B-CU defensive end Ryan Davis' stock rising for April's NFL draft

Ryan Davis
Tampa, Florida

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Two days before the University of Miami's pro day on March 8, Ryan Davis' agent called to tell him he had been invited to participate with the Hurricanes' prospects.

The former Bethune-Cookman defensive end had been immersed in the heaviest cycle of his weight-training regimen, and he wasn't in optimum shape to perform in front of scouts. But he wasn't going to miss that chance.

"My legs were still sore, but I knew it was a good opportunity," Davis said. "Those Miami guys are very good down there. I was paired with some of the top athletes in the country."

Since his eye-opening performance that day, Davis has been a rising NFL prospect who has a chance of getting drafted April 26-28. If he's not selected in the draft, he'll likely receive a free-agent offer with the chance of making an NFL roster next season.

"I've heard from scouts that he could be ...

READ MORE

TSU Tennis host Western Kentucky Today

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University men's and women's tennis team returns home to host Western Kentucky on Thursday afternoon at the TSU Tennis Complex. The Tigers and Hilltoppers square off in a 3 p.m. contest.

Last weekend, the Tigers (0-4, 0-4 OVC) fell in a pair of Ohio Valley Conference contests at SIUE and Eastern Illinois. This Saturday, the TSU men host Tennessee Tech, while the women take on Southeast Missouri. The women's netters also play UT Martin on Sunday.

Senior Lawrence Washington won his first match of the season defeating Eastern Illinois' Michael Sperry, 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 1 spot.

WKU's men (4-6) have not played in a contest in 20 days due to last week's match postponement with the Tigers. The Hilltoppers women (7-4) dropped 7-0 contest at Middle Tennessee on March 25.

Results of the match will be posted online at TSUTigers.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Report details 2010 faculty-involved FAMU hazing

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A Tallahassee Police report on hazing made public today, detailing a 2010 Florida A&M University band fraternity incident involving two faculty members, sheds light on the difficulty of bringing such cases to prosecution.

Stalled reporting, lack of cooperation, insistence on anonymity, hesitation to press charges: those are just a few of the hurdles that plagued this investigation, eventually leading to its closure as the statute of limitations ran out.

Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott is now urging a FAMU task force charged with reviewing campus hazing policies to reverse a decision it made last week that would allow it to operate in private, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

The 2010 incident described in Wednesday’s report predated a hazing ritual that police said killed FAMU drum major Robert Champion last year, but was only reported to police after Champion’s death made headlines, according to the TPD report.

READ MORE

U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush escorted from House floor for wearing hoodie in honor of Trayvon Martin

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush, of Illinois, was escorted off of the House floor on Wednesday after donning a hoodie and sunglasses in honor of slain teenager Trayvon Martin.

Rush, who began his remarks in a suit jacket and glasses, lamented the tragic death of 17-year-old Martin, who was killed last month by George Zimmerman, a volunteer member of a Sanford, Florida, neighborhood watch. Zimmerman, who has not been charged, claims he was defending himself.

Martin was unarmed and wearing a hoodie at the time of his death.



"Too often, this violent act that resulted in the murder of Trayvon Martin is repeated in the streets of our nation," Rush said in his statement. "I applaud the young people all across the land who are making a statement about hoodies, about the hoodlums in this nation, particularly those who tread on our laws wearing official or quasi-official clothes."

READ MORE

Less-frantic start for Delaware State's Coach Blount

DOVER, Delaware -- Everything was a blur for Kermit Blount a year ago as he rushed to ready for his first spring football camp as Delaware State's head coach.  Blount was hired less than six weeks prior to the Hornets' 2011 spring drills. He and his newly hired staff had to get to know their players and their skill sets as well as implement new offensive and defensive schemes in rapid order.

This spring has been notably different for Blount, as his Hornets opened the first of 15 spring practice sessions at Alumni Stadium on a windswept Monday afternoon. Spring camp will culminate with the annual Red-White scrimmage on April 14.

"We're still behind with numbers," Blount said, since his first recruiting class at DSU won't arrive until the summer. "I won't catch up with numbers until August, but the feel is different. "I've got a really, really good feel now of what I've got and what we have to work on. I'm not working in the blind, so I feel real good about that." 

Blount said he expects more than 60 players to be working out by August.

