Southern Jags closes with strong run to beat Loyola-New Orleans

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - There is no place like home for the Southern University men’s basketball team.

Southern rallied with a 12-5 run in the final six minutes, setting four team season highs, in a 73-68 victory over Loyola of New Orleans on Thursday afternoon at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The Jaguars (4-9) snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 2-0 at home. The team set season highs in points (73), field goal percentage (.500), field goals made (29) and steals (10).

“We want to defend our home court all season long, with a realistic goal of winning 90 percent of our games here,” Southern first-year basketball coach Roman Banks said. “That’s a sign of a good program.

“Shooting 50 percent from the field was nice, and our guys stayed the course. We showed some discipline, and we didn’t panic when we were down. We made some mistakes, but we made enough plays. It was a good win for us.”

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Tulane Wins Tulane/DoubleTree Classic with 66-53 Win Over Hampton

JERICKA JENKINS
5'-4" SENIOR GUARD
HOMETOWN: LANCASTER, TEXAS
TULANE/DOUBLETREE ALL-
TOURNAMENT TEAM

 NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Much has been made of the Tulane University women's basketball freshman class during the early portion of the 2011-12 season, but on Thursday evening in Fogelman Arena, it was the upperclassmen's turn to shine as the Green Wave defeated Hampton, 66-53, in the championship game of the Tulane/DoubleTree Classic.

Junior guard Olivia Grayson scored 24 of her team-leading 26 points in the second half while senior center Brett Benzio posted her fifth double-double of the year with 13 rebounds and a career-best 21 points. The win marked the Wave's fourth consecutive Tulane/DoubleTree Classic title as Tulane concluded its pre-conference schedule 11-2. Hampton, meanwhile, fell to 9-3.

Grayson added five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals to her scoring output. She was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals while connecting at a 44.4 field goal percentage (12-of-27) and hitting 75.0 percent of her free throws (12-fo16) during the two-day event. Benzio was named to the Tulane/DoubleTree Classic All-Tournament Team, as were Hampton's Jericka Jenkins and Ariel Phelps, Central Michigan's Jessica Green and College of Charleston's Latisha Harris.

Tulane shot 41.8 percent from the field against the Lady Pirates, including a 15-for-29 performance (.517) in the second half which saw the Green Wave turn a two-point halftime lead into a 13-point victory. Defensively, the Green Wave held Hampton to a .298 clip (17-of-57).

"We knew they were going to be tough," Grayson said of Hampton. "We watched them the night before and we saw how they played. They're a real scrappy team. We just prepared for that at shoot-around and we knew we were going to have to take care of the ball. It was just something that we prepared for before the game."

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LADY PIRATES FALL TO TULANE IN DOUBLETREE TITLE GAME



ARIEL PHELPS
6'-2'  JUNIOR FORWARD
HOMETOWN: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
TULANE/DOUBLETREE ALL-
TOURNAMENT TEAM

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team fell Thursday night in the championship game of the DoubleTree Classic, as host Tulane won the game and the title 66-53 at Fogelman Arena.

The Lady Pirates (9-3) have lost two of their last three games, but have still won 33 of their last 39 games dating back to last season.

Senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas) led the way with 28 points despite 7-for-22 shooting. She hit three of her nine 3-pointers and all 11 free throws, while also dishing out seven assists. Junior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) poured in eight points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds.

Both Jenkins and Phelps were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The game was a defensive struggle from the opening tip, as neither team scored until Jenkins drained a pair of free throws with 13:57 left in the first half. The first field goal of the game came at the 12:58 mark, when Tiffany Dale hit a layup to tie the game at 2-2.

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Coppin State snap Boston University three-game win streak, 59-44

Shawntae Payne

5'-7" Point Guard, Junior
Hometown: Charlottesville , VA
Coppin State University

BRONX, New York - Boston University saw its three-game winning streak come to an end, as Coppin State defeated the Terriers, 59-44, in day one of the Fordham Holiday Classic in Bronx, N.Y. BU moves to 6-5 on the season.

