South Carolina Gamecocks Soar Past SSU Lady Tigers 82-40

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina  -- No. 13/12 South Carolina improved to 12-1 in non-conference action Saturday afternoon with an 82-40 win over Savannah State at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks used a 14-3 run late in the first half to establish a 43-25 halftime lead and never looked back. Sophomore guard Tiffany Mitchell turned in a stellar all-purpose effort with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals to pace the team. Junior Aleighsa Welch, sophomore Asia Dozier and freshman Alaina Coates joined her in double figures with 14, 10 and 17 points, respectively, with Coates wrapping up her third double-double of the season with 12 boards.

"I'm happy for Tiffany (Mitchell) because she works so hard," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said. "She is always in the gym, and she wasn't really getting a full return on being in the gym. Now she is, and she is more efficient at everything she does. She plays hard, and she always gets after it."

The Lady Tigers kept it close early, but the Gamecock defense locked in midway through the first half, launching a 7-1 run that pushed the lead to double digits at 22-12 with 6:25 left in the period. Mitchell did a bulk of the damage at the free throw line, making six trips there, hitting three, and adding a floater in the lane to Dozier's transition layup during the spurt.

Savannah State scored on consecutive possessions to get back within six, but a 14-3 Gamecock surge delivered the knockout punch. Olivia Gaines got things going with a jumper from the free throw line, and Welch added a pair of free throws. The junior forward swiped a steal and led the break down the court, feeding Gaines for a transition layup. Mitchell and Gaines combined to forced a turnover on the Lady Tigers' next possession with Mitchell hitting a pair of free throws. She swiped another steal the next time up the floor, and Welch hit a transition layup to make it a 32-16 contest with 3:37 on the clock. Kenyata Hendrix hit a three from the left wing to stem the tide, but Coates came back with a bucket on the other end, and Mitchell added two more free throws to make it 36-19 just a minute later.

The Gamecocks took a 43-25 lead into the locker room behind 20-of-27 free throw shooting, highlighted by career high makes and attempts from Mitchell, who went 10-of-14 on the way to 12 points in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half started with the Gamecocks pounding the ball inside. Welch hit in the lane to start things off. After Elem Ibiam picked up a steal on the other end, she got the ball inside and through the double team found Tiffany Davis for a 3 from the top of the arc. Dozier picked up the steal on the Lady Tigers' next trip up the floor and Mitchell led the break, finding Ibiam on the left block for her first field goal of the game. Welch continued the steal theme with a pick then got the ball back underneath, where she kicked out to Dozier for a 3 from the left corner and a 53-25 lead just two minutes into the half.

Several Gamecocks posted career-high efforts, including Welch with a team-high five assists. Davis netted a career-high eight points, and Gaines added one to her career high with seven points. South Carolina shot 51.1 percent from the field, topping the 50.0 percent mark for the eighth time this season, and made 30-of-48 from the free throw line for season highs in both makes and attempts. The Gamecocks open SEC action on Thu., Jan. 2, traveling to Arkansas. South Carolina is back at home to play Vanderbilt on Sun., Jan. 5, at 1 p.m.

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Toledo Rolls to 85-66 Win Over Coppin State to Move to 12-0

TOLEDO, Ohio  -- Toledo started strong and never trailed on Saturday afternoon as the Rockets remained unbeaten with an 85-66 triumph over Coppin State (4-8) in Savage Arena. With the victory, UT improved to 12-0 to match the 1940-41 squad for the second-longest unbeaten start to a season in school history.

Senior guard Rian Pearson paced a balanced Rocket attack with a game-high 22 points with junior guard Julius Brown (18 pts.), junior guard Justin Drummond (13 pts.) and senior forward Matt Smith (season-high 10 pts.) also scoring in double figures.

Toledo also dominated the glass for a third-straight outing with a commanding 47-25 rebounding advantage. Over its last three contests, UT has outrebounded its opponents by a 136-84 margin.

Freshman guard Jordan Lauf led the Rockets’ rebounding efforts with a season-high 10 caroms with junior forward J.D. Weatherspoon tying a season best with nine boards.

Brown also spearheaded the Rocket offense with a game-high seven assists to help UT tally 19 helpers as a team with just 11 turnovers. Toledo shot 49.2 percent (29-of-59) from the field and limited the Eagles to a 39.7 shooting mark (23-of-58).

Senior guard Andre Armstrong came off the bench to lead the Eagles with 15 points.

Toledo took control in the latter stages of the opening stanza, ending the half on a 16-2 run for a 44-24 halftime advantage that was the Rockets’ largest lead after 20 minutes this season.

UT increased its lead to 22 points early in the second half before the Eagles rallied to within 71-58 with five minutes to play. Brown was able to restore the Rockets’ cushion back to 20 points at 82-62 though with a trey at the 2:06 mark.

Toledo now has a quick turnaround as it returns to action on Monday, Dec. 30 with a trip to Lawrence, KS to battle No. 16 Kansas. Tip-off time from Allen Fieldhouse which can be seen on ESPN 3 is 7:00 p.m. (CT).

Final Stats (HTML)

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No. 17 Memphis Cruises to 75-61 Win Over Jackson State

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MEMPHIS, Tennessee  -- The No. 17 University of Memphis men's basketball team (9-2) opened up a 21-6 lead and never looked back on their way to a 75-61 victory over Jackson State (4-8) on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Dixon Jr. led Memphis with 14 points while Shaq Goodwin added 13 points and seven boards. David Pellom came off the bench for the Tigers to chip in 12 points on 5-of-5 from the field while Joe Jackson totaled 11 points.

Holding a 6-4 advantage, Memphis capitalized off five JSU turnovers in the first six minutes of the game to go on a 15-2 run and build a 21-6 lead with 10:25 to play in the half.

Dixon Jr. stretched the Memphis lead even further with a basket at the 8:22 mark to make it a 27-10 game. After two free throws from Chris Crawford to extend the U of M lead to 33-14 with 5:37 to go, JSU reeled off an 11-4 run with six points coming from Treshawn Bolden over the next four minutes to cut its deficit to 37-25.

JSU would not pull any closer the rest of the half with Memphis going into the locker room up 40-28. The trio of Jackson, Dixon Jr. and Crawford accounted for 25 of the team's 40 first half points.



In the opening minutes of the second period, JSU pulled within single digits for the first time since the 15:03 mark in the first half at 41-32 following a bucket from Brandon West. However, Memphis answered with a 12-0 run over the next five minutes to push its lead to 53-32 with 12:37 to play.

JSU ended its drought 30 seconds later with a three-pointer from Julysses Nobles followed by a layup from Marcus Love to pull JSU within 16.

Memphis extended its lead back to 20 after a basket from Nick King for a 59-39 advantage midway through the half. JSU answered again with a three-point play from Nobles to bring the Memphis lead down to 14 with 8:33.

JSU would be able to get back within 11 at 65-54 with four minutes left in the game, but that deficit would not dwindle down any further in the final minutes as Memphis held on for the 75-61 win.

Memphis opens American Athletic Conference play on the road Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., when the Tigers take on USF in a televised 6 p.m. (CT) game on ESPN2.

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Washington State Cougars to Battle MVSU Devils Saturday

PULLMAN, Washington  -- Washington State University men’s basketball (6-5) returns to the hardwood after a week-long hiatus, to take on Mississippi  Valley State (3-7 as of Dec. 26), Saturday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m.

• Saturday’s game can be seen on the Pac-12 Networks as Ernie Kent and Rich Waltz have the
• Bud Nameck, in his 21st year with Cougar Basketball, will have the call on the Cougar IMG Radio Network...please see the list of affiliates on page one of today’s notes.
call.
• Live updates can be found on Twitter by following @WSUMensHoops, the official Twitter account of Washington State men’s basketball.

COUGARS TO HOLD FREE KIDS’ CLINIC AFTER DEC. 28 GAME:
•  The Cougars will hold a free kids’ clinic to children grades kindergarten through sixth, that attend their game against Mississippi Valley State, Saturday, Dec. 28.
• The game starts at 5 p.m. with the clinic beginning approximately 30 minutes after the final buzzer.
• Pre-registration is required at wsucougars.com.
• More information can be found at wsucougars.com.

COUGARS VS. DELTA DEVILS:
• The Cougars and Delta Devils have met three times in the two schools’ histories, with WSU winning all three meetings.
• The two teams first met Nov. 24, 2007 at Spokane Arena as part of the Cougar Hispanic College Fund Challenge hosted by WSU, resulting in a 71-26 victory.
•  The next season WSU extended its 45 point margin to 51 with a 76-25 victory at Beasley Coliseum, Nov. 15, 2008.
• The 51-point victory marks the second largest margin of victory for WSU since 1945, while the 45 point victory ranks tied for seventh.
• The last victory came during Ken Bone’s first season as WSU defeated MVSU, 94-66, Nov. 13, 2009.

COUGARS AGAINST THE SWAC:
• Mississippi Valley State is currently a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), along with Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Grambling, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M, Southern and Texas Southern.
• The Cougars are 17-0 all-time against current members of the SWAC.
• Their first meeting with the SWAC came Dec. 9, 1989 against Texas Southern, resulting in a 1-0 victory at Moscow, Idaho.
• Last season WSU defeated two SWAC schools, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 24) and Jackson State (Dec. 13).
• WSU reached the 100-point plateau five times in those 17 games, including a school-record, 131 points against Prairie View A&M, Jan. 14, 1991.

ABOUT THE COUGARS:
•  WSU snapped its 3-game winning streak with a loss to UTEP, Saturday, Dec. 21 at Beasley Coliseum.
• The Cougars are 4-2 in home games and 3-2 at Beasley Coliseum this season. 
• Junior DaVonté Lacy leads the team with 18.9 points per game.
• He ranks sixth in the Pac-12 and 67th in the nation in scoring with 18.9 points per game, leads the league and ranks 16th in the nation with 3.4 3-pointers made per game, is tied for sixth in the conference with 1.5 steals per game, and is 14th in the Pac-12 and 63rd in the nation with a .407 3-point field goal percentage.
• Fellow-junior Royce Woolridge is contributing 10.5 points per game, as the only other Cougar scoring in double figures.
• Senior D.J. Shelton leads the team and ranks ninth in the Pac-12 and 144th in the nation with 7.7 rebounds per game.

LAST OUTING:
•  The Cougars snapped their 3-game winning streak with a 64-51 loss to UTEP at Beasley Coliseum, Saturday, Dec. 21.
• Redshirt freshman Que Johnson led the Cougars in scoring for the first time in his career, finishing with a career-high 21 points…his previous high was 14 against Pepperdine, Dec. 15.
• Johnson made a career-high 4 3-pointers, going 4-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
• For the second-straight game D. J. Shelton was one point shy of a double-double, finished with 11 rebounds and 9 points.
• Junior DaVonté Lacy did not hit a 3-pointer in a game for the first time since Jan. 19, 2013 against Colorado last season.
• WSU had a season-low 51 points…it’s the fewest points since scoring 54 at California last season, Jan. 12, 2013. 
• WSU’s 17 first-half point tied their lowest in a half this season…also had 17 against Purdue at the Old Spice Classic, Nov. 29.

WSU GAME NOTES

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#13 S.C. Gamecocks host Savannah State Saturday at Noon

Opponent: Savannah State
Date: Saturday, December 28, 2013, Noon
Site: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Tickets: $7 adult, $4 youth (17 and under)
Note: Arena will be cleared prior to men's game starting at 4 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports South (Andy Demetra, Debbie Antonelli)
Radio: WNKT 107.5 FM/WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Series History: SC leads 5-0
South Carolina Game Notes

South Carolina Notables

• One of the offseason focuses for the South Carolina coaching staff was passing, and the work is paying dividends in assist numbers as the Gamecocks rank 37th in the nation at 16.8 per game. In the previous five seasons under Staley, the highest season average was 11.2 per game. At least 60 percent of made field goals have been assisted in eight of 12 games so far this season.
• While guard Tiffany Mitchell is the Gamecocks' leading scorer, South Carolina's offense is driven by what happens in the paint. The Gamecocks have scored 38.7 points per game in the paint - more than half of their 76.8 scoring average.
• Four Gamecocks average double figure points so far this season with two others adding at least 7.8 per game, making it the most diversified offense of the Dawn Staley era. The transition occurred while sacrificing little on the defensive end, where, despite Staley feeling her team needs to prove more in that area, the Gamecocks rank third in the nation (2nd in the SEC) by allowing just 49.0 points per game.
• Junior forward Aleighsa Welch is one of two of the SEC's top 10 rebounders to also rank among the top 15 scorers.
• Alaina Coates turned in the best shooting performance ever by a Gamecock freshman, hitting 7-of-7 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line against SC State (Dec. 22). It was the first time a freshman was perfect from both the field and free throw line (min. 5 attempts at each) in school history. She became the third Gamecock to post a perfect shooting night from the floor this season - Elem Ibiam 7-of-7 vs. Charleston Southern (Nov. 8), Aleighsa Welch 6-of-6 vs. NC Central (Dec. 2). Coates' field goal attempts made her outing against SC State tied for fourth for the best perfect game in Colonial Life Arena history.
• While Tiffany Mitchell posted her first single-digit scoring game of the season against SC State, the sophomore guard still showed the diversity of her game by tying for team-high rebounding honors (9) and leading the team with four assists. It is her all-around impact on the team that led ESPN's Graham Hayes to name her one of his "10 Rising to the Occasion."

Notes
A South Carolina Win Would...

• Give the Gamecocks a 12-1 record for the second time in as many seasons, matching the best non-conference mark under Staley and the 2002-03 mark as the best since the program first joined a conference in 1983-84
• Be the Gamecocks' sixth over Savannah State in as many meetings.

By the Numbers
1 Perfect shooting game by a freshman in South Carolina women's basketball history (min. five FGA and five FTA) - Alaina Coates vs. SC State (Dec. 22) with 7-of-7 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line
2 Players in the SEC who rank among the league's top 10 in rebounding and top 20 in scoring, including junior forward Aleighsa Welch
2 Gamecocks ranked among the SEC's top 15 scorers, one of four SEC teams to have multiple entries
3 Gamecocks ranked among the SEC's top 20 rebounders, one of three SEC teams to have three entries - Kentucky and Tennessee being the other two
3 Games this season in which five Gamecocks have scored in double figures, which had happened just five previous times in the Dawn Staley era
5 Statistical categories in which the Gamecocks rank among the nation's top five - scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage defense and blocked shots
5 Different Gamecocks who have been the team's high scorer in a game this season - Alaina Coates (Charleston Southern, at San Diego State, SC State), Aleighsa Welch (LA Tech, at Clemson, vs. UNC), Asia Dozier (CofC), Elem Ibiam (Seton Hall, Charlotte) and Tiffany Mitchell (at USC, NC Central, Winthrop)
6 Individual 20-point games this season by the Gamecock - three by Alaina Coates (CSU, at SDSU), two by Tiffany Mitchell (at USC, Winthrop) and one by Aleighsa Welch (vs. UNC)
6 Games in which South Carolina has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field this season after reaching the mark just 12 times in the previous five seasons under Staley
7 Games this season in which South Carolina has scored at least 50.0 percent of its points in the paint, including scoring 70 of 99 points against Charleston Southern (Nov. 8) inside
8 Opponents who have been held to 55 or fewer points by the Gamecocks this season, helping the Gamecocks rank third in the nation in scoring defense (49.0 ppg)
26 Points allowed to SC State by the Gamecocks (Dec. 22), the third lowest in the Dawn Staley era
26 More rebounds by the Gamecocks than SC State (Dec. 22), the second-highest rebounding margin in the Staley era
62.0 Percent of field goals made this season that have been assisted

Savannah State Series Notes
South Carolina leads the series 5-0, including wins in each of the last three seasons. In last year's 78-47 victory (Nov. 15), forward Aleighsa Welch recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Then-freshman Asia Dozier posted her first career double-digit point game with 11, including three 3-pointers.

Scouting the Lady Tigers
The Lady Tigers conclude a season long 10-game road stretch today with their final away match, before returning home on Sunday. SSU lost a close game to Alabama State in their last outing, falling 52-57 after leading 26-23 at the half on Dec. 22 in Montgomery, Ala.

Today's opponent is the second of two Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams that SSU will face this season. They fell to Mississippi State, 63-81, on Nov. 26. SSU played a record four SEC opponents last season. This is the sixth match-up between SSU and South Carolina, since the program's elevation to NCAA Division I in the 2001-02 season. The Lady Tigers are winless against SEC opponents.

The Lady Tigers are led by senior Ezinne Kalu. The Newark, N.J. native is averaging 15.0 points per game and has a 150 points overall. Freshman Tiyonda Davis leads the team in rebounds with 85, averaging 7.7 per game. Jasmine Norman and Kenyata Hendrix are both averaging at least 8.1 points per contest. The Lady Tigers are 2-4 on the road this year, an improvement over last season's 1-15 away record

Five-Second Count
For the first time in her tenure at South Carolina, head coach Dawn's Staley's Gamecocks look different - on the court and in the box score. After seasons of building around defense, Staley finally as a group that is designed for offensive efficiency. The Gamecocks are scoring more (77.5 ppg - 6th in SEC, 48th in nation) and more efficiently (.491 FG %age - 2nd in SEC, 6th in country) than at any time in the Staley era. And, after seasons of talented guards generating their own offense, Staley's 2013-14 success is predicated on getting the ball inside - three primary post players combine to score 47.5 percent of the team's points - and on ball movement creating the best shots as 62.0 percent of made field goals have been assisted, ranking the Gamecocks sixth in the SEC and 37th in the nation with 16.8 assists per game. Defense is still a staple of the program with the Gamecocks ranking third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 49.0 points per game. Only four opponents this season have scored 55 or more points against South Carolina.

December Decisions
In its 40th season of women's basketball, South Carolina is 159-79 (.668) all-time in the month of December, including a 27-7 record (.794) in the sixth season of the Dawn Staley era. The Gamecocks hold at least a .500 record in all three site possibilities during the month - 96-23 (.807) at home, 34-30 (.531) on the road and 24-24 (.500) at neutral sites.

Home Sweet Home
With comprehensive records beginning in the 1976-77 season (the third for women's basketball at South Carolina), the Gamecocks are 369-155 (.704) all-time in games played at home, including a 124-58 mark (.681) in Colonial Life Arena. In the sixth season with head coach Dawn Staley at the helm, South Carolina is 59-25 (.702) at home, including one game at Carolina Coliseum in the 2012-13 season. The Gamecocks have won 45 of their last 56 games played in Colonial Life Arena.

Make It, Take It
South Carolina is exhibiting its most efficient offense of the Dawn Staley era so far this season, leading the SEC and ranking sixth in the nation with 49.1 percent accuracy from the field. The Gamecocks have shot 50.0 percent or higher six times already this season - the most in a season under Staley. In fact, in the previous five seasons, South Carolina hit at least 50.0 percent of its field goal attempts just 12 times combined. This year's top effort was 60.9 percent against Charleston Southern (Nov. 8) - program best under Staley - followed by a 58.5 percent showing against NC Central (Dec. 2). The Gamecocks made at least 65.0 percent of their attempts in a half five times this season, including a remarkable 73.9 percent (17-of-23) in the second half against Seton Hall (Nov. 17).

Post Presence
South Carolina's trio of primary post players - Alaina Coates, Elem Ibiam and Aleighsa Welch - has been the key to the Gamecocks' offensive production so far this season. The trio has accounted for 438 of the team's 922 points this season - 47.5 percent - and is shooting a combined 64.1 percent from the field (164-of-256). Welch leads the SEC and is third in the nation in field goal percentage at .700 for 14.3 points per game (12th in SEC). Coates' perfect shooting outing for 23 points against SC State has lifted her average to 11.2 points on 64.9 percent shooting. Ibiam's strong three games before the holiday break have her scoring 11.1 points per game on 57.6 percent shooting. In all, the Gamecocks have scored 464 points in the paint this season - 50.3 percent of their total scoring.

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Second-Half Rally lifts Washington Huskies over MVSU, 95-80

SEATTLE, Washington  -- Nigel Williams-Goss and Andrew Andrews each scored 18 points and helped spark a decisive second half run as the Washington Huskies pulled away for a 95-80 victory over Mississippi Valley State Friday night.

Washington (7-5) held the Delta Devils scoreless for over five minutes as the Huskies mounted an 18-0 run to break the game open in the second half. After a layup from Jeffrey Simmons tied the game at 56 with 12:40 left to play, Washington began to pull away. Williams-Goss and Andrews forced the action by attacking the basket. Anthony McDonald finally halted the Huskies run with a layup at the 7:26 mark.

Mississippi Valley State (3-8) couldn't keep the Huskies from getting to the rim and were outclassed on the boards as well. Perris Blackwell scored 17 points with 10 rebounds as Washington out-rebounded the Delta Devils by a 51-29 margin.

Washington built a 10-point lead midway through the first half but couldn't put MVSU away before the break. The Delta Devils kept in the contest on the strength of their 3-point shooting. Mississippi Valley State was 5 of 10 from behind the arc in the first half. Meanwhile, Washington didn't convert a 3-pointer in the half, going 0 for 6.

However, MVSU was just 2 for 19 from 3-point distance in the second half as Washington took control.

A three-point play from Andrews and free throw from Mike Anderson helped the Huskies take a 22-12 lead over MVSU midway through the first half. The Delta Devils slowly closed the deficit and a pair of 3-pointers from Daniel Hurtt helped the Delta Devils close the gap to 39-35 at the half.

After a quick start to the second half from the Huskies, MVSU erased a 10-point deficit in the blink of an eye. Simmons converted a four-point play after being fouled by Washington's Darin Johnson. A pair of free throws from McDonald closed the gap to 54-50 before Washington mistakes allowed the Delta Devils to tie the game. The Huskies turned the ball over on an inbounding violation and with a careless pass under their own basket on consecutive possessions. James Currington scored baskets off both turnovers to knot the score at 54.

C.J. Wilcox also posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Washington.

McDonald led the Delta Devils with 19 points on the night.

Box Score

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Cal State Northridge Defeats Morgan State, 86-80

Box Score - CSUN vs Morgan State  Audio | Video | Live stats | Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, California  --  Going into Friday night's non-league basketball game against Morgan State, senior guard Josh Greene knew he needed six three-pointers to tie the long-time career school record set by Ian Boylan (1997-01) with 182.

Greene wanted to tie or set the record in front of family, friends and fans who faithfully attend basketball games at the Matadome.

Greene raced to a fast start in the first half. Within a two-minute span nearing the midway point of the first half, Greene hit three straight shots from behind the arc, and added a fourth trey near the end of the first half.

Then with 11:24 mark in the second half, Greene hit his fifth three-pointer of the contest to give the Matadors a comfortable 59-48 lead over the Bears.


Greene then turned his attention to his success at the free throw line. Six consecutive free throws in the final 1:36 of the contest helped propel CSUN to a hard-earned 86-80 victory over Morgan State in a non-league game on Friday night at the Matadome.

Greene's 36-minute night looked outstanding from the left margin to the right margin of the official box score. A season-high 28 points (8-for-10 from the floor, 5-for-6 from three point territory), five rebounds, four assists and three steals is a pretty good night of work.

Matador head coach Reggie Theus noticed Greene's outstanding play, and was quick to praise Greene's success on the floor, and the leadership he displays amongst his teammates.

"Josh has an excellent jump shot," said Theus. "When he gets it going, he can make shots all over the court. Tonight he had it going. He has a green light under those circumstances."

Greene is a team player, who says winning as a team will always take top honors over individual achievements.

"I'm really not disappointed," said Greene. "I'm just happy the team won."

Greene's next opportunity to tie or break the school record takes place on Dec. 30 at Stephen F. Austin in Texas.

"It simply means that all hard work pays off," said Greene when asked about his three-point success. "I'm really blessed the Good Lord has put me in this position. All the credit also goes to my teammates. They look for me when I'm open. Making shots give us a good chance to win."

Greene's success at the free throw line has not gone unnoticed. His 7-for-8 effort from the charity stripe included six straight charity tosses late in the game that has given him a percentage of .864, tops on the team and amongst the top three players in the conference.

Greene's career free throw percentage is .846, third-best all-time at Cal State Northridge.

"Just hard work," said the soft-spoken senior. "It's just a matter of coming to work every day and being disciplined along with being dedicated. I'm always striving for perfection."

Stephen Maxwell again displayed his blue collar style of play with a career-high 28 points along with 12 rebounds. At 6-foot-7, 220-pounds, Maxwell worked for every point against his opponent who stood 7-foot-2, and scaled the weights at 270-pounds.

"Stephen never stops working," said Theus. "We have made him a pivotal part of our offense. There are certain things he still has to learn. He draws double teams which means he is doing something right offensively. Now he has to get better at finding the open man."

Stephan Hicks added his third double-double of the season with ten points and eleven rebounds to help the Matadors raise their season record to 8-5.

Morgan State fell to 3-8.

Morgan State led 12-11 at the 16:05 mark of the first half, but the Matadors ripped off ten straight points to take a 21-12 lead at the 13:04 mark. CSUN never surrendered the lead.

Cal State Northridge led at halftime, 39-34, and built its lead to as many as 13 points (61-48) with 10:30 remaining in the game.

Morgan State mounted a late rally that cut the Matadors lead to only three points, 76-73, with 1:21 remaining.

But a 4-0 run in the next 21 seconds thanks to two free throws by Hicks and another two free throws by Greene gave the Matadors a much needed cushion.

In fact, nine free throws in the final minute helped give the Matadors the 86-80 victory.

"We got a little complacent," admits Greene. "We took our foot off the pedal and Morgan State started to make a real run. We are still learning. We will continue to watch film. We will find our mistakes and continue to work to prepare for our next game at Stephen F. Austin."

"We did a lot of good things, and we stuck to our game plan," said Theus. "Good teams, even when things aren't perfect, find a way to win. That is our goal."

Cal State Northridge has now won five of its last six games going into the Dec. 30 game at Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks are 10-2 and have won 23 straight games on their home court.

"I'm enjoying it. I like teaching," when reporters asked Theus about his first season at CSUN. "I like the opportunity to help these players grow. I also like the opportunity to teach the players how to play hard; how to grind a game out … to learn to win. I have had those experiences at all the levels that I have played basketball. These are the type of things I'm trying to teach the team.

Matador Memo … Josh Greene's 28 points gave him 1,184 in his four-year Matador career, ninth-best in school history … Greene's six three-point attempts against Morgan State give him 473 in his CSUN career to move him into second place all-time, just ahead of Vinnie McGhee (472, 2009-12) … Tre Hale-Edmerson tied his school record with six blocks against Morgan State … Earlier this year, Hale-Edmerson had six blocks against La Sierra (12/1/13) to tie the record set earlier by Calvin Chitwood at Washington (12/22/07) … Hale-Edmerson now has 57 career blocks, seventh-best in school history.

By Bob Vazquez, Assistant Athletics Director, Strategic Communications
COURTESY CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS 

Game Day Central: FAMU vs. Wake Forest in FIU Fun & Sun Classic

MIAMI, Florida  -- After enjoying the Christmas break, Wake Forest returns to action this weekend at the Fun & Sun Classic hosted by FIU.  The Demon Deacons will play Florida A&M at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, and then will play either FIU or Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday, Dec. 29.


Live video will be available for all games involving FIU.

Last Time Out

Junior Dearica Hamby scored a career-high 31 points and senior Chelsea Douglas chipped-in with 20 points as the Deacs rolled past South Alabama 92-66 on Dec. 20.

Hamby dominated on both ends of the floor. In addition to her 31 points, she grabbed 11 rebounds, had four steals and dished-out a season-high four assists.

Douglas knocked-down three shots from beyond the arc en route to her seventh 20-point game of the season. She also finished with season-highs of five assists and four steals. Freshman Ataijah Taylor scored nine points and dished-out four assists while redshirt-freshman Kelila Atkinson scored eight points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.

Senior Lindsy Wright came off the bench and provided an immediate spark, scoring six points and pulling-down a total of nine boards.

Wake Forest Storylines

Dearica Hamby has notched nine double-doubles this season. She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Nugget Classic and currently leads the ACC in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

Senior Chelsea Douglas was the first player in school history to score 20 or more points in the first three games of a season. She is second in the ACC in scoring (19.8) and three-pointers made (38).

Douglas is currently tied for sixth in school history with 1,352 career points and also second with 209 career three-pointers.

The Opposition

Florida A&M opened the season with five wins in its first six games but has since dropped six of its last seven.

Jasmine Grice is leading the Rattlers in scoring at 22.2 points per game and she has also nabbed a team-high 41 steals.

Taneka Rubin (12.8) and Kimberly Sparkman (10.4) are the other two Rattlers averaging in double-figures. Sparkman has dished-out a team-high 41 assists.

Series History

The Demon Deacons are 3-0 all-time against FAMU, including an 80-60 victory last season at the Joel Coliseum.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams outside of Winston-Salem.

Wake Forest Game Notes
Live Stats
Twitter Updates

COURTESY WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS 

Oregon Ducks Close Out Non-Conference Slate with Morgan State

Oregon wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule by hosting Morgan State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Sunday, Dec. 29 at noon.

#12/#10 Oregon Ducks (11-0, 0-0 PAC-12) vs.
Morgan State (3-7, 1-0 MEAC)

Date Sunday, December 29, 2013

 Tip Time 12:02 p.m PT
 Site Eugene, Oregon

Stadium Matthew Knight Arena

Stadium Capacity 12,364

Television Pac-12 Networks

Rich Cellini, play-by-play, Ernie Kent, analyst

Radio Oregon IMG Sports Network 95.3 FM KUJZ in Eugene/Springfield

Terry Jonz, play-by-play

Live Stats GoDucks.com

Live Audio GoDucks.com

Twitter @OregonMBB

Facebook OregonMBB

Satellite Radio Sirius 125 XM ch. NA

 EUGENE, Oregon  --  Oregon wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule by hosting Morgan State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Sunday, Dec. 29 at noon. Winners of three of their last four games, the Bears were 17-15 last season and return four starters from the squad that advanced to the MEAC Tournament final. Morgan State is coached by former Cal head coach Todd Bozeman. Morgan State plays at Cal State Northridge Friday night.

 

THE STARTING FIVE
1- Oregon is 11-0 for just the fifth time in school history. With a win Sunday, the Ducks would be 12-0 for the fifth time ever. The current start is the school’s best since 2006-07. That Aaron Brooks-led Duck squad, which won the Pac-10 tournament and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, went 13-0 to open the year.

 

2 - A third of the way into the 2013-14 season, Oregon leads the nation in scoring and continues to be one of the best shooting teams nationally. The Ducks average 90.3 points per game to lead the nation. Oregon is also among the national leaders in field goal percentage (.511/7th), 3-point field goal percentage (.424/11th), free throw percentage (.756/18th) and assists (16.2 per game/24th).

3 - Oregon tied a school record by reaching the century mark for the fourth time this season Dec. 21 against Brigham Young. It is just the third time in 109 seasons of basketball that the Ducks have scored 100 points four times in the same season. Oregon has never had more than four 100-point games in the same year. The Ducks last had four 100-point games in the same year in 2001-02. Oregon first accomplished that feat in 1995-96.

4 - Stealing away. The Ducks have recorded double-digit steals in three of the last four games. That’s after recording 10-plus steals only once in the first seven games.

5 - Johnathan Loyd continues to climb Oregon’s career assist chart. Last week against BYU, he passed Fred Jones (367/1998-02) for sixth. Loyd, who ranks eighth nationally at 6.8 assists per game, comes into the Morgan State contest with 372 career dimes.

SHARED SCORING
The Ducks have reached 80 points in nine of 11 games this season. Oregon has also gone over 90 points six times and 100 four times. Oregon has put up those big scoring totals through a collaborative effort. Oregon has had at least four players score in double figures in each of the last eight games. The Ducks have also had five double figure scorers five times, and six twice.

DOUBLE FIGURES CONTINUE FOR YOUNG
Joseph Young has scored in double figures in all 11 games this season. Dating back to last season while at Houston, Young has scored in double figures in 13 straight games, and 36 of his last 37 outings. The junior recently reached the 1,000 point milestone of his NCAA career. Young scored 916 points in two seasons at Houston, and has added another 218 this year for 1,134 career points. He joins Jason Calliste, who surpassed 1,000 career points in three seasons at Detroit, in the 1,000-point club.

 

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS 

OVC Campaign Begins For TSU Lady Tigers on Saturday

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | VIDEO

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will officially kick-off the Ohio Valley Conference campaign on Saturday, Dec. 28 when the Lady Tigers face Eastern Illinois on the road. The game will be TSU’s first contest after the Christmas break and final of the year 2013. 

 

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE

Tennessee State is coming off a, 66-58, loss against LaSalle at the Gator Holiday Classic. TSU also dropped a contest to host Florida on the first day of the tournament.  The losses extended TSU’s losing streak to three games and moved the Lady Tigers to 3-10 overall.

 

TSU is averaging 64.8 points per outing while shooting 34.9 percent from the field. Chelsea Hudson leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game while Rachel Allen (11.3 ppg) and I’mani Davis (7.6 ppg) round out the top scorers for TSU.

 

The Lady Tigers, under second year head coach Larry Joe Inman, returned four letterwinners from last year’s squad and added eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, to the roster.

 

TSU finished last season with an overall record of 13-15 and a 9-7 conference mark. In an Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll that was released in October, TSU was predicted to finish fifth in the East Division standings.

 

LAST TIME OUT

TSU got off to a slow start and fell behind 24-3 in the first half before forging a comeback that cut the deficit down to just five. The Lady Tigers, however, ran out of time and fell to LaSalle, 66-58, at the Gator Holiday Classic. I’mani Davis recorded her second double-double of the season and led TSU with 15 points to go with 16 rebounds. Rachel Allen finished the game with 14 points.  

 

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

Eastern Illinois is off to a 5-6 start this season. The Panthers have won two straight with the most recent victory coming against Air Force, 76-44. EIU has won three of its last four games.

 

In the win over Air Force, Sabina Oroszova recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Katlyn Payne also scored 22 points while Jordyne Crunk added 14.

 

Oroszova (18.1 ppg), Payne (14.4 ppg) and Crunk (11.3 ppg) are also the team’s leading scorers.

 

As a team, EIU is averaging 61.1 points per game behind a 39.6 field goal percentage. The Panthers are shooting 35.1 percent from the three-point line and the 68.9 percent from the charity stripe.

 

TSU vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS

TSU will meet Eastern Illinois for the 38th time in the series history as EIU leads, 27-10. EIU claimed the last meeting between the two teams with a 76-67 victory in the Gentry Center. TSU has not won a game against EIU since the 2006 season when the Lady Tigers defeated the Panthers, 67-62.

 

COVERAGE

Updates on the game will be available throughout the game on the official twitter page via @TSU_Tigers. Live stats and video will also be available for the games. Links can be found on tsutigers.com under the schedule.

 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

TSU will return to action in the next year at home against conference foe Jacksonville State on Jan. 4. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. in the Gentry Center. 

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Toledo Aiming for 12-0 in Saturday Matinee vs. Coppin State

TOLEDO, Ohio  -- Toledo (11-0) looks to cap off a perfect non-conference home season and remain among the ranks of the unbeaten on Saturday, Dec. 28 when it hosts MEAC foe Coppin State (4-7) in Savage Arena. Tip-off time is set for 2:00 p.m. Entering Friday’s action, the Rockets were one of nine schools in the nation yet to be saddled with a loss.

UT has registered its best start to a season since its 1966-67 squad opened with 14 consecutive wins en route to a 23-2 mark. With one more victory, the Rockets would match the 1940-41 squad for the program’s second-best opening to a season.

All five of Toledo’s starters are averaging in double figures in the scoring column, led by senior G Rian Pearson at 16.1 ppg. He is followed by junior G Justin Drummond (14.9 ppg), junior G Julius Brown (12.8 ppg), junior F J.D. Weatherspoon (11.3 ppg) and sophomore C Nathan Boothe (10.7 ppg).

Pearson ranks fourth in the MAC in scoring and has ranked among the league’s top four scorers in each of his three seasons as a Rocket.
Brown ranks fifth nationally with 7.4 apg and second in the MAC with a 2.5 assist/turnover ratio. He has registered two double-doubles this season with 23 points and 10 assists at Boston College and 18 points and 11 assists vs. Florida A&M.
Toledo is 5-0 this year in games decided by four points or less, including a 71-67 win over Cleveland St. in its most recent outing.

The Rockets have made 60 more free throws (253) than their opponents have attempted (193). UT has a .744 free-throw percentage and ranks fourth nationally at 22.9 free throws made per game.

Senior F Michael Murray paces Coppin State offensively with 15.7 ppg, while junior F Brandon St. Louis is grabbing a team-high 5.8 rpg.

The Eagles, who will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak, defeated PAC-12 foe Oregon State earlier this season by a 78-73 margin.

GAME NOTES (PDF)

Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk posted a seven-win improvement from Year 1 (10-20) to Year 2 (17-11) at Green Bay. He doubled that feat and more at Toledo in the 2011-12 campaign as UT registered 15 more wins than his first season at the Rocket helm. Last year, Kowalczyk guided Toledo to a 15-13 ledger as the Midnight Blue and Gold tied for first place in the MAC’s West Division. He now has UT in position as one of the favorites to capture the league title and put the Rockets into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1980.
     
When looking at his career record minus his first season at the helm at both Green Bay and Toledo, Coach Kowalczyk’s record is 171-122 (.584) overall and 86-64 (.573) in conference play. 

ROCKETS IN THE POLLS

Toledo is ranked No. 3 in this week’s CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll for its highest ranking ever in the 15-year history of the poll. The Rockets received 717 points and are one of four MAC schools to appear in the poll with No. 11 Akron (485), No. 14 Kent State (351) and No. 18 Ohio (225) also ranked. Eastern Michigan (35) is also receiving votes.
     
UT also is moving up the national polls and received 27 votes (No. 30) in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll and 13 votes (No. 31) in this week’s ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll.
     
The Rockets are also a near-unanimous pick to win the MAC’s West Division. UT received 24 first-place votes and 149 points in the conference’s preseason poll, while Akron was tabbed as the East Division winner with 18 first-place votes and 143 points.

ROCKETS RANKING AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
Toledo’s red-hot start to the 2013-14 campaign has been buoyed by a high-scoring offense that is tied for seventh nationally (through games played Sunday, Dec. 22) with 86.4 ppg. The Rockets also rank 11th with an impressive 1.65 assist/turnover ratio.
  
A ROCKET VICTORY OVER COPPIN STATE WOULD...

• Equal UT’s second-best start to a season in school history, matching the 1940-41 squad’s opening. The Rockets’ school record is 14 by the 1966-67 edition.
• Extend Toledo’s winning streak dating back to the 2012-13 campaign to 14, equalling the third-longest in school history. The Rockets’ longest win streak is 17 from Feb. 19, 1940 - Jan. 25, 1941. UT also won 16 in a row from Feb. 14, 1947 - Dec. 30, 1948 and 14 straight from Dec. 3, 1966 - Feb. 1, 1967.
• Improve UT’s home record to 6-0 and extend the Rockets’ home court win streak to seven games.
• Give Toledo its first victory over Coppin State in three meetings.

ON THE HORIZON

Toledo will close out its non-conference schedule at No. 16 Kansas (8-3) on Monday, Dec. 30 in a game that can be seen on ESPN3.
           
UT opens its MAC season at Western Michigan (6-5) on Wednesday, Jan. 8 with its first conf
erence home game vs. Central Michigan (6-5) on Saturday, Jan. 11.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

The Smalls of Mississippi

• Alcorn State University returns just one starter, All-SWAC forward LeAntwan Luckett, from last year's 10-24 team. The Braves head coach Luther Riley has recruited some size to Lorman with junior college transfers Josh Nicolas (7-0), Stephane Raquil (6-10) and Shantardrick Hester (6-8). Alcorn State's only shot at reaching the Big Dance is by winning the SWAC Tournament.
• Mississippi Valley State University has one of the toughest coaching jobs. Head coach Chico Potts must try to win games facing a second straight postseason ban and, to make matters worse, without last year's SWAC leading scorer Davon Usher, who transferred. Potts hopes to improve on last year's 5-23 with junior college transfer Anthony McDonald and returning player Matt Smith.
• Tougaloo College enters its second year with Harvey Wardell as head coach. His first campaign finished with an 8-18 record. The Bulldogs feature Denzel Hardy, who made the Preseason All-Conference Team in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Conference coaches picked Tougaloo to finish sixth in the conference.

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Memphis Basketball Notes vs. Jackson State

Saturday, December 28 - 11 a.m. CT | FedExForum
Jackson State Tigers (4-7, 0-0 SWAC) vs.
#17 Memphis Tigers (8-2, 0-0 The American)
Tigers On TV/Radio/Web
Television: ESPNU (Adam Amin, play-by-play; Mark Adams, analyst)/Memphis Comcast channel 228
Radio: WREC 600 AM (Dave Woloshin, play-by-play; Matt Dillon, color analyst; Forrest Goodman, studio host)
Web:WatchESPN (ESPN3.com)

SETTING THE SCENE• Memphis (8-2, 0-0 The American) returns to action after the Christmas break to host Jackson State (4-7, 0-0 SWAC) Saturday, Dec. 28. ESPNU is televising Saturday's 11 a.m. (CT) contest from FedExForum.
• The Memphis-Jackson State game also can be viewed via the web at ESPN3.com/WatchESPN.
• The Tigers remained in both national polls Dec. 23. Memphis dropped down to the No. 17 spot in both the Associated Press and USA Todaycoaches polls. Jackson State is not ranked. • Memphis enters Saturday's contest having won seven of its last eight games. The seven victories came over Nicholls, Siena, LSU, No. 5/8 Oklahoma State, Northwestern State, UALR and Southeast Missouri. The Tigers' lone loss in that stretch was a narrow 77-75 setback to No. 16/17 Florida in the 2013 Jimmy V Classic. • The Tigers are 5-0 at FedExForum this season, averaging over 85 points a game (87.8 ppg) in the five home wins. • Memphis returns three starters, but only five letterwinners from last year's squad. • Saturday's contest is the Jackson State Tigers' ninth road game in 2013-14. • Jackson State returns only one starter and two letterwinners from last year's squad.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS• Jackson State enters Saturday's non-conference clash with a 4-7 overall record.
• The Tigers bring a two-game win streak into Saturday's match-up. Jackson State's last two wins were over Evansville and Louisiana-Lafayette.
• Of Jackson State's seven losses, four were by single digits.
• Jackson State is playing its ninth road game Saturday. The Tigers are 3-5 on the road.
• Jackson State was picked to finish fifth in the 2013-14 SWAC preseason coaches/sports information directors poll.
• Julysses Nobles leads three Tigers averaging double figures at 16.8 ppg. Nobles is the SWAC's third-leading scorer.
• Brandon West (11.4 ppg) and Javeres Brent (10.4 ppg) also are averaging double digits in the scoring column.
• West leads Jackson State on the glass with an 11.2 rebounding average. He is the SWAC's only players averaging double-figure rebounds.
• Nobles is the team's top playmaker with 40 assists (3.6 apg). He also leads the Tigers with 17 steals.
• Brent is Jackson State's top three-point threat, hitting 38.2 percent from the arc.
• The Tigers are shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 29.9 percent from the arc and 72 percent from the free throw line.
• Jackson State is out-rebounding its opponents by margin of +2.0 boards per game (35.8-33.8).
• Wayne Brent, a former high school head coach in Jackson, Miss., is in his first season as Jackson State's head coach.

BLUFF CITY VERSUS CROSSROADS OF THE SOUTH
• When the two Tigers teams meet Saturday, city pride will be on the line.
• Both squads -- Memphis and Jackson State -- are well represented by local talent.
• Jackson State has eight players on its roster from the Jackson, Miss., area. Jackson, Miss., also is known as the Crossroads of the South.
• On the Tigers' side, eight players hail from the Memphis area. Chris Crawford, Markel Crawford, Trey Draper, Joe Jackson, Nick King and Jake McDowell all are from Memphis, also know as the Bluff City. Sophomore Anthony Cole is from Arlington and freshman Austin Nichols is from Collierville, both suburbs of Memphis.

DO YOU REMEMBER?
• For many Tigers fans, they may know, but here's the question anyway.
• Name the opponent Memphis played in Josh Pastner's first game as the Tigers head coach?
• The answer: Jackson State.
• In his first game not only as the Tigers head coach but also his first as a collegiate head coach, Pastner directed Memphis to an 82-53 victory over Jackson State Nov. 13, 2009.

BRENT SUCCESS VERSUS MEMPHIS
• Although Saturday's contest is his first as a head coach against Memphis, Jackson State head coach Wayne Brent has faced the Tigers four previous times as an assistant at Ole Miss from 1998-2002.
• With Brent on the Rebels bench, Ole Miss won three of the four encounters over Memphis.
• Another note on Brent: As the Callaway High School head coach in 2012-13, he brought his Chargers squad by a Memphis practice last season. That Callaway squad won the state title.

HOLDING `EM IN THE FORTIES• The last time Memphis and Jackson State met Nov. 28, 2011, the hometown Tigers held the visitors to 45 points in a 70-45 victory at FedExForum.
• The 45 points is tied for the second-fewest points scored against Memphis in the Josh Pastner era.
• The Tigers also held SMU and UAB to 45 points in 2011-12.
• The fewest points allowed by Memphis in the Pastner era were 40 by Centenary (104-40 win) in the 2010-11 season opener (Nov. 12, 2010).

THE CROWD FACTOR
• FedExForum has been a great homecourt for Memphis, and Saturday could provide more of an advantage.
• For the first time in 2013-14, Jackson State could play before a crowd larger than 10,000.
• To date, the largest crowd Jackson State played in front of was 9,042 in a 94-70 loss at Colorado Nov. 16.
• In their eight previous road games, the Jackson State Tigers played before an average crowd of 4,204.
• In its five home games at FedExForum this season, Memphis is averaging 15,552 fans.


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The American Notes

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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

HOLDING `EM IN THE FORTIES
• The last time Memphis and Jackson State met Nov. 28, 2011, the hometown Tigers held the visitors to 45 points in a 70-45 victory at FedExForum.
• The 45 points is tied for the second-fewest points scored against Memphis in the Josh Pastner era.
• The Tigers also held SMU and UAB to 45 points in 2011-12.
• The fewest points allowed by Memphis in the Pastner era were 40 by Centenary (104-40 win) in the 2010-11 season opener (Nov. 12, 2010).

THE CROWD FACTOR
• FedExForum has been a great homecourt for Memphis, and Saturday could provide more of an advantage.
• For the first time in 2013-14, Jackson State could play before a crowd larger than 10,000.
• To date, the largest crowd Jackson State played in front of was 9,042 in a 94-70 loss at Colorado Nov. 16.
• In their eight previous road games, the Jackson State Tigers played before an average crowd of 4,204.
• In its five home games at FedExForum this season, Memphis is averaging 15,552 fans.

SWAC Updates Basketball Television Schedule

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference updated its 2013-14 men and women’s basketball television schedule for the season. The remaining television schedule features eight games on ESPN networks including 10 contests on the SWAC Digital Network (SDN).

The line-up of networks to feature SWAC basketball includes: ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN3, FOX Sports Network, FOX SportsSouth, CSS, CSN Houston, Big Ten Network, PAC-12 Network, and Comcast Sports Net.

Four men’s SWAC conference games will air on ESPNU. The match ups slated features: Southern at Texas Southern (Jan. 6), Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Southern (Jan. 27), Prairie View A&M at Alabama A&M (Feb. 3) and Mississippi Valley State at Southern (Feb. 17).

SDN will broadcast five men and women conference double-headers including: Jackson State at Alcorn State (Jan. 11), Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M (Feb. 8), Alabama State at Alabama A&M (Feb. 15) and Alcorn State at Alabama A&M (Feb. 24).

The broadcast schedule closes out in Houston, Texas at the 2014 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament.

The women and men's championship game will be shown live March 15. The women on ESPN3 at noon with tape delay slated for Sunday (March 16) at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. The men’s final is set to air live on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. All times are central.

2013-14 SWAC BASKETBALL TELEVISION SCHEDULE
DATE GAME TIME NETWORK

Dec. 27 Mississippi Valley State at Washington 6:30 p.m. PAC-12
Dec. 28 Jackson State at Memphis 11:00 a.m. ESPNU
Dec. 28 Prairie View A&M at Wisconsin 1:00 p.m. ESPNU
Dec. 29 Texas Southern at TCU 1:00 p.m. FOX Sports
Dec. 30 Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Auburn 7:00 p.m. CSS
Jan. 06 Southern at Texas Southern 8:00 p.m. ESPNU
Jan. 11 Jackson State at Alcorn State* 3:00 p.m. SDN
Jan. 27 Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Southern 8:00 p.m. ESPNU
Feb. 03 Prairie View A&M at Alabama A&M 8:00 p.m. ESPNU
Feb. 08 Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M* 3:00 p.m. SDN
Feb. 15 Alabama State at Alabama A&M* 3:00 p.m. SDN
Feb. 17 Mississippi Valley State at Southern 8:00 p.m. ESPNU
Feb. 24 Alcorn State at Alabama A&M* 3:00 p.m. SDN
Mar. 01 Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State* 3:00 p.m. SDN

Mar. 15 2014 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament Women's Championship
12:00 p.m. ESPN3
Mar. 15 2014 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament Men's Championship
3:30 p.m. ESPN2
Mar. 16 REPLAY: 2014 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament Women's Championship
4:00 p.m. ESPNU



COURTESY SWAC.ORG

Basketball: Spartans resume practice with heads high

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- There was no shortage of lessons to be learned by Norfolk State from Monday’s 66-56 loss at Virginia:

Sloppiness won’t fly against an elite opponent; it really helps when shots fall; playing with top scorers in foul trouble is unwise; and developing a reliable half-court offense would be a good idea.

But the biggest takeaway could be that things aren’t as bad as they might have seemed.



The jet-setting Spartans (8-5) return to the practice court Thursday to prepare for the end of a trying — but wholly interesting — four-game road swing. After a brief holiday break, they’ll practice again Friday and leave Saturday for Monday’s game at Hawaii, which follows an 86-82 overtime win at Boston University, a 70-67 loss at Seattle University and Monday’s brief foray into the Atlantic Coast Conference — all in a span of 15 days.

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