Erves leads Rush past Belhaven in another road victory

JACKSON, Miss. -- Denzell Erves scored a career-high-tying 23 points and grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds Monday to lead NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 73-63 men's basketball victory against Belhaven.

Erves became the first Gold Rush player of the past nine seasons to record 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games. He led Xavier (12-3) to its sixth victory in seven road games this season.

Wanto Joseph had 16 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Xavier, and Renard Smith scored a season-high 12 points.

Jordan Butts scored 19 points for Belhaven (6-9), which lost for the sixth time in eight games. Curt Hall had 14 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, and Jerrial Dawson matched his season best of 12 points. Butts and Dawson each made three first-half 3-pointers.

Erves scored five of Xavier's first eight points in a 10-0 run to open the game. But the Blazers made seven 3-pointers and gained the lead three times before Anthony Boswell's layup with 20 seconds remaining -- his first points of the season -- gave the Gold Rush a 40-38 halftime lead.

Xavier never trailed in the second half, but Belhaven tied the score at 51 and 53. Erves' basket after his offensive rebound put Xavier ahead to stay, 55-53, with 7:34 remaining.

Xavier, playing on New Year's Eve for the first time since 2008, outshot the Blazers 52 to 35 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 42-36. In the second half, the Gold Rush limited Belhaven to 1-of-13 3-pointers and outrebounded the Blazers 30-20. Erves grabbed 13 second-half rebounds in his ninth double-double of the season and 16th of his career.

Both teams struggled with free throws -- Xavier made 15-of-29, and Belhaven was 13-of-24. The Gold Rush made 6-of-15 in the second half.

No XU player has grabbed more than 15 rebounds in the past nine seasons. Erves is the fourth during that time to reach 15, joining Cordell Hadnot (2011), Kelechi Okoroha (2009) and Alfred Williams (2008). Williams is in his fourth season as an XU assistant coach.

It's the fifth time in Dannton Jackson's 10 seasons as head coach that the Gold Rush are 12-3 or better through the first 15 games.

Xavier, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion a year ago, will play its GCAC opener at 5 p.m. EST Saturday against Edward Waters in Jacksonville, Fla. The next XU men's home game will start at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12 against Tougaloo in the new Convocation Center.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

UAH scores season-high in 107-63 win against Tuskegee

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  --  UAH coach Lennie Acuff summed up his team's performance in a 107-63 defeat of Tuskegee at Spragins Hall Sunday afternoon in one line.

"It was a good day for us," Acuff said. "When the ball goes in, everything looks good."

And boy did it ever for the Chargers, ranked No. 3 in the nation in the most recent NCAA Division II poll.

UAH (9-1) shot a blistering 64.8 percent from the field for the game, knocking down 35 of its 54 attempts on the night. And it didn't matter whether the Chargers fired it up from near or far. They were 14-for-24 from 3-point range and connected on 23 of 31 free-throw attempts.

Senior guard Jaime Smith led the way for the Chargers, who picked up their seventh straight win, with team-high 19 points, including 12 in the second half.

Five other Chargers finished in double-figures in scoring, a group that included forward Conner Blasi (13), Zane Campbell (11), Ronnie Mack, Dedrick Wayne (10), Brett Wester (10) and Andrew Dononvan (10) in the their highest offensive output of the season.

READ MORE

Ram Ramblings: One more look at WSSU's Kameron Smith

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  It’s not everyday that a positive e-mail comes in, but it was very nice to hear from one of quarterback Kam Smith’s older brothers.

Smith, the record-setting quarterback who played his final game for the Rams on Dec. 15 in the 35-7 loss to Valdosta State in the Division II national championship, is somebody I will remember for a long time. And I’m sure WSSU fans will also remember him for his greatness, his humility and his ability to run Connell Maynor’s offense.

Smith’s brother, Kerry, who lives in Riverview, Florida e-mailed me about my kind comments I had to their mother after the game in Florence, Alabama. Smith comes from a large family and I told his mother what a pleasure it was to cover her son for the last three years.

Kerry Smith said that he and his family have closely followed my coverage of the Rams since Kam arrived before the 2010 season. Kerry Smith said that his brother enjoyed his time at WSSU and he said the Smith family will be “Rams for life.”

Here are some of the final statistics for one of the most productive quarterbacks in WSSU and CIAA history. All Smith did was go 31-4 as a starter and throw for 7,540 yards with an incredible 96 touchdown passes.

READ MORE

Late TCU Rally Edges MVSU, 67-64

FORT WORTH, Texas — TCU led by double digits early before having to force a late rally on its way to a 67-64 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Sunday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Horned Frogs scored seven of the game’s final nine points in the comeback win.

TCU improved to 9-4 with the victory, including 7-2 at home. The Frogs finished their non-conference schedule with the best winning percentage (.692) for the program since going 10-4 (.714) in regular-season non-league games in 2004-05. The loss dropped the Delta Devils’ season record to 0-10.

The Frogs led by as many as 12 points Sunday but saw their advantage evaporate late as MVSU cranked its game up to another level in the second half. A 6-0 run gave TCU a 56-47 edge with 9:34 remaining, but MVSU scored 15 of the game’s next 19 points to take the lead inside the final three minutes. The Frogs went cold from the floor during the stretch, as the Devils held the squad without a field goal and to only four foul throws for nearly eight full minutes.

A Darryl Marshall layup gave MVSU its first lead of the game at 62-60 with 2:24 to play, but TCU responded with its late surge. Senior forward Adrick McKinney came up with two huge plays down low on back-to-back TCU possessions, first tying the game with a layup off an assist from sophomore guard Kyan Anderson. McKinney then gave the Frogs the lead for good with a tip-in off a missed layup by fellow senior Garlon Green with 35 seconds left.

TCU closed the game out at the line late, with Green hitting two shots to give the Frogs a four-point lead and Anderson adding another in the final seconds following another Marshall basket. MVSU did have one final opportunity to tie, but Marshall’s desperation 3-point try was far off the mark at the buzzer.

Stats (.html) | Stats (.pdf) | Quotes | Notes | Highlights

Anderson led TCU in the scorebook for the fourth time this season with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and added five assists. Green totaled 15 and seven rebounds, and McKinney had 13 points and a game-high nine boards. Senior forward Connell Crossland chipped in nine points and five boards, and senior guard Nate Butler Lind, who totaled only six points in 40 minutes, provided a lockdown defensive effort on MVSU leading scorer Davon Usher, managing only six points.

Two Delta Devils scored in double figures, including guard Matt Smith, who totaled a game-high 17 points to go with nine rebounds, and guard Darius Tomlin, who totaled 13 points. Marshall gave the Frogs fits all afternoon with his dribble penetration at the point, dishing out a game-high seven assists.

MVSU found success inside thanks to Marshall’s ability to break down the TCU defense. The squad scored 40 of its 64 points in the paint, even though the vast majority of its production came from guards. The Delta Devils also recorded a 36-34 edge on the glass, although the Frogs were able to find their way to the charity stripe, where they posted a 12-4 scoring edge.

Despite the close result, the contest did feature one of the TCU’s strongest starts to a contest this season, as the squad scored 13 of the game’s first 17 points while building an early nine-point advantage. Green and Anderson helped push the Frogs to a 12-point edge with just over seven minutes left in the half with back-to-back treys.

MVSU crept back into the game with some easy baskets inside. The squad grabbed five offensive boards rebounds in the opening stanza that resulted in seven points. Smith got hot late in the period, totaling eight points in the final five minutes, and MVSU scored six of the final eight points of the half to cut the TCU edge to only four points at t he break, 37-33.

TCU opens its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference next Saturday when it plays host to Texas Tech at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Frogs and Red Raiders tip off at 5 p.m. with television coverage provided by FOX Sports Southwest.

COURTESY TCU ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Mississippi State Falls At Home To Alabama A&M

Courtesy AAMU Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State surrendered a 15-point lead Sunday afternoon as the Bulldogs dropped a 59-57 decision to Alabama A&M in a men’s basketball game played at Humphrey Coliseum.

Playing for the first time since Christmas break, the Bulldogs fell to 4-7 and 3-1 home. Not even a return to the lineup by junior guard Jalen Steele could provide enough of a lift for the Maroon and White.

Steele played 27 minutes in his first action since fracturing a wrist on Nov. 13 against Florida Atlantic. Steele hit his first two shots from the field and finished with 10 points.

“Obviously, it is a disappointing loss because it is a home loss,” MSU head coach Rick Ray said. “You want to protect your home court. You need to win your games at home. We had been good at home this year.”

MSU (4-7) built the early lead by dominating inside. Reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week Gavin Ware went to work early as the Maroon and White built a quick 14-3 advantage.

READ MORE

Alabama A&M defeats Mississippi State 59-57

STARKVILLE, Mississippi --  It is the biggest victory in head coach Willie Hayes young career at the helm of the Bulldog basketball program.

“This was a major victory for not only A&M men’s basketball but the University and the conference,” said Hayes. 

Juniors Jeremy Crutcher and Demarquelle Tabb led the Bulldogs with 14 each while Tabb posted seven boards and Crutcher collected five assists. Brandon Ellis finished with his season high 13 points and three steals.

Although G. A. Hill totaled seven points, those were the difference makers as he scored the final points to helped A&M claim their first victory over Mississippi State.

The game did not start off well for the Bulldogs as MSU jumped out to a 27-12 lead which was their largest of the contest.

The 5:21 mark rolled around and saw State holding a 30-15 advantage when the tables started to turn in A&M’s favor.

Hayes and company then went on a 10-3 run to end the first half and cut the lead to eight. Justan Banks got a dunk to give the Maroon & White a momentum bucket going into half-time down 33-25.

“The main thing we wanted to do is keep the ball out of the interior,” Hayes mentioned. “State hit some jumpers early but my thing was to pressure the guards and keep the ball out of the paint.”

“The players stayed poised throughout the contest. They never quit even when we lost the lead a few times they continued to fight,” Hayes quoted.

The run continued in the second half as AAMU scored the first eight points before State hit their first two. From there the lead changed hands on seven different occasions as the home crowd started chanting for the Dogs but the A&M faithful, which was sitting behind the bench, gave the Bulldogs the motivation they needed.

Box Score

Photogallery

A&M claimed their first lead of the game at the 11:25 mark 39-38.

Mississippi State grabbed a four point lead at the 10:04 mark 43-39 but two free throws by Crutcher, then a lay-up by Ellis tied the score. Once again State grabbed a four point lead 47-43 but a three pointer by Ellis cut that lead to one.

Alabama A&M then grabbed their second lead at the 4:16 mark by one 52-51 but MSU was able to regain the lead and push it to five with 2:18 remaining 57-52.

That’s when Hill took over the game and rebounded a Crutcher miss and was fouled. The best free-throw shooter on the team then hit two straight from the charity stripe. He then stole the ball and laid it up to cut the lead to one.

Another Hill steal and layup put AAMU up by one 58-57. Hill then hit the first of two shots to give A&M a 59-57 lead. On the second free-throw the Boise State transfer rebounded his lone miss and held it to run out the clock and give Alabama A&M their fourth win of the year.

“This was one of those games we knew we could win. Mississippi State had a lot of injuries and we knew we could take advantage of that,” Hayes continued.

“We came out in the second half and got out to a fast start something we always try to do,” Hayes said. “Ball pressure created the opportunities we needed due to their lack of available players.”

On G. A. Hill’s play coach Hayes was quoted saying, “G. A’s tenacity is what gave us the lead and was crucial to the victory.”

The win is a first in five tries for A&M and a first versus a team from the Southeastern Conference.
Craig Sword scored 14 points to lead the Dogs while Gavin Ware scored 12 points and totaled 11 rebounds.

The Bulldogs will look to continue the win streak when they open SWAC play versus Grambling State on Wednesday, January 2^nd. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. in Elmore Gymnasium.

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

San DiegoToreros hold off Morgan State 66-63

SAN DIEGO, California  --  The USD Toreros earned a 66-63 home win over Morgan State to close out their nonconference slate with a much needed victory heading into WCC play next week. Johnny Dee scored a game-high 24 points, Chris Manresa notched his second consecutive double-double with 10 points and career-high 13 rebounds, and Cameron Miles gave the team a huge spark with a season-high 12 points. Miles' play was huge with sophomore guard Christopher Anderson sitting out his first collegiate game with a bout with the flu.

"Going into the game without Chris (Anderson), certainly I was concerned on how our team would respond without him," said head coach Bill Grier. "I can't tell you how proud I am of Cameron Miles. He gave us such great minutes to go with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists with just one turnover. We really needed that. And him being a senior leader, I think he really relished in the moment."

Morgan State (3-7) held the early lead against the Toreros (7-8) until Dee connected on his third basket of the game and second three-pointer for a 10-8 edge at the 13:13 mark. The Bears inched ahead by four at 14-10, but USD rallied back right away and eventually knot it up at 27-all on a free throw by Simi Fajemisin. A Dee trey and Miles old fashion three-point play gave the Toreros a 33-27 intermission lead.

In the second half it was again Miles who hit a jumper with 16:39 to go that put the Toreros ahead 41-34. USD would not relinquish their lead the rest of the way, however, twice the Bears pulled to within one point, the last time coming with eight seconds left on a three-pointer by DeWayne Jackson.

Morgan State immediately fouled Dee who cashed in on back-to-back charities for the second time in a span of five seconds for the 66-63 lead. Justin Black's long 3-point attempt glanced off the rim at the buzzer.

Manresa matched his point and rebound totals (10 points, 13 rebounds) for the second straight game. It marked the 12th time in Dee's two-year career that he reached 22 or more points. Morgan State was paced by Black (16 points) and forward Anthony Hubbard (12 points).

USD returns after the New Year to host the Portland Pilots in both teams West Coast Conference opener. The game is scheduled for Thursday, January 3rd, at 8:00 pm.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS