Chambers' Career Night Leads K-State Past Texas Southern

MANHATAN, Kansas  --   Brittany Chambers scored a school-record 42 points, including a program-best 29 in the first half, to lead Kansas State past Texas Southern, 72-44, in the opening round of the 2013 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) at Bramlage Coliseum. With her 690 points this season, Chambers broke the program’s single-season scoring record, surpassing former Wildcat great Tammie Romstad’s total of 686 points in the 1979-80 season.

Chambers’ school-record 42 points on Thursday night bests the effort of K-State legend Kendra Wecker, who poured in 41 points against Illinois State on November 11, 2004 in the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas. Chambers registered her 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting, including a 9-of-15 effort from beyond the arc. Her 15 made field goals were the most by a Wildcats since Nicole Ohlde made 17 against Wyoming on Nov. 24, 2000. Her 42 points ties for 10th in Big 12 history, while her nine three-point makes is a new career-high and ties for fourth place in the conference. That mark also ties a WNIT record and ranks second in school history.

Sophomore guard Haley Texada chipped in 12 points to join Chambers in double figures. Texada has now scored 10 or more points in 18 games this season, which ranks second on the team. Despite scoring only two points, senior Mariah White was also a major contributor as she added five assists, eight rebounds and five steals on the night.

K-State began the game on a 13-0 run, fueled by a six points from Texada and five from Chambers. The Wildcats’ defensive pressure held Texas Southern without a field goal until the 12:16 mark. K-State’s defense - and Chambers’ red-hot hand - was the difference maker, as Chambers single-handedly outscored the Lady Tigers, 29-19, and K-State held Texas Southern to 26.9% from the field in the first half.

The second half saw more of the same as Chambers, despite missing her first four shots, poured in 10 points within the first 10 minutes of the final half. Behind Chambers, the Wildcats were able to extend their lead to 36 points at the 6:28 mark on the way to their second postseason win in as many years.

In addition to setting career- and school-highs in scoring on Thursday night, Chambers also tallied five assists and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, marking her 14th double-double of her career.

With Thursday night’s win, Kansas State advances to the second round of the WNIT and will face Illinois State on Monday night at 7 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum. Fans can purchase tickets for Monday’s contest online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling 1-800-CATS (2287) or in person at the K-State Athletics Ticket office, located inside the southwest entrance of Bramlage Coliseum. The game will be broadcast and available for free on K-StateHD.TV and throughout the K-State Sports Network.

Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery | K-StateHD.TV Highlights

COURTESY KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush win 4-3 at UNO; Soifer delivers when needed

NEW ORLEANS — If the Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team had a LinkedIn profile online, there's no doubt that the Gold Rush would receive multiple endorsements for handling pressure. The first to endorse would be XU coach Alan Green.

On Wednesday, for the fourth time in as many opportunities this season, the Gold Rush delivered the clinching point in the final completed match. Nikita Soifer's 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles against Ricardo Campos gave Xavier a 4-3 victory at the University of New Orleans.

The Xavier women lost 6-1 to UNO.

It was the third time this season that the Gold Rush, 8-5 and ranked eighth in the NAIA, clinched in the final match against an NCAA Division I opponent. Soifer trailed 5-1 in his first-set tiebreaker before winning the next six points, then closed his match and the dual in the second set. Soifer is 3-0 this season in tied-dual-one-match-remaining scenarios; Viktor Svoboda has the other such victory.

Svoboda tied the dual at 3 with his 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 victory against Hossam Meligy at No. 4.

Svoboda led 5-1 in the second set, then won the final three points of the tiebreaker after Meligy had match point at 6-5.

"It was another good match for the guys," Green said. "It was tough, but they pulled it out. We've had matches when one or two guys don't have their best days, but the other guys pick it up for them."

Xavier won the doubles point and got a 6-1, 6-1 victory from Loic Didavi against Rui Silva at No. 1 singles. Didavi has a six-match singles win streak, and Svoboda has won five in a row. Svoboda and Soifer have won six consecutive doubles matches.

The Gold Rush are 5-0 this season when Didavi, Soifer and Svoboda all win in singles and 7-1 when the top two doubles teams — Didavi and Kyle Montrel at No. 1, Soifer and Svoboda at No. 2 — both win.

In the women's dual, Kourtney Howell scored the Gold Nuggets' only point with her 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (17-15) victory against Marta Sans at No. 1 singles. It was the ninth victory in the last 12 singles matches for Howell, with five of the victories coming against NCAA D-I opponents. But Howell and Brion Flowers, the Nuggets' top doubles team, suffered their most lopsided loss of the semester, 8-1 to Kristina Martic and Soledad Calderon.

"Tough day for the Nuggets. That's all I want to say about that," Green said.

The Gold Nuggets, also ranked eighth in the NAIA, are 8-7. All their losses are against NCAA D-I opponents. UNO's women are 5-10, and the men are 6-6.

Xavier will depart New Orleans on Monday for dual matches in Florida during spring break. First for the Rush and Nuggets will be Webber International at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday. Xavier altered its schedule for the final two days of the trip and will play Northwood on March 27 and Embry-Riddle the following day. The next XU home duals will be April 6 against Auburn MontgomeAry.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Louisville stomps North Carolina A&T

LEXINGTON, Kentucky  --   Pay attention, No. 1s. This is how it's done.
  
Russ Smith scored 23 points and set a Louisville NCAA tournament record with a career-high eight steals, and Peyton Siva had eight assists as the Cardinals demolished North Carolina A&T 79-48 on Thursday night. Louisville finished with a season-high 20 steals as it forced the Aggies into 27 turnovers.

It was the 11th straight win for the Cardinals (30-5), and only their sixth victory ever at Rupp Arena. Of course, that's because Louisville is usually facing Kentucky here, but the defending national champions are spectators these days after being bounced out of the first round of the NIT this week. Rick Pitino and his Big East champions will play the winner of Colorado State-Missouri on Saturday. 
  
No 16th seed has ever beaten a No. 1 and, unlike that Southern-Gonzaga squeaker that ended shortly before the Aggies and Cardinals tipped off, this one was never even a contest.
  
Oh, the Cardinals let A&T (20-17) hang around for a few minutes, giving the small handful of Aggies fans enough time to take photos of the scoreboard while the margin was still respectable. (OK, it was 6-4. Considering the Aggies had never even won an NCAA tournament game until Tuesday night, it was as good as a lead.)

BOX SCORE

READ MORE

N.C. A&T wins ... whatever the Aggies score is tonight

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  N.C. A&T’s men’s basketball team gets another moment in the spotlight tonight.

The Aggies took advantage of their first chance with a 73-72 win over Liberty in the opening game of the NCAA tournament Tuesday.

Their reward? A prime-time meeting with the tourney’s top overall seed, No. 1 Louisville.

While coming away with another victory will ask much, simply getting this far is netting the university a healthy consolation prize: national attention.

“This run, two things it will do for our university,” A&T head coach Cy Alexander said Tuesday night. “One, it’s going to be a tremendous boost for our recruiting and two, it’s going to be a tremendous boost as far as overall student applications. ... Hopefully, everybody can benefit from the success that the men’s basketball program is having

Right now, the benefits are difficult to quantify. A&T Athletics Director Earl Hilton isn’t even sure how A&T will benefit financially.

But NBA announcers Marv Albert and Steve Kerr called the Aggies’ game on Tuesday night, Charles Barkley is talking about the team, and A&T’s name has been in front of millions of eyeballs as brackets in office pools across the United States are filled out.

 

READ MORE   

Southern University almost pulls off upset against top seed Gonzaga, losing 64-58

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah  --  Southern University’s men’s basketball team just missed making history. West Region top seed Gonzaga scored the game’s final five points and held off an upset bid by the 16th-seeded Jaguars, 64-58, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday afternoon.

The Jaguars trailed 59-58 with 2:28 left to play after Southern’s Derick Beltran, who scored 21 points, made two free throws. But Gonzaga, the nation’s top ranked team, held the Jaguars scoreless the rest of the way as Southern went 0-for-4 from the field in the final 1:23 of the game.\

Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos hit a 3-pointer with 1:57 to play for a 62-58 lead and added two free throws with 14 seconds left to seal the victory.

“(Southern Coach) Roman Banks has done an unbelievable job,’’ Gonzaga Coach Mark Few said. “They had bigs that could match our bigs. We haven’t seen that before.’’

READ MORE

Gallery: Gonzaga vs. Southern

Game stats

Gonzaga survives with narrow win over Southern

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah   — Gonzaga barely avoided becoming the first No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament to lose to a 16 seed, using everything it had to scrape past Southern University, 64-58, in the Zags' first game of the tournament.
 
It was a mighty struggle for Gonzaga, which has its first No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Zags had a 34-31 halftime lead, then gained control of the game behind All-America center Kelly Olynyk. But after Southern fought back from a double-digit deficit to tie the game, it was the Gonzaga guards, Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos, who ultimately made the difference.

Bell broke a 56-all tie with a clutch three-pointer with 3:18 left, and Pangos scored the Zags' last five points, and they held Southern to two points in the last three minutes-plus.

Olynyk scored 21 points to lead Gonzaga and Pangos scored 16.

Gonzaga appeared to be safe with a 52-41 lead, but the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament winners were resilient. They roared back with a 13-2 run and tied the game on two free throws by forward Brandon Moore.

READ MORE

Scott, Hepburn shine for pro scouts at FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  The minute that former FAMU nose tackle Padric Scott stepped up to the bench holding 225 pounds of weight, the crowd inside the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center began to rumble. He stepped in and proceeded to rapidly lift the bar 39 times.

The large crowd in attendance Tuesday, including some of his former Lincoln High School teammates, showed its appreciation with a loud cheer. Every one of the 21 NFL scouts who were there for FAMU’s Pro Day testing of former FAMU football players took notes.

What they’d seen was years of work, going back to his grade-school years, Scott said.

“That’s just hard work and dedication,” he said. “That was ingrained in me when I was little. The stronger you are, the more you cut down on injuries so I pride myself on being in the weight room and not missing a day. If I miss a day I felt bad.”

The scouts who spent almost three hours keenly watching about 20 players, also were especially interested in linebacker Brandon Hepburn. When most of the others were gone, Hepburn and Scott were among a handful of players who were asked to stick around to display their ball-tracking skills.

READ MORE

Florida A&M Rattlers Make The Best Of Pro Day Campus Combine

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  FAMU's Pro Day was quite the event as possibly the largest contingent of scouts in FAMU history descended upon the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center and fields to evaluate the talent of players with expired eligibility. The event was hosted by FAMU Campus Recreation director Robert Carroll, as he offered the state-of-the-art facility and resources to allow the athletes their best opportunity to be successful.

The day began inside the Tookes Center as scouts weighed and measured the vitals of the athletes participating in the display. The participants included seniors from this past season, as well as a few players who were trying to re-establish themselves for an opportunity with one of the teams. The first skills tests were the vertical and broad jumps. Marvin Ross pulled an impressive vertical drawing approval from the hundreds in the viewing area. Tyler Bass had one of the best broad jumps on the day and also had the opportunity to show his arm in some specific drills.

Exact scores are not authorized to be shared by the scouts in attendance, so estimations and overhearing scores were the only method of validating where things were. After the jumps, the players moved over to the weight bench to do as many reps as possible with a 225lb. setup. Ellie Hyppolite had an impressive showing, as well as Daniel Lee. But, Padric Scott would own the bench, turning in 39 reps. The most reps for a defensive lineman at this year's NFL combine was 38 by Margus Hunt (SMU) and Brandon Williams (MSU).

The action then moved to the intramural synthetic turf field for sprints and drills. As the mass moved outside and the players warmed up, there was a buzz building around the field. The 40-yard dash is highly regarded as one of the tests that could single-handedly determine if a player is really able to excel on the next level, thus considerable attention is given to the results of the dash. The first casualty of the day was Travis Harvey, who pulled up on his first 40-yard dash with a hamstring injury. it was a disappointing moment for the California native trying to make his mark in the combine.

Brandon Hepburn, who ran one of the best 40-yard dash times for inside linebackers in the 2013 NFL combine, didn't disappoint as he ran what was overheard to be 4.5 seconds. Hepburn is high on several teams' lists and could very well be drafted in an early round.

The most pleasant surprise of the day came from Scott, who fluidly ran down the field in a sub-5.0 sprint. The hundreds in attendance roared as he picked up steam down the stretch. Scott measures six feet even and 315 lbs, so the spectacle of a guy that big, running that fast had scouts comparing times and taking a glance at Scott as he passed. Scott has been working out with Hepburn and was not surprised at his improved speed. "I felt good.  I treated it like it was a game.  It was all about relaxing and focusing.  Since November, this is what I have been doing.  I've been working out in Miami for a while, then I worked out at the rec center where the combine would be taking place," Scott said.

Hepburn has had a whirlwind of a time since playing his last game for the Rattlers. He was invited to the East-West All Star game, where he made a big impression on scouts after making an interception and a big hit on an Auburn player that thrilled the fans at the game. As a reward for making the Allstate Good Werks team, Hepburn was honored at the BCS National Championship game, by being presented on the field. All of this activity pales in comparison to being home, Hepburn said. "It feels good to be back home. It feels good to compete with my brothers one last time on the battlefield. It's a great experience, rooting each other on and I give the glory to God," he said.

Among the former players who also got an opportunity to go through drills were Alvis Graham, Jerry Willis and Isaac West. Graham, who suffered a season-ending injury in 2011 and was denied an eligibility hardship, had his opportunity to display his agility for the scouts. They even worked him in some additional drills to get a feel for his recovery. West, who played arena football last season for the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, gave the scouts an up-close look at his ideal receiver frame. Former running back Lavonte Page also worked out for the scouts, who were interested in seeing how well he would endure the rigorous drills.

Coach Earl Holmes is optimistic that some of the players' performances could help them get drafted or signed come April 28. "I would advise all Rattler fans to pay close attention to the draft. I really feel that you will hear the names called of some of our players. They've put in the work and they represented themselves well today," he said.

FAMU Pro Day 2013

 BRANDON HEPBURN'S NFL COMBINE PROFILE

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern’s 1993 upset of Ga. Tech recalled

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Weeks before Chris Webber’s infamous timeout helped seal the 1992-93 men’s college basketball national championship for North Carolina over Michigan, something happened in the center of the West Regional that rocked office pools across the country.

Georgia Tech, five days removed from a victory over those title-bound Tar Heels in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final, couldn’t keep up with a team from Baton Rouge that, in five previous tries, had never won a game in the NCAA tournament.

No. 13 seed Southern pulled the 93-78 upset, sending the fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets out of the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., with a first-round exit.

“I knew we had made history because I paid attention to past Southern teams,” said former SU guard Aaron Hammond, a freshman backup on the 1992-93 team. “Great players had made it to the tournament and not been able to bring victory back to Baton Rouge. We wanted to do that.”

Twenty years later, Southern returns to the NCAA tournament as an even bigger underdog.

The Jaguars will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga, which finished the regular season ranked atop the national polls, as the No. 16 seed in the West Regional on Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Southern will try to become the first team to win a 1-vs.-16 matchup in NCAA men’s tournament history.

READ MORE

Historic win propels ECU Pirates over Savannah State

GREENVILLE, North Carolina  --  With 13 minutes remaining, the ECU basketball team was staring at a 15-point deficit and the chance of their season possibly ending against the Savannah State Tigers. The four ECU seniors faced the fact that they may never suit up in a Pirate uniform ever again, but an improbable comeback kept their careers alive, at least for one more game.

Survive and Win.

The Pirates only led for 35 seconds in the entire 40-minute game. Miguel Paul gave ECU the lead on a “less than organized” sequence of plays with 47 seconds left in the game. A tipped pass caused the ball to go bouncing into ECU’s backcourt. In a foot race to the ball, Paul dove and tipped it to teammate Robert Sampson. Akeem Richmond ended up with the ball and threw a 30-foot laser pass back to Paul, who was streaking down the floor. Paul knocked down a three and put the Pirates ahead by one.

Savannah State called a timeout and set up a play to take the lead. After a scrum under the basket, the Tigers’ Rashad Hassan made a layup and was fouled. The “Minges Maniacs” became enraged at the officials and their controversial calls down the stretch. Hassan missed the important free throw and ECU regained possession.

READ MORE

Big Ten policy worries HBCUs

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina --  Football programs at historically black colleges could be sacked for a huge financial hit if other major conferences adopt the Big Ten’s proposal to stop scheduling football games against schools from lower level conferences.

The Big Ten is one of 11 conferences that make up the NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the top tier in college football. HBCUs that are members of the SWAC and MEAC, along with Tennessee State and other schools that play at the next level – the Football Championship Subdivision – can earn guarantees well over $500,000 for playing teams from the top level. More often than not the games are blowouts – many of epic proportions – in favor of the FBS schools, which schedule the contests because they give them an additional home game and a sold-out stadium.

Savannah State’s 84-0 loss to Oklahoma State in 2012 is the largest margin of victory for an FBS school against an FCS foe since these matchups began in 1978, the year that the NCAA split Division I into two levels. It eclipsed Arkansas State’s 83-10 victory over Texas Southern in 2008.

FBS schools were 1,838-396-18 for an all-time winning percentage of .820 in games against FCS schools entering the 2012 season, according to FootballGeography.com.

READ MORE

Clarksville’s Blake Jenkines, former Kenwood Basketball star, to play in NCAA Tournament

HAMPTON, Virginia  --  Former Kenwood High School basketball star Blake Jenkines is living the dream of any college athlete by going to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. She and her Hampton University Lady Pirates, champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, will be a #15 seed playing #2 seed Duke University, Sunday in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 12:05pm ET.

The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

The Lady Pirates (28-5) are the No. 15 seed in the Norfolk Region, while the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Blue Devils (30-2) are the No. 2 seed.

“It wasn’t what we wanted, but it’s what we got,” Hampton head coach David Six said. “I think we’re better than a 15 seed.”

Hampton has won 19 straight games, tied for the seventh-longest winning streak in the nation, and is coming off Saturday’s 59-38 win over Howard in the MEAC Tournament championship game. The Lady Pirates are just the second MEAC team to go undefeated in conference play and win the tournament in the same season.

The Lady Pirates lead the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 47.2 points per game, while also ranking second in field goal percentage defense (.316) and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.238).

READ MORE

NCAA tournament second round: N.C. A&T vs. Louisville

No. 16 N.C. A&T (20-16) vs. No. 1 Louisville (29-5)

LEXINGTON, Kentucky -- Congratulations, N.C. A&T! You’ve won the first NCAA tournament game in program history.

And, as a prize, you get the chance to play the team that hung a 44-10 run on Syracuse in the Big East tournament finale.

 A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed at the Big Dance, and Louisville is THE No. 1 seed this season.

But the result isn’t really the point today.

Sure, the Aggies would love to win, just like they’d have loved to have won their only other two forays against the Big East this season, a 93-39 loss to Cincinnati and a 77-66 loss to Seton Hall.

This game against the Cardinals is about going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the nation on national television.

READ MORE

Greg Ruffin to Lead Paine College Football

HEAD COACH GREG RUFFIN
PAINE COLLEGE LIONS
(Photo Courtesy: Paine College Athletics)
Paine College has new football coach

AUGUSTA, Georgia  --  Paine College Director of Athletics, Tim Duncan announced today that Gregory A. Ruffin has been named Head Football Coach.

“We are excited to have Coach Greg Ruffin as the first leader of the Paine College football team in over 50 years. His tremendous experience includes being involved in two start-up programs and working at multiple Division I and Division II institutions. He has a contagious energy, his passion for football is evident and his track record as a recruiter is unmatched. Paine College and the CSRA Community are very fortunate to have Coach Ruffin as the leader of Augusta's football team”, states Director of Athletics, Tim Duncan.

Paine College President, Dr. George C. Bradley states “this is a great day for Paine College. The hiring of Coach Greg Ruffin is the realization of the latest step in our strategic goal of Student Engagement - Strengthening our Athletic Program. Coach Ruffin stood out in the interview process because of his detailed vision of how he plans to start and grow the Paine College football team. He has assured me that the young men he recruits will be great representatives of Paine College and will be model student-athletes. I am pleased to have him lead our football program.”

“My family and I are ecstatic about the opportunity that has been bestowed upon me as your next Head Football Coach at Paine College. Dr. Bradley clearly has a vision for the college, and my staff and I will do everything in our power to make sure that we surround ourselves with quality student athletes who understand the mission and core values of the college as it relates to building a high quality NCAA Division II football program and graduate these young men”, stated Ruffin.

Ruffin comes to Paine College from Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, TX, where he served as the Recruiting Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach during the 2012 season. Prior to TSU, he served six seasons at Jackson State University helping the program win the 2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship and a runner-up finish in 2009. In his duties at Jackson State, Ruffin served as the Recruiting Coordinator and Running backs Coach. Coach Ruffin came to JSU from Tuskegee University where he served as running backs coach under Head Coach Rick Comegy.

Before his arrival at Tuskegee in 2005, Ruffin served one season (2004) as defensive assistant coach at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, AR. Prior to Ouachita Baptist, he served one year (2002) as head football coach at Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., where he resurrected the football Shaw program after a 23-year hiatus, propelling the first-year program to a 7-3 record. Ruffin spent one year at Benedict College (2001) as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

During two seasons (1999-2000) at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO, he worked in four different capacities - offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, strength and conditioning coach and recruiting coordinator. He served on the staff of his alma mater for one season (1998) as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

His first collegiate coaching assignment was in 1997 with Kemper Military Community College in Booneville, MO, as the running backs coach. In 1997, Kemper Military finished 10-2 and was ranked seventh in the country in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

In 1995, Ruffin coached the wide receivers and defensive backs at Northside High School in Jackson, TN; and running backs in 1996 at Jackson Central-Merry High School, Jackson, TN.

Ruffin started as a freshman at quarterback at Wentworth Military Academy, before transferring to Lane College in 1993. At Lane he was the starting fullback who paved the way for the late Fred Lane. Jr., who had a successful NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. In 1995, Lane posted a 9-1 record, the best in the school's history.

During his career he has been a part of two different programs that have resurrected their football programs after lengthy absences (Lincoln University 1999 & Shaw University in 2002).

He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the American Football Coaches Association and the USSSA Baseball Umpires Association. Ruffin is married to Mia B. Ruffin, and they are the parents of three. He is a graduate of Lane College (B.S. Criminal Justice) Jackson, TN, as well as Jackson State University (M.S. Sports Admin).

Coach Ruffin also states, “It is indeed an honor and a privilege to have been chosen to become the Head Football Coach here at Paine College. I believe with the quality of high school football that is being played in the Central Savannah River Area and the state of Georgia in particular, we should be able to build a formidable football program here at Paine College. We will work diligently & thoroughly to make sure that we recruit from this area and increase the awareness of our outstanding College, as well as the Augusta, GA area”.

For more information on Paine College Football, visit www.paineathletics.com.

COURTESY PAINE COLLEGE LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION

Franklin receives NAIA All-America honorable mention

Xavier Gold Nuggets NAIA All-Americans

SiMon Franklin

First Team 1986-87 — Demetria Lang (WBCA/Kodak team) 1988-89 — Henrietta Mitchell (WBCA/Kodak team) 1989-90 — Henrietta Mitchell (WBCA/Kodak team) 1997-98 — Cassee Davis Second Team 1980-81 — Gwendolyn Brule 2003-04 — Jackie Tucker Third Team 1995-96 — Cassee Davis Honorable Mention 1981-82 — Gwendolyn Brule 2001-02 — Alisheian Graham 2006-0 — Jarryn Cleaves 2007-08 — Jarryn Cleaves 2008-09 — Brittany Powell 2009-10 — Brittany Powell 2010-11 — Christina Warren 2011-12 — Keldra Hall 2012-13 — SiMon Franklin

NEW ORLEANS — For the seventh consecutive season, Xavier University of Louisiana has an honorable-mention selection on the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball All-America Team. This time it's SiMon Franklin, the Gold Nuggets' only senior in 2012-13.

Franklin — a 5-foot-7 guard from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of St. Joseph's Academy — led Xavier with 10.7 points, 2.4 steals and 24.9 minutes per game this season. Franklin also averaged three rebounds and two assists.

Franklin is one of nine Gold Nuggets to reach 1,000 points, 300 rebounds and 200 steals in a career. She was a four-year starter and ranks 17th all-time at Xavier with 1,136 points.
    
Also earning recognition from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference were SUNO senior guard April Perry on the second team and Tougaloo junior guard Portia Craft, Tougaloo junior forward Chasity Kearney, SUNO junior center Sabrina Scott and Dillard senior forward Jazzmin Smith with honorable mention.

Coach Bo Browder's Gold Nuggets were 24-6 this season, won the GCAC regular-season championship for the third consecutive year and qualified for the NAIA Division I National Championship for the fourth consecutive season.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS

MEAC commissioner says Scope is the perfect place

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Early losses by the Norfolk State and Hampton men's basketball teams took some steam out of attendance at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.

Shorn of both local teams, Scope's 9,140 seats appeared about half full for Saturday's championship game. Paid attendance was 7,105, said Patricia Porter, director of media relations.

But Dennis Thomas, the MEAC commissioner, said he was pleased with the crowd and thrilled with the reception fans received in Norfolk.

"For Norfolk State to be out of the tournament and Hampton men to be out of the tournament, I was very happy with the crowd," Thomas said. "Our fans still turned out to watch the game."

The tournament has bounced from Richmond to Raleigh and Winston-Salem, N.C., in recent years. Thomas said he thinks the MEAC has found a home in Norfolk.

"This has been a tremendous tournament," he said. "I talked to many fans from out of town, and everything I've heard has been positive.

"Our fans were very pleased with how the city embraced them as visitors."

READ MORE

All-America: Erves third team, Joseph honorable mention

Xavier Gold Rush NAIA All-Americans First Team 1972-73 — Bruce Seals Third Team 1981-82 — Alvin "Bo" Dukes 2006-07 — Shaun Dumas 2008-09 — Shaun Dumas 2012-13 — Denzell Erves Honorable Mention 1971-72 — Bruce Seals 1971-72 — Don "Slick" Watts 1985-86 — Derrick Collins 1987-88 — Juan Mercier 1990-91 — Merlin Peters 2000-01 — David Egans, Kermit Smith 2004-05 — Timothy Green 2007-08 — Shaun Dumas 2010-11 — Devin Andrew 2011-12 — Chris Iles 2012-13 — Wanto Joseph Denzell Erves Wanto Joseph

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana seniors Denzell Erves and Wanto Joseph were honored Wednesday by the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Association All-America Committee. Erves was named third-team All-America for the 2012-13 season, and Joseph received honorable mention.

Erves is a 6-foot-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School. Joseph is a 5-9 guard from New Orleans and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School.

]Erves is the fourth XU men's basketball player to be chosen to third-team All-America or higher and the first since third-team guard Shaun Dumas in 2009. Erves averaged 13.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game this season and ranked third in NAIA Division I with 17 double-doubles, He became XU's career leader with 132 blocked shots — Louis Williams (1979-82) held the previous mark of 130 — and No. 4 with 762 career rebounds.

Joseph averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, six assists and 1.9 steals per game. He was one of four NAIA Division I players this season to reach 500 points and 175 assists — the others were first-team All-American Dominique Rambo of Southwestern Assemblies of God, second-team Marshawn Norris of Culver-Stockton and third-team David Rawlinson of West Virginia Tech.

Both Erves and Joseph reached 1,000 career points in the regular-season finale against city rival Dillard. Joseph finished with 1,041 career points, and Erves scored 1,031.

Also earning recognition from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference were Philander Smith senior forward Alvin Nance on the second team and Tougaloo senior guard Juan Gray, Fisk junior Darrell Miller and SUNO senior guard/forward Clyde Moore with honorable mention.

Coach Dannton Jackson's Gold Rush were 24-8 this season, earning a share of the GCAC regular-season championship for the second consecutive year and qualifying for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship for the third consecutive season.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

UVA 'Hoos Survive Norfolk State and Advance in NIT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia  --  In the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, the University of Virginia faced a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a league whose members have never beaten UVa in men's basketball.

In the second round, the Cavaliers will meet a team from the rugged Big East. Moreover, that opponent, St. John's, is 7-0 all-time against UVa in this sport. The Red Storm edged Saint Joseph's in a first-round game Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Virginia opened its 13th trip to the NIT with a 67-56 victory over Norfolk State before a vocal crowd of 4,790 at John Paul Jones. The Cavaliers' performance thrilled no one associated with their program Tuesday night.

"Obviously we'll probably have to play a little bit better to [beat St. John's]," junior swingman Joe Harris said as midnight approached. The Wahoos (22-11) turned the ball over 17 times and made only 22 of 37 free throws. In the second half, they gave up eight offensive rebounds to the Spartans (21-12). "We got just enough stops, obviously, to be successful,"

Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, "but we had trouble handling the ball, making free throws, keeping them off the glass, and those things kind of cost us. But enough plays were made on the defensive end, and a few buckets here and there, to keep Norfolk State at bay."

The officiating crew called 47 fouls Tuesday night, and at times it seemed the game would never end. Norfolk State, with 18 turnovers, was no more careful with the ball than UVa.



"It was not a pretty game at all," Bennett said. "But at this point, to be able to come away with one not playing well was important." The MEAC's regular-season champion, Norfolk State scored the game's first eight points. By halftime, the `Hoos led 26-16, but their slow start reflected their general lack of concentration Tuesday night.

"That wasn't us," senior point guard Jontel Evans said. "We have to come out with more energy and more focus than that. If we come out like that against St. John's, it will be over."

The `Hoos will host the Red Storm (17-15) in a second-round game Sunday or Monday at JPJ.

Virginia is a No. 1 seed in the 32-team tournament; St. John's, a No. 5 seed. An announcement on the date and starting time is expected late Wednesday night. Tickets for the game, $10 apiece, will go on sale at 10 a..m. Thursday.

The videotape of the Cavaliers' first-round game may give the Red Storm some ideas about how to stymie Bennett's team. UVa, which primarily faced man-to-man defenses during the regular season, appeared perplexed by Norfolk State's 3-2 zone for long stretches Tuesday night.

"We were very stagnant to start out against that zone," Bennett said. "Too many turnovers, guys looked uncomfortable. We haven't had a team play us quite like that most of the year. In the second half I thought we moved a little better. They played some more man-to-man, but even against their zone we had some more movement, and I thought it helped us."

He knew the Spartans "were gonna come in and they were gonna try to beat the state school, just as ODU did [in December]," Anderson said. "That bad taste I got from ODU came back to my memory. I knew they were gonna come in hungry and they were gonna fight. A lot of people look at our school and think we're a bunch of soft guys and all of that, but we're a tough team, and I loved how we battled back. We played through all the jawing that they did, and we stuck to our system, and I think that's why we were successful."

NSU PHOTO GALLERY VS. UVA

|Box Score | Video Highlights | UVa Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery |


COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU’s Collins optimistic about next season

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Bobby Collins’ office at the Gaines Center was unusually quiet Tuesday morning.

Collins, who just completed his seventh season as the men’s basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, tried to sum up a season where there were plenty of highs and a few lows. The Rams’ season ended Saturday in yet another first-round loss in the Atlantic Region of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 The Rams let a late lead slip away in a 69-67 loss to Slippery Rock. The Rams were the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Region and were upset by the No. 7 seed.

“It just wasn’t meant to be for us,” Collins said about the loss that ended their season with a 21-7 record.

It was the third straight season that the Rams lost in the first round — and for seven seniors, it was the end of their careers.

There were high expectations at WSSU with such a veteran team coming back. The Rams were the preseason favorite to repeat as CIAA champions but they lost to Bowie State in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and — despite two weeks between games — they never recovered before losing to Slippery Rock.

READ MORE

New-look Savannah State Tigers begin spring practice today

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Steve Davenport, who is preparing for his third season as Savannah State University's football head coach, also will be the Tigers' offensive coordinator. He starts his new role at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday when SSU begins the first of 14 daily spring practice sessions at T.A. Wright Stadium.

Davenport fills the void left by Terance Mathis, who resigned as offensive coordinator Jan. 1 after two seasons.

“I've decided that I will take over the reigns at offensive coordinator,” said Davenport, who is preparing the Tigers for their third season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. “It's what my forte is and I'm looking forward to it. We will miss Coach Mathis and his leadership but I'm going to take over at offensive coordinator.”

SSU will practice in full pads for the first time during the fourth session March 25. All practices will be from 7:30-9:30 a.m. except for the Tigers' first scrimmage, which is from 9:30-11:30 a.m. April 6, and the annual spring game April 13, which will be played at a time to be announced later.

Davenport last served as an offensive coordinator during a two-year stint (2005-06) at Rockdale County High School in Conyers but said he is eager to instruct SSU's offensive players on a daily basis instead of being limited to coaching the position coaches.

“I learned under some good guys at UAB and I have some ideas about how I want to do things,” said Davenport, who came to SSU after serving as the University of Alabama-Birmingham's running backs coach since December 2006. “I'm looking forward to it. It's kind of rejuvenated me.

“Coming in, I just didn't know, being a first-time coach at the college level, I just didn't know how much time I would have to be able to do it. To be honest with you, (not coaching a position) made the job kind of boring. You managed the game but you never really felt like you were a part of it.”

As a four-year letterman at Georgia Tech, including three years as a starting wide receiver, Davenport also understands the offense from a player's perspective. When asked if SSU will throw the ball more this season, Davenport issued a challenge to his receivers by saying, “I will if they catch it.”

SSU finished 1-10 last season, averaging 13.4 points per game while allowing 44.9 points. The Tigers' offense averaged 82.1 yards rushing per game and 169.3 yards passing. Defensively, SSU allowed 286.5 yards rushing and 179.5 yards passing.



OFFENSIVE LINE
SSU's offensive line, which allowed 47 sacks for minus-327 yards last season, will have more depth this season.

“Obviously, it was a point of contention for us last season,” Davenport said. “We've signed seven people. The goal coming out of the season was to sign seven. And those kids who were thrown into the fire last year, we've got to get them prepared, too. We went to Oklahoma State with four true freshmen. Now those kids have gotten experience. Epa (Epafara Moananu) looks good. He's lost some weight. Same with Elijah Watson. And Devin Stainrod has really gotten stronger.”

Also returning for spring practice is Ioane Ioane, who was a 6-foot-5, 320-pound freshman last season but received a medical redshirt after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during fall practice. Ioane, whose nickname is “John John,” is a native of American Samoa along with Moananu.

“He's running around, jumping around, but not able to do some of the things in the spring,” Davenport said of Ioane. “But we expect 'John John' to be ready to go once fall camp rolls around. Obviously, (in the fall) it will be one year since he got hurt and that's about how long it takes. But he's looking good.”

QUARTERBACK
SSU returns starting quarterback Antonio Bostick, who will be a senior in the fall. Bostick was 118-of-283 passing (41.7 percent) for 1,629 yards and eight touchdowns with 13 interceptions last season.

Also returning at quarterback is rising junior Victorian Hardison, who was 21-of-52 passing (40.4 percent) for 233 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Leon Prunty, who redshirted last season, also will compete for playing time.

“Every job is open,” Davenport said. “If Leon or Victorian show more improvement than Antonio then they are going to be the starting quarterback coming out of the spring. And that's only fair to every position. Give each and every kid an opportunity to compete.

