Second-half surge puts Tennessee State in semis

Jasmine Smith, who has been the Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week six times since January, lived up to her reputation Tuesday for Tennessee State. The transfer from Louisville poured in 16 points and helped the Lady Tigers keep their season alive by providing a second-half boost on the way to a 77-66 win over Southeast Missouri. The victory came in the first round of the OVC Tournament at Gentry Center. It moved No. 3 seed TSU (18-12) into Friday's semifinals at Sommet Center against Eastern Illinois, which defeated Tennessee Tech 71-65.

TSU guard Kendra Appling (5) drives past SEMO forward Rachel Blunt (32) during their game at Gentry Center. (GEORGE WALKER IV)

"I told Jasmine at halftime, if we win this game, it's going to depend on her getting involved offensively and defensively,'' TSU Coach Tracee Wells said. Sixth seeded SEMO (15-15) kept Smith contained for the first half. She came into the game averaging 11.1 points and 9.8 rebounds but was held to just two points and three rebounds by halftime. From the start of the second half, however, Smith was nearly unstoppable. She scored seven of TSU's first 11 points and finished with 14 second-half points and five rebounds.

Photo Gallery: Southeast Missouri State vs. TSU

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NSU's basketball recruits are practicing patience

NORFOLK, VA - Rob Hampton was not prepared for how long a college basketball season could be when you're watching it from the sidelines. Then he sat through his first home game at Norfolk State's Echols Hall as a spectator and thought: This is going to take some getting used to. "It took about three hours from the time we walked into the gym to the end of the game," said Hampton, a 6-foot-4 guard who played the previous two seasons at Drexel University. "It felt like three days."

Hampton must sit through such pain one more time - tonight, when the Spartans host North Carolina A&T at 8 to close out their regular season. He's hard to miss. While everyone else is dressed in uniform or warm-ups, Hampton normally sits at the end of the Norfolk State bench wearing gray sweats. He could watch things from the bleachers, as do two other redshirting transfers - Christian Morris, formerly of Rutgers, and Marcos Tamares, formerly of Maryland-Baltimore County. But Hampton prefers to be closer to the action.

For two years at Drexel, Hampton was knee deep in that action. After minimal playing time as a freshman, he averaged 20.7 minutes a game as a sophomore, scoring 4.5 points a game.

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MEAC finally set to welcome Eagles

After almost a two-year wait, N.C. Central University is about to get its wish. On Feb. 23, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference finally lifted its ban on membership expansion. Its Council of Chief Executive Officers has begun the application review process of the Eagles and Savannah (Ga.) State as the 13th and 14th members of the historically black Division I conference. NCCU is in the second year of its five-year reclassification process into Division I. The Eagles have been playing an independent schedule since leaving the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2006.

But, in reality, there's nothing to review. From the day they made the decision to leave the CIAA, the Eagles' membership was a given. The only question is, what took so long? "We have a process," Commissioner Dennis Thomas said. "First, a strategic and long-range plan was done for the future of our conference, and membership expansion was a part of that. We completed that and the board approved lifting the moratorium in January."

That's executive speak. The bottom line is the MEAC needs N.C. Central just as much as N.C. Central needs it.

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MEAC expansion could bring 2 divisions, football title game

NORFOLK, VA - Fourteen schools. Two divisions. One conference. That's the direction the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has set for itself in announcing last week that the league has lifted a moratorium on expansion. The MEAC, which includes Norfolk State and Hampton, could soon be adding North Carolina Central and Savannah State. Both institutions have submitted applications to join the league, currently comprised of 11 schools, nine of which play football. Winston-Salem State, which also plays football, is working toward inclusion in the MEAC in 2011.

The larger league would likely break down into two divisions. "That would allow us to at least have the flexibility for divisional play," conference commissioner Dennis Thomas said. "Divisional play will give us the flexibility to save on travel costs and missed class time for our athletes. Those are among the reasons to do this." The creation of two divisions also would seemingly invite the possibility of a championship football game - an event that could come at a price: the I-AA playoffs.

That portion of the expansion idea isn't popular with Norfolk State football coach Pete Adrian. He said the overwhelming majority of recruits are looking for the chance to play in a national playoff. "The I-AA playoffs have a lot more exposure," he said. "I don't think going to a championship game will pay off." Hampton athletic director Lonza Hardy, meanwhile, welcomes expansion and is open to exploring both postseason options.

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USC Beaufort knocks around Savannah State, 15-6

The University of South Carolina - Beaufort baseball team wasn't intimidated by its first NCAA Division I opponent -- in fact, the Sand Sharks played the role of bully. Designated hitter Jon Schmidt's grand slam in the first inning set the tone, and the Sand Sharks pounded Savannah State, 15-6, on the road Tuesday, snapping a three-game losing streak and starting a string of five consecutive days with games on the right foot.

Schmidt's third home run of the season was the only hit USCB managed against Tigers starter Mark Sherrod, but knuckleballer Nick Rhodes and three relievers made it stand up until the Sand Sharks could break it open with a seven-run eighth and a three-run ninth. Gabe Torres, T.J. Kemp and DeShontay Berry each drove in two runs, as the Sand Sharks snapped out of an offensive funk after scoring only one run in a doubleheader against Warner University on Saturday. Dustin Britt, Kemp and Rossetti had two hits apiece for USCB.

Rhodes (3-1) had another solid start, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings. Ryan Kroko allowed one run in two innings of relief, Colton Rudd gave up an unearned run in an inning of work and Kyle McCullough allowed one run in pitching the ninth. The Sand Sharks are members of the NAIA Sun Conference and records their first victory against a NCAA Division I program.

Box Score

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Savannah State Releases 2009 Football Schedule

By: Savannah State University Sports Information Department

SAVANNAH, Ga.- Six home games including an October 24 matchup with football newcomer Old Dominion highlight the 2009 Savannah State University football schedule. Four of the first five games will be on the road. Under second-year head coach Robby Wells, the Tigers will open the season playing in two “classics”. On September 5, SSU will take to the road to play Division II Livingstone in Greenville, South Carolina in the HBCU Classic.

SSU plays their home opener at Theodore A. Wright Stadium on September 12 against Alabama State in the 16th annual Joe Turner Classic before embarking on a three-game road swing which will take them to Lake Charles, Louisiana; Selma, Alabama and Charleston, South Carolina. Savannah State will play at McNeese State on Sept. 19, at Concordia on Sept.
26 and at Charleston Southern on October 3.

The Cowboys of McNeese State posted a 7-4 record last year, finished in a second place tie in the Southland Conference standings and were ranked No. 21 in the final Sports Network poll. The Tigers return home the following week to open a five game home stand, starting with North Greenville on Oct. 10. Bethune-Cookman comes to town on Oct. 17 for the 41st meeting between the Tigers and Wildcats and Old Dominion pays a visit on Oct. 24. SSU celebrates Homecoming 2009 on October 31 by hosting NAIA foe Edward Waters in a 2:00 p.m. matchup.

After an open date on November 7, the Tigers close out their home-stand with Webber International on Nov. 14. The Tigers will travel to Durham, North Carolina to close out the season against the Eagles of North Carolina Central on Nov. 21. This will be the second consecutive year the Tigers will end their season in Durham, N.C. First-year opponents on the schedule include Old Dominion, McNeese State and North Greenville. SSU played eight of the teams on the schedule in 2008 and posted a 3-5 record against them.

Savannah State defeated Livingstone (45-10), Concordia (23-7) and Webber (24-7) while losing to Bethune-Cookman (34-9), Charleston Southern (29-20), Edward Waters (26-21) and North Carolina Central (10-7).

SSU 2009 Football Schedule
Sept 5 at Livingstone Greenville, SC (HBCU Classic)
Sept 12 ALABAMA STATE (Joe Turner Classic)
Sept 19 at MeNeese State
Sept 26 at Concordia
Oct 03 at Charleston Southern
Oct 10 NORTH GREENVILLE
Oct 17 BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Oct 24 OLD DOMINION
Oct 31 EDWARD WATERS
Nov 07 OPEN
Nov 14 WEBBER INTERNATIONAL
Nov 21 at North Carolina Central

Trailblazers: From Black Colleges to the NFL

Banks' book teaches history

Oree Banks has stood among giants.

In 30-plus years of coaching football, he has studied and coached with some of the all-time greats. Now, he's written about those giants. His new book, "Trailblazers: From Black Colleges to the NFL," recounts the exploits of the first seven black coaches inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame and some of the players they coached.

In addition to Banks himself, who coached at West Virginia State and South Carolina State, the first coaches to enter the NAIA hall were Alonzo "Jake" Gaither, Florida A&M; Fred "Pop" Long, Paul Quinn College, Wiley College and Prairie View College; Harry Jefferson, Bluefield State, North Carolina A&T, Virginia State and Hampton College; Arnette W. Mumford, Jarvis Christian, Southern, Bishop and Texas College; Billy Nicks, Morris Brown and Prairie View A&M; and Eddie Robinson, Grambling University.

Banks, 67, coached at West Virginia State for seven seasons. He is retired from coaching but still teaches. He also conducts drug awareness seminars and has visited every college in the state to talk with student-athletes about drugs. In his quest to write the book, Banks spent three years doing research and traveling to the various colleges where the coaches worked. He thought it was important to tell the story of the struggles of black athletes and coaches in these historically black colleges in the days before desegregation.

"Today's young people need to learn the history of these coaches," he said. "These men all have a story to tell." He said he was surprised by some of the things he learned.

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Oree Banks is an associate professor, Health and Human Performance at West Virginia State University. The former head football coach is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame and conducts drug awareness seminars for student athletes throughout the United States. Banks was head coach at West Virginia State and South Carolina State. He was one of the first full-time assistant coaches at the University of South Carolina and the University of Virginia. Banks was also an assistant at Wisconsin and at Grambling State University, during a 30 year coaching career.