Joseph's layup at buzzer gives Xavier an overtime victory

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- Wanto Joseph converted his frontcourt steal into a layup at the buzzer Thursday, giving Xavier University of Louisiana a 71-69 overtime men's basketball victory against Florida Memorial in the Miami Gardens Classic.

The Gold Rush (8-4), ranked 21st in NAIA Division I, snapped a two-game losing streak and finished 1-1 in the event. The Lions (4-9) of NAIA Division II dropped their seventh in a row and lost in overtime for the second straight day.

Joseph stole the ball from Denzel Wright with seven seconds remaining, then weaved through traffic to reach the basket and avoid a second overtime.

"I looked up at the clock and there were two seconds remaining," Joseph said. "I was at the volleyball (baseline), so I knew I was close enough. I took one dribble and two hard steps and made it to the rim in time."

Anthony Simmons led Xavier with 15 points and reached double figures for the first time in more than a month. Cordell Hadnot had 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Jamaan Kenner had a season-high 11 points, and Denzell Erves scored 10. Joseph had nine points and led Xavier in the extra period with four.

"The game probably shouldn't have gone to overtime," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "But any win on the road in overtime is great. Hopefully those five extra minutes gave us a little more experience and will help us get a little better."

Xavier trailed once in the final 14 minutes -- when George Gray's 3-pointer gave Florida Memorial a 48-47 advantage with 7:34 remaining in regulation -- and appeared to regain momentum when Simmons and Nick Haywood combined for all the points in an 8-0 response which took less than a minute. But FMU gained five XU turnovers thereafter and sent the game into overtime when Gray's basket beat the buzzer in regulation.

Gray scored a season-high 27 points. Matthew Rolle had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and La Dante Berry-White scored a career-best 13.

It was the second time in three games the XU men played overtime. They lost 95-91 in three OTs at city rival Loyola on Dec. 17. It was the first time in Jackson's nine seasons that the Gold Rush won on the road in overtime against a non-conference opponent.

Hadnot's double-double was the fifth of his career and his second in three games. His 15 rebounds were Xavier's most since Kelechi Okoroha grabbed the same amount at William Carey on Feb. 19, 2009. It was Hadnot's career-best sixth consecutive game to score in double figures.

"Cordell has been working really hard and came up big with rebounding today," Jackson said of the senior forward. "His presence down low and his will to score helped us a lot. It was also good to see Anthony Simmons be productive on both ends of the court."

Xavier outshot the Lions 43.1 to 41.7 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 41-28.

Xavier's next game will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the University of New Orleans in the first meeting between the schools since 1976.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

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Prairie View Lady Panthers upend Texas Wesleyan 69-57

HOUSTON, Texas - The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers (3-8) snapped their two-game losing streak with a convincing 69-57 win over Texas Wesleyan (7-3) Wednesday night at the M.O. Campbell Center.

Prairie View A&M guards Kiara Etienne and JaQuandria Williams, who were teammates at Copiah-Lincoln Community College just a season ago, both scored 15 points to tie for the game high and lead the Lady Panthers to their third win of the season.

Williams, in her debut game for Prairie View A&M, was highly efficient from the field. She went 6-for-11 from the floor and was 1-for-1 from downtown. Etienne, who was averaging over 20 points over her last four games, was 7-for-13 from the field and added four rebounds and two assists.

The Lady Panthers ended the first half with a five-point, 39-34 advantage.

BOX SCORE

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Hawai`i Holds Off Alcorn State, 66-63

HONOLULU, Hawaii — The University of Hawai`i women's basketball team (5-8) held off a scrappy Alcorn State team to open the Pepsi Rainbow Wahine Invitational with 66-63 win. Senior forward Breanna Arbuckle led a trio of UH players who scored in double-figures while sophomore forward Kamilah Jackson had a game-high 10 rebounds on Wednesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Arbuckle scored a team-high 17 points—10 of which came in the second half. She sank three crucial free-throws and had one of her three blocks in the final three minutes of the game to help lift the 'Bows over the Braves. Arbuckle went to the free-throw line eight times and drilled a career-high 13-out-of-15 foul shots. She also contributed six rebounds and tied her career-high with five assists.

Joining Arbuckle in the double-digit points club tonight were Vicky Tagalicod and Kanisha Bello. Tagalicod--who is in just her second week of action--was just one rebound short of recording her first double-double as she tallied season-highs of 14 points and nine rebounds. She went 6-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the charity stripe. Bello posted 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting with one 3-pointer while going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. She chipped in a career-high six rebounds. Freshman point guard Alissa Campanero tied her career-high with six assists, but also had six turnovers in 38 minutes of action. Jackson had her five-game double-double streak come to a close as she was just one point shy of getting her sixth in a row. She scored nine points to go with her 10 rebounds with an assist and a steal.

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Hampton Lady Pirates Run Past Central Michigan Chippewas, 77-51

Choicetta McMillian 5-5 Guard, Senior Fairfield, Texas

Jericka Jenkins

5-4 Guard, Senior

 Lancaster, Texas 

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Jessica Green tied her career high with 17 points as the five-game win streak of Central Michigan ended in the 77-51 loss to Hampton, during the first round of the Tulane Double Tree Holiday Tournament.


The Chippewas (7-6) never led in the game as the Lady Pirates (9-2) began the game on a 10-2 lead. CMU battled back and tied the game at 12 with 13:46 left in the first half. Hampton stiffened up its defense and used a 10-2 run to retake the lead at 22-14 at the 10:55 point. The Maroon and Gold were held without a bucket for over five minutes, as Hampton reeled off a 16-3 run, until Green hit a waning-second layup to put CMU down 45-29 at the half.  

Keiara Avant
5-11 Forward, Junior

Chesapeake, VA



Olivia Allen
5-6 Guard, Junior
Kildeer, Illinois

 This is the first game since Purdue that the Chippewas trailed at half-time, and the most they have trailed at the break this year.

 

The Lady Pirates opened their lead, 58-31, in the second half behind a 13-2 run four minutes in. That would be it for the Chippewas as the Lady Pirates built upon their lead to claim their ninth win of the year.



For the first time all season Crystal Bradford was held under double digits only scoring six poi nts, but grabbing 11 rebounds. Skylar Miller added eight points going three-for-four from the floor.

The Chippewas were out-rebounded 44-38 and 21-11 offensively. They tied their season high 28 turnovers, which resulted into 31 Lady Pirate points. The CMU bench chipped in scoring 37 out of the total 51 points.

The Maroon and Gold will play Thursday at 6 p.m. CT against the College of Charleston, who lost 57-42 to Tulane.  Hampton will play for the tournament's championship against Tulane.

BOX SCORE             Courtesy: Erin Mowrey/CMU Athletics



LADY PIRATES DOMINATE IN WIN OVER CENTRAL MICHIGAN  



Melanie Warner

5-10 Forward, Senior

Tallahassee, Florida



Ariel Phelps
6-2/F-C, Junior
Virginia Beach, VA

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team issued a dominating performance on Wednesday night, upending Central Michigan 77-51 at the Fogelman Arena in the opening night of Tulane/DoubleTree Classic. 

The Lady Pirates (9-2) have won two straight and seven of their last eight games. Hampton will take  on tournament host Tulane on Thursday at 9 p.m. EST in the tournament’s championship game.


Senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) led the way with 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers, while senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas) added 16 points and a team-high seven assists. Sophomore forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) poured in 11 points and pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.

Sherena Abercrumbia
6-3 Center, Senior
Dallas, Texas

Alyssa Bennett

6-2 F/C, Sophomore

Hampton, Virginia

 Junior forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) added 11 points in the win.



The Lady Pirates took control immediately, jumping out to a 10-2 lead after a fast-break jumper from Jenkins at the 16:18 mark. Central Michigan answered with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 12-12 after a Jessica Green layup at the 13:46 mark, but McMillian gave Hampton the lead back with a 3-pointer at the 12:11 mark. 

GAME NOTES .pdf 



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New Bethune-Cookman athletic center taking shape

 LARRY R. HANDFIELD ATHLETIC TRAINING CENTER
Courtesy William Chapin, FAIA Architect

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- If you've driven past the intersection of International Speedway Boulevard and Lincoln Street recently, the three-story blue building on the corner -- now being covered in bricks -- may have caused you to do a double take. Bethune-Cookman University is convinced that same facility -- the school's new football complex -- will have a similar effect on prospective athletes.

The $4.6 million Larry R. Handfield Athletic Training Center -- which the Wildcats' football coach is calling one of the best in the nation at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level -- is scheduled to be ready for use by mid-May, B-CU athletic director Lynn Thompson said.

"This will elevate us," Thompson said. "Recruits can see the building going up rapidly. It's an exciting time."

Head coach Brian Jenkins, who has turned around the B-CU football program in his first two years, said recruits are "nearly shocked, when they go see (the facility)." "It really puts a major impression not only on the recruits, but their families," he said.

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ABOUT THE FACILITY:

LARRY R. HANDFIELD ATHLETIC TRAINING CENTER
Courtesy William Chapin, FAIA Architect

SLIDESHOW
(To view Slide Show: click Slideshow; Current; and Handfield to view Photo Album @ Wm. Chapin site).

Bethune-Cookman University's new athletic training center will house a diverse menu of sports facilities. Included will be strength and conditioning facilities, sports medicine facilities, a football coaching headquarters, and a dramatic 3-story Hall of Fame. These facilities will be located in two main buildings which are connected by a gallery of sports, celebrating achievements by the best of Bethune-Cookman’s athletes over the 100 year history of the University. The buildings will be across from the University’s main campus, and has been designed to mirror the distinctive look of the Bethune Performing Arts Theatre, in order to broadcast the presence of the University to the other side of Daytona’s most-travelled avenue. Completion is scheduled for May 2012.

The building is named in honor of Dr. Larry R. Handfield, Esq., current chairman of the B-CU Board of Trustees and the first B-CU alumnus to hold this position. He is a Miami-based attorney who is a longtime donor and supporter of B-CU and a past recipient of an honorary doctorate degree. The majority of funds for this facility were raised by B-CU alumni, who participated in a “chapter challenge” fundraising campaign organized by the University’s regional alumni chapters.

Courtesy Bethune Cookman University

Bethune-Cookman ends Lady Wildcats skid in 2 OT; edge North Florida

Demetria Frank
RS Senior Guard
Jackson Senior High School
Miami, Florida

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Jasmine Elum's jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining in double overtime lifted Bethune-Cookman to a 66-63 victory over North Florida at Moore Gymnasium, snapping the Wildcats' nine-game losing streak.

Elum had 22 points for B-CU (2-9), which played a triple-overtime game last week against Florida Atlantic in the Hatter Classic.

Demetria Frank posted 16 points, a game-high eight rebounds, eight assists and seven steals, the last setting up Elum's game-winner against UNF (4-8). Cleniece Roberts was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 14 to go with seven rebounds.

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HU Women's Basketball Dominate Seton Hall, 63-44

South Orange, New Jersey - Saadia Doyle and Tamoria Holmes completed the game with a combined total of 43 points to guide the Howard Women’s Basketball team to a 19 point victory (63-44) over the Seton Hall Pirates (7-7) on Dec. 28.

To jump into a great match, Howard (7-5) came out on fire with six straight points. Jasmine Crew ended the Bison run with a trey at the 17:33 mark. The Pirates did not let up as they continued to go toe-to-toe with HU. HU continued to gain momentum as it put up an 11-2 run to increase the margin to 29-13 by the 3:17 mark. To end the first 20 minute segment, HU held the advantage with a 31-19 cushion over SHU.

Half-time notes: The Lady Bison went 4-4, from the free throw line, out-rebounded Seton Hall 17-16 and forced the Pirates into 12 turnovers.

Seton Hall opened up the second period with an 8-5 run. Sparked by a Doyle layup, Howard answered with a 14-2 run of its own to give the Bison its widest margin of the game, 50-29 at 11:17. Doyle scored 10 of the Bison’s 14 points during the run. The Pirates would not recover from the deficit. With the victory, HU captured its sixth straight win of the season, and remains undefeated in the month of December.

Holmes tallied a game-high 23 points – including 15 of them in the first half. Doyle notched 20 points and six boards, while Cheyenne Curley-Payne dished out a game best eight assist. Zykia Brown pitched in with nine boards off the bench and six points.

The Pirates were led by Crew who tallied 13 points for the night. Tajay Ashmeade pulled down a game high of 14 off the glass.

Game notes: HU held SHU’s leading scorer, Crew, to 13 points after averaging 19 prior to the game. SHU went 4-18 (22 percent) from behind the arc and 16-51 (31 percent) from the field. Howard dominated the Pirates in fast break points, 18-2. HU also owned the paint by outscoring Seton Hall 24-12. The Bison won the battle of the boards, 39-31.

The Bison look to continue their streak and end December undefeated, as they travel to Teaneck, N. J. to face Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec 30. The match is slated for 7 p.m.

Box Score 

By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
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