READ MORE

Discipline, toughness stressed as NCCU opens spring football

DURHAM, North Carolina — The bullhorn's back, and the N.C. Central Eagles are going to be in trouble if they can't show some discipline during spring practice.

Players not learning their playbooks, jumping offside, losing their cool, being late — and everything in between — won't cut it, second-year NCCU football coach Henry Frazier III said Tuesday after his team's first day of spring drills.

"If you can't do it when the pressure is not on, how can we trust you to do it in the fall?" Frazier said.

NCCU went 2-9 overall and 1-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season, and some of those defeats were close games the Eagles lost on account of a lack of discipline — that and just flat-out not being tough enough, Frazier said.

READ MORE

2012 NCCU Football Schedule

Season tickets are on sale now for a discounted price of $99 for the first 500 sold. For details, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or call the NCCU Ticket Office at (919) 530-5170.

TSU Flying Tigers Earn OVC Team Sportsmanship Award

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Tuesday the Ohio Valley Conference announced that Tennessee State University Flying Tigers were the recipients of the 2011-12 Team Sportsmanship Awards for indoor track & field.

Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans.

"Without sportsmanship there are truly no meaningful victories," said Beth DeBauche, OVC Commissioner. "The recipients of the OVC Team Sportsmanship awards should accept this award with great pride for their fellow competitors have made it clear their teams exemplify the best in intercollegiate athletics. In receiving this prestigious honor other competitors are saying these student-athletes compete with class, respect their opponents and value fair play. That is quite a compliment as those are all traits that will lead to true victories throughout the course of life."

The 2011-12 school year marks the seventh year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded, and sixth year the indoor track and field awards have been distributed. This marks the second indoor track and field sportsmanship award for the Flying Tigers.

TSU finished fourth at this year's OVC Indoor Track and Field Championship.

"We are excited to know that the men had won the sportsmanship award," said Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice, Tennessee State Director of Track and Field. "When we go out to the track, we want to perform well on the track as well as participate in good sportsmanship. I commend our young men on this great honor."

Jacksonville State finished third this season at the OVC Indoor Track and Field Championship.

Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates sportsmanship within the Conference. In 1998, the league established the Steve Hamilton Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to a male or female student-athlete of junior or senior status who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late Morehead State student-athlete, coach and administrator. Five years later, the Conference added the OVC Sportsmanship Award, presented annually to the member institution selected by its peers to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA.

In 1995, the Ohio Valley Conference implemented a first-of-its-kind "Sportsmanship Statement," a policy promoting principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one's opponent. The statement answered the challenge of the NCAA Presidents Commission to improve sportsmanship in collegiate athletics, and has become a model for others to follow across the nation.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

B-CU starts spring football practice with new faces

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman began spring practice Monday with several new faces on the field and one on the sideline.

B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said about eight transfers and early enrollees joined the Wildcats' returning players for the first day of spring practice. It was also the first chance for new offensive coordinator Jim Pry to see the players participate in football drills.

"The main thing is you want to get some rhythm back, and you want to get back to swarming the football," Jenkins said. "We didn't do an exceptional job with that (last year)." The Wildcats led the nation with 41 takeaways in Jenkins' first season in 2010. Last year, despite defensive end Ryan Davis leading the nation with eight forced fumbles, their total number takeaways slipped to 30.

"When you have that kind of dropoff, you need to get back to teaching the basics," Jenkins said.

The new players in spring camp will have a jump on the rest of the 2012 recruiting class when preseason practice begins in August, the coach said.

READ MORE

As spring drills open, ECSU has holes to fill on offense

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Elizabeth City State’s football team opened spring practice on Monday with as many questions as it has had in many years.

Coming off an eight-win season, a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game appearance and an NCAA Division II playoff berth, the Vikings should be flying high. But Tillar is having to fill many holes left by graduation, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Tillar’s biggest task is finding a starting quarterback for the first time since 2009 after the graduation of three-year starter Creven Powell. For now, Tillar says that senior Namon Jones is the starter.

“Going into this spring, Namon Jones, it’s his job to lose,” Tillar said.

READ MORE 

Shaw’s national champs

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Yes, they sure can play some college basketball in these parts. And this spring it’s the Lady Bears of Shaw University who have the honor of bringing home to the Triangle a national title – the first in Shaw’s long history.

“We came. We saw. We conquered,” said Athletics Director Al Carter as the team was welcomed back to its downtown Raleigh campus Saturday afternoon. No apologies to Julius Caesar were needed.

The Shaw team’s final push to glory came Friday in San Antonio, in the finals of the NCAA Division II women’s tournament. The Lady Bears played the Eagles of Ashland (Ohio) College – a No. 1 seed in the 64-team field. The Eagles had won 33 straight games. Until they tangled with the Bears.

READ MORE

Gold Rush in final top 25 for the second consecutive year

NEW ORLEANS — Despite slipping six places over two polls, the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team is in the top 25 of the final NAIA Division I coaches poll for the second straight season. It's the first time the Gold Rush have appeared in consecutive final top-25s during Dannton Jackson's nine seasons as head coach.

The Gold Rush (23-9) were 24th in the final poll announced Monday. Xavier dropped three places since the March 7 poll.

Xavier was 17th in the final poll of 2011, which was conducted before the national tournament.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 11th consecutive time and the 24th time in 25 polls dating to the start of the 2010-11 season. The Gold Rush were 21st in the preseason poll of Oct. 24 and climbed as high as 18th on Jan. 9 and Feb, 27.

The Gold Rush lost 66-63 to LSU-Shreveport on March 15 in the opening round of the national tournament at Kansas City, Mo. Xavier earned a share of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship for the third time during Jackson's tenure but lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

National champion Concordia (Calif.) was unanimously chosen No. 1.

Athletics Awards Banquet

6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 at University Center Ballroom Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Tuesday, March 20)

 Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Concordia (Calif.) (10) 31-7 250 4
2 Oklahoma Baptist 32-5 242 2
3 Shorter 34-3 234 1
4 Mountain State 26-9 223 11
5 Georgetown (Ky.) 26-9 202 14
6 Biola 27-9 201 10
7 LSU-Shreveport 27-8 197 12
8 Rogers State 24-9 196 9
9 Martin Methodist 28-7 193 5
10 Robert Morris (Chicago) 27-5 186 3
11 Southern Poly 24-7 178 6
12 Our Lady of the Lake 27-8 163 7
13 Columbia (Mo.) 27-7 145 15
14 Lindsey Wilson 21-10 141 8
15 Point Loma Nazarene 21-10 139 16
16 Montana Western 25-10 134 20
17 John Brown 24-9 130 13
18 Lee (Tenn.) 20-9 107 17
19 MidAmerica Nazarene 25-9 105 22
20 SUNO 18-14 89 NR
21 Montana State Northern 27-7 86 18
22 Evangel 24-10 83 RV
23 Texas Wesleyan 25-8 75 19
24 Xavier 23-9 63 21
25 Southern Nazarene 23-10 53 25

Others receiving votes: Campbellsville 52, Azusa Pacific 40, Olivet Nazarene 27, Tougaloo 21, Cumberlands 20, Freed-Hardeman 15, Cumberland 10, Life 6, Westmont 3, Pikeville 1, Baker 1, Saint Xavier 1.

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

Nuggets earn highest rank in final NAIA poll since 2005

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed two places to 16th in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll announced Monday. It's the Gold Nuggets' best position in the final poll of a season since ranking 15th in 2005.

Xavier (26-9) earned its second consecutive two-place climb after beating then-16th-ranked Southern Nazarene 74-67 in the opening round of the national tournament March 15 at Frankfort, Ky. Second-ranked Union (Tenn.), the tournament runner-up, eliminated the Gold Nuggets the following night with a 58-43 decision.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 31st consecutive time dating to January 2010. It's the Nuggets' longest top-25 streak since 34 straight polls from Jan. 13, 2003-March 8, 2005.

The Gold Nuggets were 16th in the preseason poll on Oct. 24. Their highest position was 15th on Jan. 23, and their lowest was 21st on Feb. 13.

National champion Oklahoma City was No. 1 for the seventh consecutive poll and the 10th time in 13 polls this season.

NOTES: Xavier was the only school to win a first-round game against a higher-ranked opponent at nationals in 2011 and 2012 .Tourbeau Sports Group is selling videos of the Gold Nuggets' two games at the national

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS.COM
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Roberts wants to be FAMU's next LeRoy Vann

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Devan Roberts came to Florida A&M two years ago with the intention of proving he could be a return specialist as good as school record-setter LeRoy Vann.

Roberts brought back a lot of memories of Vann during Saturday's first spring football scrimmage. He took a punt return 50 yards for a touchdown — just like Vann did during the spring scrimmage that preceded his breakout season.

Roberts, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound sophomore from Ocala Forest High School, said he expects the comparisons to begin.

"Vann was a great return man," he said. "It's going to be very hard to fill the shoes of Vann, but all I can do is keep trying hard. I've put in the work. Coach (Joe) Taylor also says success is an inconvenience but I have to show it out here on the field.

READ MORE

Prairie View coach issues challenge, players respond

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M baseball coach Waskyla Cullivan has been challenging his players to carry the same intensity from beginning to end during each weekend series.

The Panthers met that challenge against Arkansas-Pine Bluff over the weekend.

Prairie View beat visiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff 9-6 on Sunday afternoon to complete its first three-game sweep of the season and record its 10th victory in the last 13 games. The Panthers (14-9) improved to 7-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and held on to first place in the Western Division, maintaining a half-game lead on Grambling State.

READ MORE

Panthers Earn Series Sweep On Sunday Over UAPB

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M completed the series sweep over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon with a 9-6 win at home, improving to 14-8 and taking first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division at 7-1.

Panthers head coach Waskyla Cullivan acknowledged how important a sweep in conference play can be for their overall goal of winning a SWAC championship.

“It was great to sweep Arkansas-Pine Bluff today,” Cullivan said. “Next week, we play Grambling, and we're going to be playing for the first half championship. We're in first place right now, and we're excited about the opportunity to and win to stay in first place. Last year we were in the same situation, and we went to Grambling and got swept. We don't want that to happen again.”

Grambling (13-8, 7-2 SWAC) is a game behind Prairie View in the West, and winning the weekend series for the Panthers would mean separation from the pack and moving one step closer to a top seeding in the SWAC Tournament.

READ MORE

Delaware State Hornets Begin Spring Football Drills

DOVER, Delaware – The Delaware State University football team will begin its annual spring drills this week. The camp will include 15 practice sessions at Alumni Stadium, culminating in the Red/White scrimmage on Apr. 14.

Delaware State second-year head coach Kermit Blount expects more than 60 players to participate in this year’s camp. Blount was hired less than six weeks prior to the Hornets’ 2011 spring drills.

“Last year’s spring camp was a challenge because the staff wasn’t as familiar with our personnel and we had to spend a great deal of time teaching new offensive and defensive systems,” he said. “Now that we have a year under our belts, we can spend more time on player development and execution.”

The Hornets expect to return eight offensive starters this season. Quarterback Nick Elko (r-sr.) returns after completing 207 of 362 passes (57.2%) for 2,064 yards in his first season as a starter in 2011. Elko threw for 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions; and was second in the MEAC in passing average (206.4 ypg) and sixth in total offense (193.5 ypg) last season.

The Hornets also return wide receiver Travis Tarpley (r-sr.), who was tops among all MEAC players in all-purpose yards at 144.2 per game in 2011. Tarpley set a DSU single-season record with 66 receptions last year. He was tops on the Hornets with 736 receiving yards and second on the team with 148 rushing yards last season.

Fellow receiver Justin Wilson (sr.) also returns after catching 54 passes for 563 yards and six touchdowns in eight games in 2011. Wilson, the 2011 MEAC Preseason Player-of- the-Year missed three games last season due to an ankle injury.

On defense, the Hornets must replace their two leading tacklers from last season, linebackers Quentin Ferguson and Brandon Harvey.

The top returning tacklers from 2011 are inside linebacker Ernest Adjei (sr.) and defensive back Joe Boyd (so.). Adjei had total 59 tackles, including 35 solo stops, while Boyd tallied 53 tackles (38 unassisted) last season

Blount also expects returning defensive end Quinton Fortes (sr.) and linebacker Olusegun Ayanbiola (r-sr.) to play major roles on the defense this season.

“I’m extremely pleased with our players’ response to our off-season conditioning program, and we’re confident the commitment will carry into spring camp,” said Blount.

Delaware State University 2012 spring football schedule (all practices at Alumni Stadium)

Mon., Mar. 26 3:30 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 27 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 28 3:30 p.m.
Thu., Mar. 29 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 30 3:30 p.m.

Sat., Mar. 31 9:00 a.m.

Mon., Apr. 2 3:30 p.m.

Tue., Apr. 3 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Apr. 4 3:30 p.m.

Thu., Apr. 5 7:30 p.m.

Tue., Apr. 10 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Apr. 11 3:30 p.m.

Thu., Apr. 12 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Apr. 13 3:30 p.m.

Sat., Apr. 14 4:00 p.m. (Red/White scrimmage)

DSU Hornets' 2012 Football Schedule

Date Opponent Site Time
Sep. 1 VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 2:00 pm
Sep. 8 at U of Delaware, Newark, Delaware TBA
Sep. 15 at U of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio TBA
Sep. 22 *FLORIDA A&M, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 6:00 pm

Oct. 6 at *Norfolk State Norfolk, VA TBA
Oct. 13 *SC STATE, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 1:30 pm
Oct. 20 *NCA&T, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE, (HOMECOMING) 1:30 pm
Oct. 27 at *Morgan State Baltimore, MD TBA

Nov. 3 at *NC Central, Durham, NC TBA
Nov. 10 *HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 1:00 pm
Nov. 17 at *Howard University, Washington, D.C. TBA
Nov. 24 NCAA FCS (1-AA) Playoffs  TBA

*MEAC Games
Bold: Home Contests

SCSU Cooper’s ‘one shining moment’

Dr. GEORGE E. COOPER
President, S.C. State University

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - There was no NCAA Tournament for the South Carolina State men’s basketball team this year.

Yet some would say with all the recent administrative controversies, the school is going through its own form of “March Madness.”

One of the fallouts is the pending retirement this Friday of S.C. State School President George Cooper. It’s probably too early to give a true, honest assessment of Cooper’s tenure and accomplishments during his four years with the university. Because of the polarizing nature of Cooper’s departure, it’s difficult right now to compromise the strong opinions which exists on both sides of the debate.

From a sports’ standpoint, however, Cooper truly experienced “one shining moment.”

READ MORE

WSSU Sheets grateful for opportunity

ZACHARY SHEETS
WSSU Rams Golf
Sophomore

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Zach Sheets could be bitter, but that isn't his style. Sheets, a junior on the Winston-Salem State golf team, won't have a place to play next fall because the school is shutting down the program to funnel its scholarship dollars to the football and basketball programs.

"We kind of knew this was coming, because it was rumored they were going to shut the program down," said Sheets, a 27-year-old Kernersville native and WSSU's No. 1 golfer this season. "At the meeting, the track team came in, so we thought maybe we were safe, but it didn't turn out that way."

WSSU will cut men's indoor and outdoor track and field and men's golf from its athletics program starting with the next school year.

"I could be mad, but then I think about the great opportunity I've had here to come to Winston-Salem State, play golf, and to be back in college," said Sheets, a physical-education major who has a 3.9 grade-point average. Sheets — who works at UPS three days a week, starting at 3 a.m. — said that without golf at WSSU, he wouldn't have returned to school.

READ MORE

VISIT: WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: WSSURAMS.COM

Hampton Pirates Opens 2012 Football Season at OVC Champs TTU

COOKEVILLE, Tennessee -- Still riding the crest of winning the Ohio Valley Conference championship and making its first appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs, the Tennessee Tech football team has turned its attention to the 2012 season.

And, what a season it will be. Tech faces three tough non-conference opponents who combined for a 30-9 record last year including Rose Bowl champion Oregon, six home games in Tucker Stadium plus an OVC schedule destined to present challenges every single week.



The 11-game Golden Eagle football schedule was announced this week by head coach Watson Brown and TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson.

Tech opens with back-to-back Thursday home games against Hampton and North Greenville University, then faces three consecutive road games at Oregon, Southeast Missouri and Murray State.

READ MORE

Gold Rush rallies, earns steak dinner for spring win in Albany State Rams' annual Blue & Gold scrimmage

ALBANY, Georgia — Luther Edwards pleaded for his fellow seniors to set the tone for the 2012 season. He also wanted that steak dinner. Albany State’s senior running back got both.

After a shaky start for the Albany State offense Friday, the Gold Rush came back to win the 4th annual Blue and Gold scrimmage, 43-32, and they were awarded the traditional steak dinner for the winners in the process.

“With us being seniors, I wanted us to step up and set the tone early so everybody can fall in line,” said Edwards, who was held out of the end zone but broke away for several long runs, including a 50-yarder in second quarter.

Edwards’ backfield mate and fellow senior Nathan Hoyte scored on a 38-yard run, and quarterback Keenan Grissett, who is battling for the starting job with Blaize Schaeffer, threw a pair of touchdowns to senior wideout Ronnie Tubbs.

