2013 MEAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

TICKET BOOKS ON SALE NOW!

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Ticket books are on sale now for the 2013 MEAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament scheduled for March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia.

Each ticket book provides entrance for one (1) person to attend all 24 men’s and women’s games including the championship final slated for Saturday, March 16 with the men’s game starting at 2 p.m. followed by the women’s game at 5 p.m.
 

Ticket books can be purchased at all 13 MEAC university ticket offices, Norfolk Scope Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, the MEAC Administrative Office and online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available by calling the MEAC at 757-951-2055 or Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.
 

Fans interested in sitting within their university’s fan block are encouraged to contact their institution’s ticket office directly.
 

The annual MEAC Basketball Tournament marks in first year back to the City of Norfolk since 1997. Norfolk will serve as the tournament’s host through 2015. The Hampton University Lady Pirates and the Norfolk State Spartans men’s and women’s teams earned the tournament crowns last year and are favorites to win this year’s titles.

   

About the MEAC Basketball Tournament

 

The MEAC Basketball Tournament is a single elimination championship playoff that involves Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Savannah State, and South Carolina State.

  

The tournament is played at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Virginia. Both the men’s and women’s champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 

About Norfolk, Virginia

 

Norfolk, Virginia is a city of some 242,803 residents and more than 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the cultural, educational, business and medical center of Hampton Roads, hosts the world's largest naval base, the region's international airport and is one of the busiest international ports on the East Coast of the United States. The city is undergoing a successful renewal, including new office, retail, entertainment and new residential development along the rivers and bay front, and revitalization projects in many of its neighborhoods. Norfolk's residents and city officials have long supported sports programs at all levels. 
 

About VisitNorfolk 

 

VisitNorfolk is the official Destination Marketing Organization for the City of Norfolk. VisitNorfolk, a non-profit organization is dedicated to enhancing the role of travel and tourism in our economy by producing high volumes of both leisure and convention visitors, tax revenues and travel related jobs in Norfolk. VisitNorfolk also provides the resources and tools to ensure our visitors stay in Norfolk is both a productive and enjoyable one. For more information, visitnorfolktoday.com or call 800-368-3097. #Norfolk, Virginia
 

 

VISIT MEACHOOPS.COM for more information or: 

 

RELATED LINKS

• MEAC Ticket Office
• School Box Office Numbers
• Ticketmaster

 

 COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Perfect game on final day leads Maryland-Eastern Shore to Kutztown 1st place win

READING, Pennsylvania  -  The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) took another first place finish and with it their second straight Kutztown Golden Bear Invitational Title, besting Vanderbilt in the finals 4-1 to claim the first place trophy. Along the way they shot a perfect 300 in the first match of the day, it is just the second time in school history the Hawks have shot a perfect 300 game in Baker play.

The Hawks, who dominated the tournament from start to finish, opened the day as the number one seed, facing the second-seeded Commodores from Vanderbilt. UMES jumped out to a one game lead with a 246-189 win but Vandy rebounded to even the match at two with a 233-197 win. Then it happened, the Hawks were perfect, shooting 300 and collecting all 12 strikes and besting Vandy's 166. The perfect five line-up was: Kristie Lopez (Ponce, Puerto Rico), Valentina Collazos (Cali, Colombia), Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Mexico), Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia) and T'nia Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.). With a perfect game and 2-1 lead you would think UMES was cruising toward the finals, but the Commodores won the next three games 234-214, 188-170 and 225-201 for the 4-2 win.

It was the first loss of the tournament for UMES and the emotional roller coaster from 300 to a loss sent them searching for an answer. They would have to find it against Norfolk State, the four-seed, who topped Wisconsin-Whitewater in the three vs. four match-up.

It was a struggle getting it back together and head coach Kristina Frahm juggled her line-up. Lopez went out, Collazos went to lead-off and Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) entered. It wasn't long before Tatiana Munoz (Ibague Tolima, Colombia) replaced Collazos, but the shuffling worked. After Norfolk took a 2-0 lead (224-177, 186-167), UMES would find their line and take a 3-2 lead (241-176, 277-235, 239-186). Norfolk rebounded to win game six 194-181 to tie it up and a final game seven would mean a trip to the finals for the winner. The Hawks then edged it out 201-194 to set-up the rematch with Vandy.

"It was a close match" said Frahm. "Norfolk bowled well, and I think we all panicked a little after the first loss, but we got it together enough to advance and that is what mattered."


On Video Day 3: UMES vs. Norfolk State (move to 3:15:54)
                  UMES vs. Vanderbilt (move to 4:14:55)
                  Norfolk State vs. Sacred Heart (4:14:55) 


In the final rematch Munoz, Buja, Alvarado, Ramirez and Falbo kept up the momentum, taking a 217-190 win in the first game before allowing Vandy to tie it up with a 231-177 win in game two. Then it was all Hawks. UMES cruised to three straight wins, 238-204, 223-203, 200-183 and taking the 4-1 win and the tournament title.

"It is a great feeling to come to the nation's largest tournament and lead the entire way," said Frahm.
"It is a good confidence booster heading to Texas where we will see some teams that we don't normally bowl."

With the wins, UMES finishes the tournament 14-1 and improved their overall record to 52-8. They have now led the field 11 of the 12 days they have bowled so far this season.

Sacred Heart (12-3) and Vanderbilt (11-4) were the only two other teams to earn more than 10 wins in the event. They finished third and second respectively. Norfolk State was fourth with a solid tournament, while St. Francis (Pa.) rounded out the top five.

Wisconsin-Whitewater, Kutztown, Stephen F. Austin, Fairleigh Dickinson and Monmouth rounded out the top ten. Fellow MEAC schools Delaware State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina Central, Florida A&M, Coppin State, Howard and Morgan State were 13th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 25th respectively.