BU did not have a player score in double-digits for the first time this season as juniors Mo Moran and Kristen Sims led the team with nine points apiece. Moran also tied for the team high in rebounds with seven boards.  Senior Caroline Stewart hauled in seven rebounds and added six points while junior Chantell Alford added eight points and two rebounds.

BU took an early 6-5 lead with three-pointers from Young and Alford. After a jumper from Moran, Coppin State tied the game at 8-8 then took a two-point lead with a layup from Ashle Craig. Whitney Turner knotted the score at 10-10 with a layup on BU's next possession to spark an 11-2 BU run.



Crystal Whittington
6'-0" Power Foward, Junior
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Coppin State University

 Dawnnae Roberts put the Eagles back on the board with a three-pointer at 8:24 to ignite a 7-0 spurt from Coppin State. The teams then traded baskets, and the lead, as a jumper from Shawntae Payne put the Eagles up, 26-23, and forced BU into a timeout with 4:44 to play. Sims tied the game with a shot from beyond the arc but Payne responded on the other end   with a three, as the Eagles maintained the advantage. Stewart scored the last four points of the half for the Terriers, as the Eagles took a 31-30 lead into the break.

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CSU Eagles Halt Losing Streak Behind Solid Defensive Effort

BRONX, N.Y. -- Junior Shawntae Payne scored a season-high 17 points and Coppin State rode a strong second-half defensive effort to defeat Boston 59-44 on Thursday in the Eagles opening round game of the Fordham Holiday Classic.

The Eagles, who halted a six-game losing streak with the victory, advance to the championship game against Fordham at 3 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 30).

Coppin State (3-9) held a slim 31-30 lead at halftime, but held Boston to just 7.4 percent shooting in the second half and outscored the Terriers 28-14.

Payne finished the game 7-of-14 from the floor and was 2-of-2 from the free throw line to pace the Eagles. She also added three assists and three rebounds. Senior Crystal Whittington grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds and Dawnnae Roberts added nine points.

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Tennessee State Lady Tigers down Austin Peay in OVC opener

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State University women's basketball team opened up Ohio Valley Conference play with a 95-81 win over Austin Peay Thursday night in the Gentry Center.

Four Lady Tigers scored in double-figures to help Tennessee State (5-8, 1-0 OVC) snap a three-game skid while Austin Peay (3-11, 0-1 OVC) dropped its third straight. Tayla Foster led TSU with 22 points while Jasmin Shuler registered 21. Destiney Gaston recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds as Rachel Allen came off the bench to score 15 points and grab seven rebounds.

Whitney Hanley paced Austin Peay with 22 points while Jasmine Rayner (21), Meghan Bussabarger (13), and Kristen Stainback (11) also scored in double-digits.

Early in the first half, TSU called a timeout after three quick buckets from APSU led to the Lady Tigers falling behind, 6-0. A lay-up by Jasmin Shuler finally got TSU on the board but the Lady Tigers still trailed 9-2 following an APSU three-pointer.

TSU began to rally when Rachel Allen drove to the lane and connected in the paint with 15:12 on the clock. The bucket sparked a 10-2 run that put the Lady Tigers on top, 12-11.  Over the next several possessions, the teams traded buckets. The Lady Govs managed to build a, 22-17, lead but Jasmin Shuler nailed a triple to pull the Lady Tigers back to within two.

TSU was trailing, 26-23, when a three-pointer by Kesi Hess fueled a 15-0 run that gave the Lady Tigers a, 38-26, lead and forced an APSU timeout. The Lady Govs cut the deficit down to six before the Lady Tigers went into the break leading, 42-34.


Head Coach Tracee Wells and Junior Jasmin Shuler during post game following TSU's 95-81 win over Austin Peay. Shuler posted 20-plus points for the second time and double-figures for the 11th time this season.

Alana Morris christened the second half with a jumper before a small spurt by the visitors cut the TSU lead down to six. The Lady Tigers went back on top, 52-41, following a long ball from Jasmin Shuler and a jumper by Tayla Foster.

TSU increased its advantage to 56-43 on an old fashioned three-point play by Rachel Allen before APSU outscored the home team, 7-1, to pull within, seven.

A free-throw by Kesi Hess put the Lady Tigers back on top by double-digits, 62-52, before TSU grabbed a 70-54 lead with a little less than nine minutes left in the game.

Austin Peay cut the deficit down to 72-61 at the 7:21 mark before pulling to within 10 (82-72) with 3:32 remaining.

The Lady Govs pulled within single digits once again but the Lady Tigers knocked down 11 free-throws in the last 1:18 of the game to seal the win.

TSU finished the contest with a season-best 72.9 percent (35-of-48) from the free-throw line.

The Lady Tigers return to action on Saturday, Dec. 31 when they face Eastern Kentucky on the road. Game time is slated for 4 p.m. (EST) in McBrayer Arena.

GAME STATS

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information
VISIT: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: TSUTIGERS

TSU Extends Win Streak to Five with OVC Opener Win

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State used another balanced attack to extend its' win streak to five games and capture an 83-67 victory over UT Martin on Thursday evening at the Gentry Center.

The Tigers (8-6, 1-0 Ohio Valley) earned its' first conference opener victory since Dec. 7, 2006 after shooting a season-high 56 percent (32-of-57) from the field. Nine student-athletes scored five or more points.

TSU dished out 15 assists and out-manned the Skyhawks (3-12, 0-2 OVC) on the boards, 35-to-28.

Robert Covington led the Tigers with 17 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes of action. The junior forward scored his 1,000th point at 11:36 and finished the night with 1,009 career points. Covington is the first Tiger to reach the 1,000 points club since Gerald Robinson, Jr. in 2009. From the field, Covington was 7-of-10 and pulled in three defensive boards.

Coming off the bench, Patrick Miller tallied 13 points in 24 minutes. He grabbed three boards and dished out three assists and recorded two steals for the Tigers.

Bob Cousy award candidate Wil Peters was 4-of-6 from the field for 11 points. The Nashville product tied a season-high with seven assists in a game-high 33 minutes.

Junior Tashan Fredrick notched season highs in points (nine) and rebounds (five) in the victory.

For the third consecutive game, Jordan Cyphers added double-digits with 10 points, including two triples in 21 minutes.

Kellen Thornton had seven points and three boards. In his first game since Nov. 25, Kenny Moore racked up six points and three rebounds. M.J. Rhett had a solid performance pulling in eight rebounds and scoring five points. Sophomore Michael Green finished the contest with five points in eight minutes.

Tennessee State closed out the first half on a 15-to-4 run, taking a 41-35 lead at the mid-way point.

From the field, TSU shot 45 percent (14-of-31), holding UTM to 41 percent (14-of-34). The Tigers out-rebounded UTM, 22-19. At the break, Miller had 10 points for TSU as UT Martin's Troy King had nine.

The game started out back and forth, but UTM opened on a 10-4 run to take a 21-14 lead at the 11:30 mark in the first half.

King's basket stretched the Skyhawks lead to eight. TSU's Miller drove through the lane to cut the Tigers' deficit to 31-26. Kenny Moore followed up with a basket inside the paint, narrowing UT Martin's margin to three.

Peters managed two freebies to tie the contest, 31-31, at 4:17. The two teams went back-and-forth as Fredrick used a put-back to give TSU the 37-34 lead.

Cyphers hit a fade-away jumper in the final minute to give the Tigers the 41-35 advantage into locker room.

TSU opened up to a solid nine point advantage in the second half. UT Martin cut the advantage to 55-50 midway through the period.

Covington hit a jumper at 11:36 to score his 1,000th career point and give TSU the 57-50 lead. Mike Liabo drained a triple and added a layup to help UTM cut the lead within three with 7:40 left in the game.

Covington added a triple to stretch TSU's advantage to 67-61, giving him his 13th consecutive game of double-figures.

The Tigers started to pull away in the latter minutes of the game, closing the game with an 83-67 victory.

TSU returns to OVC action at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 21. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.

BOX SCORE(.pdf)

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information
VISIT: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: TSUTIGERS

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

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: GCACSPORTS

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.

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