Second Half Run Stops Hampton Pirates at UTRGV

EDINBURGH, Texas -- Homestanding Texas Rio Grande Valley outscored Hampton 51-35 in the second half and defeated the Pirates 80-69 on Saturday night.

Hampton (5-10) held a 44-33 lead with 16:42 left in the game on a pair of free throws from Trevond Barnes. A pair of Barnes free throws with 9:49 left kept Hampton up 59-50, but UTRGV went on a 14-2 run to lead 64-61 on a Terry Winn layup with 3:53 remaining.

Jermaine Marrow drained a triple for Hampton to bring the Pirates to 68-66 with 2:38 remaining which was as close as the Pirates got. The Vaqueros closed the game on a 12-3 flurry to ice the game with four free throws in the final minute to win.



Marrow topped Hampton with 22 points and six rebounds, while Barnes had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Kalin Fisher added 10 points. Hampton was 25-of-64 from the floor (39.1%), 1-of-12 from 3-point land (8.3%) and 18-of-21 from the foul line (85.7%).

Nick Dixon topped UTRGV with 21 points, while Winn added 12.

Hampton now enters Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action on January 6 visiting Maryland Eastern Shore for a 4pm tip in Princess Anne, Md.

For more information on Hampton University men's basketball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.

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TSU Lady Tigers Go Down to the Wire in Loss to Redhawks

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri -- In a hard fought battle that went down to the wire, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team fell to Southeast Missouri, 71-66, Saturday afternoon in the Show Me Center.

Tennessee State trailed by 13 points but continued to battle the entire night. The Lady Tigers erased the double-digit deficit and tied the game with seconds remaining and had an opportunity to force overtime but the Redhawks made crucial free-throws down the stretch to keep TSU at bay.

Tia Wooten led TSU with 30 points to go with eight rebounds while Jaden Wrightsell recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in her first career start. Maxine Beard and Kaliya Griffin were just shy of double-digits with nine points each.

SEMO had four players to score in double-digits led by Tesia Thompson’s 23 points.



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INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• TSU Leaders
  • Points: Tia Wooten - 30
  • Rebounds: Jaden Wrightsell - 10
  • Assists: Maxine Beard - 4
  • Steals: Maxine Beard - 5
• TSU outrebounded SEMO, 38-33 but the Redhawks held the advantage in points in the paint, 36-18, and bench points, 25-11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Despite shooting 57.1 percent from the field to start the game, TSU trailed 13-8 at the first media timeout.
• TSU used four unanswered points to pull within two points but went without a field goal for the next 2:39 and trailed 23-18 at the 5:51 mark of the second quarter.
• A bucket by Maxine Beard ended a nearly five-minute scoring drought but TSU only managed to post one more field goal the rest of the period.
• The Lady Tigers trailed, 31-22, at halftime.
• TSU opened the second frame by outscoring SEMO 6-1 and pulled within four.
• The Redhawks responded with five unanswered and increased the advantage to 37-29 with 4:42 left in the third.
• TSU once again rallied to within four but SEMO answered with a spurt that stretched the lead to double-digits.
• With 6:19 remaining, Kaliya Griffin knocked down a three-pointer to pull TSU within six.
• SEMO managed to recapture an 11-point lead but the TSU continued to fight and cut the deficit down to five points with 2:12 remaining.
• Back-to-back triples from Williams and Griffin made the score, 66-64, with 52.4 left.
• On TSU’s next possession, Tia Wooten connected in the paint to tie the game at 66-all.
• SEMO answered on its trip down the court and took the lead, 68-66, with 33.5 remaining.
• Trailing by three and with 12.7 seconds left, TSU had a chance to tie the game but an untimely turnover gave the ball back to SEMO.
• The Redhawks made two free-throws to put the game out of reach.

GAME NOTES

• Jaden Wrightsell got her first start of the season vs SEMO.
• After scoring 12 points in the opening quarter, Tia Wooten was held to only two points in the second period. She finished the game with 30.
• TSU shot 70 percent from the field in the first quarter but the offense struggled in the second period, only connecting 28.6 percent of its attempts (4-of-12).
• TSU dropped its third straight versus SEMO.
• Tia Wooten scored 30 points for the second time this season as the posted 33 at Memphis.

QUOTES

Head Coach Jessica Kern

“A tough fought night. Its getting difficult to talk about because the kids played so hard. A lot of time you talk to coaches and they feel like they’re not getting the full effort from the team. We’re getting full effort. Two things we need to work on: turnovers and execution. We’re going to keep learning, we’re going to keep getting better. The great part is we get to go back home and it would be great to go back home and get our first OVC win.”

- Overall thoughts on the game

“First of all lets go to Tia Wooten. 30 points. Look at how much her character is growing. No complaining, no extra, simply yes coach. And that’s, to me, the signs of a true leader. Jaden Wrightsell didn’t have any reservations about being tired or anything of that nature. She’s a beast on the glass. She had a double-double in her second game back. Fantastic to see her (playing), she’s in great spirits.”

- On Jaden Wrightsell’s contribution

“Eventually they’re going to be so angry at this feeling that they get to the point where we turn the corner. And that means playing a disciplined game. There’s not a single kid in that locker room that doesn’t want that win. We’re not so concerned with our overall record, we’re more concerned about our quality of play. Once we turn that corner, we’re going to be that team, in February, that nobody wants to play.”

- On moving forward

UP NEXT

• TSU returns to action on Jan. 4 at home versus Jacksonville State. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in Gentry Center.

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'This conference is growing': Southern women's to begin competitive SWAC play vs. Texas Southern on Jan. 1

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- In October, Southern star forward Briana Green didn’t worry about it.

Then, when the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s coaches and sports information directions released its preseason poll, predicting the Jaguars to finish fourth in a league of 10 teams, Green brushed it off with a full season of basketball ahead.

There were people to prove wrong.

As of late December, days before the Jaguars begin conference play at 5 p.m. Monday at Texas Southern in Houston, Green’s words are a bit more pungent.

“I know what’s going to happen at the end of the season,” Green said, “that’s all I’m going to say. It should be a very, very, very exciting season,” she added months ago.

Like the SWAC’s men’s league, Texas Southern was also slated to finish first in the women’s sphere, besting No. 2 Grambling by three first-place votes in a sure-to-be contested race among multiple schools for the SWAC’s crown.

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Central State Lady Marauders hang on to beat Claflin, 59-54

WILBERFORCE, Ohio – The Central State Lady Marauders built an early lead and hung on late to beat the Panthers of Claflin University, 59-54, on Saturday.

With the victory, CSU improves to 10-3 overall with a 5-1 record in SIAC play. Claflin falls to 7-7 on the year with a 4-2 mark in the conference.

CSU enjoyed an early 8-2 lead and took a 19-15 advantage into the second quarter. Up 24-20 with 5:47 to play in the second frame, the Lady Marauders went on a 9-0 run and took a 33-22 lead at intermission.

The third quarter belonged to Claflin as the Panthers outscored CSU, 18-13, to cut the deficit down to 46-40 entering the final ten minutes. CSU managed to comfortably stay ahead throughout the majority of the fourth quarter and led 57-45 after a Chavon Banks layup.

Claflin managed to chop the CSU lead down to three with 1:04 left to play. The teams traded turnovers before CSU's Jaeda Davis sealed the game with four straight free throws.

Banks led CSU with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Davis finished with 9 points. Sierra Harley recorded 8 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals.

Claflin was paced by 12 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks from Jhanice Stokes.
CSU will return to the hardwood on New Year's Day to host Benedict College at 2 pm.

Quotes – Coach Lewis Shine
"We will obviously take the win but we are not happy with our performance today."

"Mustafa Notter came up big towards the end of the game with a big blocked shot. It is nice to have her back in the rotation."

"We have a quick turnaround and will get back to work to prepare for Benedict College on Monday."

Notes
The Lady Marauders were without leading scorer Takyra Gilbert due to injury.

CSU leads the SIAC in scoring (82.5 ppg), assists (16.4 apg), offensive rebounding (18.8 orpg) and steals (14.3 spg).

Mustafa Notter returned to the CSU rotation on Dec. 16. Notter had previously missed the first eleven games of the season.

Next Game
Opponent: Benedict
Date: Monday, January 1st

Tip-Off: 2 pm
Location: Beacom/Lewis Gymnasium – Wilberforce, Ohio

Coverage
Radio - Gem City Sports Network (http://www.gemcitysports.com/radio-1/)
Video - CSU Sports Streaming Channel (http://maraudersports.com/watch/)
Live Stats - Marauder Live Stats site (http://www.sidearmstats.com/centralstate/mbball/)

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Claflin Rally to Defeat Central State in SIAC Road Contest

WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- Triston Thompson hit a three-pointer with 25 seconds left and Timothy Christian II added a pair of free throws as Claflin University rallied to defeat Central State University (CSU) 72-69 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) basketball game Saturday.

With the come-from-behind win, Claflin's 12th straight, the Panthers improved its season worksheet to 13-1, but more importantly, unbeaten in the SIAC at 6-0.

CSU falls to 4-8 and 3-4.

Triston Thompson led four Panther players in double-figures with 18 points. He also added three assists and three steals.

Jordan Jones had 16 points while Jaleel Charles posted his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds before fouling out in the final seconds of the game. He also blocked three shots.

Albert Miller rounded out the double-figure scoring for the Panthers with 12 points, while Tyler Thompson dished out a team-high six assists.

Miller and Jones knocked down four three-pointers each for Claflin, who finished with 11 three-point baskets in the game.

Chris Scott of CSU was the game's top scorer with 31 points and 11 rebounds.

Claflin trailed 57-45 with 7:57 left in the game. It was back-to-back three-pointers from Jones that tied the contest at 64-64 with 1:57 left and again with 53 seconds showing on the clock for the 67-67 tie.

CSU regained the lead, 68-67, with 47 seconds left off a free three from Scott. Claflin gained its first and only lead of the game on Triston Thompson's second three-pointer of the game to give the Panthers the 70-68 lead with 25 seconds remaining.

In the closing seconds, Christian II added a pair of free throws to enable the Panthers to remain unbeaten on the road this season at 9-0.

The game had just the one lead change late along with two ties as Claflin trailed for the 37:59 minutes.

Claflin will continue its two-game road trip, taking on Kentucky State University in another SIAC contest Monday (Jan. 1) in Frankfort, Ky. at 7:30 p.m.

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Penn State Defeats Coppin State Eagles In Final Non-Conference Matchup

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania – In its final non-conference game of the season, Coppin State's men's basketball team fell to Penn State 88-43 on Saturday afternoon at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Eagles close out the first half of the year with an 0-15 record while the Nittany Lions improve to 11-4.

Cedric Council led CSU with 11 points to finish in double figures for the second-straight game. Tre' Thomas added nine points off the bench with a trio of three's.

Penn State led from start to finish as they got out of the gate strong with a breakaway dunk and nine-straight points before Jordan Hardwick got Coppin on the board with a jumper at the 17:20 mark. The Nittany Lions answered with a basket before Hardwick drained a three with 16:24 remaining to cut the deficit to 11-5.

Three technical fouls were called in the first half with Penn State receiving a double-technical allowing Karonn Davis to make 3-of-4 free throws with 7:30 left. From there, the Nittany Lions began to pull away, extending the lead to as many as 22 and led, 43-23 at the break.

PSU, who was led by Tony Carr's 21 points, opened the second half on a 15-5 run and never looked back. The Lions outshot Coppin, 49.1% to 30.4%

Coppin returns to action after the calendar year when it opens MEAC play at Norfolk State on Wednesday, January 3 at 7:30 pm.

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Grambling State Announces 2018 Baseball Schedule

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State University head baseball coach James Cooper announced the 2018 baseball schedule on Friday as the Tigers will play 46 games, including matchups against a pair of SEC powers, LSU and Arkansas.

The Tigers, who captured the 2017 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) West Division title, open the season in New Orleans, La., to take part in the Andre Dawson Classic Feb. 16-18. Grambling State will face off against rival Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alcorn State.

Grambling State will have its 2018 home opener on Feb. 20 with a doubleheader against Wiley College at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.

GSU TIGERS 2018 BASEBALL SCHEDULE

2018 GSU ROSTER

The Tigers will conclude the opening month with four straight road games, starting Feb. 23-25, in Miami, Fla., to take on Florida International, followed by a visit to Baton Rouge, La. On Feb. 27, to meet SEC member LSU.

Grambling State will be at home 12 times in the month of March as the Tigers open a three-game SWAC series against Prairie View A&M (March 2-4). GSU will make the short trip to Ruston, La. for a midweek game on March 6 to take on Louisiana Tech.

Grambling State visits Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a three-game SWAC series (March 9-11), before coming back home to face Alcorn State (March 13 and 14) in a non-conference two-game series. Southern comes to town for St. Patrick's Day weekend (March 16-18), before the Tigers take to the road for four straight games. First up on the road swing is a trip to Nacogdoches, Texas (March 21) to face Stephen F. Austin. Grambling State concludes the road swing with a three-game non-conference series (March 23-25) in Kennesaw, Ga., against Kennesaw State.

The Tigers wrap up the month of March with four consecutive home games, starting with a midweek game (March 27) against Texas College and concluding with three straight against Texas Southern (March 29-31).

Grambling State opens the month of April at home against Louisiana Tech (April 3), but travel for the next four games. The Tigers visit Prairie View A&M for a three-game SWAC series (April 6-8) and conclude the road trip on April 10 in Fayetteville, Ark., against Arkansas.

GSU returns home April 13-15 for a series with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and face Louisiana-Monroe (April 17) in its midweek game, before visiting rival Southern (April 20-22) from a three-game SWAC matchup to conclude the month.

The Tigers close out the regular season with their longest road swing of the year. The Tigers open May at Louisiana-Monroe, then visit Texas Southern (May 4-6), before concluding the regular season with a visit to Natchitoches, La., to take on Northwestern State (May 8).

The 2018 SWAC Baseball Tournament begins May 16-20 in New Orleans, La.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

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