UMES now heads to Arlington, Texas for the Prairie View Invitational Feb 2-4.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION; VIDEO COURTESY OF BOWLTV

DONALD HEATH: SSU shines in front of ESPN cameras

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  There’s an old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

Try running that by Savannah State University.

One only knows the reception ESPN received after arriving on campus last Monday for SSU’s men’s basketball game against Bethune-Cookman.

The sports leader usually hauls a trailer of negativity on its way to the college by the sea. Only a few months ago, ESPN’s College GameDay was here before SSU’s game with Florida State.

The crew discussed the season-opening 84-0 pounding from Oklahoma State and talked about the Tigers’ 70-point underdog status for the next week while foreshadowing a second pummeling from the Seminoles.

Two years ago, ESPN came to campus to look into the dismissal of football coach Robbie Wells. The storyline pursued? A reverse discrimination claim of a white coach against the historically black college.

ESPN’s trucks rolled in during the 2004-05 basketball season. That season, SSU drew national headlines during its dubious fast break to an 0-28 record.

Talk about kicking a tranquilized Tiger missing claws and teeth.

This time, ESPN arrived with another agenda.

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2013 CIAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IS BACK!

Battling for MEAC title, NCCU feels the hate

NCCU Sports Network Broadcast Link (GameCentral)

GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. Morgan State (PDF)

DURHAM, North Carolina —  None of that chest bumping for N.C. Central’s Emanuel “Poobie” Chapman.

When he gets introduced before games as the Eagles’ starting point guard, he’ll run out like he’s going to collide with NCCU hype man Karamo Jawara before hitting the brakes in exchange for a little dance -- you might call it the Poobie Hustle.

That goes over just fine when NCCU is at home in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium, but it’s the sort of thing that could come off like fingernails on a chalkboard when the Eagles are on the road.
NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said there’s little love for his team around the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as it is.

“We are the black Duke,” Moton said.

The Poobie Hustle doesn’t exactly engender warm fuzzies in hostile MEAC gyms, nor did NCCU guard Jeremy Ingram blaring his eyes and stretching open his mouth at A&T’s home crowd the way he did in December after knocking down shots in what turned into the Eagles’ first conference win of the season.

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Stillman men, women look to continue hot streak

TUSCALOOSA | The Stillman College men’s and women’s basketball teams are riding winning streaks. The Tigers have won six games in a row on the men’s side and three straight on the women’s side.

The Tigers will try to extend those streaks tonight at Tuskegee in a doubleheader. Stillman will visit LeMoyne-Owen on Thursday before hosting rival Miles this Saturday.

 

During the six-game streak for the Stillman men, the Tigers have been outscoring their opponents by nearly eight points per contest while shooting better than 44 percent from the floor. Stillman has also outrebounded its opposition by an average of 3.2 rebounds per contest, with the Tigers’ defense forcing nearly 15 turnovers per game.

 

Stillman is 11-6 overall and 7-2 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association action. Stillman has three active players averaging double-figure scoring: Ladarius Rhone at 13.7 points per game, D’uanaway Barnes with a 13.3-point average and Jeffrey Wherry at 11.7 points per game. In the paint, Tuscaloosa natives Markeith Madison (9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game) and Torrean Walker (8.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and two blocks per game) are giving the Tigers a balanced attack.

 

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU's 'Showtime' Wells put on quite a show

FAYETTEVILLE,  North Carolina  –  I’ve been watching point guard Marcus Wells so long I still check to make sure he hasn’t used up his eligibility.
 

Wells, a senior who is a four-year starter for Coach Bobby Collins, had such an impressive game on Saturday night in an 86-65 whipping of Fayetteville State it had to be his best game of his career. And, make no mistake about it, it’s been a long career.

 

While Collins relies on a lot of junior college players and Division I transfers to build his program Wells was a freshman four years ago when WSSU endured its last season in a transition to Division I that was ultimately halted. Wells is the lone player from the program from that season who is still around.

 

B-Daht, the Rams' PA announcer, nicknamed Wells "Showtime" earlier in his career and that's because Wells loves to dribble through a crowd or try to make the impossible pass. He did none of that on Saturday night playing a solid game and the results were there.

 

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Alabama State Hornets Announce 2013 Mid-Year Enrollees

MONGOMERY, Alabama  --  The Alabama State University Football Program announces its 2013 mid-year enrollees:

2013 Mid-Year Enrollees	Position	HT	WT	Class	Hometown/Previous School
Imarjaye Albury	DL	6-0	292	Fr.	Miami, Fla./West Virginia
Arsenio Favor	QB	6-3	239	RS-Jr.	Montgomery, Ala./Southern Miss.
Samuel Gibson	FS	6-2	205	Jr.	Prattville, Ala./Arkansas State
Demechery Hickingbottom	OL	6-4	325	Jr.	Meadville, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Anthony Jacob	OL	6-8	342	So.	Atlanta, Ga./Central Florida
Jafar Mann	OL	6-4	305	Fr.	Stone Mountain, Ga./Florida
Dionte Ponder	CB	5-11	160	Jr.	Ocala, Fla./Troy
Robert Roquemore	OL	6-5	300	So.	Oxford, Ga. /Georgia Military
Chaz Sampson	WR	6-5	191	So.	Grand Prairie, Texas/North Texas
Ka'Ra Stewart	CB	5-10	190	Fr.	O'Fallon, Missouri/Missouri

 

IMARJAYE ALBURY
Defensive Line (6-0, 292) – Miami, Fla. (Northwestern High/West Virginia)
Two-star prospect by Rivals.com…as senior, made 65 tackles (12 TFL), and four sacks…two-time all-county selection…played in Nike South Florida All-Star Game…did not play at West Virginia

ARSENIO FAVOR
Quarterback (6-3, 239) – Montgomery, Ala. (Stanhope Elmore/Southern Miss.)
Played in 12 games over two seasons for Eagles…last season played in five games with three starts, completing 37-of-67 passes for 650 yards with 3 TDs and 3 INTs while rushing 42 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns.

