No. 1-seeded MVSU narrowly avoids upset in SWAC quarterfinals

COACH SEAN WOODS

GARLAND, Texas — Mississippi Valley State won 17 straight SWAC games this season before finally losing one last week. The Delta Devils weren’t about to lose two in a row. Top seed MVSU used an 11-0 run to surge past upset-minded Jackson State, 63-60, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals of the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament at Garland Special Events Center.

Jackson State, the No. 8 seed, was shooting a sizzling 59 percent when it took a 44-40 lead with 14:34 left on a Sydney Coleman dunk. MVSU then scored 11 straight points, including two spectacular slams by Cor-J Cox, to pull ahead, 51-44, with 8:42 to play.

Jackson State refused to go away as Christian Williams nailed a 3-pointer to get within one, 59-58, with two minutes to play. Jaskson State (7-24) had the final possession and a chance to send the game to overtime with 25 seconds left, but Williams missed two 3-point attempts.

Mississippi Valley State (19-12) went 17-1 in conference play, losing its final regular season game to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

READ MORE

TIGERS TAMED: Hampton upsets top seed SSU in MEAC tournament

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- With 2:38 left to play, top-seeded Savannah State appeared ready to mount one last surge that would help the Tigers overcome Hampton in their opening-round MEAC tournament game.

Preston Blackman hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 48-44. But on Hampton’s next possession, Christopher Tolson sliced past the defense and scored on a baseline drive to push the lead to six points and repel any hopes of a comeback.

The Tigers never recovered and their tournament title quest came to an abrupt halt in a 59-46 loss Wednesday at Joel Coliseum. Hampton advances to play North Carolina Central or Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.

“Our guys played as hard as they have all season,” said Savannah State coach Horace Broadnax. “It’s disappointing, but there’s no way that I’ll grade them on this game. When you consider how far this program has come and what these guys have done, it’s just remarkable. We couldn’t solve their 2-3 zone.”

READ MORE

Bowie State Releases 2012 Football Schedule

BOWIE, Maryland -- Bowie State will begin its 40th overall season of intercollegiate football and look to improve on last season's mark of 4-6 (3-4 CIAA). The Bulldogs began playing football in 1972 under the leadership of Staley Jackson and are now under the direction of fourth-year head coach Damon Wilson.

“This is probably one of the most competitive and balanced schedules we've had in our three seasons”, said Wilson. “Our first five games will give us a good indication as to where the Bulldogs should fair towards the end of the season.”

Bowie State University will kick off its 10-game, 2012 season with a Saturday, September 1st home game against Assumption College in Bulldogs Stadium. The Bulldogs rolled to a relatively easy 28-7 season opening road victory over the Greyhounds last season. Assumption, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference finished with a 4-6 record in 2011.

The Bulldogs travel to Columbia (S.C.) for a Thursday (September 6th) night non-conference contest against Benedict College in week two. Bowie State hosted Benedict in the Bulldogs' home opener last season, beating the Tigers 31-14. The Tigers (2-8 in 2011) are members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

Bowie State welcomes the Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State College to Bulldogs Stadium – Saturday (September 15th). The Fighting Falcons defeated Bowie State last season by the score of 49-20 at Fairmont State and lead the series 2-0. Fairmont State finished the year with a 7-4 overall record.

Saint Augustine's College (4-6 in 2011) returns to the Bowie State schedule for the first time since the 2003 campaign. Bowie State will make their first trip to Raleigh since the inaugural Falcons/Bulldogs game in 2002. The Bulldogs and Falcons meet in the George Williams Complex on the SAC campus - Saturday (September 22nd). Bowie State edged the Falcons 14-6 in 2003 and leads the series 2-0.

The defending CIAA Champions and NCAA semifinalist of Winston-Salem State University bring their high-powered offense to Bowie State Saturday (September 29th). The Rams and Bulldogs have not met on the gridiron since 2004 with BSU squeezing out a 7-6 home victory over WSSU. Winston-Salem State leads the overall series 12-5 and ended their 2011 season with a 13-1 record.

Bowie State travels to Murfreesboro (N.C.) to take on Chowan University – Saturday (October 6th). The Hawks tallied a 3-7 record last season and beat the Bulldogs 38-35 in BSU's 2011 season finale. The series is tied 1-1 with the Bulldogs winning the inaugural (2010) game by a score of 59-19.

The Bulldogs will celebrate Homecoming 2012 against the Trojans of Virginia State University on Saturday (October 13th). Virginia State beat Bowie State last season, capturing a stunning 28-21 overtime win. Virginia State holds a 17-8 series advantage over Bowie State. The Trojans finished second in the CIAA North with a record of 5-5.

Bowie State hits the road following Homecoming, making stops at Virginia Union University (Saturday, October 20th) and Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (Saturday, October 27th). The Bulldogs dropped a tough 32-29 nationally televised decision against VUU's Panthers last. Bowie State trails in the overall series (10-17-1). Virginia Union placed third overall in the conference's Northern Division and ended the year with a 5-5 record. Lincoln (2-8 in 2011) lost 22-10 to Bowie State last season and BSU leads the series 3-0.

Bowie State will close out the regular season at home on Saturday (November 3rd) against the Vikings of Elizabeth City State University. ECSU's Vikings downed the Bulldogs 23-12 last year and finished the season as conference runner-up with a record of 8-4. The Vikings hold a slim 15-14 series advantage against the Bulldogs.

Specific home theme days and final game times for all games will be released at a later date.

BSU BULLDOGS 2012 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

9/1  Assumption College, Bowie, MD
9/6  Benedict College, Columbia SC
9/15  Fairmont State, Bowie, MD
9/22  St. Augustine's,  Raleigh, NC
9/29  Winston-Salem State, Bowie, MD
10/6  Chowan, Murfreesboro, NC
10/13 Virginia State (homecoming) Bowie, MD
10/20  Virginia Union, Richmond, VA
10/27  Lincoln (PA), Lincoln University, PA

11/3  Elizabeth City State, Bowie, MD

COURTESY: BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Men's Basketball Accepts Bid to CIT

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - It was announced on Wednesday that the Tennessee State University men's basketball team has accepted a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

The postseason bid is the first of any kind for Tennessee State since 1993-94 and the third in the school's NCAA Division I era. The CIT bid is contingent on if the Tigers do not receive an invite to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). If the Tigers earn a bid to the NIT, TSU will partake in that event.

"We are very pleased to accept an invitation for postseason play in the CIT," said TSU Athletics Director Teresa Phillips. "Our student-athletes and staff have earned this opportunity and will make the most of it."

TSU is the third different school from the Ohio Valley Conference to accept a bid since the CIT's inception in 2009. Austin Peay played in the inaugural tournament in 2009 and Tennessee Tech participated in last year's event. The Golden Eagles are participating in this year's tournament as well.

The first round of the CIT for TSU begins on the road next Tuesday, March 13, Wednesday, March 14 or Thursday, March 15. The Tigers' date and opponent will be announced on Sunday evening.

The Tigers (20-12, 11-5 OVC) completed one of the team's best seasons in recent memory. For the first time since 1995-96, the Big Blue posted a winning record. This season was also the first time the Tigers clipped the 20-win plateau since 1978-79.

Under the direction of TSU head coach John Cooper, the Tigers picked up their first win over an SEC opponent (South Carolina) and a top-10 nationally ranked program (Murray State).

"We are certainly excited to be in postseason play," said Cooper. "This team has earned the right. We look forward to getting better and being competitive. Our ultimate goal is to win the championship. I think we'll bring some excitement and passion to (the CIT)."

Tennessee State made it to the finals of Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, but fell in a heartbreaking fashion, 54-52, to Murray State.

The Tigers are led offensively by first team All-OVC selection Robert Covington. The junior put together 17.8 points and 7.9 rebounds in 32 games played. He ranks in the NCAA's top-100 in scoring, rebounding and blocks.

Earlier this week, Covington was honored by CollegeInsider as the Ohio Valley Conference's Co-Most Valuable Player.

Sophomore guard Patrick Miller is also in double-figures with 10.9 points per contest and a team-best 116 assists.

Ticket information and other details about the CIT will be available online at TSUTigers.com when it becomes available.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Nuggets draw Southern Nazarene in final 1st-round game

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will play Southern Nazarene at 9:45 p.m. on March 15 in the opening round of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship at Frankfort, Ky.

The game will be the last of 16 first-round matchups over two days.

The NAIA announced all 16 first-round pairings and tip-off times early Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day the NAIA announced that the Gold Nuggets (25-8) were 18th in the coaches poll. Xavier qualified for nationals with an automatic bid by defeating Talladega 58-50 on Saturday in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

Xavier will appear in the national tournament for the 16th time in 18 seasons and the third consecutive year. XU coach Bo Browder's teams have qualified for nationals 11 times in his 13 seasons.

"Our team has put in a lot of work to get to nationals," Browder said. "We've been blessed to go to nationals frequently, but we never take it for granted. We're looking forward to the opening round and seeing how far we can go."

The Gold Nuggets were 12-2 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and won the regular-season championship. They'll enter nationals with a seven-game win streak.

Tournament bracket (PDF)      NAIA tournament website

Xavier ranks sixth in NAIA Division I in steals per game (12.5) and field-goal percentage defense (.338), seventh in scoring defense (53.6) and eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.255). Leading scorers are 5-oot-7 junior guard SiMon Franklin (10 points per game), 6-foot senior center Keldra Hall (9.9) and 5-8 senior guard Jasmine Grant (9.7). All three were All-GCAC, with Hall earning that honor for the second consecutive year. Franklin was the most valuable player of the GCAC Tournament and was joined by Grant and 5-6 senior Brandi Young (5.9) on the all-tournament team.

Browder was chosen GCAC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season and a GCAC-record fifth time.

Southern Nazarene (24-9), ranked 16th, was 16-6 (third place) in the 12-team Sooner Athletic Conference and lost 61-55 to the NAIA's top-ranked team, Oklahoma City, in the SAC Tournament championship game. This will be third meeting between Xavier and Southern Nazarene — the Crimson Storm won in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons — and the first in the postseason.

Xavier defeated 13th-ranked Lee (Tenn.) 63-53 in the 2011 opening round, then lost 67-51 to fourth-ranked Oklahoma City.

The Frankfort Convention Center will play host to the tournament this season after 22 consecutive years at Jackson, Tenn. The tournament will conclude March 20.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

MEAC TOURNAMENT: N.C. Central opens with win over UMES

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina — A tough-minded N.C. Central team beat a bigger Maryland Eastern Shore squad 60-43 on Tuesday in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to grab its first postseason Division I victory. “It’s our first MEAC Tournament win,” NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said.

NCCU rejoined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in September. The school was a founding member of the league in the early 1970s before leaving in 1979 to join the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association when the MEAC moved to Division I.  The Eagles hadn’t played an official postseason game since 2007 when they were in the CIAA. In years past, NCCU would play in a “bonus game” that took place during the MEAC Tournament as a form of postseason play.

“The previous years, my job has been quite difficult, because I had to get these men prepared to play an exhibition game, and you know how difficult that can be when the rest of their peers are on spring break,” Moton said. “Their mind was in Daytona, and their feet and their bodies were here.”

The win by fifth-seeded NCCU against 12th-seeded UMES was real and it mattered, sending the Eagles to the second round of the MEAC Tournament on Thursday against fourth-seeded Bethune-Cookman (8 p.m., nccueaglepride.com).

READ MORE  

Tennessee State Tigers Officially Take Sergeant York Trophy

Ed Temple and Coach Rod Reed receives the Sergeant York Trophy
on behalf of TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State football coach Rod Reed recently accepted the Sergeant York Trophy award at the 14th annual Pepsi Celebration of Champions presented by Kroger last month.

The Tigers claimed the trophy presented by the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office for the third time since its inception in 2007. TSU has won the trophy the most since it began five years ago.

The Sergeant York Trophy goes to the winner of the quadrangular season football series between the four Ohio Valley Conference schools located in the state of Tennessee - Austin Peay State University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin.

It is only the second traveling trophy that involves more than two teams in college sports; the other is the Commander in Chief's Trophy which has been contested between Air Force, Army and Navy annually since 1972.

The award is named in honor of Alvin C. York, the most noted Soldier of World War I. As a corporal in the 2nd battalion, 328th Infantry, in the Battle of the Meuse River-Argonne (Oct. 8, 1918), York and seven other soldiers captured 132 prisoners, was promoted to sergeant and received the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, the French Legion of Honor, the Croce di Guerra of Italy and the War Medal of Montenegro. Upon his return to the United States in 1919, he was bestowed the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The award is only the second traveling trophy that involves more than two teams in college sports; the other is the Commander in Chief's Trophy which has been contested between Air Force, Army and Navy annually since 1972.

Last season, the Tigers finished the season 5-6 overall and 4-4 overall - placing fifth, which was higher than the projected eighth place in the preseason.

TSU defeated No. 25 Tennessee Tech (42-40) and UT Martin (35-30) to claim a tie with Tennessee Tech. The Big Blue retained the trophy after winning the head-to-head game with the OVC co-Champion Golden Eagles earlier in the year.

Legendary TSU Track & Field Coach Ed Temple presented the award to Coach Reed at the banquet held in Nashville.

The Tigers begin spring practice on Monday, March 19. TSU will play in the annual Blue & White game on Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: TSUTIGERS.COM

Texas Southern Women Surprise Jackson State in SWAC Quarterfinals

GARLAND, Texas - Kayla West and Morgan Simmons combined for 33 points as Texas Southern upset Jackson State in the first round of the SWAC women's tournament at Special Events Center in Garland, Texas Tuesday.  The Lady Tigers were only 4-25 entering the tournament, but now move on to Wednesday's quarterfinals against top-seeded Mississippi Valley State at 5:30 p.m.

West led all players with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Simmons poured in another 16 points.Jackson State (11-18) led 23-18 at the half, only to see West and Simmons scored six quick points to help TSU take a 26-24 lead.

JSU responded with scoring from Takeya Felder, Tiffany Kellum and Jasmine Greer to retake the lead, 38-33, with 6:34 left. Texas Southern battled back, with West hitting a three-pointer to put the Lady Tigers up 44-42 with 1:24 to play.

READ MORE

Coppin, Morgan, UMES men ousted in MEAC 1st round

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Yannick Crowder put Florida A&M ahead with a tip-in with 27.6 seconds to play and Avery Moore added two free throws with 8.6 seconds left as the Rattlers held off Coppin State, 74-72, in the opening round of theMid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament Tuesday at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Coppin State (14-16) took a 71-70 lead with 46.3 seconds to play when Logan Wiens drilled a 3-pointer.

Crowder put the Rattlers (9-22) ahead to stay at 72-71 with a tip-in with 27.6 seconds left.

The Eagles turned the ball over on their next possession and were forced to foul Moore with 8.6 seconds left in the game.

READ MORE

Hall of Fame summons Virginia Union's Robbins

Dave Robbins joins distinguished 2012 HOF Class that includes Earl Monroe (WSSU), Willis Reed (Grambling State), Patrick Ewing (Georgetown), Phil Ford (North Carolina) and others.

RICHMOND, Virginia - When Dave Robbins is congratulated on an achievement, he always deflects the praise onto others. Robbins spent 30 years as the men's basketball coach at Virginia Union University. He won three national championships, 13 CIAA championships and had a career record of 713-194.

For all those accomplishments, Robbins has been selected for membership in the National College Basketball Hall of Fame.

"I get the reward, but I had a lot of help along the way," Robbins said. "Good presidents, great assistants, and the kids I coached are the reasons you win. "Any coach who thinks it's not about the players is sadly mistaken, and I had some great ones."


(WWBT) Virginia Union University's legendary men's basketball coach Dave Robbins to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Virginia Union and Robbins, 69, blazed a trail together in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Robbins was the first white coach in the CIAA, which is composed of historically black colleges and universities.

"I met a lot of nice people," Robbins said. "I never had an unkind word said to me at all the schools where we played. People always were respectful."

READ MORE

CIAA tournament security head abruptly fired

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The CIAA tournament has enjoyed a highly successful run in Charlotte. But there was some drama behind the scenes, and a man hired to be the head of the tournament’s security believes he was the victim of it.  "Six years ago Commissioner Leon Kerry hired me to take over security for the CIAA," said Bobby Rankin.

Last Thursday Rankin’s tenure abruptly came to an end. While he was hired by longtime Commissioner Leon Kerry, he was fired by interim Commissioner Peggy Davis.

"I'm not turning on Commissioner Kerry today, tomorrow, or the next day. He's my friend,” Rankin added.  Officially Rankin was not fired over that friendship. He says that Davis accused him of getting credentials and signage for his security team and was not authorized to do so.

Rankin says the conversation turned heated. "For some ungodly reason she said that I was not telling the truth, that I had breached my contract," added Rankin.

News Channel 36 obtained a copy of the invoice. It shows...


Waka Flocka Flame performed with a live band for the first time in his career down at CIAA this past weekend and brought along a few of his buddies. Wale, French Montana, and Juelz Santana took the stage with Flocka and proceeded to bring the house down.

READ MORE

Five SU Jaguars earn All-SWAC hoops honors Tuesday

Baton Rouge, Louisiana  -  Quinton Doggett earned first team honors and Kendra Coleman earned Freshman of the Year honors as Southern men's and women's basketball programs placed five Jaguars on the All-SWAC teams, the conference announced Tuesday.

Senior Jamie Floyd and Junior Laneisha Stephens joined Coleman on the Women's All-SWAC third team. The Jaguars trio was instrumental in propelling Southern to a 12-6 SWAC record and a second place tie with Alabama A&M.

Alabama A&M's Whiquitta Tobar earned Player of the Year honors while Nate Kilbert, head coach of the regular season champion Mississippi Valley, took home Coach of the Year honors despite not having one player on the All-SWAC first team.

Mississippi Valley led all schools with four All-SWAC selections.

On the men's side, Quinton Doggett's signature play in the decisive moments of a 56-54 win against Texas Southern in the regular season finale cemented his place on the All-SWAC first team. The 6-1, forward punctuated his career at Southern with a 22-point, 10-rebound performance in Saturday's win.

Doggett, who earned SWAC Player of the Week honors twice during the season, is joined on the first team by Paul Cox, the SWAC's Player of the Year.

Doggett's teammate, Derick Beltran, also earned All-SWAC third team honors providing an exclamation point to a memorable season that witnessed the Jaguars surprise the league with a second place finish under first-year head coach Roman Banks.

Banks' close friend and counterpart at Mississippi Valley, Sean Woods, earned Coach of the Year honors for leading the Delta Devils on the brink of an undefeated conference season. The Delta Devils finished 17-1 after losing at UAPB in the regular season finale.

Mississippi Valley's men's program also led the men's All-SWAC team with four selections.

The 2012 SWAC Basketball Tournament opens play Tuesday from the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas. Fans can follow all the latest developments at the SWAC tournament by visiting www.swachoops.com

2012 Women's All-SWAC Teams

FIRST TEAM
Guard - Whiquitta Tobar (AAMU) and Kiara Ruffin (ALCN)
Forward - Tiffany Kellum (JKST) and Latia Williams (PVAM)
Center - Quentori Alford (ALST)

SECOND TEAM
Guard - Ka'Neisha Smith (MVSU) and Kiara Etienne (PVAM)
Forward - Alia Frank (MVSU) and Chigozianyi Okumabua (UAPB)
Center - Brittney Lakes (MVSU)

THIRD TEAM
Guard - Kendra Coleman (SUBR) and Rachel Jones (JKST)
Forward - Laneisha Stephens (SUBR) and Khristina Clemons (MVSU)
Center - Jamie Floyd (SUBR)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Whiquitta Tobar (AAMU)

DEFENSIVE POY - Quentori Alford (ALST)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Kendra Coleman (SUBR)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Kiara Etienne (PVAM)

COACH OF THE YEAR - Nate Kilbert (MVSU)

2012 Men's All-SWAC Teams

FIRST TEAM
Guard - Savalace Townsend (UAPB) and Quincy Roberts (GRAM)
Forward - Cor-J Cox (MVSU) and Quinton Doggett (SUBR)
Center - Paul Crosby (MVSU)

SECOND TEAM
Guard - Terrence Joyner (MVSU) and Omar Strong (TXSO)
Forward - Ivory White (ALST) and Fred Sturdivant (TXSO)
Center - Daniel Broughton (UAPB)

THIRD TEAM

Guard - Kevin Burwell (MVSU) and Tremaine Butler (ALST)

Forward - Derick Beltran (SUBR) and Mitchell Anderson (UAPB)

Center - Philip Crawford (ALST)

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Paul Crosby (MVSU)

DEFENSIVE POY - Savalace Townsend (UAPB)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Kelsey Howard (JKST)
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR - Quincy Roberts (GRAM)
COACH OF THE YEAR - Sean Woods (MVSU)

COURTESY: SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Wells Not Retained as TSU Lady Tigers Head Coach

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -  Tennessee State University Athletic Director Teresa Phillips announced on Tuesday that Lady Tigers women's basketball coach Tracee Wells would not be retained for the 2012-13 season.

Wells spent eight seasons at the helm of Tennessee State's women's basketball program finishing with a 77-157 overall record and a 55-103 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play.

The Lady Tigers finished the 2011-12 season 9-20 overall and 5-11 in conference action. TSU fell 70-55 to Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the OVC Tournament last Wednesday.

"We are grateful for Tracee's dedication and truly appreciate what she has done for our student-athletes and the University," said Phillips. "However, we feel it's time to go in a new direction for the women's basketball program."

The Tennessee State University alum made notable strides in her seven seasons, including leading the Lady Tigers to an 18-13 record in 2008-09 --- the school's first winning season since 1994-95.

At the conclusion of the 2007-08 campaign, Wells was named the OVC Coach of the Year after turning the Lady Tigers from a 4-16 mark in conference play to 10-10.

Prior to being named head coach in 2005, Wells spent the 2004-05 season as the interim head coach for TSU. During her interim year, Wells took over a program that was 1-25 overall and winless in conference play during the previous season. As the interim head coach Wells led TSU to an overall record of 11-17 and a league mark of 8-8.

Before returning to TSU, Wells coached at Wright State as the recruiting coordinator and spent time as a graduate assistant at Chicago State.

Tennessee State University will begin a coaching search for a replacement women's basketball head coach immediately.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

S.C. State Lady Bulldogs open MEAC tourney with overtime win

WINSTON-SALEM, North  -  Tiara Knotts scored 21 points and Tiana Hemphill had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lady Bulldogs to a 72-66 overtime win Monday over Delaware State in the opening round of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women’s tournament.

In advancing to Wednesday’s quarterfinal against second-seed Howard, the Lady Bulldogs rallied from a nine-point second half deficit and overcame foul trouble to forwards Paris Alston, who had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Tracey Flowers, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Tierra Hawkins, whose layup gave the Lady Hornets (7-23) a 55-53 win over S.C. State four days earlier, finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

S.C. State (13-15) held a 26-21 lead in the first half before Delaware State used a 9-2 run to take a 30-28 halftime lead. The Lady Hornets would hold an advantage for much of the second half, before S.C. State mounted a comeback.

READ MORE

North Carolina A&T Advances, Will Face Coppin State

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  - - The first time the North Carolina A&T Aggies and Morgan State Bears met this season, MSU won in an offensive battle royal. On Monday afternoon in the MEAC Basketball Tournament at Lawrence Joel Coliseum, the Aggies stifled the Bears offense in a 66-53 win.

The fifth-seed Aggies will advance to the quarterfinals to take on No. 4 Coppin State Thursday afternoon at 2:30. The Aggies will be trying to avenge their entire Baltimore trip this season as CSU defeated the Aggies 85-63 on Jan. 23.

Two days earlier, the Aggies and the Bears combined to score 168 points in an 85-83 overtime Morgan State win. Morgan State was successful on just one field goal in the final 11 minutes of Monday's game.

Monday's victory marked A&T's first tournament win since winning the MEAC Tournament title with a 76-54 win over Hampton on March 14, 2009.

"We knew that they were an up-tempo team, we knew that they were going to be getting the ball up and down the floor," said Aggies head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "We knew that we'd have to come with some really good defense, and that's what we did. I'm very proud of their rebounding. I told them during pre-game, that in order to win these games, you must rebound and you must knock down free throws. I'm very proud of our rebounding."

The Aggies out-rebounded the Bears 51-45 with 33 defensive boards. The Aggies also had six steals in the contest to help overcome Morgan State. The Aggies held the Bears to a 27 percent shooting.

"We like to give them only one shot at the basket [by making defensive rebounds]. It's all about fundamental basketball, this is what wins for you," Bibbs said.

Junior JaQuayla Berry had a double-double to lead the team with 14 points and 16 rebounds, along with four assists. Freshman guard Adriana Nazario had 13 points and a team-best seven assists. Sophomore Tiffanie Adair had12 points with seven rebounds. Part of Morgan State's game plan was to keep a handle on Adair by double-teaming her.

"They're coming for me. They're doubling down. It's getting tougher down there," Adair said.

But for Bibbs, that added defensive pressure is a sign of something more than just a game plan.

"I call that respect. They have respect for her. She's earned that," Bibbs said. "When they are double and triple teaming her, then guess what, that means two of our people are open. She's got to find them and try not to take on three people."

The Aggies might have had more from Adair if she had not got into foul trouble.

"We had to sit her out a lot, and when she got back in she got another quick foul. But she played well," Bibbs said.

Adair complemented the ability of her teammates to step up and continue to perform well when she was unable to help them from the bench.

"It was good to see that when I got in foul trouble, so many other people stepped up. Nazario, Jessie [Lyons], they all stepped up and that was good to know," Adair said.

The Aggies went on an 8-0 run to stretch their lead to 51-42 early in the second half. The Bears put up six quick points to put pressure on the Aggies. Tracy Carrington ended the run for MSU with a layup at the 11:14 mark to make it 51-48. The Aggies turned up the pressure from there. The Aggies used the athletic Adair to front MSU center Amarah Williams in the post. It resulted in Adair intercepting several entry passes into the post. Ten minutes elapsed between Carrington's field goal and the Bears final field goal of the game by Briana Coardes with 1:01 remaining in the game.

In the meantime, the Aggies got the ball inside to Berry and Adair. The Aggies ended the game by outscoring the Bears 15-5. Berry had six of those points, while Adair added four.

The Aggies found themselves in a 14-6 hole early in the contest before going on a 7-0 run to pull within one point of Morgan State. The Aggies tied the game up at 24-24 on a layup by freshman forward Jaylan Bodiford. A jumper by Nazario at the 5:28 mark gave the Aggies their first lead of the game. From there, the Aggies and the Bears exchanged blows in the opening half, trading the lead. Nazario hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give A&T a 39-37 lead before the Bears tied it up to end the half at 39-39.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY: NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Rush win third in a row against a top-15 NAIA opponent

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's men defeated Shorter 9-0 Monday at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center for their third consecutive victory against a top-15 NAIA opponent.

Shorter's women defeated Xavier 8-1.

It was the fifth straight victory overall for the ninth-ranked Gold Rush (5-1). Shorter (6-4) is ranked 10th.

Steffen Giles-Osborn clinched the dual with a 6-4, 6-4 decision against Colt Kelley at No. 4 singles. Loic Didavi, Zach Taylor and Viktor Svoboda won at the top three flights in three sets — the latter two in super-tiebreakers — after the dual had been decided. Didavi, playing at No. 1, improved to a team-best 14-2 in singles for the year. Svoboda, playing at No. 3, won for the third straight dual after dropping the first set.

"Shorter played without a couple of their best guys, and we just took advantage of the situation," XU coach Alan Green said. "It was still a good win for us because the other players in Shorter's lineup stepped their games up. I expected them to. That's what I warned our guys about."

Shorter's women (11-2) earned their sixth consecutive victory. Freshman Amanda Materre won at No. 2 singles for the second straight day for the Gold Nuggets (0-9); she defeated Margot Vetter 7-5, 6-1.

Both Xavier teams will play Tennessee Wesleyan at 3 p.m. Tuesday at City Park. Tennessee Wesleyan's men are 21st in the NAIA.

Results: Men Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Southern beats Gold Nuggets 6-1; Materre wins in singles

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana freshman Amanda Materre scored her team's lone point Sunday in a 6-1 women's tennis loss at Southern University.

The dual was a makeup of a Saturday rainout.

Materre, winning for the second time in the past five dual matches, defeated Demetria Woods 6-2, 7-5 at No. 2 singles. Woods was the 2010 Southwestern Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year.

For the first time in eight duals, XU's Kourtney Howell's No. 1 singles match did not go to a third set. Howell lost 6-4, 6-3 to Carlista Mohammed, the 2011 SWAC Player of the Year.

Lois Alexis clinched for the Lady Jaguars with her 6-2, 6-1 victory against Jordyn Goody at No. 4 singles.

Southern is 4-6, and Xavier is 0-8. Seven of the Gold Nuggets' losses are against NCAA Division I opponents. Six occurred on the road.

Xavier's men and women will play at 2 p.m. Monday against Shorter at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center. Shorter's men are ranked 10th in the NAIA, and the women are 15th. Xavier's men are ranked ninth.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

PV savors bowling title

ARLINGTON, Texas - The third time proved to be the charm for the Prairie View A&M women's bowling team. The Panthers struck pay dirt Sunday in their third consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament final, beating Alabama A&M 4-2 and 4-2 in back-to-back matches at Arlington to capture their first conference title.

Prairie View had to beat the Bulldogs twice in the championship round after dropping a 4-3 Saturday decision that placed the Panthers in the elimination bracket. PV beat Texas Southern 4-2 later Saturday to set up a rematch with Alabama A&M in the final.

Prairie View fell behind 2-1 in the first match with Alabama A&M (25-7) before rolling off three consecutive victories to force a winner-take-all match. Anchor Cynthia Veney gave the Panthers a huge lift with 10th-frame heroics in each of the final two games.

READ MORE

MEAC prepares for Winston-Salem finale

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - There will be new blood at this week's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball tournaments. Forward Nick Chasten of N.C. Central can hardly wait.

"The transition time was tough," Chasten said of the four-year move from Division II to Division I, when Central had no conference affiliation and no chance for postseason play. "But now I'm just very excited for the opportunity our university has and for us to compete for something. Everybody is looking forward to it."

In past MEAC tournaments, the Eagles played in what was called "a bonus game," but that was nothing more than an exhibition. Savannah State, the top seed in the men's bracket, is also new to the tournament and played N.C. Central in last season's bonus game.

The MEAC women's tournament will start today at Joel Coliseum with a five-game schedule, including N.C. Central against Coppin State at 4 p.m.

READ MORE

WSSU To Face West Virginia Wesleyan In NCAA DII Tourney

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Winston-Salem State University Rams will open the 2012 NCAA Division II Men's Tournament against West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, March 10th.

The Rams will be making their second consecutive trip to the NCAA DII Tournament. WSSU the #5 regional seed, 21-8 and winner of the CIAA Tournament, will be face the Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan, 21-8 and the #4 regional seed.

Winston-Salem State University won the 2012 CIAA Tournament with a 62-51 victory over the Elizabeth City State University Vikings Saturday, capturing the school's 11th CIAA Tournament Title.

West Liberty won a hard fought battle against West Virginia Wesleyan, 87-77 on Friday evening in the semifinals of the WVIAC Tournament.

READ MORE