XU has 4 singles players on Campbell's-ITA national list

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has four singles players and two doubles teams on the national list of the Campbell's-Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA rankings of March 12.

Earning recognition in the first regular-season rankings of 2012 were:

• Loic Didavi, 11th nationally and third in the South in men's singles.
• Zach Taylor, 17th nationally and sixth in the South in men's singles.
• Viktor Svoboda, 47th nationally and 16th in the South in men's singles.
• Kourtney Howell, 35th nationally and 15th in the South in women's singles.
• Steffen Giles-Osborn, 18th in the South in men's singles.
• Didavi and Taylor, third nationally and second in the South in men's doubles.
• Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson, 25th nationally and 10th in the South in men's doubles.

Rankings were based on performances through March 4. The next rankings will be announced April 16. The NAIA will announce its next team rankings Tuesday. The XU men were ninth in the most recent coaches poll.

The XU women will play Central Oklahoma, ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II, at 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center. Both XU teams will play at 4 p.m. Saturday at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center against Auburn Montgomery, whose women are No. 1 in the NAIA and men are ranked fifth. AUM has the NAIA's top-ranked women's singles player, Ana Veselinovic.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Livingstone College Releases 2012 Football Schedule

SALISBURY, North Carolina – The Livingstone College Athletic Department has officially released its 2012 football schedule.

The upcoming schedule for the Blue Bears features five home games, four road contests and one neutral site game. Livingstone is coming off a 1-9 season last year with a 0-7 conference mark.

Livingstone will open the season at home on September 1 at 6 p.m. against the Chowan University Hawks. After a one-year hiatus from the Mayor's Cup the Blue Bears will once again face off against the Catawba College Indians. The Blue Bears will head across town to face the Indians on September 8.

Livingstone will then return to Alumni Memorial Stadium for two home contests against Edward Waters College on September 15 and Lincoln (PA) on September 22.

The Blue Bears will head to Richmond, VA on September 29 to take on the Panthers of Virginia Union University. The Blue Bears and Panthers last met in 2007.

St. Augustine's will come to Salisbury on October 6 for Livingstone's Homecoming. Game time for Homecoming is 2 p.m. The Blue Bears will close out their home slate on October 13 against the Bears of Shaw University at 1 p.m.

Livingstone will head to Winston-Salem, NC on October 20 to face the Rams of Winston-Salem State before heading to face Fayetteville State on October 27.

The Blue Bears will finish the 2012 on November 3 in the 4th Annual Commemorative Classic. Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith will meet at 2 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC.



DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME

9/1 Chowan Salisbury, NC 6:00 PM
9/8 at Catawba Salisbury, NC TBA
9/15 Edward Waters Salisbury, NC 6:00 PM
9/22 Lincoln (PA) Salisbury, NC 1:00 PM
9/29 at Virginia Union Richmond, VA TBA
10/6 St. Augustine's (Homecoming) Salisbury, NC 2:00 PM
10/13 Shaw Salisbury, NC 1:00 PM
10/20 at Winston-Salem State Winston-Salem, NC 6:00 PM
10/27 at Fayetteville State Fayetteville , NC 1:00 PM
11/3 at *Johnson C. Smith Charlotte, NC 2:00 PM
*Commemorative Classic ~ Memorial Stadium

COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
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Paine College Hires Olympic Gold Medalist Latasha Clark

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Latasha Colander Clark joins the Paine College Athletic staff as head coach for men's & women's track and field and women & men's cross country, Director of Athletics Tim Duncan announced.

Clark, who earned an Olympic gold medal and was part of a world-record relay team, comes to Paine from Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, North Carolina, where she was assistant men and women's track and field coach.

“I would like to thank the Paine College Administration for this opportunity to serve as head coach for the track and field and cross country programs,” stated Clark. “I see great potential for a competitive track and field program here at Paine College. I look forward to meeting and working with the local high school coaches, as well as the Lion student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni and the residents of the greater Central Savannah River Area to make Paine College track and field the best it can be.”

“We are extremely proud to have Coach Clark lead our track and field and cross country programs”, said Duncan. “After conducting an extensive national search that included over 100 applicants for the position, Coach Clark's experience, work ethic and passion for helping student-athletes achieve on and off the track made her the obvious choice to lead the Lion running programs. We are certainly fortunate to add her, Kris and their children to the Paine College community.”

Clark anchored the USA 4x400 meter relay team, which took home the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In addition, she competed in the 400 meters at the 2000 Olympics after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials in the event. In 2004, Clark won the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials.



In 2000, Clark ran the second leg of the 4x200 meter relay team at USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays. Her relay team set a world record with a time of 1:27.46. In 2001, Clark won the 100 meters at the USA Outdoor Championship. In 2005, she qualified to be a part of Team USA for the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Finland, where she made it to the 200-meter finals, placing fifth.

In 2006, Clark retired as a professional athlete.

Originally from Virginia, Clark is a graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Mass Communications. As a student, she was a member of the track team, and she received the MVP award three times, and was an 18 time All-American. After graduating, Clark signed as a Professional Track & Field Athlete with NIKE in 1999.

Clark is a member of the Virginia Hall of Fame Hall of Stars and the UNC Hall of Fame. Clark established the LC Treasures Within Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening kids, families and the world through education sports and spirituality. Clark has appeared on numerous television programs including the 700 Club and the INSP Network, and she is the author of an Autobiography- Fighting for Destiny The Final Destination, and YES I CAN, a children's book.

Clark is married to Kris Clark, a graduate and former football student-athlete at the University of South Carolina. They have three children Krisjon (4), Christian (2), and Kyrsten (1).

COURTESY PAINE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
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VISIT: PAINEATHLETICS.COM

North Carolina A&T Releases 2012 Football Schedule

GREENSBORO, North Carolina - The North Carolina A&T football team won four of its first six games in 2011 before having to play four straight games away from Aggie Stadium. The Aggies lost all four, bringing to a halt the momentum to a season with so much promise.

A&T does not have to travel consecutive weeks in 2012. The Aggies will play seven home games this upcoming season, including the home opener on Sept. 8 against West Virginia State University at 6 p.m.

The season opens on Labor Day weekend near Myrtle Beach, S.C., as the Aggies face Coastal Carolina for the third time in school history. It will be the Aggies second trip to Coastal Carolina in three years following their 2009 appearance at Brooks Stadium. It will also be the third meeting in five years between the two schools.

Another rematch will take place at 6 p.m., on Sept. 15 when the Aggies face Virginia University of Lynchburg at Aggie Stadium. The Dragons lost to A&T 38-7 last season at Aggie Stadium.

Morgan State will be the Aggies first MEAC opponent when the two teams face each other at 1:30 p.m., on Sept. 29 at Aggie Stadium. Homecoming 2012 is Oct. 27 against defending MEAC Champion Norfolk State at 1:30 p.m.

A&T's other three road games are against Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 6, Delaware State on Oct. 20 and the Aggies head to Durham to face archrival N.C. Central on Nov. 17.

The spring practice dates are March 19, 21, 26, 28 and April 2, 4. The Spring Game is April 7.

In Rod Broadway's first season as the Aggies head man, A&T went 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the MEAC. For the first time in school history, the Aggies produced a 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and a 1,000-yard rusher. Linebacker D'Vonte Grant was a Jerry Rice finalist for best freshman in the nation, as he led the Aggies in tackles. After his second straight season where he rushed for 1,000 yards, senior running back Mike Mayhew comes into the 2012 season needing 163 yards to become the school's all-time leading rusher.



NCA&T 2012 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (.pdf)

Date                Opponent                            Location                         Time

Sat, Sep 01 Coastal Carolina at Conway, S.C. TBA Sat, Sep 08 West Virginia State Aggie Stadium 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 15 Virginia University of Lynchburg Aggie Stadium 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 29 Morgan State * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 06 Bethune-Cookman * at Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA Sat, Oct 13 Howard * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 20 Delaware State * at Dover, Del. 1:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 27 Norfolk State (Homecoming) * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 03 Florida A&M * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 10 S.C. State * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 17 N.C. Central * at Durham, N.C. 2 p.m.

* Conference Games

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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Saint Augustine's Falcons Releases 2012 Football Schedule

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Saint Augustine's College announced the release of the 2012 football schedule on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. The schedule features five home games including a Nov. 3 date against crosstown rival Shaw University.

The Falcons open the season with two consecutive home games. They host Wingate University on Sept. 1 in the first ever meeting between both teams. Wingate, a member of the South Atlantic Conference, finished 5-6 overall last season. The Falcons are back home Sept. 8 against the University of New Haven, the two-time defending Northeast-10 Conference champion. New Haven reached the NCAA Division II playoffs last season, advancing to the Super Regional One finals where they lost to Winston-Salem State.

The Falcons play four of their next five games away. They hit the road for the first time Sept. 15 at Southern Connecticut State University. This is the Falcons' first matchup against SCSU, which finished 7-3 last season and won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II football team of the year award. The only home contest during the five-game stretch is Sept. 22 against Bowie State University in the CIAA opener. The Falcons and Bulldogs have met only once (2002) in 10 years.

The Sept. 29 contest against Elizabeth City State University starts a string of three straight conference road games for the Falcons. For the third time in seven years, both teams will square off in the Down East Classic in Rocky Mount, N.C. On Oct.6, the Falcons head to Salisbury, N.C., to visit Livingstone College. Last season, the Falcons defeated the Blue Bears 45-14.

A much-anticipated contest against Winston-Salem State University takes place Oct. 13 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Falcons were one of the few teams to give the Rams a close game last season. The Rams are coming off a CIAA title, a Southern Division crown and a NCAA Division II semifinal berth. Two years ago, the visiting Falcons stunned the nationally-ranked Rams 40-35 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Falcons are home in two of their last three CIAA contests. They host Fayetteville State University on Oct. 20 for Homecoming before going to Johnson C. Smith University on Oct. 27. The Falcons downed JCSU 34-15 last season in the first ever football game on campus.

For the third consecutive year, the Falcons face Shaw University in the season finale. The Falcons will host the showdown against their crosstown rival on Nov. 3.

The Falcons are coming off a 4-6 season in 2011. They were 4-1 in home games.

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
SEPT. 1	WINGATE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
SEPT. 8	NEW HAVEN	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
Sept. 15	at Southern Conn. State	New Haven, CT	1:00 p.m.
SEPT. 22	*BOWIE STATE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
Sept. 29	*at Elizabeth City State%	Rocky Mount, NC	4:00 p.m.
Oct. 6	*at Livingstone	Salisbury, NC	2:00 p.m.
Oct. 13	*at Winston-Salem State	Winston-Salem, NC	TBA
OCT. 20	*FAYETTEVILLE STATE#	RALEIGH, NC	2:00 p.m.
Oct. 27	*at Johnson C. Smith	Charlotte, NC	TBA
NOV. 3	*SHAW	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
Nov. 10	CIAA Championship	Durham, NC	1:00 p.m.

*CIAA Games
# - Homecoming
% - Down East Classic
Home Games in BOLD CAPS

DSU Women's Basketball Coach Announces Retirement

HEAD COACH ED DAVIS

DOVER, Delaware  - - Delaware State University Women's Basketball Head Coach Ed Davis announced today that he is retiring from his position, ending a 12-year coaching career at DSU.

Since becoming the Lady Hornets' head coach in the 2000-2001 season, Davis compiled a 178-182 overall record - making him the University's all-time leader in career women's basketball wins. During the recently concluded 2011-12 season, the Lady Hornets were 7-23 overall and 4-12 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The highlight year of Davis' DSU coaching tenure took place during the 2006-07 season, in which he guided the Lady Hornets to the only Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in team's history.

Davis' tenure at Delaware State was also highlighted by five MEAC Tournament championship game appearances and a share of the MEAC regular season title in 2004. He was named MEAC Coach-of-the-Year for the 2003-04 season.

The interim director of athletics said that Ed Davis has served Delaware State University Athletics with dignity and professionalism. "He has been a true competitor and champion of the game and has orchestrated an academically-focused team that has performed admirably throughout his career at DSU," Hart said. "We wish Coach Davis much success and thank him for his dedication to the women's basketball program and Hornet Nation."

Prior to his arrival at DSU in 2000, Davis was the head women's basketball coach at Bowie State (Md.) University for eight years. He has a career record of 349-236 in 20 years as an intercollegiate head coach.

The University will launch a national search for a new women's basketball head coach in the near future.

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton U. can't stop Stanford, Ogwumike

NORFOLK, Virginia - With just less than seven minutes to play in the first half, Choicetta McMillian hit a step-back 3-pointer to pull 16th seed Hampton within a point of Stanford in Saturday's first-round NCAA tournament game.

During the next four minutes, the Cardinal made it clear why – whatever the questions surrounding Hampton's tournament seeding may have been – it is the No. 1 seed in the Fresno regional and the No. 2 team in the nation.

After McMillian's three, Stanford reeled off a 13-0 run and didn't look back on its way to a 73-51 victory.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

The final score marked the first time this season that HU, which came into the game ranked second in the nation by giving up just 46.8 points per game, surrendered 70 points. The Lady Pirates (26-5), outrebounding opponents by seven boards per game, were also outrebounded 44-25 and had just eight assists – eight-tenths of a point more than senior point guard Jericka Jenkins' season average – while shooting 31.7 percent.

"There's no denying that they're good, but that's like a pitcher pitching and not having his best stuff," HU coach David Six said. "We didn't have our best stuff today. Obviously Stanford has something to do with that, but we didn't rebound the ball. We didn't put enough pressure on the ball."


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UConn. Huskies beat Prairie View A&M, march into second round

JUNIOR GUARD LATIA "MOMMA" WILLIAMS
DID ALL SHE COULD AGAINST UCONN
LEADING THE PANTHERS WITH 20 POINTS,
5 REBOUNDS, 3 ASSISTS, AND 1 BLOCK
AGAINST THE #1 DEFENSE IN NCAA
DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL.

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut — As Geno Auriemma began to delve into his postgame comments following Saturday’s NCAA tournament opener, he accidentally referred to the opposing Prairie View A&M team as Mississippi Valley State. Then again, there were times when Auriemma might have had a hard team recognizing his own UConn team.

The top-seeded Huskies came into the NCAA first-round game as one of the most stifling defensive teams in recent memory, yet they allowed the lightly-regarded SWAC tournament champions to hit nine of their last 12 first half.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

After taking 12 of the 15 minutes during halftime to remind his team how he expects them to play, Auriemma watched as UConn rolled to an 83-47 win before a crowd of 4,563 at Webster Bank Arena on Saturday.

The Lady Panthers missed seven straight shots and 11 out f 12 in the second half as the Huskies won their NCAA tournament opener for the 19th straight time and won their 30th game for a record-tying seventh straight season.

BOX SCORE

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How Florida Plans to Beat Norfolk State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Norfolk fans, wherever you are, you need to know what it will be like on Sunday to play the favored Florida Gators. If you do not want to be at a disadvantage from the start then I advise you read this.

While Norfolk carefully executed their game plan against Missouri, Florida’s coach Billy Donovan sat quietly watching. There can be no greater scouting report than a bird’s eye view of the opponent’s talent. Donovan will not say whether he is impressed with Norfolk, but one thing is for sure. He is determined to make sure that what happened to Missouri will not happen to Florida. By Sunday he will know the strengths and weaknesses of every Norfolk player and have a strategy not just to beat them, but to demoralize them.



Here is what we know about Florida. The quest to beat Norfolk will begin well before Florida enters the arena to play. The players will prepare as if they are about to play their rival Florida State. Donovan will make it clear that it would be shameful for Florida to lose a game they are supposed to win. “Just look at what happened to Missouri,” he’ll say.

READ MORE AT SPORTSEDIT.ORG

Norfolk State Win Was Not an Upset

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - When the Norfolk State Spartans defeated the Missouri Tigers on Friday evening it was for a brief period the biggest upset of the NCAA tournament. Then Ohio beat Michigan and Lehigh defeated Duke. While the Michigan and Duke defeats were huge upsets there was something unique about the Norfolk win.

Duke wasn’t its usual self and Michigan played like a team without a game plan. Missouri, on the other hand, played up to their potential shooting 53 percent from the field. No one can say that Missouri “sucked” or even that the referees didn’t favor them. They played the way they did all season to get their 30 wins against some of the top teams in the country. So, why was Norfolk able to beat them?



Frankly, Missouri was outplayed and outcoached in this one. Norfolk came into the game with confidence having played in tournaments at the beginning of the season and coming close to a win against Marquette. It didn’t hurt either that Norfolk did have a win against Drexel or that ...



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TSU Football Completes Day One of Spring Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State football held its’ first practice of the spring season on Friday. The Tigers wore just helmets with no pads to kick off the third season for TSU head coach Rod Reed.

On Friday, the Big Blue focused on fundamentals and participated in 25 limited contact periods. Per NCAA rules, TSU can only participate in 12 contact days during the spring season. The Tigers compete in full pads on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m.

“The tempo was great for opening the year,” said Coach Reed. “We focused on fundamentals, especially with our young guys. There is a lot of work to be done, but I am excited about the way we performed to start the spring.”



The Tigers practice on Monday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. TSU will take Friday off before participating in a scrimmage on Saturday. The time for the scrimmage will be announced later this week.

On Friday, March 23, Tennessee State will host its’ annual pro day with numerous scouts from the NFL and other professional leagues in attendance.

All practice sessions are open to the public with the exception of pro day. For more updates on spring practice, check out TSUTigers.com.

UPCOMING SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Monday, March 19 – 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 21 – 4 p.m.
Friday, March 23 – Pro Day (closed to the public)
Saturday, March 24 – Scrimmage – TBA

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nuggets lose to La. Tech, then both XU teams defeat Loyola

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, playing two women's tennis dual matches on the same day for the first time this season, lost 9-0 to Louisiana Tech and defeated city rival Loyola 9-0 Saturday.

Xavier's men, ranked ninth in the NAIA, defeated Loyola 8-1.

The XU-Tech dual was played in the morning at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, and the XU-Loyola duals were played during the afternoon at the University of New Orleans.

The Gold Nuggets (3-14) suffered their ninth loss of the season to an NCAA Division I opponent, then snapped a five-dual losing streak by winning every set against Loyola (2-4). Freshman Jordyn Goody clinched against the Wolfpack with her 6-0, 6-0 victory against Cristiana Krtalic at No. 5 singles.

Louisiana Tech (8-3), playing for the first time in 13 days, won its third in a row and fifth dual in six tries.

"It was good to see the Nuggets get that win, especially after a tough morning and a tough week," XU coach Alan Green said.

The Gold Rush (10-3) snapped a two-dual losing streak and won every set against Loyola's men (1-4). Amir Rahbar clinched at No. 5 singles with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Eduardo Garcia.

The XU women will play Central Oklahoma, ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II, at 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Park. Both XU teams will play at 4 p.m. Saturday at UNO against Auburn Montgomery, whose women are No. 1 in the NAIA and men are ranked fifth.

Results: Men Women vs. Louisiana Tech and Loyola


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

Tennessee State Earns 20 Top-5 Finishes at Morehouse Relays

ATLANTA, Georgia – Tennessee State University’s men’s and women’s track & field teams used a solid weekend to capture 20 top-5 finishes at the 41st annual Morehouse Relays.

The Tigerbelles captured eight podium finishes and three individual titles, while the Flying Tigers snagged three podium marks.

Brielle Moore won the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 15.05, LaTia Carney finished in third at 15.69 seconds.

In the long jump, freshman Ashontae Jackson leapt 5.62 meters (18-5 ¾) to win the Morehouse Relays title. Jackson earned fifth in the 200-meter dash at a time of 25.04.

Also in the long jump, JaLyn Burr connected with a distance of 5.41 meters (17-9) to tie for second place. Burr also finished fourth in the women’s triple jump with a distance of 11.60 meters (38-0 ¾).

Gabrielle Todd ran 57.28 for fourth overall in the 400-meter dash and placed third in the high jump by clearing 1.57 meters (5-1 ¾).

In the shot put, Brittani Logan tossed the silver ball 11.58 meters (38-0).

The Tigerbelles claimed three podium finishes in the relay events. The 4x200m team won the event at 1:39.03, while the 4x400m finished second at 3:51.78. The 4x400m relay squad earned third at 47.24 seconds.

For the Flying Tigers, Alex Griffin tossed a distance of 13.23 meters (43-5) to claim second place in the men’s shot put.

In the sprint events, Julian Mallory came in fourth with his time of 21.89. Michael Johnson placed fifth in the 400-meter dash (48.94), while Arthur Combest also notched fifth with his sprint of 14.78 in the 110m hurdles. Combest’s time is ranked 14th

Sean Jenkins cleared 1.92m (6-3 ½) in the high jump for fifth in the meet. The 4x800m relay team claimed third with a time of 8:12.21 in the distance relay event. The 4x200m squad was fourth at 1:28.47.

The Tigers track & field programs compete next Saturday, March 24 at the Weems Baskin Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

MOREHOUSE RELAYS RESULTS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Georgetown Uses Second-Half Surge to Take Down Southern - New Orleans, 78-52

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- No. 14 Georgetown (Ky.) used a 46-24 second-half scoring burst to eliminate Southern University-New Orleans (La.) ("SUNO"), 78-52, in the final game of the second round in the 2012 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship.

The Tigers head to their eighth quarterfinal since 1998 with the late contest on Saturday at 8 p.m. CDT. They battle No. 11 Mountain State (W.Va.), a team that beat Georgetown last year in the semifinals.

"I am proud of our guys," said Georgetown head coach Chris Briggs. "I really thought Garel Craig stepped up. I thought Jordan Demercy made some plays and Josh Lockett played well in place of Maurice Pearson. We are going to work as hard as we can, and I thought for the most part, we did that."

Both clubs struggled to score points in the first half. Georgetown took a 32-28 lead into the half, but shot just 36 percent (10-of-28) from the field. The Tiger advantage came at the free throw line where they scored six more points (11-5) than Southern-New Orleans.

Clyde Moore made a jumper in the lane to hand the Knights a 16-12 lead at the 14:05 mark. But Georgetown went to work behind nine points from Garel Craig and seven from Jordan Demercy. The Tigers crept ahead late in the half and led 32-28 at the break.

A basket by Jared Lewis and Merlin Walker were the only points scored by the Knights in the first nine minutes of the second half. Conversely, a 34-30 Georgetown lead turned into a 57-32 gap that Southern-New Orleans could not threaten.

SUNO seemed to run out of gas in the second half after a grueling, come-from-behind overtime win last night over No. 2 seed Robert Morris (Ill.). That game ended after 1 a.m. CDT last night.

Garel finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Demercy recorded 13 points and 12 boards. Josh Lockett and Allan Thomas chipped in 10 points each.

Kevin Dukes was the lone SUNO player in double figures with 10 points. One night after scoring 34 and grabbing 21 rebounds, Clyde Moore struggled offensively with just two points and six rebounds.

Thanks to a 61 percent clip in the second half, Georgetown shot 49 percent overall. Southern-New Orleans posted a 36.4 percent shooting total.

Southern will head home with an 18-14 record and a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship.

"It (getting to the second round) was a big accomplishment," said Southern-New Orleans head coach Dale Valdery. "They played hard. There are some things we need to work on, but I was extremely proud of their effort. They didn't give up and they kept hustling even though we were down. They (Georgetown) were well prepared and did what they needed to win. Those are the things we're going to have to work on in the future."

Game Notes: Southern-New Orleans was a second-round participant for the third-straight appearance at the national tournament ... The Knights' all-time national tournament record dropped to 3-7 with the loss ... This is the second appearance in a row the Knights have been knocked out of the tournament by a team from the Mid-South Conference, falling to Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in the 2004 second round ... The loss snapped a season-long six-game winning streak ... The 52 points was a season-low for the Knights and their fewest in their history at the national tournament.

Georgetown - Georgetown will be making its fifth quarterfinal appearance in the last 10 years ... The Tigers will be matched up with Mountain State (W.Va.) for the second-straight season and third time in five years after falling to the Cougars in the semifinal round in both 2008 and 2011 ... Georgetown ran its all-time record at the national tournament to 54-29 ... The 52 points allowed was the fewest given up by a Georgetown team at the national tournament since yielding 49 in a victory over Arkansas Tech in 1996.

COURTESY: NAIA.org

HU sends letter to NCAA selection committee

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton is not taking the perceived slight of being seeded No. 16 in the women's NCAA tournament lying down.

Rodney Smith, HU's vice president for administrative services, sent a letter dated Tuesday to Greg Christopher, chair of the Division I women's basketball committee, expressing the school's disappointment.

The letter said, in part: "In comparison with other teams that were seeded better than Hampton University, we feel that Hampton University as well as its Lady Pirates, coaches, faculty, staff, students, administration, alumni, and all friends and supporters of the University have been deeply disrespected and insulted."

"We didn't want it to go by and not let our voices be heard," HU athletic director Keshia Campbell said Wednesday. "Coach (David) Six has done his due diligence with this in breaking down every team, (and) we just felt the need to come up with a university response to the seeding."

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Top-seeded UConn revved for opener with PVAMU Lady Panthers

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - Geno Auriemma and the Connecticut Huskies are raring to go after being off for 10 days. The top-seeded Huskies open up their NCAA tournament Saturday in Bridgeport, Conn., against No. 16 Prairie View A&M. Eighth-seeded Kansas State will face No. 9 Princeton in the first game of the doubleheader.

After struggling through the latter part of the regular season with losses in their final two home games, UConn rallied to win the Big East tournament. The Huskies topped Notre Dame in the championship game, earning Geno Auriemma his 800th career victory. The Hall of Fame coach became the fastest to reach that milestone.

The time off allowed senior guard Tiffany Hayes to rest a stress reaction in her right foot. She wasn't able to practice the first few days but returned Thursday.

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Union keeps Xavier Gold Nuggets winless in NAIA second round

FRANKFORT, Kentuky — Second-ranked Union (Tenn.) overcame a 13-point deficit to earn a 58-43 women's basketball victory Friday against 18th-ranked Xavier University of Louisiana in the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship.

The Lady Bulldogs (33-2) got 14 points from Shelby Ashcraft and 13 points and 13 rebounds from Lavanda Ross to extend their win streak to 17 games and reach the quarterfinals for the ninth consecutive season. Union won national championships in 1998, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010 and was runner-up three times, including 2011.

Jasmine Grant scored 12 points for the Gold Nuggets (26-9), whose eight-game win streak ended. Xavier is 0-7 in the second round at nationals.

Xavier made its first three 3-point attempts — two by Grant and the other by Brandi Young — and led 13-0 after Keldra Hall's basket at 15:09 of the first half.

Union answered with a 19-2 run and went ahead to stay, 17-15, on a Ross 3-pointer at 7:46. The Lady Bulldogs led 29-21 at halftime and held their biggest advantage, 56-36, after Amy Philamlee's two free throws with 2:31 remaining.

Union led by double digits for the final 13:49. Xavier closed to 32-26 on Young's 3-point play with 17:58 remaining, but the Lady Bulldogs scored the next 11 points.

Union outshot Xavier 38.8 to 30.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Nuggets 37-33. Xavier made 2-of-16 3-pointers after its opening run.

"It was a great start for us," XU coach Bo Browder said, "but after the first five minutes we struggled to score."

One day after scoring its most points at nationals since 1997, the Nuggets scored their fewest ever at this tournament.

Union will play unranked Biola, a 73-58 winner against 10th-ranked Langston, in the quarterfinals at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday. Also advancing to the quarterfinals were top-ranked Oklahoma City, No. 4 Westmont, No. 5 Lubbock Christian and the defending champion, No. 9 Azusa Pacific.

NOTES: It was the final XU game for seniors Grant, Young (six points, four rebounds), Keldra Hall (six points, six rebounds), Jazmoné Kelly (no points but five rebounds and three assists) and Danielle Kennebrew (five points, five rebounds) . . . Paige Gauthier made the final XU 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining, giving the Nuggets 167 for the season to tie the school record of 2003-04 team . . . The Nuggets are 7-16 in 16 trips to nationals. Browder's teams are 3-11 in 11 appearances . . . Xavier and Union are among nine teams to win first-round games in 2011 and 2012. The others are Azusa Pacific, Langston, Lewis-Clark State, Lubbock Christian, Oklahoma City, Shawnee State and Westminster (Utah) . . . This is the final NAIA women's basketball tournament for Union, which will begin the transition to NCAA Division II next season. Southern Nazarene, Xavier's first-round opponent, will begin that same transition next season.

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

NAIA MEN'S DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP: Southern University - New Orleans Shocks No. 3 Robert Morris

KANSAS CITY, Missouri  -- Kevin Dukes' fade-away jumper in the lane with 3.9 seconds remaining lifted unseeded Southern University - New Orleans to an improbable 94-92 overtime victory over No. 3 Robert Morris (Ill.) tonight (3/15/12) at the 75th Anniversary of the 2012 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship.

Appearing in their first championship since 2004, the Knights completed a comeback after trailing by 11 points with nine minutes remaining.

Southern-New Orleans advances to play No. 14 Georgetown (Ky.) on Friday at 9:45 p.m. CDT.

"I just thought the second half we played much better defense and were more under control on offense," said Southern-New Orleans head coach Dale Valdery. "Those were the things that carried us. Also, we knew (Diante Watkins) was going to get his points, so we had to limit the other guys and we did a pretty good job of taking them out of the game in the second half. That's a tremendous team. My hat goes off to them. If we continue to play defense the way we are, we'll probably be in every game we play."

Clyde Moore of Southern-New Orleans and Robert Morris' Diante Watkins were the highlight shows. Moore finished with 34 points and 21 rebounds, while Watkins went for a career-tying 38 points before fouling out in 39 minutes of play.

Valdery commented on the play of his junior forward. "Clyde is one of those guys who gives you everything he has out there on the floor, whether it be on offense or on defense. He's our inspirational leader. When he plays hard, it's a follow up for the rest of the players. He's just somebody that we go to when we really need a bucket. Twenty-one rebounds and thirty-something points; that's amazing."

This was a game of runs with the Knights striking first. They took their largest lead of the game at 24-17 at the 6:30 mark. Then, the Eagles rattled off a 20-4 spurt to head into the locker room with a 37-28 advantage. Watkins had 12 points to lead the charge and the defense held Southern-New Orleans to 29 percent shooting.


Watkins made a two-point basket at the 16:32 mark in the second half and things appeared to be going smoothly with Robert Morris leading 46-34. But that is when Moore and the Knights had an answer. In the game's next 16-plus minutes, Moore scored 20 points and was the hero.

Trailing 64-53 at the 9:15 mark, Nicholas Washington's two points in the paint fueled a 14-2 run that made the upset seem a reality. Robert Morris was poised for the win in regulation, but allowed two baskets in the final minute as the game went to overtime.

In the extra session, Brian Bradley for Robert Morris made the first shot of a bonus free throw and on his second attempt, his miss was cleaned up by Tyler Warden. That lay-up tied the score at 92-92 with 37 seconds left. But, Dukes would have the final answer as he dribbled down the lane and made the bucket for the Knights first win in the tournament since 2004.

"Give Southern-New Orleans a lot of credit for a great effort," said Robert Morris head coach Al Bruehl. "We made a lot of mistakes tonight that we don't normally make and we weren't strong enough on the boards. Besides rebounding, I thought we played good defense and our guys played hard the whole game, especially our bench players who haven't seen much time. It's the national tournament and you need to make plays to win. Unfortunately, we didn't make enough of them to win tonight."

Robert Morris exits the tournament in the first round for the first time in five years as it snaps a four-game opening round win streak. The Eagles head home with a 27-5 record.

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Game notes:
Robert Morris: Robert Morris made its ninth-straight national tournament appearance and had won each of its previous eight first round contests (2007 win vs. Westmont was later forfeited) before losing to Southern-New Orleans ... The Eagles dropped to 17-9 all-time in the national tournament and 1-3 in overtime contests ... Under the guidance of head coach Al Bruehl, Robert Morris has advanced to the Fab Four on three occasions with the most recent appearance coming in 2010 ... The Eagles have averaged almost 29 wins over the past nine seasons including five campaigns with at least 30 victories ... Robert Morris entered the national tournament ranked No. 3 in the NAIA in scoring offense (87.5), No. 4 in scoring margin (14.7) and 3-point field goal made per game (9.9), and seventh in blocks per game (4.6) and turnover margin (+4.6) ... Robert Morris was the highest-seeded team to lose in the first round since No. 1-seeded Rogers State fell in the 2009 opener.

Southern-New Orleans: Southern-New Orleans is appearing in its seventh national tournament with an all-time record now sitting at 3-6, including a 3-4 mark in opening round contests ... The Knights are making their first appearance in the national tournament since 2004 when they advanced to the second round ... Southern-New Orleans brought a five-game winning streak into the national tournament that included three-straight victories to claim the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship ... Junior forward Clyde Moore posted the highest single-game rebounding total in the first round of this year's tournament with 21 boards.

COURTESY NAIA.ORG

Norfolk State alum commentary: Behold, the green and gold!

By G.E. Branch III, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  Behold, the green and gold!

If folk in Omaha didn't know the significance of that rallying cry before Saturday – and, let's face it, why would they? – they certainly had a better understanding after Norfolk State's ginormous upset of Missouri.

To NSU alums, the chant always has meant that the Spartans were about to strut their stuff. Over the years, the most consistent performer has been the award-winning marching band. To be sure, the athletic teams have had their share of success but consider the context.

Norfolk State used to be (self-proclaimed) king of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, an NCAA Division II conference back in the day. The track program was top notch by any measure and the basketball team would make a quick visit to the national tournament every now and then. The football team? Well, the halftime show was sure to be great.

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Omaha fans embrace Spartans

OMAHA, Nebraska -- The whirlwind, rock star existence that members of the Norfolk State team are sure to experience over the next couple days in Omaha didn't take long to start.

Not long after finishing their interview priorities and meeting back in the locker room, a handful of the Spartans made their way back to the arena floor — some still in uniform — to catch a little bit of the next game.

An ordinary media timeout of the St.Mary's-Purdue game quickly turned into a moment that the broadcast would later show.

The Spartan players received a standing ovation from a half-full CenturyLink Center, and they returned the favor by standing and applauding as well. It wasn't much later that the autograph seekers showed up, looking for a little ink from anyone in green and gold.Even their exit got cheers.

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15-seeds - MEAC's Norfolk State, Lehigh steal show at NCAAs

OMAHA, Nebraska -- The NCAA Tournament belongs to Lehigh and Norfolk State, at least for a day, after they made Ohio's upset of No. 4-seed Michigan ho-hum news and pushed Virginia Commonwealth's postseason show to the back burner.

Only four times had a No. 15 seed beaten a No. 2 seed in the tournament, and not at all since 2001. Then it happened twice within three hours Friday.

It is noteworthy that the three biggest upset losers - Michigan, Duke and Missouri - are perimeter teams that lack size and rely on guards making outside shots. They can look great some days, and then other days, this happens.

Norfolk State introduced us to the personality of the event - lovable, quotable Kyle O'Quinn - while eliminating Missouri 86-84, and Lehigh used the "organic" approach to stun Duke 75-70.

Lehigh forward Jordan Hamilton had told reporters on Thursday, "I think we're able to approach this from a more organic perspective."

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Norfolk State's historic win resonates

OMAHA, Nebraska -- Moments after the most stunning NCAA tournament upset of the past decade, the Norfolk State Spartans reacted like typical college students. They hurried into the locker room -- and pulled out their cellphones.

"We're trending on Twitter right now -- nationally," one player said. A teammate spoke up from across the room. "I just got a text. People are jumping into the fountain back on campus."  Soon it was revealed that the website for Norfolk State's student newspaper had crashed because of an overload of traffic.

Then came the announcement that only two of the 6.45 million participants in ESPN.com's bracket challenge still had perfect records -- mainly because of No. 15 seed Norfolk State's 86-84 victory over Missouri on Friday at the CenturyLink Center. Even U.S. President Barack Obama had No. 2 seed Missouri going to the Final Four.



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No. 15 Norfolk State shoots lights out, stuns 2-seed Missouri

OMAHA, Nebraska -- Welcome to the NCAA tournament, Norfolk State.

Might as well stick around a while.

Kyle O'Quinn had 26 points and 14 rebounds, making several key plays in the closing minutes, and the gritty No. 15 seed Spartans held on through a tense final minute to topple second-seeded Missouri 86-84 on Friday in the West Regional.

Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin each added 20 points for the MEAC champion Spartans (26-9), who made their first trip to the NCAA tournament a memorable one. They became the fifth No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 and the first since fellow conference member Hampton in 2001.

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Florida A&M players impress on Pro Day

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Based on the reactions of Florida A&M football fans who packed into the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center, the 18 former Rattlers who went through a battery of strength tests were impressive.

But ultimately the biggest impression they want to make is on the throng of professional football scouts who showed up with stopwatches and legal pads. For about two and a half hours they clicked times and made notes as the players leaped, lifted and sprint outdoors on an artificial turf field adjacent to the recreation center.

They got plenty of advice from former FAMU cornerback Curtis Holcomb, who was impressive enough during last season to be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. "I've been telling these guys to just calm down," Holcomb said. "This is your day. This is for you; calm down and be yourself."

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Jerry Eaves Out As NC A&T Men's Basketball Coach

GREENSBORO, North Carolina (4/13/12) -- Jerry Eaves has been relieved of his duties as the head men's basketball coach at North Carolina A&T, Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced today. Scott Bollwage will serve as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is hired.

Eaves' contract with the school expires May 30, 2013. Eaves finishes his tenure at A&T with a 99-180 record over nine seasons. He is third on the program's all-time wins list. In 2003, Eaves took over a one-win program. During his stint, he led the Aggies to wins over SMU, DePaul, Middle Tennessee State and was 2-0 against cross-town rival UNC Greensboro.



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A&T fires basketball coach

EXCERPT:
GREENSBORO — Jerry Eaves has been fired as the men's basketball coach at N.C. A&T, athletics director Earl M. Hilton III announced in a news release. Scott Bollwage will serve as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is hired.

Eaves finishes his tenure at A&T with a 99-180 record over nine seasons. Eaves' contract runs through May 30, 2013, and the university said he will be paid in full. Eaves' contract is worth $135,000 per year plus benefits.

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2012 Prairie View A&M Panther Football Schedule Unveiled

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington today announced the 2012 Panther football schedule. The Panthers will play an action-packed 11-game slate in 2012 highlighted by a contest at the defending FCS National Champions, nine Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) games, four football classics, two on-campus contests and the return to the Golden Triangle area of Texas for the first time since 1998.

The Panthers kickoff the 2012 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 against state and conference rival Texas Southern in the 28th edition of the State Farm Labor Day Classic as it returns to Reliant Stadium in Houston after a one-year hiatus at 7 p.m. For the second straight season, the rivalry will feature a new but familiar face as second-year head coach Heishma Northern will square off against longtime friend and new TSU head coach Darrell Asberry.

On Sept. 8, the Panthers will make the short trek down the highway to the Golden Triangle as they'll meet Lamar University of the Southland Conference for the first time since 1985 in Beaumont, Texas. In addition to the first meeting between both teams in nearly 27 years, the Panthers will return to the city of Beaumont and Provost Umphrey Stadium for the first time since 1998.

One week later on Sept. 15, Prairie View A&M travels to Huntsville, Ala. for a 6 p.m. match-up at Alabama A&M in the third annual Lewis Crews Classic before closing out non-conference play with a game at defending 2011 FCS National Champion North Dakota State on Sept. 22 in Fargo, N.D. The month of September concludes on Sept. 29 as the Panthers step back into SWAC play with a trip to Jackson, Miss. for a meeting at Jackson State.

The annual State Fair Classic in the Cotton Bowl kicks off the month of October as PV will square off against Grambling State in Dallas on Oct. 6. After a much-deserved weekend off on Oct. 13, the Panthers make their Blackshear Field debut on Oct. 20 as Alcorn State comes to town in a homecoming showdown at 2 p.m. One weekend later on Oct. 27, Prairie View will participate in the third annual Shreveport Classic at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. against divisional foe Southern University.

The schedule's homestretch begins on Saturday, Nov. 3 as the Panthers return home to Blackshear Field to face Alabama State. The Panthers will honor their 2012 senior class during the contest in addition to the third annual PV Marching Storm Band Appreciation Day. The season concludes on the road for consecutive weekends as the Panthers will travel to Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Nov. 10 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, Nov. 17.

“This is one of our most competitive schedules we've had in quite some time,” said Northern. “From the opening week to the final week, we're going to have to bring our 'A' game to the field as we have two solid non-conference teams plus our league foes. I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

Panther fans will have an opportunity to get an early jump on the action for next season as season tickets for the 2012 season will go on sale April 15. For more information and to see finalized game times once they're available, log on to the department's official athletic website at http://www.pvpanthers.com/.

2012 Prairie View A&M Football Schedule (.pdf)

Day Date Opponent Location/Stadium Times

9/1/2012 *Texas Southern Houston,Tx - Reliant Stadium 7:00 p.m. State Farm Labor Day Classic XXVIII 
9/8/2012 Lamar Beaumont, Texas TBA
9/15/2012 *Alabama A&M Huntsville, Ala. 6:00 p.m. Lewis Crews Classic 
.9/22/2012 North Dakota State Fargo, N.D. TBA 
 9/29/2012 *Jackson State Jackson, Miss. TBA
 10/6/2012 *Grambling State Dallas, Texas - Cotton Bowl 6:00 p.m. State Fair Classic
 10/20/2012 *Alcorn State Prairie View 2:00 p.m. Homecoming 2012
 10/27/2012 *Southern Shreveport, La. - Independence 4:00 p.m. Shreveport Classic
 11/3/2012 *Alabama State Prairie View 1:00 p.m.
 11/10/2012 *Mississippi Valley Itta Bena, Miss. 1:00 p.m.
 11/17/2012 *Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Ark. TBA

COURTESY PVAMU SPORTS INFORMATION

North Dakota State completes 2012 Football Schedule with PVAMU

FARGO, N.D., North Dakota State University issued the following news release on March 13:

North Dakota State University director of athletics Gene Taylor announced the completion of the 2012 schedule with Prairie View A&M University on Sept. 22 at the Fargodome.

Prairie View A&M, located in Prairie, Texas, compiled a 5-6 record in 2011 including a 5-4 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). This will be the first meeting with the Panthers, coached by Heishma Northern. The Bison have a 3-0 record against the SWAC, 2-0 vs. Mississippi Valley State and 1-0 vs. Grambling State.

Prairie View A&M is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in Texas, second only to Texas A&M University. The Panthers have won 11 SWAC championships, the last coming in 2009, and have claimed five Black College National Championships in its football history.

North Dakota State opens the season Sept. 1 against Robert Morris, a rematch of the 2010 NCAA FCS first-round playoff game. The Bison then travel to Fort Collins to face Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference on Sept. 8.

NDSU is scheduled to open Missouri Valley Football Conference action Sept. 29 at Northern Iowa. The Bison have home conference games with Youngstown State on Oct. 6, the annual homecoming game vs. Indiana State on Oct. 13, the Harvest Bowl on Oct. 27 with Southern Illinois and the annual Dakota Marker game with South Dakota State on Nov. 10.

Valley Football road games include stops at South Dakota on Oct. 20, Missouri State on Nov. 3 and Illinois State on Nov. 17

The Bison do not play Western Illinois in 2012.

North Dakota State won the program's first NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State on Jan. 7 and also claimed the program's first Missouri Valley Football Conference title. Head coach Craig Bohl led the Bison to a 14-1 overall record and 7-1 record in MVFC.

NDSU is scheduled to start spring football drills on March 24 and culminate with the annual Green-Gold Spring Game at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Fargodome.

Friday's NCAA Tournament Preview: (15) Norfolk State vs.(2) Missouri

• WHEN/WHERE: About 3:40 p.m. Friday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.

• TV/RADIO: TNT (Ch. 203 and 1203 on Time Warner, Ch. 51 and 204 on Comcast in Missouri, Ch. 69 and 204 on Comcast in Kansas, Ch. 48 and 600 on Surewest, Ch. 108 on AT&T U-Verse, Ch. 245 on DirecTV and Ch. 138 on Dish Network); KMBZ (980 AM and 98.1 FM).

•  WHEN/WHERE: About 3:40 p.m. Friday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.
•  TV/RADIO: TNT (Ch. 203 and 1203 on Time Warner, Ch. 51 and 204 on Comcast in Missouri, Ch. 69 and 204 on Comcast in Kansas, Ch. 48 and 600 on Surewest, Ch. 108 on AT&T U-Verse, Ch. 245 on DirecTV and Ch. 138 on Dish Network); KMBZ (980 AM and 98.1 FM)

P	No.	Norfolk State	Ht.	Yr.	PPG
F	32	Marcos Tamares	6-7	Sr.	6.8
C	10	Kyle O’Quinn	6-10	Sr.	15.9
G	15	Rodney McCauley	6-5	Sr.	3.4
G	35	Chris McEachin	6-6	Sr.	12.8
G	11	Pendarvis Williams	6-6	So.	11.8

•  ABOUT NORFOLK STATE (25-9): The Spartans finished 13-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, good for second place. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history by winning the league tournament. … Norfolk State is a relative newcomer to this level of basketball, as it made the leap to Division I in 1997. … Senior center Kyle O’Quinn said several teams in the MEAC play similar styles as Missouri, which spreads the floor with four shooters and a single post player. “This is not the type of game that we haven’t seen a game plan (for),” he said. “Yes, we are going against better players from a different conference, but the style of play is what we see a lot (of) in the conference.”

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