year and are favorites to win this year’s titles.

   

About the MEAC Basketball Tournament

 

The MEAC Basketball Tournament is a single elimination championship playoff that involves Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Savannah State, and South Carolina State.

  

The tournament is played at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia. Both the men’s and women’s champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 

About Norfolk, Virginia

 

Norfolk, Virginia is a city of some 242,803 residents and more than 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the cultural, educational, business and medical center of Hampton Roads, hosts the world's largest naval base, the region's international airport and is one of the busiest international ports on the East Coast of the United States. The city is undergoing a successful renewal, including new office, retail, entertainment and new residential development along the rivers and bay front, and revitalization projects in many of its neighborhoods. Norfolk's residents and city officials have long supported sports programs at all levels. 
 

About VisitNorfolk 

 

VisitNorfolk is the official Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Norfolk. VisitNorfolk, a non-profit organization is dedicated to enhancing the role of travel and tourism in our economy by producing high volumes of both leisure and convention visitors, tax revenues and travel related jobs in Norfolk. VisitNorfolk also provides the resources and tools to ensure our visitors stay in Norfolk is both a productive and enjoyable one. For more information, visitnorfolktoday.com or call 800-368-3097. #Norfolk, Virginia
 

 

VISIT MEACHOOPS.COM for more information or: 

 

RELATED LINKS

• MEAC Ticket Office
• School Box Office Numbers
• Ticketmaster

 

 COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS