Alcorn State douses Hornets' SWAC flame

Photo: Alabama State University head coach Lewis Jackson.

Alabama State has a "blackout" night planned for Monday's game against Southern University. But Saturday's game against Alcorn State was an unannounced flameout night. Against the SWAC's last-place team, the first-place Hornets shot a paltry 11 percent from behind the 3-point line (2-of-17), were out-rebounded 34-27 and were generally out-hustled most of the night. Worst beat first, 73-69.

"They just play hard and tough and they come out here tonight and took it to us," ASU head coach Lewis Jackson said of his team's second home loss of the year. "It was a bad night for us from the free throw line, a bad night from behind the 3-point line and a bad night around the basket. Just overall, we didn't play well and we need to regroup somewhat."

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TSU's Appling scores 50 in Lady Tigers' win over Jacksonville State

Photo: Kendra Appling scored a career-high 50 points on Jacksonville State. The 5-7 junior guard is from Jackson H.S./Jackson, GA. (Photo Courtesy: Sam Jordan)

By: Tennessee State Sports Information

Nashville, TN -- Junior guard Kendra Appling scored a career-high 50 points to lead Tennessee State to a 91-77 victory over Jacksonville State in the final home game of the regular season.

Tennessee State improves to 12-15 (9-9 OVC) while Jacksonville State falls to 11-16 (8-10 OVC).

Kendra Appling led all scores with a game-high 50 points while Oby Okafor added 21 points for TSU. LaDona Pierce dished out a game-high 12 assists for the Lady Tigers.

Jolie Efezokae paced JSU with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Cierra Duhart added 13. It was a slow offensive start for both teams. TSU didn’t score until five minutes into the game. With the game tied 4-4, TSU outscored JSU 10-4 to claim a 14-8 advantage. The Gamecocks responded with seven unanswered points to go ahead 15-14. With 8:05 left in the half, a made bucket by Oby Okafor sparked an 8-2 run that gave the Lady Tigers a 29-22 lead. JSU came back to tie the game (34-34) on a jumper by Jolie Efezokae at the 2:05 mark. TSU went into the break with a slight 38-37 lead.

A bucket from Cierra Duhart to open the second half gave JSU a 39-38 lead but TSU scored nine unanswered points to capture a 47-39 lead. The Gamecocks cut the deficit down to five (49-44) on a bucket by Efezokae but a 7-0 run by the Lady Tigers re-upped the lead to 12 (56-44). Tennessee State then outscored Jacksonville State 12-2 over the next four and a half minutes to stretch the advantage to 68-46.

TSU led by as many as 27 points (75-48) before going on to win 91-77.

The Lady Tigers will next travel to Morehead State to face the Lady Eagles on Thursday, Feb. 27. Game time is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. in Ellis T. Johnson Arena.

North Carolina A&T cruise to win over WSSU Lady Rams

Winston Salem, N.C. – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team played without its floor leader on Saturday night and still won decisively. For the eighth straight game the Aggies margin of victory exceeded 15 points as they defeated arch-rival Winston-Salem State 80-41 at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum Annex.

Amber Bland led the Aggies (20-5) with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. Lamona Smalley added 14 points and nine rebounds as the Aggies reached the 20-win plateau for just the third time in school history and the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Aggies other 20-win season came during 1987-88.

“I think it’s meaningful because it shows how far this program has come,’’ said Patricia Cage-Bibbs, who earned her 11th career 20-win season in 23 years of coaching. “Then when you think about the fact that we have a quality group of kids who get to be a part of an exclusive club here at A&T, it makes it even more special. They truly deserve it.”

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Howard Comeback Falls Short In Loss To Morgan State

Photo: Boubacar Coly, 6-9/220 senior forward, blocked 4 shots, snatched 14 rebounds and scored 8 points in the victory over the Howard Bison.

BALTIMORE, MD. - Howard University staged a furious second half rally but fell just short in a 64-59 loss to Morgan State University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball game at Hill Fieldhouse.

The Bison (5-22 overall, 2-10 in the MEAC) appeared all but done when the Bears took a seemingly insurmountable 59-34 lead at the 9:39 mark of the second half. Morgan State (17-9 overall, 11-2 in the MEAC) combined some stifling defense and a sizzling fast break to keep Howard on its heels.

The Bears, who are now alone in first place in the MEAC after Norfolk State's loss to Coppin State, got a team-high 17 from Marquise Kately, 12 from Jamar Smith and 10 from Reggie Holmes off the bench. Boubacar Coly, one of the top rebounders and shot blockers in the nation, grabbed 14 caroms and was credited with 4 blocks.

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Betty Powers North Carolina A&T to wins

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Early indications are there is no sophomore slump in store for CJ Beatty.

Beatty went a combined 4-for-7 with two home runs and four RBI to lead the North Carolina A&T baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Buffalo 9-1 and 10-4 at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Aggies improved to 2-0 while the Bulls fail to 0-2.

In the opener, Beatty, the 2007 MEAC Rookie of the Year, took the first pitch he saw on the season and towered over the right field fence for a solo home run and a 1-0 Aggies lead. The Bulls’ Nick Walczak evened the score in the sixth by going deep off of N.C. A&T starter Tim Johnson.

The Aggies broke the game open in the next half inning, however. The Aggies put together six straight hits and a walk off of starter Zach Anderson before he was replaced by reliever Mike Stangroom.

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S.C. State snaps NSU’s 5-game winning streak 97-86

ORANGEBURG, S.C. - The moment captured the essence of a game Norfolk State would rather forget. In a fit of anger, Norfolk State forward Larry Vickers slammed the ball underneath his team's basket. There were 40 seconds left in regulation and the Spartans had allowed South Carolina State to secure another offensive rebound and one more opportunity to score.

The Bulldogs, just like they had done all afternoon, took advantage - scoring two more points and increasing their lead in their surprising 97-86 victory Saturday at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Center.

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Sweat's Career-High Eight Strikeouts Lead UCF Past Florida A&M, 16-2

Brown drives in four runs, Duffy scores four times in the win over the Rattlers.

ORLANDO, Fla.- After suffering through a lengthy rain delay before first pitch, the UCF baseball team moved to 2-0 on the season with a 16-2 win over Florida A&M Saturday at Jay Bergman Field. Junior starter Kyle Sweat delivered with a career-high eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work for the victory.

The Knights racked up 15 hits in the win over the Rattlers (0-2), led by senior Dwayne Bailey and sophomore Shane Brown, who each posted three hits. Brown also posted a career-high four RBI, and sophomore Chris Duffy set a personal mark with four runs scored.

UCF climbed on top of FAMU and starter Anthony Espin (0-1) in the second as Duffy reached on an error and senior Ryan Richardson blasted a double high off the center-field fence. Following an intentional walk to Brown, freshman Evan Stobbs was issued a free pass with the bases juiced for the first run.

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