THE SHOW: 2012 Alabama State University Turkey Day Classic

Wells lifts WSSU in tournament opener

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin -- Milwaukee Point guard Marcus Wells made a key layup with 1:03 left, and Winston-Salem State hung on to defeated Northern Michigan 78-69 at the Fresh Coast Classic on Friday afternoon.

Wells led the Rams (2-2) with 17 points, Justin Glover added 16, and reserve guard Tyre Desmore scored 12 as the Rams shot 55 percent from the field.

The Rams shot just 63 percent from the foul line (19 of 31) but made enough free throws in the final minute to hold off the Wildcats (1-1).

The score was tied 36-36 at halftime, and the biggest lead in the first half was seven, by the Rams after two Wells’ free throws made it 27-20 with 6:34 remaining.

But Northern followed with an 11-0 run that included three 3-pointers and went up 31-27 when Kendall Jackson hit the third 3, with 4:38 left. Wakefield Ellison ended the run with a layup, and WSSU tied on Kimani Hunt’s layup with 3:25 to play.

READ MORE 

Tuskegee rallies in second half for Xavier Classic victory

NEW ORLEANS — Amelia Dorton, one of four Tuskegee double-digit scorers, had 16 points Friday to help the Tigerettes rally for a 76-62 women's basketball victory against Langston in the Xavier Classic.

Tuskegee (2-3) trailed by 11 points in the 11th minute and 34-33 at halftime but took the lead for good by outscoring Langston 12-2 in the first four minutes of the second half. An 11-3 run extended Tuskegee's lead to 56-45 with 11:23 remaining.

Alannah Vincent scored 13 points, Natasha Williams 11 and Kajuanna Rivers 10 for Tuskegee, an NCAA Division II member. Williams scored all her points in the final 12 minutes. Rayven Sellers had eight points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Amber Coleman had 18 points and eight rebounds for Langston (0-5), ranked 14th in NAIA Division I. Victoria Felix had 11 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and Tayla Vaughn had 11 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks and three assists.

Langston led for all but 67 seconds of the first half and took its biggest lead, 23-12, on Coleman's 3-point play at 9:46.

Tuskegee outshot Langston 45.3 to 40.7 from the floor — 50 to 31.3 percent in the second half — committed 14 turnovers and gained 27. Langston had a 41-29 rebound advantage.

Tuskegee led by double digits for the final 8:19 and twice led by 16.

Langston, making its eighth consecutive Xavier Classic appearance, lost both its games in the event for the first time since 2004. Xavier defeated the Lionesses 46-38 Thursday. Tuskegee finished 1-1 after losing 88-62 to Wiley. Both Tuskegee and Langston were 2-0 in the 2011 Xavier Classic.

Box score

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

Gold Nuggets rout Texas College for 3rd straight victory

NEW ORLEANS -- Andraquay Quinnine, Whitney Gaston-Loyd and Chelsea Broussard scored 10 points apiece Friday to lead NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana in an 84-39 women's basketball victory against Texas College in the Xavier Classic at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Nuggets (5-1) won both their games in this event and extended their win streak to three games.

Quinnine and Broussard scored six points apiece to lead Xavier to a 33-20 halftime advantage. The Nuggets scored the first 13 points of the second half, five by SiMon Franklin. The final margin was the largest of the game.

Gaston-Loyd, who played nine minutes, made all five of her field-goal attempts.

Xavier outshot the Lady Steers (1-4, 1-1 Xavier Classic) 39.5 to 27.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 55-30. Reserve guard Talon Hixon grabbed a season-high eight rebounds and was one of three XU players with three steals.

Carmen Holcombe had eight points and five rebounds for Xavier, and Danielle Tucker had seven points, six rebounds and a season-best five assists.

Shirley McGowen scored 12 points, including 8-of-11 free throws, for Texas College. Jasmine Becks scored eight.

It was the third time this season and the second consecutive game that Xavier allowed fewer than 40 points.

Xavier will play Mobile at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center.


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

B-CU hopes to make deep FCS playoff run

DAYTONA BEACH — Bethune-Cookman hopes today marks the start of a deep run through the Football Championship Subdivsion playoffs.

B-CU (9-2) is hosting Coastal Carolina (7-4) in the FCS playoffs at Municipal Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN 3.com.

"It's a good feeling to be in this position that but there is more football to be played," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said.

The Wildcats are making their fourth playoff appearance and second in three years. They have never won a playoff. An injury to then-quarterback Matt Johnson hurt the team, contributing to a loss to New Hampshire in the 2010 playoffs.

"We are healthy heading into this one," Jenkins said. "This year we have had very limited injuries. The work in the weight room is paying off too."

A B-CU win would be the first playoff win for a MEAC or HBCU team since 1999 when Florida A&M made the semifinals and North Carolina A&T the quarterfinals. In 1978, FAMU was the only HBCU to win an FCS championship.

"I don't put that weight on my team," Jenkins said. "We do have the support of our conference as calls have come in wishing us well."




READ MORE

Turkey Day Classic commentary: Ultimate success of stadium is left up to ASU

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Way back in 2001, I wrote a column in which I encouraged Alabama State to build an on-campus stadium.

At the time, a powerful board of trustees member had come up with a plan for the stadium, along with a move up to the NCAA’s top football level.

It was a bold move that was supported by a majority of people on the ASU campus. But it was getting resistance from a couple of board members — one in particular — and eventually that plan fell through.

I assumed it was a dead idea. With the renovations of Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl and the steady deterioration of the SWAC — the conference in which ASU competes — I figured the idea of an on-campus stadium had been pushed to the back burner, maybe even completely off the stove.

I figured wrong.

ASU officially opened the doors to its shiny, new stadium, as it welcomed a packed house to an on-campus Turkey Day Classic against Tuskegee, which the Hornets lost 27-25.

PHOTO ALBUMS:
ASU's 89th Turkey Day Classic Parade

Turkey Day Classic Parade

ASU Hornet Walk

Tuskegee defeats ASU

READ MORE 

Prairie View A&M Tops Navy at the Buzzer, 42-40

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas -- Prairie View A&M's Carl Blair made a driving layup with no time left to hand the Navy men's basketball a 42-40 setback in the opening round of the South Padre Island Invitational on Friday afternoon.

The loss sends Navy into Saturday's consolation game against Delaware State, starting at 11:45 AM (ET) / 10:45 AM (CT). Navy falls to 2-4 overall, while the Panthers, who are picked to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title, improve to 3-4 overall.

Navy has now lost two straight games by two points and three of its four losses have come by five points or less.

"We had the exact same scenario as we had the other night against TCU. You have to make one more play," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis. "You can't go 3-of-8 from the free throw line and miss front ends of two one-and-ones. Every time we had a chance to stop the bleeding, we would miss a free throw. You can't let a guy dribble 90 feet for a lay-up to win the game. Those are winning plays you have to make. It's very disappointing, but you have to make basketball plays. Every play matters."

Navy surged out to a 24-12 lead right before halftime, before the Panthers connected on their only three-pointer of the first half to cut the lead to 24-15 at the break.

READ MORE