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MOBILE, Alabama -- Jalen Mitchell came off the bench to score 20 of his 23 points in the second half as Clark Atlanta University won their seventh game in row in holding off Spring Hill College 68-66 in Mobile, Ala., Saturday.
The Panthers are now 12-1 overall, 6-0 and in first place in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference East Division. The consecutive wins mark equals a seven-game winning streak during their SIAC championship season last year.
The Panthers started out slow, falling behind by as many as eight points in the first half. They ended the half with a 10-3 run to go into the break trailing by only one at 33-32.
CAU fell behind by nine with 13:46 remaining, but Mitchell then took over. He scored 13 points, with a steal and a rebound, over the next nearly four minutes, giving CAU their first lead on his 3-pointer with 9:51 left to make the score 49-46.
Spring Hill fought back, taking a three-point lead on William Loyd's dunk with 4:32 left in the game. Akil Douglas followed with a dunk of his own, and Austin Donaldson hit a 3-pointer that put the Panthers up for good with 3:37 left.
Mitchell finished with 23 points, six rebounds, two steals and an assist, while Douglas had 15 points and eight rebounds. Donaldson had ten points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Brandon Fischer led Spring Hill with 15 points as the Badgers fell to 2-10 this season, 0-4 in the SIAC.
Head coach Darrell Walker said his Panthers showed a little rust from not playing a game since Dec. 18 because of the Christmas break.
"It was another one of those 'grind-it-out' kind of games for us," Walker said. "We had a long layoff and we were a little off tonight. It's hard to say that when defensively you hold a team to 66 points. Spring Hill really played us hard. But we have some things to work on this week."
The Panthers return to L.S. Epps Gymnasium Thursday, Jan. 4 when they host Lane College at 8 p.m. That game can be viewed live, via webstream, at www.mybcsn.net/cau.
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Prairie View A&M women's and men's basketball teams will open the new year hosting Alcorn State Monday opening Southwestern Athletic play at the William J. Nicks Building.
The women's game will tip at 3 p.m. and the men's game around 5:15 p.m. following the completion of the women's game. As a part of the Holiday Hoops pricing special, tickets are only $5 and kids 18 and under are admitted free for Monday's games as well as Wednesday's 5:30 p.m. doubleheader vs. Southern.
Fans can also watch live and get live stats at pvpanthers.com/sportsnetwork.
The women's team will enter Monday's contest 2-9 overall, after completing their non-conference play on December 21 when they fell to Rice 88-68.
"We are eager to get back on the court and begin conference play," said PVAMU's head women's coach Ravon Justice. "I saw a lot of good things during non-conference play, so I know we are ready to go into conference play with a positive attitude and good direction."
Shala Dobbins leads the Lady Panthers in scoring averaging 20.0 ppg. Dobbins is second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference is scoring and 33rd in the nation. She is followed in scoring by Jordyn Penniman, who is averaging 11.2 ppg. Dominique Newman is also a top scorer for PVAMU, she is averaging 10.5 ppg. Newman is also leading the Lady Panthers on the boards averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.
FARMVILLE, Virginia – A marquee defensive effort carried Norfolk State women's basketball to a 64-45 victory over Longwood on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Spartans (7-5) enter the new calendar year and MEAC play riding the momentum of a five-game winning streak.
The five wins in a row marks the longest such streak in head coach Larry Vickers' young career. Additionally, the Spartans matched the record for most non-conference victories in the program's Division-I era while also recording the most non-conference wins over D-I competition in team history.
Norfolk State limited the Lancers (2-9) to 45 points – 12 below Longwood's season scoring average. Through 12 games, the Spartans have held 11 opponents below their season average in points and are 6-5 in such games.
Kayla Roberts led all scorers with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Roberts also grabbed four rebounds and came away with two steals. As a team, NSU registered 12 steals in the game, one off the season high.
Turnovers factored heavily into the final score, as Norfolk State scored 23 points off 24 Longwood giveaways. Conversely, the Spartans turned the ball over only 14 times and conceded five points off those turnovers.
The Spartans struck first on a Raven Russell basket at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter and never trailed. NSU scored the game's first five points before Longwood finally scored on a 3-pointer by Kate Spradlin midway through the quarter.
Alexys Long and Ciarah Bennett traded 3-pointers before the Spartans scored eight of the next 11 points to lead 18-9 with 39 seconds left in the period. Longwood scored in the final seconds of the quarter to make the score 18-11 heading into the second quarter.
Norfolk State ratcheted up the defensive pressure in the second quarter and led 32-20 at the break.
Longwood managed only nine points and one field goal during the second period. The Lancers went 1-of-6 from 3-point range in the quarter and shot 10 percent (1-of-10) from the floor. LWU relied on the whistle to generate scoring in the quarter – drawing six fouls and going 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
Norfolk State opened the second on a 7-2 run with Roberts scoring the first five points for the Spartans. Kristina Antonenko halted the run with a trey at the 5:14 mark. A minute later Casey Ripp split a pair of free throws to pull the Lancers to within eight, 25-17, but NSU scored seven of the next eight points and led 32-18 with 1:53 remaining in the half.
Kendrea Dawkins scored the final five points of the half for Norfolk State and ended the game with six points, three rebounds and one trey.
NSU overcame a slow start to the third quarter to finish the period with 17 points on 50 percent shooting. The Spartans did not score a field goal until Roberts layup at the 7:38 mark, which made the score 35-23.
Roberts hunted her shot in the third period and scored eight points in the quarter while going 3-of-3 from the field.
The Spartans opted to extend their defense during the third quarter and disrupted Longwood to the tune of eight turnovers. Norfolk State generated five steals during the period, including a strip and score by Armani Franklin that gave NSU a 39-25 lead with 6:37 on the clock.
Longwood trimmed the lead to 39-27 with 4:28 left in the quarter, but NSU closed out the period on a 10-3 run. Roberts gave the Spartans their first 20-point lead in the game on a free throw with 2:30 remaining. The Miami, Florida native answered a last-minute 3-pointer by the Lancers with a jumper to give Norfolk State a 49-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Both teams played even in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points apiece. The Spartans led by as many as 22 on three occasions, but the Lancers cut the deficit to 16 with just under two minutes left in the game.
Dayna Rouse knocked down a jumper at the 1:53 mark to make the score 61-45, but NSU shut the door on Longwood, who closed the game with two missed shots and a pair of turnovers.
Franklin scored the final three points of the game, all at the free throw line. The freshman made both free throws after coming down with an offensive rebound before splitting a pair with 31 seconds remaining.
Kate Spradlin led Longwood with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting. The Lancers out-rebounded the Spartans 37-36 and had two players, Antonenko and Rouse, with eight boards.
Norfolk State assisted on 12 made field goals in the victory and now has double-digit assists in five-straight games. The Spartans are 6-1 when recording 10 or more assists in a game. Gabrielle Swinson had a team-high four helpers for NSU and also chipped in nine points, five rebounds and three steals.
The Spartans begin the 16-game MEAC schedule at home on Wednesday against Coppin State. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. BOX SCORE NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
SHREVEPORT, Louisiana — Maya Trench scored a season-high 16 points for Xavier University of Louisiana, but an early LSU-Shreveport run carried the Pilots to a 73-62 women's basketball victory Saturday.
The Pilots, ranked 25th in NAIA Division I, outscored the Gold Nuggets 11-0 in the first three minutes in a wire-to-wire decision. Christina Devers scored a season-high 32 points and made five 3-pointers for LSUS.
LSUS is 14-0, and XULA is 6-5. The Pilots tied their school record for consecutive victories.
Trench had one of the best shooting performances of her career, making 8-of-15 from the floor. Essence Wells scored 11 points for XULA, and Gina Smith had seven points and 10 rebounds. It was the second straight game that Smith reached double figures in rebounds.
LSUS led 26-14 after one quarter and 45-31 at halftime, but a XULA rally cut the Pilots' lead to 53-47 by the end of the third period. It was still a single-digit difference before the Pilots closed with a 17-8 run in the final four minutes.
LSUS outshot XULA 44.2 to 35.6 percent from the floor. The Pilots made 10-of-17 3-pointers to the Gold Nuggets' 3-of-16. XULA had a 39-32 rebound advantage but committed a season-worst 27 turnovers — including five offensive fouls and 15 LSUS steals.
The Gold Nuggets are 1-4 this season against ranked NAIA opponents.
XULA will stay on the road and play Paul Quinn at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Dallas. The Gold Nuggets' next home game will be Jan. 17.
DURHAM, North Carolina – North Carolina Central University closed the book on the 2017 calendar year with a 75-55 win over St. Andrews at home at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Saturday, Dec. 30.
SAU (1-7) proved to be a formidable opponent in the opening stages of the contest, as the Knights led NCCU (6-8) for over seven-and-a-half minutes in the first half. The lead changed hands eight separate times in the first 20 minutes, and there were three ties leading to a 30-30 deadlock at the intermission.
NCCU was able to create separation in the second half as they opened the period with a 21-9 run to speed ahead 51-39 at the 11:26 mark and used that cushion to arrive at a 75-55 final score.
Marius McAllister (Durham, N.C.) got his first career start for the maroon and gray and logged 39 minutes on his way to game- and career-highs with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) made strong contributions inside with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Jordan Perkins (Greensboro, N.C.) dished out six assists with 11 points.
Perkins nailed three three-pointers in the contest, and Larry McKnight, Jr. (North Miami, Fla.) knocked down four for 12 points, and Reggie Gardner, Jr. (Bowie, Md.) also collected four triples on his way to 16 points. Alston Jones (Kansas City, Mo.) came off the bench to serve six assists as well.
Christian Lathan (Fayetteville, N.C.) led the Knights with12 points and four assists, and Devonte Pettaway (Greenville, N.C.) followed closely with 11 points. Jeremias Easterling (La Plata, Argentina) chipped in eight points and six boards, and Luis Rosa (Sao Joao, Brazil) also had a rounded performance with seven points and seven boards.
The Eagles finis non-conference play with six wins, and now enter the 16-game MEAC trials on Wednesday, Jan. 3 on the road at Delaware State.
LOS ANGELES, California -- Tavrion Dawson had 14 of his 20 points in the second half and CSU Northridge beat Morgan State 79-69 on Saturday night.
Dawson also had nine rebounds for the Matadors (3-11), who won their second in a row following an 11-game losing streak. Reggie Theus Jr. added 16 points, Micheal Warren scored 15 points and Lyrik Shreiner 10.
CSU Northridge took the lead for good at 10-8 and had its largest lead of 18 with a minute left in the first half, 40-22. The Bears (4-9) had a 9-0 run to get within 52-44, but the Matadors pushed the lead back to 18 at 72-54 and led by double digits for most of the second half.
Tiwian Kendley had 22 of his game-high 29 points in the second half for Morgan State, which lost its seventh in a row. Stanley Davis finished with 13 points, while Phillip Carr posted his 20th career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Azariah Sykes added 13 rebounds.
Morgan State held a 46-30 advantage on the glass, including 23 offensive boards. However, the Matadors outscored the Bears in second chance opportunities by a 12-10 margin.
The win by CSU Northridge snapped its 17-game losing streak to Division I foes.
STONY BROOK, New York – Norfolk State overcame a late 10-point deficit and pushed ahead in the last few minutes in a 74-68 win over Stony Brook in men's basketball action on Saturday night at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
In their last non-conference game before beginning MEAC play, the Spartans trailed 55-45 with nine minutes left in the game. But an 11-0 run put them ahead, the first of five lead changes in a little more than two minutes of action.
Sophomore Steven Whitley hit a 3-pointer to give the Spartans the lead for good, and senior Kyle Williams had a trey and a pair of free throws to extend the advantage with less than two minutes to go.
Stony Brook could not convert late, shooting just 26 percent overall in the second half and going cold from 3-point range after a strong first half.
NSU, meanwhile, improved to 2-12 overall thanks to 21 points from Williams on 5-of-9 shooting, 4-of-6 from deep. Whitley hit 7-of-13 from the floor for a career-high tying 18 points with seven rebounds and four steals.
Stony Brook (5-9) got 24 points from Akwasi Yeboah, 21 of those in the first half. But thanks to the Seawolves' cold second half, NSU outscored them 40-29 after the break.
A 7-of-16 effort from the 3-point line in the first half propelled Stony Brook early on. It allowed them to eventually take a 39-34 lead into the locker room.
Sophomore Nic Thomas knocked down a trey early in the second half to trim the deficit to two. The Seawolves scored the next seven, and Yeboah finally got on the board in the second half with a pair of free throws at the 9:01 mark. That made it 55-45, the first and only double-digit lead of the game for either team.
Williams had two 3-pointers during the 11-0 run for a 56-55 edge with five minutes to go. After the teams traded some free throws, Jaron Cornish knocked down a trey for Stony Brook before Whitley's shot from the top of the key put the Spartans ahead 62-60 with just 2:48 left.
Williams knocked down his trey and then two free throws for a 69-62 lead with 1:02 left, and the Spartans held on from there despite missing several free throws in the last minute.
The Spartans finished the game 9-of-19 from beyond the arc and 50 percent overall on 26-of-52 shooting. The Seawolves finished 20-of-57 (35.1 percent), including 10-of-33 from 3-point land.
Stony Brook fell despite holding a 44-34 edge on the glass, 19-8 on the offensive side. A total of 17 giveaways did the Seawolves in, with NSU outscoring them 18-7 in points off turnovers.
Early in the game, Williams hit a couple of long shots to help NSU build an 11-5 lead. Thomas completed a short 7-2 run a little later on a drive to the bucket to open an eight-point advantage, 22-14, with eight and a half minutes before the half.
After Thomas drained a 3-pointer for a nine-point lead, Yeboah really started to heat up for Stony Brook. That included a 4-point play and then later another trey with 1:36 left. In fact, he scored seven of the last eight points in the half. Stony Brook closed it on that 8-0 run, part of a larger 20-6 spurt that began after Thomas' trey at 6:15.
Aside from Yeboah, Cornish was the only other player in double figures for Stony Brook with 12. Tyrell Sturdivant added nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Thomas and senior Bryan Gellineau each had 11 points, a career high for Gellineau as well.
NSU next opens MEAC play on Wednesday at home when the Spartans host Coppin State at 8 p.m.
MOBILE, Alabama -- Jalen Mitchell came off the bench to score 20 of his 23 points in the second half as Clark Atlanta University won their seventh game in row in holding off Spring Hill College 68-66 in Mobile, Ala., Saturday.