SAM GIBSON
Safety (6-2, 205) – Prattville, Ala. (Prattville High/Arkansas State)
Played in five games at LSU as redshirt freshman in 2011, making three tackles…three-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com…as quarterback, passed for 2,472 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,186 yards and 18 touchdowns in final two seasons at Prattville, leading team to 6A State Championship.

DEMECHERY HICKINGBOTTOM
Offensive Lineman (6-4, 325) – Meadville, Miss. (Franklin County High/Copiah-Lincoln Community College)
Helped Copiah-Lincoln to 9-3 season in 2012 in winning the MACJC State Championship and finishing the season ranked No. 14 in the final NJCAA poll.

ANTHONY JACOB
Offensive Lineman (6-8, 342) – Atlanta, Ga. (Westlake High/Central Florida)
Played in three games as reserve lineman at Central Florida in 2011…as high school senior and team co-captain, named first-team All-Region grading at 86 percent with 31 pancake blocks in helping team earn playoff berth…earned basketball team's character and rebounding award as junior

JAFAR MANN
Offensive Lineman (6-4, 305) – Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson High/Florida)
Did not play at Florida in 2012…rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com as high school senior…ranked No. 30 Defensive Tackle in the nation according to ESPN…ranked No. 54 out of the state of Georgia according to Scout.com…helped lead Stephenson to a 9-2 record his senior season.

DIONTE PONDER
Cornerback (5-11, 160) – Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic High/Troy)
Signed with Troy out of high school…was redshirted in 2010 and did not play in 2011…rated as three-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com…second-team All-County as senior…recorded 56 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries as senior…versatile athlete caught 24 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown in high school career…also played basketball and ran track (100 meter dash, long jump and 4x100 relay).

ROBERT ROQUEMORE
Offensive Lineman (6-5, 300) – Covington, Ga. (Newton High/Georgia Military)
Signed with Memphis out of high school before transferring…lettered all four years at Newton High as offensive tackle… named first-team all-Region in 2009 and 2010…helped block for a quarterback who threw for over 1,000 yards in both 2009 and 2010...Rams also logged over 1,600 yards rushing in 2010.

CHAZ SAMPSON
Wide Receiver (6-5, 191) – Grand Prairie, Texas (Timberview High/North Texas)
Originally committed to Tulsa before signing with North Texas…signed with North Texas out of high school…had 28 catches for 646 yards and nine touchdowns as high school senior...was ranked as a Top 100 area recruit by the Dallas Morning News.

KA'RA STEWART
Cornerback (5-10, 190) – O'Fallon, Mo. (O'Fallon High/Missouri)
Signed with Missouri out of high school…ranked by ESPN as the No. 13 overall prospect at any position in the state of Illinois, and also as the nation's No. 26 safety…played one year at O'Fallon High, playing running back and defensive back/linebacker...earned 1st-Team All-Conference honors at outside linebacker as a senior, recording 35 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries (one that he returned for a touchdown) and 2 interceptions…also ran two kickoffs back for scores, while also rushing for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns.



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Gold Rush lead wire-to-wire in 54-34 victory at Dillard

Anthony Simmons

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Simmons scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds Saturday to lead NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 54-34 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Dillard at Dent Hall.

The Gold Rush (18-4 overall, 6-1 GCAC) won for sixth time in seven games and remained in a first-place tie with Philander Smith, which won in double overtime at Fisk. Xavier is 9-1 on the road this season.

Simmons, the reigning GCAC Player of the Week, was 7-of-9 from the floor and one of three Xavier players in double figures. Denzell Erves had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Wanto Joseph had 12 points, five rebounds and a career-high six steals.

Xavier scored the first eight points and never trailed. Joseph converted consecutive steals into layups in the final 75 seconds of the first half to give Xavier a 28-16 lead at halftime.

Tyrone Williams led Dillard (2-14, 1-6) with nine points.

Xavier outshot the Blue Devils 44.2 to 37.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 30-15.

Xavier defeated its longtime HBCU, conference and city rival for the seventh consecutive time and the 14th time in the last 15 meetings. Xavier is 9-0 at Dillard since 2001.

Dillard has lost 52 of its last 56 games overall.

The teams will meet again Feb. 23 at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Mobile, and the next Gold Rush home game will start at noon next Saturday against Talladega.

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

29 turnovers doom Fayetteville State in loss to Winston-Salem State

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  --  Trying too hard to right an offense that's been out of sync for almost two weeks made matters even worse for Fayetteville State on Saturday against one of the nation's top NCAA Division II teams.

The Broncos committed a season-high 29 turnovers, which No. 19-ranked and reigning CIAA champion Winston-Salem State turned into 29 points that paved the way to an 86-65 triumph at Capel Arena.

The 29 turnovers were the most by FSU since the second game of the regular season when it committed 28 in an 84-79 loss to Barton. But Saturday's miscues came in a more crucial situation with the Broncos in the midst of a losing streak in which they had made just 36.7 percent of their field-goal attempts in the previous four games.

Eighteen of the turnovers Saturday came in the opening half and allowed the Rams to produce an early double-digit advantage that FSU never really threatened.

"It's very frustrating,'' FSU sophomore guard Anthony Shelton said. "Our offense is stagnant and we're just not running through our plays. Tonight, we made a lot of mental mistakes and just couldn't get going.''

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Hampton men falter in second half, lose to Norfolk State 74-67

NORFOLK — As presently constructed, Hampton University cannot rely on simply outscoring opponents. The Pirates must defend, rebound and take care of the ball.

On Saturday, they managed just one of three at a critical juncture against their chief rival and paid for the lapse in a 74-67 loss at Norfolk State.

The Spartans (12-10, 7-0 MEAC) sped away during a three-minute span of the second half and weathered poor foul shooting down the stretch to remain atop the conference.

"You constantly hear Coach (Ed) Joyner say it and you constantly hear me say it, it comes down to mental toughness," the Pirates' Du'Vaughn Maxwell said. "We basically gave them that ball game tonight. We came out of halftime with momentum, and we still played hard, but turned the ball over. That stuff just cannot happen."

Hampton (5-13, 2-3 MEAC) committed 11 of its 18 turnovers in the second half, which contributed to Norfolk State shooting 58 percent after halftime.

Deron Powers had what's becoming a typically gritty and effective performance, with a game-high 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting. But backcourt mates Jasper Williams, Ramon Mercado and Aaron Austin were a combined 3-for-20 from the field and 3-for-14 from 3-point range.

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Florida A&M Rattlers on fast track to spring football

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  After a tough series of calisthenics inside Gaither Gym on Wednesday morning, FAMU strength and conditioning coach Russell Barbarino sent the Rattlers’ football players running.

Not into the chilly air outside, where it was still dark. Their course was the steep mountain of steps that leads to a walkway above the top rung of seats, then down another path of steps.

Winter workouts, the initial phase of preparation for the 2013 football season, was under way.

“No walking,” Barbarino bellowed from the middle of the basketball court. “Touch every step.”
As the long line of players on both sides of the gym hit the floor level, Barbarino pleaded with them to step up the pace.

“Sprint, sprint, sprint,” he said as the first group of players went past.

The Rattlers will go through 16 similar workouts during the next seven weeks. The conditioning program is a prelude to spring ball, which is scheduled to begin on March 21.




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Gold Nuggets defeat Dillard for eighth consecutive time

SiMon Franklin

NEW ORLEANS -- SiMon Franklin scored 15 points Saturday to lead NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 64-54 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Dillard at Dent Hall.

The Gold Nuggets (15-4 overall, 5-2 GCAC) defeated their longtime city rival for the eighth consecutive time and the 17th time in the last 18 meetings. Xavier leads the series 58-19.

Franklin reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game, a season best. The senior guard scored nine points to help Xavier extend a 29-28 halftime lead.

No one else from Xavier reached double figures, but 12 Nuggets scored. Reserve guard Schyler Morton scored a career-high eight points, and her 3-pointer from the top of the key put Xavier ahead to stay, 28-27, with 56 seconds remaining in the first half.

Two Franklin free throws with 3:36 remaining gave Xavier a 61-49 lead.

"I never know from game to game who's going to step up and score for us," XU coach Bo Browder said. "But if we bring our defense wherever we go, we'll be alright."

Jazzmin Smith scored 17 points and Brittany Smith 11 for Dillard (5-15, 3-4).

Dillard outshot the Gold Nuggets 38.6 to 36.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-28, but Xavier gained 27 turnovers, including 19 steals, and committed 17 turnovers. Xavier had a 34-12 advantage in bench scoring, and the reserve Nuggets made 10-of-20 from the floor.

Xavier had its second most productive game of the season at the line, making 20 free throws in 30 attempts. Franklin made 6-of-8, and Danielle Tucker made 5-of-6.

The teams will meet again Feb. 23 at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Mobile, and the Nuggets' next home game will start at 6 p.m. Thursday against William Carey.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Former NSU QB Kermit Buggs Named Assistant Coach at UConn

Coach Kermit Buggs
(Norfolk State 1995)
Quotes

STORRS, Conn. - Kermit Buggs, who served as a member of the Penn State football staff from 2003-2011 and was the defensive coordinator at Lock Haven University in 2012, has been named as assistant coach at the University of Connecticut and will have position responsibility with the running backs and special teams.

Buggs was an assistant coach at Penn State from 2007-11 and worked with the safeties and then the entire secondary late in the 2011 season.

Buggs was instrumental in the development of three-year starting safeties Drew Astorino and Nick Sukay, who earned 2011 first-team All-Big Ten honors. In 2008, Buggs helped Anthony Scirrotto earn first-team All-Big Ten accolades.

Buggs became an assistant coach at Penn State in December 2007 and coached the safeties in a 2007 Valero Alamo Bowl win over Texas A&M.

He was part of two Big Ten championship teams in 2005 and ’08 and Penn State was the Legends Division Co-Champion in 2011. He has been part of seven bowl teams, including the 2006 Orange Bowl and 2009 Rose Bowl.

He served as Coordinator of Player Personnel and Development during the 2006 and '07 seasons and from 2003-05, he was a graduate assistant coach with the Nittany Lions.

Buggs previously was a successful high school coach, leading Surry County (Va.) High School to a 34-14 record from 1999-2002. His 1999 squad was 14-0 and won the Division I state championship and Buggs was named the state's Division I Coach-of-the-Year.

A product of Hampton, Va., Buggs is a 1995 graduate of Norfolk State University, where he played football. He was the University's 1992-93 recipient of the Vince Lombardi Award for Leadership and Academic Achievement.

Buggs has a master's degree in educational administration from Penn State.

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Balanced Attack Leads HU Lady Pirates to Sixth Straight Win

NORFOLK, Virginia  –  The Hampton University women’s basketball team had four players score in double figures on Saturday afternoon en route to a 76-41 upending of rival Norfolk State at Echols Hall.

It was Hampton’s sixth straight win, and the Lady Pirates (15-5, 6-0 MEAC) have won the last 14 meetings with the Spartans.

Senior guard Olivia Allen (Kildeer, Ill.) scored 22 points for the second straight game to lead the Lady Pirates, while senior forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) and junior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) each had 15 points.

Avant added a team-high 10 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season, while Bennett tied her career high with six assists. Junior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) added 11 points and four assists.

Hampton opened the game on a 9-2 run, taking that lead at the 16:51 mark after a fastbreak layup from Hamilton. Bennett hit a 3-pointer with 14:27 left in the first half to give the Lady Pirates a 14-4 lead.

Kashay Barnes cut the lead to 16-8 at the 12:48 mark with a jumper, but the Lady Pirates answered with an 11-0 run after Avant hit a pair of free throws with 9:15 left in the half to take a 27-8 lead. Allen hit two of her career-high six 3-pointers during that run.

A Bennett layup at the 5:20 mark put Hampton up 31-10, and Avant added a layup at the 3:14 mark to put the Lady Pirates up 35-13. The Spartans never got closer than within 20 from that point forward, and the Lady Pirates went up 40-16 with 1:40 left in the half on an Allen trey.

Hampton went into the half up 43-20, shooting 45.2 percent (14-for-31) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

Allen added a 3-pointer with 11:42 left in the second half to put the Lady Pirates up 55-27, kicking off a Hampton 13-4 run that culminated with a trey from sophomore guard Kenia Cole (Burtonsville, Md.) with 8:16 left to play to put the Lady Pirates up 68-31.

Cole hit two free throws with 4:43 left to play to give Hampton its largest lead at 72-33.

The Lady Pirates set their third-highest scoring margin of the season, while also recording their third-largest margin of victory in 2012-13.

The Lady Pirates shot a season-best 42.4 percent (25-for-59) from the floor, while hitting a season-best 10 3-pointers and going 16-for-19 (84.2 percent) from the free throw line. Hampton also out-rebounded the Spartans 43-32 and turned 19 Norfolk State turnovers into 25 points.

Norfolk State (3-15, 1-6 MEAC) shot just 28.6 percent (16-for-56) from the floor and missed all five 3-point attempts. The Spartans went 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) from the free throw line.

Aivah Parham led the Spartans with 12 points.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Monday, when they square off against rival Howard at the HU Convocation Center at 7 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.


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Grafton lineman Jacob Mazgajewski to ink full football scholarship to Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Two weeks ago, Jacob Mazgajewski hadn’t even been contacted by Norfolk State University. Wednesday, Mazgajewski, a Grafton High lineman, committed to a full football scholarship to play for the Spartans.

Mazgajewski, a 6-foot-6, 255-pound senior, said the Spartans recruited him to play offensive tackle. He was a two-way starter the past two seasons on the lines at Grafton, where he helped the Clippers win the Region I Division 4 title and reach the state playoff semifinals his junior season.

 

He said he was contacted by NSU on Jan. 14, made his visit five days later and was offered a scholarship that covered books and tuition. Several days later, Norfolk State increased the scholarship offer to cover all expenses and Mazgajewski committed.

 

A caucasian, Mazgajewski said the visit convinced him he would be comfortable at NSU. He said that he liked the new school's new library, the planned upgrades to the weight-lifting facilities and the acceptance he felt from the players and coaches.

 

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Meet The 2013 Rattler Tennis Team

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New attitude makes a difference for Rams' Ellison

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Wakefield Ellison of Winston-Salem State doesn't call last season a wasted season — but he admits it didn't go so well.

Ellison had transferred from East Carolina, and he spent most of the season adjusting to the way Coach Bobby Collins wanted him to play. It was a contrast in styles, but Ellison did coexist well enough to help the Rams win the CIAA title.

Ellison, a 6-6 senior forward from Asheville, is now playing the best basketball of his career.
"He came in with a different attitude, a different mindset, and the basketball gods have rewarded him," Collins said.

Ellison, with his new attitude, is a big reason the Rams are ranked No. 19 in Division II and are 14-3 heading into Saturday's game at Fayetteville State.

Gone are the days of Ellison's feeling sorry for himself after a bad shot or a turnover. Last season, if Ellison made a mistake, his mood was evident in his body language.

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Tulane beats Rush, but Soifer survives in super-tiebreaker

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana lost its men's tennis spring season opener 6-1 Saturday to Tulane at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, but sophomore Nikita Soifer was resilient in scoring XU's first dual-match point ever against its city rival.

Soifer saved eight match points in a 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (11-9) victory against Joe Young at No. 2 singles.

Soifer saved four match points while serving the 12th game of the second set, then scored the final six points of the super-tiebreaker after trailing 9-5.

It was the first collegiate dual match for Soifer, who sat out last season and was 2-3 in singles and 2-2 in doubles in two fall tournaments. His opponent was second-team All-Conference USA in 2012 and second-team All-Louisiana in 2011. Young won singles matches in super-tiebreakers in both Green Wave dual victories against Xavier the past two seasons.

But Xavier's highlights started and ended with Soifer. Tulane (1-0) didn't lose more than two games in any other match. At No. 1 singles, XU's Loic Didavi -- the Louisiana Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in 2012 -- lost 6-1, 6-1 to Idan Mark.

"We gave a good effort but we were less confident than usual," 10th-year XU coach Alan Green said. "We will get that fixed."

Tulane was the first of seven NCAA Division I opponents on the schedule of the Gold Rush, an NAIA quarterfinalist in 2012. Next match for Xavier's men and women will be D-I Nicholls State at 4 p.m. Saturday in Houma, La. The next Gold Rush home match will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 28 against Belhaven at the new XU Tennis Center.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Dominant Second Half Lifts Shaw Lady Bears to 97-74 Victory over Saint Augustine's

Raleigh, North Carolina — The Shaw University Lady Bears used a dominant second half to knock off cross-town rival Saint Augustine’s 97-74 in a game played Saturday afternoon at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.

After leading by just four (40-36) at the half, the Lady Bears outscored the Lady Falcons 57-38 in the second half to win their ninth straight game as they improve to 17-2 overall and 8-1 in the CIAA. More importantly, however, the Lady Bears are 3-0 in the Southern Division. Saint Augustine’s falls to 9-9 overall, 5-4 in the CIAA and 2-1 in the Southern Division.

“We told them that at halftime that we need to come out, buckle down and play,” said Shaw assistant coach Jonas Richard. “We came out with more concentration and more focus in the second half and it showed. We ran our sets and got after it on the defensive end and it helped us score 57 points in the second half.”

The Lady Bears had a balanced scoring attack as five players finished with double figures and two recorded double-doubles. Taylor Dalrymple led all scorers with 26 points and had 14 rebounds. Ronika Ransford added 16 points. Crystal Harris scored all of her 14 points in the second half. Crystal Gordon had a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Crystal Wilson contributed 10 in the win for Shaw.

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SAU Lady Falcons Succumb 97-74 To Shaw

RALEIGH, N.C. – Freshman guard Regime McCombs (Greenville, S.C.) of Saint Augustine's University scored 20 points but the Lady Falcons succumbed to crosstown rival Shaw University 97-74 in a CIAA women's basketball game inside a full house at Spaulding Gymnasium on Shaw's campus Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013.

The loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Lady Falcons (9-9 overall, 5-4 CIAA, 2-1 Southern Division), who had won four of their last five games entering the matchup against the defending NCAA Division II champions. Both teams were tied atop the Southern Division standings at 2-0, but the Lady Bears (17-2 overall, 7-2 CIAA, 3-0 Southern Division), ranked 12^th nationally in Division II, gained sole possession of first place with the victory.

The Lady Falcons stayed even with the Lady Bears for most of the first half, but the game got away from them with the score tied at 36-36 right before halftime. A 48-22 run by the Lady Bears which started in the final two minutes of the first half gave them a comfortable 84-58 lead with just under six minutes left in the second half.

“I thought we handled ourselves well in the first half,” St. Aug Head Coach Rachel Bullard said. “In the second half, we didn't come out with the same level of intensity and it killed us.”

The Lady Bears took advantage of their superior height to attack inside. Crystal Harris, a 6-1 center, contributed 14 points and seven rebounds after not playing in the first half. For the game, Taylor Dalrymple, a 6-1 inside player for Shaw, led both teams with 26 points and 14 rebounds and Crystal Gordon, a 6-2 center, added 11 points and 16 rebounds. Ronika Ransford, a guard, had 16 points for the Lady Bears. After being outrebounded in the first half, the Lady Bears finished with more rebounds (59-46). The inside play of the Lady Bears and their transition game keyed their win.

Senior forward Temperance Jacobs (McDonough, Ga.) of the Lady Falcons followed McCombs with 13 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. Freshman forward Terri Jacobs (McDonough, Ga.) scored eight points and point guard Porscha Walton added (Chesterfield, Va.) added eight points, five rebounds and four assists.

Despite the loss, the Lady Falcons, who have five freshmen and three sophomores on their roster, never backed down against the defending NCAA and CIAA champions. To their credit, the Lady Falcons continued to play hard and never quit despite falling behind by a huge deficit, which is something they can build on for the rest of the season.

“It was a learning experience,” Bullard said. “It lets us know what we need to work on.”

There were positives to take away from the game. The Lady Falcons forced 22 turnovers which led to 17 points. McCombs was on fire early from outside, especially in the first half when she made four of her first six three-pointers.

For many of the Lady Falcons, this was their first time absorbing the frenetic atmosphere of Spaulding Gymnasium. They handled themselves with poise in the first half, especially McCombs, who came off the bench to lead the Lady Falcons with 12 points. She put on a shooting display in the first half, making four of her first six treys, often from deep range. She eventually finished the half shooting 4-for-8 behind the three-point line.

Led by the marksmanship of McCombs, the Lady Falcons stayed even with the Lady Bears in the first 20 minutes. The Lady Falcons held a five-point lead in the early moments, and the lead changed nine times while the score was tied seven times. The Lady Bears scored the last four points in the first half to take a 40-36 lead into halftime.

For the Lady Falcons, Terri Jacobs added six points off the bench as the Lady Falcons outscored the Lady Bears 25-9 in bench points in the first half. Led by five rebounds by Temperance Jacobs, the Lady Falcons held a 27-25 edge in rebounding including 12-6 in offensive boards. That led to 17 second-chance points for the Lady Falcons.

Dalrymple scored 14 first-half points for the Lady Bears. Kearah Jeffreys added seven points.

The Lady Falcons return to Emery Gymnasium on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 for a divisional meeting with Livingstone College. The contest, which starts at 5:30 p.m., will be televised by WAUG-TV on Time Warner Cable Channel 168. Click on www.saintaugfalcons.com for live stats.

The matchup against Livingstone will be the sixth home game in the last seven contests for the Lady Falcons.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alcorn State hands Southern men their first SWAC loss

Lorman, Miss.  --  The Southern men’s basketball team rolled into the Davey L. Whitney Complex having crushed much of the Southwestern Athletic Conference competition in its way. The Jaguars were perfect in eight conference games, with six straight wins by double digits.

Alcorn State wasn’t fazed. The Braves jumped to an early seven-point lead, then spent most of Saturday night doing just enough to keep Southern at arm’s length. The result was a 61-57 upset that ended any notion of the Jaguars running the table during their 18-game SWAC schedule.

“We pay attention to the standings and the hoopla and all that,” said Alcorn coach Luther Riley, whose team improved to 8-16 overall and 6-3 in the SWAC. “But the game had to be played on the floor.”
Southern (14-7, 8-1) had not only won most of its first eight SWAC games in convincing fashion but also had upset Texas A&M late in nonconference action to start a 10-game winning streak.

The Jaguars entered Saturday as the league leader in a number of statistical categories, including scoring offense, scoring defense and scoring margin.

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Second half rally leads to Lady Tiger road win over Morehead St.

Morehead, Ky. --- The Tennessee University women's basketball team used a strong second half to defeat Morehead State, 68-56, on the road in Johnson Arena Saturday night.

TSU used a 15-2 second-half run to open up the game and would go on to outscore MSU, 38-26, in the second frame to secure the win.

With the win TSU improved to 8-10 (4-3 OVC) and took over sole possession of fourth place in the East Division standings.

Three Lady Tigers scored in double-digits led by Kesi Hess' 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Simone Hopes just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds while Avery Jones added 14 points and seven boards. Rachel Allen dished out six assists.

Morehead State (7-14, 3-4 OVC) was led in scoring by Almesha Jones (15) and Allie Turner (15).

Both teams went tit for tat in the first half as the statistical categories were nearly even on both sides. TSU shot 42.3 percent from the field, in a half that featured four ties and five lead changes, while MSU knocked down 40 percent from the floor.

Each team had 17 rebounds, seven turnovers and five steals in the first stanza.

TSU was trailing, 30-28, when Kesi Hess hit a jumper at the buzzer to make the score 30-all at the break.

The first part of the second half was much like the opening frame as the scored stayed close and the teams traded buckets. The game was knotted at 36 when TSU used an 8-0 run to go ahead, 44-36, with 13:41 left in the game.

A few moments later, Brianna Lawrence knocked down a triple before Simone Hopes connected in the paint to make the score, 51-38, in favor of TSU.

With about five minutes left in the game, MSU cut the deficit down to nine but the Lady Tigers answered with a couple buckets to increase the lead back up to double-digits.

The Lady Tigers maintained the lead the rest of the contest.

Tennessee State shot 42.0 percent from the field, including 46.2 percent from three-point range. TSU also won the battle of the boards, 42-33, while holding the advantage in bench points, 10-1.

Next the Lady Tigers will head over to Eastern Kentucky to face the Colonels on Monday, Jan. 28. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in McBrayer Arena.

 

FINAL STATS

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Xavier Rush add scholarship tennis player

Benjamin Brading

NEW ORLEANS — Benjamin Brading, winner of approximately 30 junior tennis singles tournaments in Great Britain, has signed an athletic scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Brading is a right-hander from Ryde, England — about 70 miles southwest of London — and a 2011 graduate of Sandown High School. He arrived at XU this week for the spring semester and will be in the lineup when the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets play city rival Loyola at 2 p.m. Friday at the new XU Tennis Center. It will be the first intercollegiate competition at the $2.5 million facility, which was dedicated Oct. 26. Fans will receive free hot dogs during the dual matches.

Brading has represented the Isle of Wight, where his hometown is located, four times in the Island Games. He was the Isle of Wight men's singles champion in 2010 and 2011, and Brading has victories against six of the top 50 18-and-younger singles players in Great Britain, including the seventh-ranked player.

Brading is majoring in business management and adminstration at Xavier. He is a freshman academically and athletically.

Returning players for the XU men — who were 18-8 in 2012 and reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship and ranked seventh in the final poll — include All-America Loic Didavi, a senior. Top returning players for the Gold Nuggets, who were 7-22 but ranked 19th in the final poll, include All-America Kourtney Howell, a junior, and sophomore Amanda Materre, who was 36th in the final ITA NAIA singles rankings.

NOTES: This will be the first competition for both XU teams since the USTA / ITA NAIA South Regional at Gainesville, Ga., in late September . . . In the preseason ITA NAIA individual rankings, XU junior Viktor Svoboda is 39th and sophomore Nikita Soifer is 41st in men's singles. They're ranked 19th and 20th, respectively, in the South . . . In women's singles Howell is 10th nationally and eighth in the South, and freshman Brion Flowers is 36th nationally and 16th in the South. The doubles team of Howell and Flowers is 11th nationally and fourth in the South . . . The first of nine NAIA team rankings will be announced Tuesday . . . Friday's dual will be the opener for Loyola's men and women, too. In 2012 the Gold Rush defeated Loyola 8-1, and the Gold Nuggets won 9-0 . . . Coach Alan Green has added Idaho to the Nuggets' schedule. They'll meet at 2 p.m. March 12 at the XU Tennis Center. Idaho is one of nine NCAA Division I opponents for the XU women and one of four which will visit XU.

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

NSU and Hampton Face off on Saturday at Echols Hall

NORFOLK, Viriginia  --  The Norfolk State women's basketball team is looking for its first win over Hampton in six years when they take on the Lady Pirates in the Battle of the Bay on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Joseph Echols Hall. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. This is the third of three consecutive home games for the Spartans.

Media Coverage: The game against Hampton will be broadcast live on WNSB Hot 91.1 with Ross Gordon on the call. Live stats will be available here. Live audio can be found here. You can also listen to the game on the Heritage Sports Network on Sirius XM 128.

Last Time Out: The Spartans (3-14, 1-5) snapped a six-game losing streak with an 81-68 victory over Morgan State on Jan. 21 at Joseph Echols Hall. Junior Aivah Parham had a career-high 34 points and 12 rebounds to lead NSU. It was Parham's first double-double of the season. Junior Rachel Gordon also tied her career-best with 25 points and 12 rebounds to notch her third double-double of the season.

The Spartans shot 40.0 (26-of-65) percent from the floor on the night while the Lady Bears were held to 30.8 (20-of-65) percent shooting. NSU outrebounded Morgan State 50-38 and outscored the Lady Bears in the paint 30-10.

Three players scored in double-figures for Morgan State. Brianna Coardes led the Lady Bears with 18 points. Bianca Jarrett added 13 points and five rebounds while Whitney Southerland posted 11 points, respectively.

All-Time Series: Hampton leads the series with NSU, 48-35. The Spartans have not won against Hampton since Dec. 2, 2006.

About Hampton: The Lady Pirates (14-5, 5-0) are coming off of a 58-50 win over Coppin State on Jan. 21 at the Convocation Center in Hampton, Va. Hampton shot 34.4 (22-of-64) percent from the floor and held the Lady Eagles to just 30.5 (18-of-59) percent shooting. Olivia Allen led the Lady Pirates with 22 points and three rebounds. Aside from Allen, two other Hampton players scored in double-figures. Keiara Avant recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Nicole Hamilton added 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Last Year Against Hampton: The Spartans were 0-3 last season against Hampton. On Jan.21 the Lady Pirates came out with a 92-43 victory over NSU at the Convocation Center in Hampton, Va. Hampton shot 44.0 (33-of-75) percent from the floor while the Spartans only shot 25.0 (12-of-48) percent. Rae Corbo led NSU with 19 points and was the only Spartan to score in double-figures. Choicetta McMillian and Nicole Hamilton led the Lady Pirates with 16 points each. Two other Hampton players reached double-figures including Keiara Avant, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Alyssa Bennett, who tallied 13 points and seven rebounds.

On Feb. 11 NSU suffered a 68-46 loss to the Lady Pirates at Joseph Echols Hall. The Spartans shot 43.9 (18-of-41) percent from the floor and held Hampton to 36.9 (24-of-65) percent shooting. Tyisha Bridges led NSU with 11 points and three steals. Choicetta McMillian led Hampton with 28 points and five rebounds. Teammate Melanie Warner picked up a double-double as she finished the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Spartans fell to Hampton, 61-40, in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 MEAC Tournament held at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. NSU shot 32.7 (17-of-52) from the field while Hampton only shot 31.1 (19-of-61) percent. Tyisha Bridges led NSU with 12 points. Jericka Jenkins led the Lady Pirates with 20 points. Teammates Keiara Avant (13 pts.) and Alyssa Bennett (12 pts.) had seven rebounds each, respectively.

Scoring Leaders: Rachel Gordon leads NSU in scoring averaging 10.1 points per game followed by Kashay Barnes, who is averaging 9.8 points per game. Barnes scored a career-high 25 points in the Spartans overtime loss to UMES on Jan. 12.

Parham Stepping Up: Aivah Parham posted a career-high 34 points and 12 rebounds in the Spartans 81-68 victory over Morgan State on Jan. 21. Parham led NSU in scoring and tied with Rachel Gordon in rebounds on the night. The game against Morgan State marked her first double-double and her fifth game that she finished scoring in double-figures.

Gordon Named MEAC Player of the Week: Forward Rachel Gordon earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, the league office announced on Jan 21.

Gordon came away with 19 rebounds, blocked three shots and recorded two steals in two games for the Spartans. She nearly had a double-double against Howard on Jan. 14 as she finished the night with 11 rebounds and eight points. Gordon was also just shy of a double-double against Coppin State on Jan. 19 where she scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds

This is the second time this season that Gordon was named Defensive Player of the Week. She earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors alongside Savannah State's Erin Hogue on Nov. 27.

MEAC, NCAA Leaderboard: As a team NSU currently ranks in the top 5 in six different categories in the MEAC, while NSU players rank in the top 5 in five different categories, including Rachel Gordon, who leads the league in rebounding at 11.3 boards per game. Gordon also currently ranks 12th in the NCAA in rebounding. Recca Trice is tied for first in the league for assists and is ranked 30th in the nation in assists per games.

Cracking the top 10: Recca Trice's seven assists in the game against Appalachian State on Nov. 25 moved her into sixth place all-time in the NSU record book for career assists. Trice has 94 assists on the season and her 426 career assists puts her two away from tying Dekisha Thompson for fifth all-time.

 Rachel Gordon's eight rebounds in the game against Coppin State on Jan. 19 moved her into 11th place all-time in the NSU record book for career rebounds. Gordon has 158 rebounds on the season and her 625 career rebounds puts her 86 away from tying Andrea Watts for 10th all-time.

Owning the Paint: NSU outscored Morgan State in the paint, 30-10, on Jan. 21. Last season NSU dominated the inside scoring, averaging 6.8 more points in the paint per game. Only Monmouth, Howard, Hampton (first meeting) and Bethune-Cookman (first meeting) scored more points in the paint than NSU in a game last year.

Winning the Rebounding Battle: NSU outrebounded Morgan State, 50-38, on Jan. 21, with Rachel Gordon and Aivah Parham leading the way with 12 rebounds each.

Defensive Minded: Rachel Gordon and Aivah Parham tallied 12 rebounds each in the Spartans 81-68 win over Morgan State on Jan. 21 Gordon currently leads the MEAC in rebounding, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game.

By Chaundrea Lee, Media Relations Assistant
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
NSUSPARTANS.COM