READ MORE

Will Harris: ECSU gets a glimpse of what could be

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Congratulations to the Shaw Lady Bears for winning the NCAA Division II national championship on Friday.

Now, when ECSU coach Alico Dunk talks about the competitive nature of the CIAA, you’ll know he means it. And to think, ECSU had a shot at the buzzer that could have beaten the Lady Bears in Elizabeth City on Jan. 16. Shaw won 25 of its last 26 games, including the final 15, and outside of the one loss to Johnson C. Smith, the 74-72 win over ECSU game was the Lady Bears’ closest one down the stretch.

Then there are the men, basking in he glow of Norfolk State’s tournament upset of Missouri last week. ECSU took it to the Spartans on Nov. 30, winning handily 69-57 in Norfolk.

So, even though other teams are ...

READ MORE

TSU Flying Tigers & Tigerbelles Compete Strong at USC

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - Tennessee State University track & field placed 15 in the top-15 at the Weems Baskin Invitational held at the campus of the University of South Carolina on Friday and Saturday.

The Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles had outstanding performers across the board, most notably from Arthur Combest and Daniecce Ward - who combined for top-10 performances.

20-plus schools participated in the annual meet, giving the Tigers the most competitive field to date so far this season.

Ward cleared a distance of 5-3 (1.60m) in the women's high jump for seventh, while leaping 17-8 ¾ (5.40m) for an eighth place finish in the long jump. In the triple jump, the senior scampered 37-3 ¾ (11.37m) to place seventh out of 18 competitors.

Ja'Lyn Burr earned sixth in the triple jump, clearing 37-4 ½ to notch sixth. Felicia Oladkun was right behind her teammate with a distance of 37-5 (11.50m) for fifth.

Bur also earned a pair of 15th place finishes, clearing 5-1 (1.55m) in the high jump and 16-1 ¾ (4.92m) in the long jump event.

In short distance contests, freshman Ashontae Jackson collected a fourth place mark with her run of 24.25 in the 200-meter dash. Gabrielle Todd clocked a time of 56.41 for seven in the 400-meter dash.

Brielle Moore placed 12th with her pace of 15.10 in the women's 100-meter hurdles. The Tigerbelles 4x100 relay team of Carolyn Petway, Diera Taylor, Todd and Jackson recorded a run of 47.78 for seventh.

Sophomore Royce Dates made a strong leap of 23-10 (7.26m) for second overall in the men's long jump. The jump surpassed his previous jump of 23-8 ¼ (7.22m) and was tied for 21st nationally as of Saturday evening.

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Combest managed a sixth place mark with his time of 14.94. Combest cleared the 400-meter hurdles in 56.33 for seventh. In the high jump, Combest cleared 6-4 ¾ (1.95m) for sixth.

Due to poor weather conditions in the Columbia area, the final three running events (women's 5K, M/W 4x4 relays) and field events (shot put, discus and high jump) were all cancelled.

Tennessee State takes a two-week hiatus before hosting the annual Boston-Moon Classic on Friday April 13 and Saturday, April 14.

Weems-Baskin Invitational Results (PDF)

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

Top-5 Auburn Montgomery teams defeat Rush, Nuggets

Athletics Awards Banquet

6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 at University Center Ballroom Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets

NEW ORLEANS -- Auburn Montgomery overcame a doubles deficit and defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 6-3 Saturday in a matchup of ranked NAIA men's teams at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center.

AUM's top-ranked women defeated 24th-ranked Xavier 7-2.

AUM's men (9-6), ranked fifth, lost 2-of-3 doubles matches but reeled off five consecutive singles victories against ninth-ranked Xavier (10-4). Bence Toth clinched for the Warhawks with his 6-3, 6-3 victory against Viktor Svoboda at No. 2.

The Warhawks are 8-0 against NAIA opponents this season. The Gold Rush lost for the third time in four duals and to AUM for the second time in 14 days.

XU got doubles victories from Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor at No. 1 and Sean Richardson and Steffen Giles-Osborn at No. 3. Richardson scored the lone Gold Rush singles victory with a 6-4, 7-5 decision against Matias Dasso.

AUM's other victory against the Rush was 5-4 in the championship match of the AUM Invitational on March 11.

Auburn Montgomery's women (14-1) forfeited matches at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles because of five available players. But the Warhawks dropped a combined three games in winning six other matches. The Gold Nuggets' only close match was at No. 2 singles, where XU freshman Amanda Materre retired because of injury after trailing Jade Curtis, the reigning NAIA Player of ther Week, 7-5, 3-4.

Ana Veselinovic, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's top-ranked NAIA singles player, defeated XU's Kourtney Howell (XU) 6-2, 6-0 at the top flight.

The Gold Nuggets (3-16) have dropped seven of their past eight duals.

It was the final home appearance for seniors Taylor, Richardson and Giles-Osborn of the Rush and Ashley McGill of the Nuggets. McGill, who plays No. 3 doubles with Jordyn Goody and No. 6 singles, didn't have to play because of the forfeits.

Both Xavier teams will travel next weekend to California for four duals apiece against ranked NAIA opponents during spring break. The Rush and Nuggets will play Point Loma Nazarene (men ranked seventh, women ranked sixth) on April 2, Westmont (men 10th, women tied for 21st) on April 3, Concordia (both teams eighth) on April 4 and Vanguard (men sixth, women 15th) on April 5.

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

Scrimmage Concludes First Week of TSU Spring Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Big Blue took to the field at Hale Stadium on Saturday for a scrimmage to conclude the first week of spring practice. The Tigers worked both 7-on-7 and full team drills during the early morning workout.

"I liked the intensity of the scrimmage, but we turned the ball over too much today on offense," said Coach Rod Reed. "I think we had 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions, and it doesn't matter which team you do it with. You can't turn the ball over and expect to be successful in football. But I saw some good things defensively."

"The defensive line did not get a good pass rush but they played the run well," Reed continued. "We have to do a better job with the pass rush. On the flip side, I thought our offensive line protected well, even when we threw a few stunts and blitzes."

Coach Reed seemed pleased with the outing by sophomore quarterback Mike German. "Mike was sharp," Reed commented. "He stood in the pocket and made some throws with pressure coming and that's what we want from him."

TSU ran 15 plays in 7-on-7 before finishing with 88 plays with both units in full 11-on-11. Coach Reed also used the first scrimmage to take a look at the running game.

"I thought in some instances we ran it well," said Coach Reed. "In coming out situations, we didn't do very well running the ball. We gave up a safety and you can't do that coming out. So we need to go back to the drawing board. The main thing is you got to block up front in those situations. I thought the defense did a good job in those situations when they had them down tight."

The Tigers will continue spring practice and will take to field again next Saturday trying to improve on their first week of preparation.

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

"Never ranked" Shaw Bears come home to welcoming rally

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The Shaw Bears’ flight back home from the NCAA Division II championships was delayed by over 30 minutes Saturday, which pushed the women’s basketball team’s arrival an hour past the scheduled campus celebration.

But nobody was complaining, as students, faculty and fans patiently waited with open arms for the new national champions to walk through the doors of Spaulding Gymnasium.

At 3:40 p.m. they did just that to roaring applause and high-stepping music by the pep band. For the first time since 1947, Shaw University has a national champion.

The Bears (29-6) rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 2 ranked Ashland 88-82 in overtime. Shaw is just the third CIAA women’s program in conference history to win it all.

READ MORE

Finally, Shaw's Williams can celebrate



ASLEA WILLIAMS

 Senior post helps achieve goal that goes back to recruitment

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Aslea Williams celebrated another championship Friday and this time, her coach, Jacques Curtis was right along with her. This was the big one. This one was why this senior post was recruited to Shaw. And this one was for the ages.

Williams’ oh-so-timely baskets late and stellar guard play throughout helped the Lady Bears beat Ashland in overtime 88-82 to win the Division II women’s championship.

Finally, Williams can express her unbridled glee at a team accomplishment without drawing the ire of Curtis. You see, last year after Shaw won the CIAA championship, Williams was beside herself with joy — until she got in the locker room afterward.

“The comment I made to them then was I didn’t bring you here to win the CIAA,” Curtis said. “I brought you here to win the national championship. [Williams] was like, this is my first championship that I’ve won, so I’m going to be happy we won the championship. Now, we’ve got what I brought her here to do. That was the goal.”

SHAW PHOTO GALLERY

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HIGHLIGHTS

READ MORE

VISIT: SHAWBEARS.COM
VISIT: SHAW UNIVERSITY
VISIT: THECIAA.COM