“From a quarterback's perspective it will be a little different since we're changing the offense. It will be whoever grasps the new offense quickly. We think we're solid at that position in terms of experience. We're looking forward to seeing all three of those guys in the spring.”

RUNNING BACK
Rising senior Sheldon Barnes returns after finishing second on the team in rushing with 316 yards and a touchdown on 101 carries. Bostick was SSU's leading rusher with 345 yards and five touchdowns on 149 carries.

“Obviously, we struggled last year not having an offensive line with ability to push people around,” Davenport said. “It was tough for Sheldon but we expect Sheldon to have a great season for us.”
Rising sophomores Alex Simmons and Lereginald Veals will compete with Barnes for playing time. Simmons ran 30 times for 117 yards and Veals carried 35 times for 114 yards. Isaiah Nearor, a junior last season who transferred from the University of Cincinnati, has returned from a knee injury that forced SSU to redshirt him.

“We've got a lot of experience at tailback,” Davenport said. “At fullback we've got Rashaud Ferrell back for his senior year and Juwhan Arnold will be a junior. We expect those kids to step up and be ready to play.”

RECEIVER
Rising senior receiver Simon Heyward led SSU with 44 catches for 751 yards and six touchdowns. Receiver Dylan Cook, back for his senior season, made 37 catches for 491 yards and a touchdown. Rising junior tight end Kris Drummond had 21 catches for 318 yards and a touchdown.

“We think our receiving corps is as good as it gets in this conference, collectively,” Davenport said. “Simon had a breakout season last year. Dylan is as sturdy as they come. And we expect (rising junior Edward) Lackey to come back fully. He had a back injury last year and we redshirted him.

“At the tight end, Kris Drummond had a disappointing year last year, from our perspective. We expect him to come out ready to go. He looks good. He's put on about 15 pounds so we're expecting big things from him.”

DEFENSIVE LINE
SSU signed four junior-college transfers, three of whom have been enrolled since January.

“What we tried to do was go out and get bigger guys up front. We think we've done that,” said Davenport.

SSU's largest signee is 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive lineman Sebastian Pittman, a Chicago native who played at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Pittman made 45 tackles, including four-and-a-half sacks, and earned all-conference honors. Another junior-college transfer on the defensive line is 6-foot-1, 295-pound Christian Martinez, who played at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa.

“Olajuwon Swearinger had a productive year at defensive end,” Davenport said of the rising sophomore, who made 25 tackles, including a team-high three-and-a-half sacks.

LINEBACKER
Rising junior linebacker Wayne Burden led SSU in tackles with 75, including two sacks, last season.

“We're deep there,” Davenport said. “We lost Travis Alston (a senior last season) but everyone else is coming back. We feel like we'll be solid there.”
Rising sophomore Trevion Ashford made 33 tackles and intercepted a pass.

“Tre Ashford, we think, is going to be an all-conference-type player at some point,”

Davenport said. “He played well as a freshman. He's gotten bigger, stronger and faster in the offseason.”

SECONDARY
Rising senior cornerback John Wilson was third on the team in tackles with 68 last season and made a team-high four interceptions. Rising senior Javon Moore made 32 tackles and picked off two passes, returning one for a touchdown.

“Cornerbacks? We think we've got the best tandem in the conference with John Wilson and Javon Moore,” Davenport said. “Javon needs to get a little bit stronger, get in the weight room a little bit more. And John Wilson, we thought, was an all-conference player but, unfortunately, he did not get the votes to be All-MEAC.

“Wayne Johnson had a tremendous freshman season for us backing up both sides. We expect him to be ready to compete. We feel so good about that position that we didn't recruit any cornerbacks.”

Davenport said he is concerned about a lack of depth at safety. Rising junior Vaughn Cornelia and rising senior Jovante Miller are expected to catch up after missing time because of injuries.

“At safety, we've got some work to do,” Davenport said. “Injuries had more to do with it than anything. We've got some numbers issues at safety.”

SPECIAL TEAMS
On special teams, SSU returned five punts for 91 yards without a touchdown, while opponents returned 44 punts for 587 yards and three touchdowns. Heyward returned two punts for eight yards total. Simmons, Veals and Alfred Ansley each returned one punt, the longest being Veals' 43-yard return.

Rising junior Brandon Jackson-Bell returned 17 kickoffs for 282 yards, while Heyward took back 11 kickoffs for 286 yards. Cantrell Frazier (13-249) and Veals (13-173) also returned multiple kickoffs.

Rising junior Preston McCarthy was 4-of-6 on field-goal attempts with a long of 33 yards. McCarthy kicked off 28 times for 1,298 yards, an average of 46.4 yards.

Rising sophomore Jacob Thomas punted 86 times for 3,193 yards, an average of 37.1 yards. Three of his punts were blocked.

“We've got both kickers coming back from last season,” Davenport said. “Preston McCarthy had a solid season. We've asked him in the offseason to work from the 50. We thought he was solid last season from 35 in. Jacob Thomas, the thing we're working on with him is consistency. There were times when he would boom it. There were times when he would not.”

Davenport said 61 students attempted to make the team as walk-ons in January.

“We cut it down quite a bit,” he said. “But we got some good-looking bodies who decided to walk on. We've had a tremendous level of interest from our student body wanting to be part of the program.”

The Tigers have spent the last three weeks conducting mat drills, and going through strength and conditioning workouts.

“We signed a bunch of kids to come in here in the fall,” Davenport said. “We're going to give them every opportunity to show us what they can do. (Spring practice) is a head start for those guys (already enrolled) who have been working hard.

“The enthusiasm is definitely there. Now we feel like we're playing with juniors and seniors. That was the plan the day I walked on campus. The teams that have had success in this conference have been senior-laden teams. And now we feel that we're at that level as well. Now we've just got to get prepared and go out and do it.”


COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Grambling State University Football Heads to Circle City Classic

COURTESY SWAC.org.

GRAMBLING, La. -- Tiger football fans, friends and supporters will head to the Hoosier state for a clash between the G-Men and the Alcorn State University Braves on October 12th in the Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“We are thrilled to return to this awesome venue for such a historic occasion,” said Dr. Percy Caldwell, Athletic Director at Grambling State University. “Grambling is excited about being the book-end football team, playing in the first and the 30th Circle City Classic® games.” The fall appearance will make Grambling State University the only HBCU to play in this special classic in four decades, 1984, 1990, 2000 and 2013. “That’s really special.” added Caldwell.

The Tigers participated in the very first Circle City Classic in 1984, when then Head Coach Eddie G. Robinson took his Grambling Tigers into battle against conference foe Mississippi Valley State University. The Tigers lost that game by the score of 48-36 to the Delta Devils.

Tigers head football coach Doug Williams, was the first, and only, black quarterback to take an NFL team to a Super Bowl victory when he led the Washington Redskins to victory 25 years ago this year. “As a longtime HBCU football fan and certainly as a Grambling State University football player and alum, I know what it means to participate in a game such as the Circle City Classic,” said Coach Williams. “Since we haven’t been to Indy in more than a decade, some of our fans may not realize how big a deal this is. It is huge.”

“We are happy that our university will be returning to the place where Grambling State University was an important part of such an influential and important football game,” said Dr. Frank G. Pogue, president of Grambling State University. “We know how far and wide our university’s reputation stretches, and we’re looking forward to paying respect to our strong football heritage as we tell everyone how we’re enhancing academics on campus.”

Pogue said the institution sees several great opportunities to tell the Grambling State University story at some of the Classic’s traditional week of events, including a Miss Circle City Classic coronation; a midweek prayer and praise worship service; a fan fest with celebrities, food and music and the 34th Annual Indianapolis Black Alumni Council HBCU College Fair.

Tickets will officially go on sale on April 1st however, pre-sale tickets are available immediately for the 30th Anniversary of Circle City Classic® by calling the Indiana Black Expo (IBE) Box Office at 317-925-2702 or by completing the pre-sale ticket order form and faxing it to the IBE Box Office at 317-925-4734. The Grambling State University ticket office will also have tickets for sale for this game. An official press conference to include University representatives will take place in Indianapolis at a later date. For more information, go to www.circlecityclassic.com.

COURTESY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

Jackson State University Men's Basketball Coach to Retire

COACH TEVESTER ANDERSON

JACKSON, Miss. – Jackson State Director of Athletics Dr. Vivian L. Fuller announced today that Tevester Anderson will retire from his position as the head men’s basketball coach.

Anderson, who led the Tigers to an 11-18 overall record this season, finished his 10-year run at JSU with a 149-170 record.

“We sincerely thank Coach Anderson for his contributions to Jackson State University,” Fuller said. “He is truly a professional in collegiate athletics.”

During his tenure at JSU, Anderson led the Tigers to seven straight Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament appearances, a SWAC Tournament Championship (2006-07), a NCAA Tournament appearance when the Tigers faced the Florida Gators in the opening round and a post-season NIT bid in 2010.

During the 2006-07 season, the Tigers finished with a 21-14 overall record and a 12-6 conference mark. In 2009-10, the Tigers finished the season with a 17-1 SWAC record.

“It has been a pleasure guiding the Jackson State men's basketball program,” Anderson said. “I think Jackson State is one of the premiere athletic programs in the nation. I am grateful for having been able to come back to my home state and lead the Tigers.”

Anderson came to Jackson State from Murray State University, where he spent five seasons at the helm of the Racers' basketball program. During his head coaching career at Murray State, he accrued an overall record of 103-52 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

JSU will hold a press conference on Monday, March 25, to officially announce Anderson’s retirement and to recognize his contribution to Jackson State. Anderson’s retirement will become effective on June 30.

COURTESY SWAC.org

No. 8 Rush make 15th consecutive top-10 appearance

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed two places Tuesday to eighth in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll. It's the 15th consecutive top-10 appearance for the Gold Rush, a streak which began in May 2011.

Xavier (7-5) won 3-of-4 dual matches since the March 5 poll, including victories against top-25 members Coastal Georgia and Cumberland in the AUM Invitational at Montgomery, Ala. The loss was 5-4 at Auburn Montgomery, this week's No. 1 team. Xavier won 4-of-7 matches on the court against AUM but forfeited matches at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles because of only five available players.

No. 8 is a familiar spot for the XU men, who have been ranked there in 10 of the last 19 polls. This the 45th consecutive Gold Rush appearance in the top 25.

Both XU teams will play at the University of New Orleans at 3 p.m. Wednesday, then play three duals in Florida next week during spring break. For the Gold Rush, that will include matchups with No. 2 Embry-Riddle and No. 15 Northwood. Xavier also will play Webber International, which received votes Tuesday and was 20th in the first two polls this season. Auburn Montgomery will visit Xavier on April 6.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 17) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Auburn Montgomery (5) 10-3 335 2 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (5) 10-2 333 1 3 Vanguard (3) 14-0 328 3 4 Lindsey Wilson 3-2 307 4 5 Westmont 7-7 295 5 6 William Carey 4-1 288 6 7 Bethany (Kan.) 10-1 279 7 8 Xavier 7-5 263 10 9 Concordia (Calif.) 5-7 256 8 10 Bethel (Tenn.) 13-0 241 24 11 Cumberland 5-1 234 11 12 Lewis-Clark State 5-1 216 13 13 Aquinas 9-4 215 9 14 Belhaven 5-2 211 12 15 Northwood (Fla.) 6-1 179 18 16 Oklahoma Baptist 6-4 178 16 17 Campbellsville 3-4 169 15 18 Olivet Nazarene 3-7 162 14 19 McPherson 11-2 139 19 20 Pikeville 1-2 131 20 21 Coastal Georgia 6-3 126 22 22 Northwestern Ohio 7-2 109 21 23 Spring Arbor 15-3 90 25 24 St. Thomas (Fla.) 4-5 79 RV 25 Martin Methodist 3-6 77 NR Others receiving votes: Davenport 64, Graceland 58, Webber International 49, Indiana Wesleyan 47, Our Lady of the Lake 16, Asbury 11, Hope International 8, Georgetown (Ky.) 6, Missouri Valley 4, Warner 3.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA