Texas Southern basketball teams set to face Alcorn State Saturday at 3 and 5 pm

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The Texas Southern Men's and Women's basketball teams will open conference play this upcoming weekend as they both get set to face Alcorn State at home at the H&PE Arena.

This women's game will start at 3:00 pm followed by the men's contest at 5:00 pm on Saturday, January 4^th. TSU's women's team is headlined by Jazzmin Parkers who is currently one of the top scorers in the nation.

The men are lead by transfer standout Aaric Murray. Murray posted a NCAA season high 48 points versus Temple last month.

A complete listing of TSU home basketball games can be found by clicking the schedules link located at www.tsuball.com. 
COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern’s Roman Banks, Champion Baptist coach ‘clear the air’

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The head coaches for the Southern and Champion Baptist College men’s basketball teams said Thursday there are no bad feelings in the wake of the Jaguars’ 116-12 victory Monday night.

FoxSports.com had quoted Tigers coach Eric Capaci as saying he had “no idea why” Jaguars coach Roman Banks would have pressed deep into such a lopsided game and “try to destroy us like that.’

But, Capaci said in a telephone interview Thursday that his comments were misconstrued and he and Banks have “a great relationship.”

“I was not angry or upset,” Capaci said. “In fact we had a great conversation before the game and after the game. During the course of a game like that when your team is being pressed and trapped, it gets frustrating. But I respect coach’s decision. I’m not upset at all.”

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Alabama A&M Bulldogs prepare to hit the road to begin SWAC play

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M coach Willie Hayes sees an improved, more challenging Southwest Athletic Conference this basketball season as the Bulldogs prepare to hit the road to begin league play.

Alabama A&M, 3-7 in preconference play, plays at Jackson State on Saturday at 5:30, with the women's game at 3 p.m. A&M will then travel to Grambling for a Monday night doubleheader.

"It'll be pretty tough," Hayes said of the SWAC, a 10-team league in which only seven teams are eligible for postseason play due to academic issues (Arkansas State-Pine Bluff, Grambling and Mississippi Valley are ineligible.) "You look across the board, and there are a couple of teams five wins or so in preseason. You can see the change. The whole conference is playing better in non-conference games."

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Lane Dragons drops first SIAC game

JACKSON, Tennessee  -- A little rust after a long break from games is expected, and that’s OK. A lack of effort is not OK.

Lane men’s basketball lost its conference opener to Fort Valley State (Ga.) 88-81 Thursday afternoon, and that was the main point on coach Bryanth Basemore’s mind in the moments afterward.

Lane trailed 13-2 to start the game, its first in nearly a month, but more troublingly the Dragons didn’t respond well after cutting their deficit to one point at halftime.

For Basemore, that means changes must be made before the Dragons’ next game Saturday.

“Lack of intensity, lack of effort, lack of heart — ...

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FSU Broncos Escape with Opening CIAA Victory over Chowan

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  --  The Chowan University men's basketball team fell short in a 65-62 contest against the Fayetteville State University Broncos on Thursday evening.  The Hawks slip to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in CIAA competition while the Broncos improve to 8-3 overall and 1-0 in the league.

Tiron Brown led all players in the game with 16 points in the loss.  Kyree Bethel and Ashante Ross each added 13 points for the Hawks with Ross grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds (three offensive, eight defensive) to earn a double-double.

For Fayetteville State, Tyrrel Tate led the effort with 10 points and nine rebounds (two offensive, seven defensive).  Juwan Addison added nine points in the win.

The Broncos scored first to open the first half and grabbed a 2-0 lead before a 5-0 run put Chowan ahead 5-2 with 16:19 left to play.  A tip-in and jumper for Fayetteville State at the 14:53 mark put the Broncos ahead 6-5; a lead they would maintain for the remainder of the half.  With 5:55 on the clock, a three pointer by Brown brought the Hawks within three (16-13), but Fayetteville State used lay-up by Addison to head into halftime with a 30-21 advantage.

Chowan outscored the Broncos 41-35 in the second half despite trailing by 10 points (55-45) with just under six minutes left in the game.  A jumper by Bethel with 39 seconds left capped a 17-8 run for the Hawks and put Chowan within striking distance (63-62).  Missed opportunities proved to be costly for Chowan as a missed lay-up followed by two missed free throws and a Hawk foul put the momentum back in the Broncos grasp.  Torian Showers drained both free throws to clinch the 65-62 victory for Fayetteville State.

The Hawks travel to Shaw University on Saturday to take on the Bears.  The CIAA crossover contest is slated for a 4:00pm tip-off.

Box Score    

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS SPORTS INFORMATION      

Huge Second Half Scoring Boosts LU Lions over Pace, 64-57

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania  -- The Lions outscored Pace University 40-29 in the second half and defeated the Setters 64-57 in a non-conference matchup on Thursday, January 2^nd. In the final twenty minutes, Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS) scored 14 of his 16 points while George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) scored 11 of his game-high 22 points to lead The Lincoln University.

Lincoln got off to a slow start offensively against the Setters of Pace University. The Lions made eight shots from the field (27%) in the opening half but used their defense to stay within striking distance of Pace. Pace shot 40% from the field but was forced into 11 turnovers that turned into 14 points for the Lions. Lincoln's George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) accounted for 11 first half points. Jackson made two three-pointers and was a perfect 3-3 from the free-throw line. Pace broke out to their biggest lead of nine points (20-11) at the 9:09 mark and led at the half 28-24.

Coming out of the break, Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS) and George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) both hit back-to-back three-pointers giving the Lions a 32-30 lead. Pace took their final lead of the night with a three-pointer to pull ahead 33-32, but Jackson and Washington hooked up for a fast-break layup on the ensuing possession igniting the Lions offense recaliming the lead.

Lincoln held on to a small lead and leaned upon their veteran backcourt duo down the stetch that combined for 25 points and 9-9 made free-throws in the second half. Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS) and George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) lifted their play late in the game to carry the Lions to victory. Washington scored 14 points and dished out three assists while Jackson had 11 points and three assists as the Lions outscored the Setters 40-29.

Defensively, Pace was held to 34% shooting from the field and eight turnovers. Lincoln converted on 12-13 attempts from the free-throw line and made all eight in the final minute of play to defeat Pace 64-57.

George Jackson (Baltimore, MD/Digital Harbor HS) led the Lions with 22 points and three assists. He was a perfect 9-9 from the free-throw line and made three shots from behind the arc against Pace. Derrick Washington (Washington, DC/Coolidge SHS) led the bench with 16 points and a team-high four assists and four rebounds. Chris Kinney (Washington, DC/Theodore Roosevelt SHS) had six points and a team-high seven rebounds. Tony Efese (Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional HS) has four rebounds, two blocks, and one steal and James Stewart (Washington, DC/Charles Herbert Flowers HS) grabbed five rebounds.

Lincoln improves to 8-2 and Pace drops to 3-8 after their matchup on Thursday night. The Lions will hit the road on Saturday, January 4^th to Winston-Salem, NC to battle the Rams of Winston-Salem State University in their next game.

Box Score

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION

Second Half Thriller Powers Livingstone Blue Bears to Victory

SALISBURY, North Carolina  -- The Livingstone College men's basketball team defeated Bowie State University 73-67 in a late second half thriller.

The victory improves the Blue Bears record 8-2 overall and gives them their first conference win of the season over the defending CIAA Champions.

Daresse Johnson played big in the paint for the Blue Bears. He grabbed seven rebounds early in the first half.

The Blue Bears struggled offensively in the first half, only shooting 27 percent from the field; compared to Bowie's 50 percent.

The Blue Bears ended the first half trailing 34-26.

Jody Hill powered the Blue Bears as he hit five three pointers in the second half alone to edge the Bulldogs for the lead. Hill finished the game with 21 points.

The Bulldogs led throughout the entire game until the Blue Bears found their rhythm beginning with a steal by Anthony Welch with less than five minutes left to play. Welch recorded 10 points and five rebounds for Livingstone.

Eric Mayo and Mark Thomas also played very well for the Blue Bears. Mayo recorded a double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds while Thomas scored 11 points and snatched six rebounds.

Christian Henry contributed seven points to the win.

The Blue Bears forced the Bulldogs to commit 21 turnovers compared to their 11.

As a team the Blue Bears shot 31 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line. Livingstone's consistency at the charity stripe aided in the win.

The Blue Bears will return to action Saturday, January 4 as they face Virginia Union University. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m.

COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE BLUE BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Shaw Bears Build Early Lead, Hold Off ECSU 96-81 in CIAA Opener

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  The Shaw University men's basketball team built an early lead, then held off a late charging Elizabeth City State squad to claim the 96-81 win in the contest played Thursday night at Shaw's C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.

 

The game was the CIAA opener for both squads.  Shaw improves to 3-8 overall, while Elizabeth City State falls to 5-6.

 

The Bears built their first half lead on hot shooting from the field, while the Shaw defense kept ECSU from finding the bottom of the net.  Shaw hit 57.7 of their shots in the first, and held the Vikings to 31 percent shooting.  Both teams improved in the second half, with ECSU hitting 69 percent of their shots while the Bears hit 68.2 percent.

 

Shaw built their lead early, and increased it to as many as 36 in the second before ECSU hit some critical threes and cut that lead by more than half before time ran out.

 

With 15:54 left in the first half, Mykael Faulcon hit a three to give ECSU a 7-6 lead.  Those would be the last points they would hit for over seven minutes.

 

In those intervening minutes, Shaw scored 20 straight, including ten from Curtis Hines, making the score 26-7 with 9:17 left in the half.

 

The two teams traded buckets for three minutes, then Larry Richardson hit a three for the Bears, giving them a 37-15 advantage with 4:58 left.  The lead would hover around the 20-point mark for most of the rest of the half.

 

With two seconds left in the half, Derrick Hunter hit a long three to give the Bears a 46-23 lead going into the half.

 

In the first seven minutes of the second half, the Bears outscored ECSU 21-8 to stretch the lead to 36 on a layup from DaAaron Ward.

 

Brachon Griffin hit a three for ECSU to cut the Shaw lead to 67-34.  This would be the first of eight three pointers that the Vikings would hit the rest of the way, trimming the Shaw lead from 36 to as few as 14.  Hines closed out the Shaw scoring with 24 seconds left, hitting a three of his own to make the score 96-79.  Jake McDaniels would add a layup for ECSU to close out the scoring, giving Shaw the 96-81 win.

 

Four Bears finished in double digits on the evening, led by Hines with 26 and Hunter with 24.  Larry Richardson added 19, and Joe Reid had 14.  Hunter's seven rebounds and eight assists were tops in the game for both teams.

 

Faulcon was the leading scorer for the Vikings with 24 points -- 12 off of threes.  LaShawn Alexander added 12 points.  Alexander had five rebounds and Griffin had four assists to lead ECSU.

 

Shaw returns to action Saturday afternoon when they host Chowan at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium on the Shaw campus.   Tipoff is 4:00 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bluefield State storms back to edge NCCU

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- After falling behind 10-0 in the game’s opening two minutes, Bluefield State came back to edge N.C. Central 54-43 in a women’s non-conference basketball game at McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium Thursday.

The West Virginia visitors answered NCCU’s opening 10-0 salvo with an identical 10-0 run of its own to tie the game at 10-0 with 14:45 left in the first half.

For the half saw the two teams trade the lead five times and tie four more times before the Lady Blues (5-9) took a 24-22 lead into the half.

NCCU (5-6) could not regain momentum in the second half, only going ahead by as many as three in the closing five minutes of action.

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Eyes on the Stars

Eyes on the Stars from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

“This is a story about young Ronald McNair, an African-American astronaut aboard the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle, and how he stood against racism, and wanted to turn science fiction into science fact.”

from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU Believes

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- On Thursday night the Florida A&M University men’s basketball team defeated the 8-6 Florida International Panthers. In some ways the game resembled a MEAC matchup including former Norfolk State head coach Anthony Evans leading FIU on the Panther bench. This was an important win for the Rattlers because they have been competitive in almost every loss this season and have not been able to close out games to get a win.

The stats will show that FAMU won the game in overtime, but it was the last two minutes of regulation where FAMU actually stole the momentum and won the game. FAMU trailed the entire game, never tying or taking the lead. That is, until eight seconds was left in the game and senior Jamari Bradshaw sank a three pointer to tie the game.

At the two minute mark things looked bleak for the Ratters with ...

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TTU Golden Eagles nab big 57-53 win at Tennessee State in OVC opener

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A hot start to conference play is always an advantage for a college basketball program, especially when it comes on the road. The Tennessee Tech men's basketball team took advantage right off the bat Thursday night in its Ohio Valley Conference opener, defeating Tennessee State, 57-53, in Nashville.

A dogfight the whole way, the Golden Eagles were able to find fire from the 3-point line in the second half to eke out the four-point victory. Redshirt sophomore Josiah Moore paced the Tech offense, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting while also grabbing four rebounds. Big man Dwan Caldwell joined him in double-figures, collecting 10 points on the night.

The Tech defense proved stout in the affair, holding the OVC's leading scorer, Patrick Miller, to just 13 points, nearly eight below the guard's average. Kennedy Eubanks led all players with 15 points and finished with 10 rebounds for a double-double. M.J. Rhett also added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The first half was a complete slugfest as the two sides bullied their way for position while taking long possessions to try and wear down each respective defense. The score reflected the defensive struggle as TSU took just a three-point advantage into the half, leading 25-22.

The Golden Eagles looked to take control of things in the middle of the first 20, snapping together a 14-2 run while jumping to an 18-13 lead with just over 8:00 to play. But the Tigers responded with a little 10-0 run of their own, retaking the lead and keeping it for the remainder of the half.

Both teams came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, combining for four 3-pointers in the first four minutes. Tech went on to keep that hot streak going, connecting on a total of six treys in the final 20 minutes.

Senior guard Jeremiah Samarrippas finished the game with seven points and six assists, connecting on two 3-pointers while also helping on two more. Javon McKay added eight points to the scoring as well, dropping a career-high two treys.

Tech will have a quick turnaround for its next OVC contest as the Golden Eagles will return to Nashville on Saturday to face in-state foe Belmont in a 4 p.m. CT game.

Box Score

By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COURTESY TENNESSEE TECH UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

WSSU opens CIAA play with a 91-84 victory over Virginia Union

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Grinding it out in the CIAA is sometimes the only way to get a victory.

That’s exactly what Winston-Salem State did Thursday night in a 91-84 win over Virginia Union at the cavernous Gaines Center. With the students on break just over 500 were on hand to watch the Rams go to the free-throw line 40 times and play just enough solid defense.
 “We definitely had to grind this out,” Coach Bobby Collins of the Rams said. “There are no easy nights in this conference. Virginia Union just beat Virginia State and they were at the top of that division.... I was happy we did what we needed to do but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

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FAMU Rattlers Resilient In Scrappy 93-88 Win Over FIU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  - The Florida A&M Men’s Basketball Team scored 60 second half points en route to a 93-88 overtime win over FIU, here Thursday night at the Al Lawson Center.  It was a big accomplishment for the Rattlers to get their second consecutive win, after faltering down the stretch throughout the season.

Head coach Clemon Johnson had seen the scenario play out several times this year.  “Tonight I take away that we know how to win and we can win.  I know there was doubt in some of our players, because we’ve been this close virtually all year.  Tonight, we didn’t make the mistakes down the wire and we were able to pull out a big win,” Johnson said.

FIU would take a 73-64 lead with 1:59 to go in the game, capped off by a Cody Man three pointer.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

    The Rattlers would then go on a 17-9 run as Jamari Bradshaw nailed a three pointer to tie the contest at 81-81 with three seconds left, to send the contest into overtime.

Bradshaw knew the team had clawed their way back into the game and just needed a boost to get to the extra period.  “I was thinking we needed a good basket to tie the game up and go into overtime and give us another shot to try to win the game.,” he said.

FAMU, who never led in the contest to that point, would take the lead for the first time on a D’Andre Bullard layup with 2:52 to go in the overtime period.

The Panthers would tie the contest at 87-87 at the 2:22 mark on a pair of Tyrnell Murphy free throws.

FAMU would retake the lead on a Bradshaw traditional three-point play, giving the Rattlers a 90-87 lead with 2:10 left in the contest.  He would then convert on two free throws with 33 second s left, followed by a Trey Kellum free throw to give the Rattlers, the 93-88 overtime win.

FAMU (4-10) was paced by Bradshaw as he scored 19 of his game high 26 points in the second half to lead all scorers.  Jamie Adams poured in 20 points, while Trey Kellum pumped in 17.  Bradshaw led the Rattlers on the boards with nine.

Johnson feel this was the type of momentum booster that could give the team much-needed confidence.  “This is what we’ve been looking for, a win like this.  I’ve been telling people if we can get two straight, and this is our second straight, this will help us to go.  We’ve had problems winning games, playing down to the wire and then making turnovers and losing the games in the last two minutes.  Tonight we came through and pulled it out like a champion,” Johnson said.

FIU (8-7) had six Panthers to score in double-figures with Dennis Mavin scoring a team high 24 points.  Cody Mann dropped in 16 points, followed by Murphy with 15 points and Jerome Frink with 12.  Rakeem Buckles recorded a double-double on the night as he scored 11 points and pulled down 16 rebounds.  Jason Boswell scored 10 points to round out the cast of double-digit performers.

In the first half, FIU jumped out to a 20-11 lead, capped off by a Frink layup with 11:53 to go.  FAMU would close out the half with a 14-6 run as they went into the break trailing FIU 39-33.

The Rattlers finished the first half shooting 32.5 percent (13-of-40), where the Panthers shot 56.5 percent.

In the second half, FIU would extend their lead to much as 10 points and nine points on three occasions, before the Rattlers would make their 17-9 run.  The Rattlers made their run from the paint, contrary to their usual perimeter game.  “Coach talked about getting to the basket and not settling for jumpers and that’s where most of my points came, from getting to the basket and being aggressive.  He preaches about it all the time.  He says you’ve got to have heart.  Tonight that heart meant getting rebounds and getting stops at the end and putting the ball in the basket,” Bradshaw said.

FAMU finished the contest shooting 43.4 percent (36-of-83), while FIU shot 49.1 percent (26-of-53).

The Rattlers will return to action on Saturday, January 4 as they will travel to Auburn, Ala., to take on Auburn in a 7 p.m. CST.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Two TSU Tigers Record Double-Doubles in 57-53 Loss to TTU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State men’s basketball team came up just shy in a defensive battle, falling to Tennessee Tech 57-53 on Thursday night.

Kennedy Eubanks led the Tigers with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and tied a career-high with 10 rebounds.

M.J. Rhett recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards, and Patrick Miller recorded 13 points and six assists.

 

The Tigers outrebounded the Golden Eagles 34-32 and forced 17 turnovers, but their bench was bested, 24 to 11.

 

Rhett got the Tigers started offensively, scoring six of his team’s first nine points. On the other end of the floor, TSU forced four turnovers through the first six minutes, and posted an 11-5 lead.

 

The Golden Eagles responded with seven straight points to take the lead at the 11-minute mark. Jaleel Queary finally ended TSU’s scoring drought with a two-handed alley-oop off of a perfect pass from Eubanks, making the score 13-12 in favor of the home team.

 

Later in the opening stanza, the Tigers went on a 10-0 run that spanned 5:34 to extend their lead to 23-18. Miller had six points during the stretch and TSU held TTU to a 0-for-5 shooting line.

 

Eubanks ended the half with a dunk with 14 seconds to go in the half and the Tigers led 25-22 heading into the break.

 

TSU was outshot in the first half, 41 to 33 percent, but forced 10 turnovers on defense.

 

The Tigers drained three triples during the first eight minutes of the second half, but TTU canned four and the game was all-squared at 38. Rhett broke the tie with a powerful slam at the 11:15 mark, but the game remained close.

 

The back-and-forth game continued until TSU went cold from the field, allowing Golden Eagles to go on a 10-0 run that spanned over five minutes.

 

The Tigers were within three at 54-51 with 28 seconds to play, and Jay Harris came up with a steal and then was immediately fouled.

 

Harris missed both free throws and Tennessee Tech walked away with a 57-53 victory.

 

TSU was 2-for-7 from the charity stripe during the final minute of play and made just five of its last 15 freebies.
 

The Tigers made one field goal during the game’s final 8:18.

 

TSU will remain at home and host another conference game when the squad takes on Jacksonville State on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Final Box

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UC Irvine 'Eaters Turn Back Morgan State, 75-63

IRVINE, California  -- Sophomore guard Alex Young had 18 points and six assists to lead UC Irvine past Morgan State, 75-63, in a non-conference game at the Bren Center Thursday night.

Junior forward Will Davis II added 14 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and ninth of his career.  Junior post John Ryan also scored 14 points to tie his career high, hitting 6 of 6 from the field, as the Anteaters improved to 8-7 on the season.

Mamadou Ndiaye, UCI's 7-6 freshman center, added 12 points and four blocked shots.  He converted all six of his field-goal attempts as he and Ryan combined to go 12 for 12 from the floor.

Freshman guard Luke Nelson registered nine points and four assists.  Senior guard Chris McNealy scored eight points and he now has 995 in his career as he closes in becoming the 23^rd player in Anteater history to score 1,000 points.

Young and McNealy pulled down six rebounds apiece while Ryan snared five boards in the first-ever meeting between the schools.

UCI, which led 32-26 at halftime, shot 62 percent from the field in the second half and 56 percent for the game.

Justin Black led Morgan State (3-10) with 17 points and he added nine rebounds.  Ian Chiles scored 16 points while Anthony Hubbard had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

A three by Young with 6:29 left in the first half snapped a 17-17 tie in giving UCI the lead for good at 20-17.  That three keyed a 10-0 run by the 'Eaters.



The Anteaters extended their six-point halftime lead to 18 at 53-35 on a basket by Davis with 11:41 remaining.  UCI maintained a double-digit lead the remainder of the game, with its largest lead coming at 72-53 on a free throw by Ryan with 2:31 left.

The Bears, from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, shot 38 percent from the floor and committed just six turnovers.  UCI had a narrow 37-34 edge on the boards and the Anteaters had 13 turnovers.

"We've had a tough schedule lately and tonight showed us that we continue to get better," UCI head coach Russell Turner said.  "What I like is our ability to play different styles with the personnel we have on the floor."

The Anteaters host San Diego Christian Saturday night at 7:00 in their final non-conference game before opening Big West Conference play at Long Beach State next Thursday night.

Box Score

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

FAU Women's Basketball Continues Hot Streak, Downs Bethune-Cookman

BOCA RATON, Florida  -- Four players reached double figures as the Florida Atlantic University women's basketball team reached double-digit wins on Thursday, topping Bethune-Cookman 81-65 in the Burrow.

The Owls (10-3) continue the best start in the program's Division-I history as they prepare to enter Conference USA play next week. With the victory over the Wildcats (3-11), the Owls have won a school-record 10 non-conference games.

Seniors Chenise Miller, Latavia Dempsey, Kimberly Smith and Shanequa Schrouder each scored double figures for the Owls, who have won 10 of their last 11 games. Miller led FAU with 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks in the contest. Her 89 career blocks places her in fourth all-time at FAU.

Dempsey scored 13 points, reaching double figures for the fourth-straight game. Smith flirted with a triple-double, posting 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-high eight assists while Schrouder earned her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Wildcats led by as many as six in the first half and took a two-point lead into the break after FAU's Takia Brooks hit a three in the closing seconds to cut into the margin.

FAU would open up the second half with a barrage of shots including a pair of three-pointers by Dempsey and Smith to take a two-point lead that they would not relinquish.

The Owls went on a 10-2 run midway through the second half to pull ahead to a 59-49 lead. FAU forced 14 turnovers in the second half and capitalized on those for 17 points. The Owls also out-rebounded BCU 30-17 in the second half for 16 second-chance points.   

FAU opens Conference USA play on the road at East Carolina (12-1) on Jan. 8. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Greenville, N.C. Box Score COURTESY FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Howard Lady Bison Fend Off DSU Hornets In MEAC Opener

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

WASHINGTON, DC --- The tough non-conference schedule and brutal road slate the Howard women's basketball team put itself to prepare for Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play paid immediate dividends Thursday evening at Burr Gymnasium.

Led by a trio of double-digit scorers, Howard (5-8, 1-0 MEAC) claimed a hard fought 70-64 victory over Delaware State (3-9, 0-2 MEAC) in the Lady Bison's conference opener. HU's first win of 2014 in their first home win since November 17 improved the team's record in Burr Gymnasium to 3-0.

Howard head coach Tennille Adams, who won her first conference game as a head coach said of today's game, "It was great to play at home again and take on a very tough Delaware State team. We've preached this all year, that each game in the MEAC is going to be a grind. This is a very good conference, a very athletic conference. We stayed composed, didn't panic and had some kids hit shots at critical points in the game. I'm proud of our effort today

Redshirt freshman guard Te'Shya Heslip scored a team-high 22 points - the eight time in 13 games that the Dumfries, VA native has paced HU in scoring - and added seven assists and three rebounds.

"Te'Shya has the ability to make everyone else on the floor better because she commands so much attention. That opens the game up for everyone else, which then opens things up more for her," Adams added. "I think she's one of the best guards in this league and she's only a freshman, so this is her first go-round. She has a bright future if she continues to be a student of the game."

Graduate student forward Shavonne Duckett contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds – her first double-double of the season, third for the team and second in three games – and junior forward Cheyenne Brown pitched in 10 first-half points. Reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week Sydni Johnson chipped in eight points including a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Both teams opened the game with strong defense and extended scoring runs. Delaware State forced Howard into four turnovers as the Hornets took a 15-4 lead five minutes into the contest. The Lady Bison would settle in and strike back with an 18-2 run of their own – thanks in part to seven forced turnovers – and took a 22-17 lead with 5:54 to go in the first half. DSU would close out the half with a 10-4 run and led 27-26 heading into intermission.

The first 10 minutes of the second half saw both teams combine for six ties and four lead changes but Delaware State would emerge about a minute later with its largest lead of the half, 52-46 with 9:15 remaining in the game. Not to be denied, the Lady Bison used a 14-4 run to force three more ties before taking the lead for good with 3:07 to go.

Howard won the game by claiming four major stats – scoring 27 points off 27 DSU turnovers, scoring 13 second chance points and getting 11 points off the bench.

Delaware State had three players score in double digits, led by junior forward Tierra Hawkins' double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds.

Howard will look to go 2-0 in conference on Saturday, January 4 when the Lady Bison head to Baltimore to take on the Morgan State Bears. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 pm.

Box Score

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON SPORTS INFORMATION   

Bulldogs Close Out Non-Conference Play With 10th Win

STARKVILLE, Mississippi -- Mississippi State closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule by posting a 77-63 win against Maryland Eastern Shore Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum.

With the victory, MSU matched the overall win total from last season with 10. The Bulldogs (10-3) open Southeastern Conference play Wednesday at No. 15 Kentucky.

“It shows how far we have come as a team and how much growth we have had,” MSU senior forward Colin Borchert said. “Coach Ray is coaching us hard and putting us in a position. We have come out and been ready for the challenges. We are looking forward to getting started in conference play.”

Gavin Ware posted his fifth double-double this season and seventh overall with 21 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to pace the Bulldogs. Borchert led the offensive efforts with a career-high 22 points. Fred Thomas was also in double figures with 10 points.

Both teams struggled offensively early as UMES (2-9) held its only lead of the contest at 10-8 with more than eight minutes played. The Bulldogs answered with a 12-2 run to take a 20-12 lead on a layup by Ware with 5:50 left.

The Bulldogs stretched the first-half lead to as many as 10 and led 29-20 at the intermission.

“We really did a good job of getting the ball in the paint,” MSU freshman guard I.J. Ready said. ”With both Gavin and Roquez (Johnson), it was important that we use our size advantage.”

In the first half, MSU held a plus-eight rebounding advantage and only committed three fouls. MSU only shot 39.4 percent from the field but took advantage of its size and offensive productivity to build the lead.

In the second half, a 9-0 run by MSU stretched the lead to 45-27. A 3-point basket by Fred Thomas capped that run with 14:48 left in the contest.

The Bulldogs led by 19 a couple of minutes later. UMES cut the lead to 10 with seven straight points and later got within nine twice after a flurry of late 3-point baskets.

 “I thought this was a good win for us,” MSU coach Rick Ray said. “Last year, we won out 10^th game in March. To be able to do that in January is good for this team. Our emphasis was on the high-low and I thought we did a really good job of getting the ball inside.”

For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 29 of 62 shots from the field (46.8 percent), 6 of 15 shots from 3-point range (40.0 percent) and 13 of 18 shots from the foul line (72.2 percent). The Hawks hit 26 of 63 shots from the field (41.3 percent), 8 of 29 shots from 3-point range (27.6 percent) and 3 of 4 shots from the foul line (75.0 percent).

MSU held a 43-29 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 18 assists and 13 turnovers, while the Hawks had 15 assists and 11 turnovers.

UMES received 18 points from KyRee Jones, 15 points from Isaac Smith and 11 points from Devon Walker.

MSU and Kentucky meet at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday from Rupp Arena. The contest will be televised regionally on The SEC Network.

Official Statistics (PDF)



COURTESY MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

DSU Hornets Win Overtime Thriller 66-65, over GWU

DOVER, Delaware  -- Casey Walker hit two free throws with 24.3 seconds left in overtime to lift Delaware State to a 66-65 win over Gardner-Webb in Memorial Hall this evening.

Gardner-Webb had two shots on the final possession of the game, but came up empty. DSU's Kendall Gray blocked the first shot attempt out of bounds with 2.1 seconds left in the extra period. Naji Hibbert missed a three-point attempt from the left corner for the Runnin' Bulldogs as time expired.

The score was 61-61 at the end of regulation.

Gardner-Webb scored the first overtime points on two free throws by Tyrell Nelson with 3:12 left. The Hornets grabbed the lead, 64-63, on the three-point play by Gray with 2:50 remaining in the extra period.

The Running Rebels regained the lead, 65-64, on a jumper by Jerome Hill at the 1:52 mark in overtime.

After each team failed to score on their next possessions, Delaware State regained the ball with 55 seconds left to play.

DSU’s Tyshawn Bell missed a jumper with 29 seconds remaining, but the Hornets retained the ball when it was last touched by a Gardner-Webb player on the rebound before going out of bounds.

Delaware State inbounded the ball to Walker, who was fouled by Gardner-Webb’s Donta Harper while driving the baseline. He calmly knocked down the two free throws to give the Hornets the final lead of the game.

The Hornets used a strong second half performance to force the overtime.

Gardner-Webb led 33-23 at the half, and opened up a 48-33 lead on a dunk by Onzie Branch with 14:17 left in regulation.

The Hornets began their comeback on the next possession. A.J. Thomas hit a lay-up to jump start a 21-5 run over the next nine minutes. Kendal Williams capped off the rally with a three-point shot to give the Hornets a 54-53 lead with 4:59 remaining in the second half. Walker hit two three-point shots, while Thomas, Williams and Bell added four points each during the spurt.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs missed each of their four field goal attempts, committed six turnovers and was five-for-nine at the free throw line during the Hornets’ second half rally.   

Walker led all players with 21 points, the high for a Hornet this season. His performance was highlighted by four three-point field goals, tying his season high. Walker also led the Hornets with eight rebounds.

Gray and Bell added 10 points each for DSU. It marked the fourth straight double-figure scoring game for Gray, who also had a game-high four blocks. Bell returned to action after missing the previous game due to an ankle injury.

Hibbert led three Gardner-Webb players in double figures with 12 points.

Delaware State was 26-for-58 from the field (44.8%), including seven-of-18 from three-point territory (38.9%). The Hornets were seven-for-nine at the free throw line.

Gardner-Webb hit 24 of its 56 shots from the field (42.9%) and five- of-18 from beyond the arc (27.8%). The Runnin’ Bulldogs missed 10 free throws in the game, going 12-for-22 at the line.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Hornets, who improved to 3-10 this season. The win was also the 199th at Delaware State for head coach Greg Jackson. He needs two wins to tie the late Bennie George (1949-71) for the all-time high in DSU men's basketball victories.

Gardner-Webb fell to 7-8 on the season.

The Hornets return to action on Saturday (Jan. 4) at Campbell University. Game time is 7:00 p.m. in Buies Creek, N.C.

Delaware State will return home on Jan. 11 to face MEAC rival Hampton. Game time is 4:00 p.m. in Memorial Hall. The homestand will also include a visit by Norfolk State on Jan. 13 (7:30 p.m.).

DSU vs Gardner-Webb_stats_plays

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION