Savannah State Falls to Western Illinois 39-35

MACOMB, Illinois -- The Fighting Leathernecks trailed Savannah State 23-12 at halftime, but outscored the Tigers 27-12 in the second half, and held SSU to five points in the final 12 minutes of play to pick up their eighth straight win and improve to 11-3 on the season.

The 11-3 start is Western's best start since the 1979-80 season, and its eight consecutive victories is the most since the 1997-98 Leathernecks won nine straight.

Savannah State (5-8) pressured the Leathernecks throughout the first half, forcing nine Western turnovers while the Leathernecks shot just 33% from the field. Western came out hot early in the second and played defense as they crawled their way back to even things 33-33 with two minutes to play.

An Adam Link free throw gave the Leathernecks their first lead of the game with just over a minute to play, and Western was able to hold off the Tigers until the final buzzer sounded.
Link was the only Leatherneck to score double figures, recording 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field, and going 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Terell Parks tallied nine points in the win to go along with his eight rebounds and career-high seven blocks.

Don McAvoy III and Jack Houpt each finished with six points.

Western ended up shooting 44.4% from the field, while the Tigers shot just 32.6% from the floor.

The Leathernecks entered the game ranked fifth in the country in personal fouls (13.1 per game), and committed 16 less fouls than Savannah State Wednesday, 24-8.

Khiry White led the Tigers with 10 points.

Western continues Summit League play Saturday evening (Jan. 2) at home against IUPUI. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.

COURTESY WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Lady Rattlers Can't Hold Off FIU Panthers in 70-69 Loss

MIAMI, Florida  --  Finda Mansare nailed a jumper for FIU with six seconds left in the game to give the Panthers a 70-69 win over the Florida A&M Women's Basketball team, here Wednesday afternoon at the Al Lawson Center.

The Panthers took a 68-64 lead on a pair of free throws by Jerica Coley with 1:41 to go in the game.
FAMU regained the lead as Kimberly Sparkman scored the next five points for the Lady Rattlers as she she made a layup with 48 seconds left, followed by a three-pointer with 21 seconds left in the game, giving FAMU a 69-68 lead.

The Lady Rattlers opened the first half with a 6-4 lead on a made free throw by Keturah Martin.
FIU would tie the game at 6-6, the first of 10 ties in the game on a pair of free throws by Marita Davydova with 15:59 to go in the first.

Then FIU would extend their lead to 16-12 on a three pointer by Zsofia Labady at the 11:56 mark of the half, capping an 8-3 run by the Panthers.

FAMU would regain the lead as they went on a 10-4 run, giving them a 22-20 lead, capped off by Sparkman layup with 8:51 left in the first.

The Lady Rattlers would then close out the half with a 15-8 run as Cristal Lirano scored FAMU's final two points of the half on a pair of free throws with one second left in the game.

FAMU finished the first half shooting 50-percent from the field (14-of-28), while FIU also shot 50-percent (11-of-22).

FIU opened the second half with a 7-0 run as they tied the game at 37-37, capped off by a layup Davydova with 17:29 to go in the game.

The combination of Sparkman and Grice would give the Rattlers a 42-37 lead as Sparkman made a layup at the 17:17, followed by a Grice three-pointer with 16:41 left.

FIU would regain the lead again on a Davydova layup with 13:33 left in the game, giving the Panthers a 45-44 lead.

A pair of field goals by Grice and Martin gave the Lady Rattlers a 50-47 lead with 11:50 left in the contest.

In the final 11 minutes, the lead would change times four times as FIU held on for the 70-69 win.
The Lady Rattlers finished the contest shooting 44.4 percent (28-of-63), while the Panthers shot 47.3 percent (26-of-55). FIU held the rebounding advantage over FAMU, 42-27.

FAMU (3-10) was paced by both Grice and Sparkman as they both combined for 48 points with Sparkman scoring a team-high 28 points, and Grice chipping in 20 points. Martin led the Lady Rattles on the boards with five.

FIU (8-5) had three Panthers to score in double figures as Coley scored a game-high 35 points to lead all scorers, followed by Davydova with a double-double as she scored 11 points and pulled down 11 boards, while Mansare added 10.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION RELEASE

Franklin earns GCAC's weekly award after 2 career highs

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's SiMon Franklin, who recorded career highs in points and rebounds this past weekend, has been chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball for Dec. 24-30.

Franklin, a 5-foot-7 senior guard from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of St. Joseph's Academy, averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and three steals in two games at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Montgomery, Ala. She had 25 points — 16 in the first half — nine rebounds and three steals Saturday in the Gold Nuggets' 66-64 loss to NAIA No. 24 Faulkner. Her 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining tied the score at 64. Franklin produced 10 points and three steals Friday in a 63-47 victory against Belhaven.

Franklin needs 76 points to become the 19th XU woman to reach 1,000 in a career. Franklin began the season 29th on XU's career list and has climbed to 22nd with 924 points. In 21st place is Alisheian Graham (1999-2003) with 944 points.

Xavier, 9-2 and ranked ninth in NAIA Division I, will play 12th-ranked Bethel (Tenn.) at 2 p.m. Wednesday at XU's new Convocation Center. The Nuggets will open defense of their GCAC championship at 3 p.m. EST Saturday against Edward Waters at Jacksonville, Fla.

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

Southern men set to begin SWAC play against TSU

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Last season, the Southern men’s basketball team finished with its best record in Southwestern Athletic Conference play since 2005.

The 13-5 mark was good enough for second in the conference, but the Jaguars couldn’t reap any of the benefits of their success because of academic-related penalties.

The NCAA had handed down a postseason ban on SU, thanks to substandard scores in its Academic Progress Rate.

It was Roman Banks’ first season in Baton Rouge, and the newly hired coach didn’t limit his accomplishments to the court in his inaugural campaign. In the past year, Southern ranked in the top three percentiles in Division I APR turnaround, making the Jaguars eligible for postseason play this year.

“We took the job in a very tough situation, and our penalty was practice time, no postseason play and scholarships,” Banks said. “We came in and turned academics around and wrote a waiver to the NCAA allowing us to go to postseason play. We can go to postseason play, but then there’s still a three-year period of this probation that we’re on. That means that we can’t falter.”


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Savannah State Brings in the New Year at Western Illinois

MACOMB, Illinois  --  The Fighting Leathernecks have won seven straight games and look to continue their winning ways with a pair of home games this week. Western (10-3, 4-0) concludes a home-and-home series with the Savannah State Tigers (5-7) on Wednesday (Jan. 2), and then plays host to the IUPUI Jaguars (6-11, 1-3) on Saturday (Jan. 5). Both games will be played at 7 p.m. inside Western Hall.

A LOOK AT THE TIGERS: Savannah State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and enters Wednesday’s game with a 5-7 record...The Tigers most recently lost their fourth straight game to Marshall, 64-48...SSU is led by Rashad Hassan who averages 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game... Preston Blackman sits second on the team with 9.9 points per game, and leads the team with 41 assists on the season.

COACHING SAVANNAH STATE: The Tigers are coached by Horace Broadnax (Georgetown ‘86) who is in his seventh season at the helm.

THE SERIES: Western owns a 2-3 record versus Savannah State all-time...All of Western’s games versus Savannah State occurred while Leatherneck head coach Jim Molinari was at the helm...The first came on November 24, 2009 when the Leathernecks lost, 52-48...Western beat the Tigers later that season at home on January 4th, 55-51...The two teams again played a home-and-home series the following season with Western downing the Tigers, 83-47, on the road before dropping a home game to SSU on March 1st, 51-47...Earlier this season Western lost in Georgia, 39-38.

MID-MAJOR TOP 25: Western Illinois just missed the CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll, receiving 73 votes...The 25th ranked team in the poll earned 86 votes.

UNDEFEATED DECEMBER: The Leathernecks finished the month of December with a 6-0 record...It was the first time Western has went unbeaten in the December in its Division I history, and the first time since the Leathernecks went 8-0 in December during the 1957-58 season.

BEST START SINCE: Western is off to its best start in its NCAA Division I history...No other team has started a season 10-3 or better since the 1980-81 season (WIU’s final season as a NCAA Division II team)...The last time a Western Illinois team started 11-3 was the 1979-80 season.

STREAKING: The Leathernecks picked up their seventh straight victory last Saturday evening against Fort Wayne, a winning streak that started over a month ago on November 29th at South Dakota...The last time the Leathernecks earned seven or more straight wins was during the 1998-99 season when they earned seven straight wins...In the 1997-98 season, Western won nine straight games.

UNDEFEATED CONFERENCE RECORD: The last time the Leathernecks started conference play 4-0 or better was the 1997-98 team which kicked-off conference play 6-0...The 1997-98 team’s 6-0 conference start is Western’s best start in league play The 1997-98 team’s 6-0 conference start is Western’s best start in league play since it became a division I program.

WHAT’S IN A WESTERN WIN?: A win would mark the 1,213th victory in program history...A win would mark head coach Jim Molinari’s 58th victory at Western, and his 281st victory all-time as a head coach...A win would be Western’s third over Savannah State and even the series at 3-3...A win would mark the Leathernecks’ eighth straight.

IN THE NATION (As of 12/31/12): Western ranks in the top 10 of two national categories...Fourth in defensive scoring, having held its opponents to 52.2 points per game, and fifth in personal fouls per game, having committed only 13.1 per game...The Leathernecks also rank in the top 100 of six other categories... 36th in field goal percentage defense (38.3), 40th in field goal percentage (46.8), 52nd in winning percentage (76.9), 59th in turnovers per game (12.2), 61st in blocked shots per game (4.8), 85th in scoring margin (8.4), and 85th in three-point feild goal percentage defense (30.7).

CLARK AND PARKS NATION (As of 12/31/12): Seniors Ceola Clark III and Terell Parks rank in the top 100 of six national categories...Parks ranks 27th in blocked shots per game (2.54), 47th in rebounds per game (9.1), 72nd in field goal percentage (53.2), and 84th in double doubles (3.0)...Clark ranks 42nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.92).

LAST TIME OUT: The Western Illinois men’s basketball team accomplished something the program hasn’t seen in its 32-year NCAA Division I history, starting a season with a 10-3 overall record.

The Leathernecks (10-3, 4-0) picked up their seventh straight victory Saturday evening (Dec. 29) inside Western Hall with a 62-50 conference win over the Fort Wayne Mastodons (6-9, 0-2). The last time Western had won seven consecutive games was the 1998-99 season.

Jack Houpt and Adam Link led Western with 16 points a piece, while Ceola Clark III scored 14. Terell Parks pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the win and two blocks to go along with his seven points.

Clark also had a team-high six assists and one steal.

The Leathernecks shot 48.7% from the floor, and held the Mastodons to 31.6% shooting.

Fort Wayne won the turnover battle, committing just five to Western’s 15. It also had 11 steals to Western’s two.

IPFW hit only 4-of-21 from three, and the Mastodons also struggled from the free throw line, knocking down only 10-of-23 from the charity stripe.

IPFW took the lead, 8-6, early in the first half, but the Leathernecks went on a 12-2 run to close out the opening 10 minutes of the contest with a 18-10 lead.

With eight minutes left in the first, Clark had nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, the Leathernecks were shooting just under 70%, and IPFW had connected on only three of its 13 shots (23.1%).

The Leathernecks were up by as many as 14 points in the first, and went into the locker room at halftime with a 12-point advantage, 31-19.

The second half started much like the first half finished, with the Leathernecks building their lead to as large as 17 points. IPFW, however, battled back and made it a six-point game with just just over 10 minutes to play in regulation.

Western wouldn’t allow the Mastodons to get any closer, and after holding off a small Fort Wayne run, the Leathernecks would roll to victory.

WHO: Savannah State Tigers (5-7) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (10-3, 4-0)
WHERE: Macomb, Ill. • Western Hall (5,139)
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY: Savannah State leads 3-2

FOLLOW THE ACTION

Radio/Live Audio:
The Dog (88.3 FM) & Classic 103 (102.7 FM)
Talent: Beau Spencer (play-by-play) & Josh Gleason (color)
Live Video:Rocky Vision (Single-Camera)

Live Stats:GoLeathernecks.com

 Twitter: @WIUAthletics

Facebook: 
WIU Athletics 
Preseason Information: 2012-13 Information Guide/Record Book

2012-13 Quick Facts

2012-13 Schedule

2012-13 Outlook

2012-13 Season Preview2011-12 Highlights

COURTESY WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

FIU vs. Florida A&M - Game Day Central

Teams - FIU Panthers (4-7 overall, 1-2 home); Florida A&M Rattlers (4-9 overall, 0-8 away)
Date - Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013
Time - 7:00 PM ET
Location - Miami, Fla.
Arena - U.S. Century Bank Arena (5,000)
Television - N/A
Twitter - @FIUMensBBall
Facebook - FIU-Mens-Basketball
Live Video Streaming - PantherVision (www.FIUSports.com) (also available via the Official FIU Sports app)
Live Stats - www.FIUSports.com
Records - FIU enters Wednesday’s game with a 4-7 record following a 69-52 loss at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 29. Florida A&M enters Wednesday’s game with a 4-9 record following a 70-56 loss at Texas Tech on Monday, Dec. 31.
Rankings - FIU is not ranked in either poll. Florida A&M is not ranked in either poll.
FIU Head Coach Richard Pitino (@CoachPitinoFIU) - Coach Pitino (Providence ‘05) enters Wednesday’s contest with a career record of 4-7 (.364 - first season).
FAMU Head Coach Clemon Johnson - Coach Johnson (Florida A&M ‘78) enters Wednesday’s contest with a career record at FAMU of 14-32 (.304 - second season). Coach Johnson has never faced the Panthers.
Series History -Wednesday’s contest will mark the 10th meeting all-time between FIU and Florida A&M with the Panthers trailing the series history, 3-5 (4-5 actual on-court - FIU vacated one game due to NCAA sanctions). The last meeting between the two squads resulted in an 87-82 win for the Panthers on Dec. 22, 2010, in Miami, Fla.
Officials - Announced on Game Day.
FIU Game Notes (PDF)
FIU Media Guide
Purchase Tickets

MIAMI, Florida  --  The FIU men’s basketball team (4-7) kicks off 2013 with a non-conference matchup versus the Florida A&M Rattlers (4-9) on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Game time is set for 7 p.m. from U.S. Century Bank Arena. The game will mark the eighth non-conference contest for the Panthers this season and first at home since the home opener versus Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 17.

FIU is coming off a 69-52 loss at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 29, where the Panthers shot just 38.8 percent from the floor and committed 23 turnovers. Defensively, FIU forced 25 Blue Raider turnovers and registered 13 steals, but Middle Tennessee shot 43.4 percent from the floor and out-rebounded FIU, 43-27. Freshman Jerome Frink notched his third double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds versus the Blue Raiders. The loss marked the seventh-straight for the Panthers versus Middle Tennessee and was the team’s third-straight conference loss.

FIU enters this week’s action averaging 67.1 points-per-game (No. 8 in the conference) on 42.0 percent shooting from the floor (No. 4 in the conference). The Panthers have converted 34.5 percent of their shots from 3-point range (No. 4 in the conference) and 68.1 percent of their shots from the free-throw line (No. 7 in the conference). FIU is averaging 8.5 steals-per-game (No. 2 in the conference) and 11.7 assists-per-contest (No. 7 in the conference). The Panthers are allowing 72.2 points-per-game (No. 10 in the conference) as the opposition is shooting 47.2 percent from the floor.

Leading the Panthers in scoring is junior Mailk Smith, who comes into Wednesday’s game averaging 14.5 points-per-game (tied for No. 6 in the conference), shooting 37.2 percent from the floor. The Boston, Mass., native has converted 75.7 percent of his attempts from the free-throw line (No. 8 in the conference) and leads the Sun Belt Conference in 3-point field goals made (3.2 – No. 16 nationally). Junior Tymell Murphy led the Panthers in scoring with 13 points at Middle Tennessee bringing his season average to 13.0 points-per-game (No. 12 in the conference). The Brooklyn, N.Y., native leads the conference and ranks No. 37 nationally in shooting percentage (.570), having made 61-of-107 shot attempts this season. Frink comes into this week’s contest, averaging 10.6 points-per-game (No. 25 in the conference) and 6.8 rebounds-per-contest (No. 7 in the conference). The Jersey City, N.J., native’s team-leading three double-doubles ranks No. 84 nationally. Frink, along with Smith and sophomore Deric Hill, ranks among the conference leaders in steals. Frink and Hill rank tied for 10 in the conference, averaging 1.5 steals-per-game, while Smith ranks No. 14 recording 1.4 steals-per-contest.

Home Sweet Home
After spending nearly the entire month of December on the road, the Panthers return home for a three-game home stand beginning with tonight’s contest with the Florida A&M Rattlers. Entering the 12th game of the season, FIU has tipped off only three times at U.S. Century Bank Arena. With a 1-2 record at home, FIU is averaging more points-per-game (69.3), fewer points allowed (69.7) and a better shooting percentage (.437) than what the Panthers have recorded on the road this season (67.9 ppg, 72.7 ppg allowed, .404 FG PCT).

Versus the MEAC
Tonight’s contest versus the Florida A&M Rattlers will mark the 20th meeting all-time between FIU and a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Panthers enter Wednesday’s game with a 10-9 record versus teams from the MEAC. Tonight’s game will mark the 10th meeting all-time between FIU and FAMU with the Rattlers leading the series history, 5-4.

FIU – Florida A&M Series History
Wednesday’s game between FIU and Florida A&M will mark the 10th meeting between the two teams.

- FAMU holds a 5-4 advantage in the series history.
- The last meeting between FIU and Florida A&M resulted in an 87-82 win for the Panthers on Dec., 22, 2010, in Miami, Fla.
- FIU owns a 3-1 mark versus the Rattlers at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
- The Panthers have won three-straight over the Rattlers at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
- FIU is looking to win its third-straight versus FAMU.
- FIU owns a 10-9 mark versus teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
- Wednesday’s contest will be the first of two for the Panthers this season versus members of the MEAC. FIU will face Bethune-Cookman on Monday, Jan. 7. 


COURTESY FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Hampton Pirates at USC Upstate Spartans tonight

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's basketball team opens the New Year at home Wednesday evening, welcoming Hampton University to the Hodge Center for the final non-conference game of the regular season.

 

The matchup between the Spartans and Pirates is the second meeting between the two programs with Upstate holding a 1-0 edge in the all-time series with a win in 1982. The 7:30 p.m. tip-off will mark the first action for both teams in the 2013 calendar year.

 

Fans can follow the contest through a live video broadcast on A-Sun.TV by clicking here and live in-game statistics by clicking here. ESPN Spartanburg 97.1 FM and 1400 AM will broadcast the game that can also be heard online by clicking here. Fans can follow on twitter @UPSTMBB and can join the conversation with the hashtag #UpstateHoops.

 

GAMEDAY CENTRAL | GAME NOTES

 

Audio | Video | Live stats |    

 

Story Lines

• Upstate's current 11-game winning streak is tied for the 16th longest in the country with Northern Iowa and Mississippi Valley. Syracuse holds the national mark at 30 consecutive home wins, followed by Kansas with 28.

• After opening the season with nine of 11 games on the road, the Spartans play the second of two straight home games before opening conference play on the road.

• Upstate has won its past three conference openers - the longest streak in the A-Sun. The Spartans open conference play with back-to-back road games, traveling to league newcomer Northern Kentucky Friday and Lipscomb Monday.

• Hampton opened the season with six straight losses, but have gone 2-3 since, picking up wins at home over Howard and American.

• The Pirates have played several familiar schools to Upstate, dropping games to Wofford, UNC Wilmington and Northern Kentucky. The loss to the Norse marked the first-ever Division I win for Northern Kentucky.

• Hampton features one of the most balanced scoring attacks the Spartans have faced all year, with Deron Powers (11.5) as the only player in double figures. Seven players average at least five points per contest, while nine different players have been inserted into the starting lineup.

• Torrey Craig continues to put up double-digit scoring efforts for the Spartans, having scored at least 10 points in all 11 games this season. Dating back to a 20-point performance at South Carolina last season, the Great Falls, S.C., native has reached double figures in 30 of his last 32 games.

• Ricardo Glenn's three straight double-doubles has the big man for the Spartans as one of the most efficient players in the league. The Augusta, Ga. native is second in the A-Sun with a .614 field goal percentage, while his 8.4 rebounds per game also ranks second in the league.

• The Spartans have reached the 40-rebound mark in each of the last two games, pulling down 40 boards at Tennessee State and a season-high 47 against Coastal Georgia. Upstate is 2-1 on the season when recording at least 40 rebounds.

• Jodd Maxey was reinserted into the starting lineup against Coastal Georgia and delivered one of his best games of the year, tying his season-high for points with 13 and finishing just two rebounds shy of his first collegiate double-double. His game-high five assists was also a career-high.

GLENN'S DOUBLE-DOUBLE MADNESS
Following his third straight double-double with an impressive performance against Coastal Georgia on Dec. 30, Ricardo Glenn was named the College Sports Madness A-Sun Player of the Week. He tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds against the Mariners and over a three-game stretch he has shot 79 percent from the field, going 19-for-24 from the floor.

AT HOME IN THE HODGE
The Spartans have seen plenty of recent success in the Hodge Center, winning 11 straight and 16 of their last 17 games for a .941 winning percentage. The last time Upstate dropped a game at home was Jan. 9 against Mercer. The nine-point loss to the Bears came over 350 days ago.

ROAD TRIP
The Spartans opened the season with nine of their first 11 games on the road, spanning coast-to-coast in November and December. Over those nine games, Upstate touched down or took off in 13 different cities and played in seven different states.

 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: (Baylor's Scott Drew) "This is a game that as a coach, you know that your opponent is a lot better than people might realize. You can see them in the NCAA tournament winning a game."

(Kansas State's Bruce Weber) "They have a really good ball club. When we looked at it going into all these non-conference games they had 21 wins last year and the best turn-around in the country."

(Saint Louis' Jim Crews) "I thought they were good coming in, and I know they're good coming out. Every time we made a mistake, they drilled us every single time. It was uncanny. If we made a defensive slip, we got burned."

Follow Upstate men's basketball all season long on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

 

COURTESY USC UPSTATE PRESS RELEASE