2014 FCS CHAMPIONSHIP - Why They'll Win: NDSU vs. Towson

 

2014 FCS Championship Game

Teams: North Dakota State Bison (14-0) vs. Towson University Tigers (13-2)

Location: Frisco, Texas - Toyota Stadium

TV: 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Radio: KFGO-AM 790 and KRWK-FM 101.9 in Fargo.

Online streaming: WatchESPN.

North Dakota State has been the best team in the country all season – ranked No. 1 from Day 1 – and has only gotten better in the playoffs, averaging a touchdown more than it did in the regular season while the defense has continued to put up its usual stingy numbers. That’s 46.0 points a game – the running game is churning out 347.0 yards per game – and just 11.7 points allowed in the playoffs.

The Bison boast the FCS’ winningest quarterback, a pair of 1,000-yard rushers and the nation’s top-ranked defense. There’s not a glaring weakness anywhere.

And if Towson doesn’t have a lead in the fourth quarter, forget it.

No one plays a better fourth quarter than North Dakota State. The Bison lead the nation in time of possession, and they hold the ball for an average of 9 minutes, 43 seconds of clock time in the fourth quarter. It stands to reason why only two teams have scored on them in the fourth quarter this season.

North Dakota State also has incentive and sentiment on its side. First, the Bison are trying to become just the second team to win three consecutive FCS championships. Second, they want to send their head coach – Craig Bohl is off to Wyoming at game’s end – out with another title.

It all adds up to the 24th consecutive victory for North Dakota State.

-- Jarrod Breeze, NCAA.com

Sure, Towson is the underdog in Saturday’s NCAA FCS national championship game in Frisco, Texas. But that doesn’t mean the 13-2 Tigers can’t win.

First of all, they’re used to being the underdogs. Many thought they would lose their first-round playoff game to Fordham. They didn’t. Same in the quarterfinals at Eastern Illinois and again in the semifinals at Eastern Washington, where the Tigers had to rally in the fourth quarter behind backup quarterback Connor Frazier.

The keys will be the offensive lines. Can Towson’s line – whose starters average 284 pounds -- create space for sensational running back Terrance West to run wild? And on the other side of the ball, will Towson’s defense be able to handle a North Dakota State offensive line whose starters pack an average weight of just under 300 pounds?

The health of Towson quarterback Peter Athens, who suffered a sprained shoulder in the semifinals, will only become an issue if his offensive line can’t keep the heat off of him or block well enough for West to keep the formidable NDSU defense honest. Otherwise, Athens’ return should give the Towson offense a boost.

The Tigers will have to play a mistake-free game, keep turnovers and penalties to a minimum, and also block out what is likely to be a large pro-NDSU crowd. But they have the talent, plus a gritty, determined edge to them, to pull off one more unlikely upset.

-- Joe Menzer, NCAA.com

COURTESY NCAA.COM

Idaho Is Chicago State Men's Basketball First WAC Opponent

Coach Tracy Dildy's Cougars play their first ever WAC contest
 on Saturday at Idaho.
(Courtesy Chicago State University Athletics)

Complete PDF Game Notes

ALL TIME SERIES - This is the first meeting between Idaho and Chicago State during the Cougars' 1984-95 Division I era.

LAST TIME OUT - The Cougars fell 90-58 at Creighton on Sunday. Chicago State nailed 10 3-pointers in the contest only to see Creighton make 16 from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT - The Cougars host UW-Green Bay on Tuesday (Jan. 7) in a non-conference game with the Horizon League Phoenix. Tip at the Jones Convocation Center on CSU's campus is set for 7 p.m.

HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE - Chicago State is 5-0 at home this year. It's the Cougars' first 5-0 start at home since 2008-09. Should the Cougars get a home win over UW-Green Bay on Jan. 7 the Cougars will own their best start at home since finishing the 1985-86 season 9-0 at home. The Cougars also went 7-0 at home in 1984-85, CSU's first year as a member of NCAA Division I.

DOUBLE DARE - Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) has scored in double-digits in 11 of the Cougars' 13 games this season.

FOUR IS MORE - Grand Canyon and Chicago State are the only two WAC teams with four individuals averaging 10 or more points per game.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN - Eight different Cougars have made a 3-pointer this season.

DOUBLE TROUBLE - Six Cougars finished in double-digits in Chicago State's victory over Southern Illinois on Nov. 30. The last time the Cougars accomplished this task was Nov. 20, 2008 in an 84-74 win over Central Michigan.

FRESH LEGS - Chicago State's freshmen have played 295 minutes this season. Last season a freshman didn't play a single minute for the Cougars.

WHAT ARE PROBABLE STARTERS? - Chicago State used 15 different starting lineups last season. This season, the Cougars have already used six different combinations.

START 'EM UP - Nine different Cougars have started at least one game this season.

CALL HIM THE ROCK - The lone name you can write in pen in the Chicago State lineup since the start of last season is senior Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon). Since arriving last season as a junior college transfer, Ross has started in 45 of 46 Chicago State games. The only game he didn't start was Senior Night last season against Eastern Illinois when then senior Quincy Ukaigwe (Matteson, Ill./Rich Central) started for him instead.

YEAR-BY-YEAR - Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) is shooting 52.8 percent (66-of-125) this season. Up from his 41.6 percent performance last season after his 34.6 percent shooting as a freshman. Additionally, he has 10 games this season where he finished with a 50.0 % or better shooting percentage.

Chicago State Cougars (5-8, 0-0 WAC) at Idaho Vandals (6-9, 0-1 WAC)
Date	Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014
Time	7:00 p.m. PT
Location	Moscow, Idaho - Cowan Spectrum (6,000)
TV	GoVandals.com
Radio	GoVandals.com
Live Stats	GoVandals.com
Social Media	@ChicagoStateMBB

TRYING FOR THREE - Nine times this season the Cougars have attempted 20 or more 3-pointers in a game.

NEARING 500 - Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) (472) is nearing the 500 mark for career points at Chicago State. Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) (577) and Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) (507) have already passed the 500 mark earlier this season.

FORCING MISTAKES - Dating back to last season, the Cougars have forced double-digit turnovers in 37 straight games. The stretch includes 10 games of forcing 20 or more turnovers. This year the Cougars are averaging 8.0 steals per game, ranking 32nd in the nation.

ON THE PLUS SIDE - The Cougars' +3.2 turnover margin is the best in the WAC. The total ranks 32nd in the nation.

JUST TWICE - Only two times this season the Cougars have comitted more turnovers than they have forced. (Alabama State and Illinois)

SENIOR LEADERSHIP X8 - The Cougars have a WAC-high eight seniors on the squad.

REJECTED - The six blocks Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) recorded Nov. 8 at Indiana are the most for a Cougar in a single game during the Tracy Dildy era (2010-11 to present).

QP FOR THREE - Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) owns 99 career 3-pointers, ninth all-time in CSU history (Division I era, starting 1984-85). He is within striking distance of eighth place Terrence West's (1998-02) 101 and seventh place Tony Weeden's (2003-05) 103.

20/20 VISION - The Cougars have already had six 20-point performances this season. The Cougars only had five 20-point performances all of last season.

QP IS A PRESEASON PICK - Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) was named to the 2013-14 Preseason All-WAC Second Team by a vote of the league's coaches.

RELATIVE GREATNESS - Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) is the nephew of former Chicago Bull Scottie Pippen. Not surprising, Quinton wears No. 33.

PRESEASON POLL - The Cougars were picked to finish sixth in the Western Athletic Conference Preseason Poll by a vote of the league's coaches.

EDDIE IS READY - The final addition to the 2013-14 roster was senior Eddie Denard (Chicago, Ill./Foreman). The 6-6 forward played last year at New Orleans University but was allowed to transfer without sitting out a season due to New Orleans' APR penalties barring them from postseason play this year. Denard started all 26 games last season at UNO, averaging 5.4 points and 3.8 rebounds. Denard is from Chicago, Ill. and played high school basketball at Foreman High School. He attended UIC his freshman year of college.

DEFENSE! - Chicago State limited opponents to just 69.0 points per game last season. It was the best defensive performance for a Chicago State team during the NCAA Division I era (1984-85 - present).

TAKING IT AWAY - The Cougars ranked seventh in the nation in steals per game last season by averaging 9.4 swipes a contest. The last time the Cougars finished a season ranking in the top 10 in the nation in a category was in 2008-09 when CSU ranked third in both scoring (84.2) and steals per game (10.0).

FOREIGN TOUR - The Cougars traveled to Costa Rica August 10-16 to play three exhibitions against international clubs. As per NCAA rules the team earned 10 extra practices to prepare for the trip. In between basketball the team went rafting, ziplined and volunteered at a local school.

THE FIRST SINCE - Chicago State's Great West Conference title last season was the first men's basketball championship for one of Chicago's Division I teams since UIC won the Horizon League Tournament in 2004.

TIME FOR MORE FIRSTS - Chicago State earned the program's first ever conference tournament championship and first ever postseason tournament berth last season by winning the Great West Conference Tournament and earning a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Cougars fell to crosstown rival UIC in the CIT first round 80-69.

THE WAC IS WHERE IT'S AT - Chicago State became an all-sport member of the WAC on July 1, 2013. The WAC is Chicago State's first conference with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2006 as a member of the Mid-Continent (now Summit League).

COURTESY CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

SI spotlights NFL pro bowl bound AAMU's Robert Mathis

In  his first year unpaired from Dwight Freeney, the 11-year veteran burst into his own to lead the league in sacks and lead the Colts back to the postseason

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  -- After taking down Texans quarterback Case Keenum in the endzone to set new Colts franchise records for sacks in a season and in a career, Robert Mathis paused for a moment, maybe to savor his accomplishment, maybe to enjoy what would be the final two points in a 25-3 victory on Dec. 15. The Indianapolis outside linebacker rose to one knee and saw Duane Brown, Houston’s Pro Bowl tackle whom he’d just beaten, cradling the ball in the end zone for a safety. Then Mathis playfully did three body rolls over his left shoulder.

The acrobatics caught the sellout crowd in Lucas Oil Stadium off guard, so out of character it was for the 11-year veteran. Back in his hometown of Atlanta, though, family members smiled and shook their heads. It was nothing they hadn’t seen before. Just Robert being Robert.

CONTINUE READING 

Carter Lifts North Carolina A&T To 60-58 Win Over William and Mary Tribe

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia  --  It came down to the final minute of the game but redshirt sophomore Christina Carter nailed a game-winning 3-pointer to lift the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team to a 60-58 victory over William & Mary at Kaplan Arena Friday evening.

“Christina played big and my hat goes off to her because she had an up and down game,” head coach Tarrell Robinson said. “She was able to pick herself up and make a big play for us at the end. I’m glad we won the game but we’ve got to find a way to get better and find that magic that we had earlier when we were on our seven-game winning streak. We have to figure out a way to find that team again.”

The Aggies (9-2) placed three players in double-figures led by senior Tracy King with 15 points. King’s all-around performance also included a team-high nine rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Junior Ariel Bursey added 12 points and three assists, followed by Carter with 11 points.



The Aggies who led for most of the second half found themselves in their worst nightmare when the Tribe (3-9) finally took its first lead of the game, 58-57 with a layup from Latrice Hunter with 1:39 left in the game. Carter responded with composure and nailed a 3-pointer with 1:09 to put the Aggies back on top 60-58. William & Mary took the final possession and attempted to tie the game at the buzzer with a jumper from Hunter but luckily for the Aggies it bounced off of the rim as time expired.

W&M got within one at the 6:52 mark with a pair of free throws but Ariel Bursey hit a jumper and was fouled which resulted in a 3-point play to put A&T ahead 47-43 with 6:30 left to play. The final minutes turned into a 3-pointer shootout ignited by Marlena Tremba with 3:13 in the game. Tremba’s 3-pointer sliced the Aggies edge to 53-50 but Tracy King answered with her own on the next possession to give A&T a six-point advantage. Hunter hit one from behind the arc with 2:24 left to tie the game at 56 but Aprill McRae made a free throw to put the Aggies up 57-56 with just under two minutes.

McRae fueled the Aggies to start the game, scoring six of A&T’s eight points to drive it to an early 8-4 edge at the 15:38 mark. A&T stretched its lead to 20-11 with 10:06 remaining but the Tribe opened up a 14-5 run with under nine minutes left to close out the half. William & Mary left the Aggies scoreless for nearly five minutes as it cut its deficit to 25-24 at halftime.

Hunter led all players with 17 points. Tremba (13), Jazmen Boone (12) and Mathieu (11) all finished in double-digit scoring for the Tribe.

A&T will host its final non-conference game on Monday, Jan. 6 against Campbell. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Corbett Sports Center.

A&T 60, W&M 58

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

South Carolina Gamecocks Top South Carolina State, 82-75

Final Stats |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery 1  |  Photo Gallery 2  Highlights

COLUMBIA, South Carolina  -- After a furious second-half rally from the visitors, South Carolina (7-6) grinded out an 82-75 win tonight over South Carolina State (4-9) at Colonial Life Arena as the Gamecocks shot 50 percent from the field for the second straight game.

Four Gamecocks ended the night in double figures as senior Brenton Williams led all scorers with 19 points on an efficient 6-7 from the field and 2-3 from 3-point range. Freshman Demetrius Henry recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Senior forward Matthew Hezekiah led the Bulldogs with 18 points and five rebounds, while fellow senior Theron Stephens added 15 points.

Carolina opened the game on a 5-0 run after a jumper from Williams and three points from Duane Notice. The Bulldogs were able to pull within two at 6-4 after a Devin Joint tipped in a missed jumper from Hezekiah, but Notice responded for the Gamecocks with his sixth point in the first four minutes.

Palmer answered for SC State with a 3 of his own, but Williams connected from 3 on the other end for the Gamecocks as they took a 12-7 lead. That 3-pointer started a 9-1 run for home team that Williams capped off 43^rd and 44^th consecutive made free throws as he pushed South Carolina's lead to 18-8 with just over 12 minutes to play.

Following Johnson's first 3 of the game just under two minutes later, Laimonas Chatkevicius began to impose himself inside as he scored on three-straight possessions as Notice earned three of his career-high eight assists during the stretch.

With 1:31 left in the half, a quick 5-0 run after a jumper from Notice and Williams' second three of the game, the Gamecocks held their largest lead of the half of 15.

The Bulldogs though turned up the pressure on the final possession after getting two points back.  Darrion Eastmon picked off a pass attempt from Notice in the backcourt and dished it to Darryl Palmer for the lay-up on the break.

South Carolina held a 44-33 lead at the break after shooting 15-29  (51.7 percent) from the field and going 6-12 from behind the arc.

SC State continued its late first-half run into the second as Stephens hit back-to-back 3s in the first minute and a half to cut the deficit to 44-39. After a pair of free throws from Sindarius Thornwell three minutes in, the Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run, punctuated by Joint dunking a missed shot to cut to the game to two at 50-48 with 15:23 on the clock.

Despite seeing the game cut to one a minute later, the Gamecocks were able to maintain the lead until the Bulldogs came up with another 6-0 run to tie-up the game at 60-60 with 7:02 to play. On the ensuing possession though, Notice found Thornwell open on the right side where he drained his lone 3-pointer on the night.

With SC State trying to get momentum back with the score at 70-65 with under four minutes remaining, Johnson found an opening in the lane and split two defenders as he drove to the basket for a left-handed lay-in as he was fouled. The junior converted the free throw to push the lead to eight. He finished the night with 17 points.

The Gamecocks sealed their fourth-straight win as they hit 9-12 from the free throw line during the final minutes.

South Carolina went 25-50 (50 percent) from the field and 7-15 (46.7 percent) from the 3-point line, while SC State shot 29-65 (44.6 percent) from the field and 5-20 (25 percent) from 3.

The Gamecocks head to No. 12/13 Florida on Jan. 8 as they open the SEC season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Comcast Sports Southeast.

NIU Huskies Close Non-Conference Play with Win over Bethune-Cookman

DEKALB, Illinois  --  Freshman guard Aaric Armstead (Chicago, Ill./La Jolla Prep) scored a career-best 11 points, sophomore wing Darrell Bowie (Milwaukee, Wis./La Jolla Prep) had 11 points and junior guard Aaron Armstead (Chicago, Ill./Hales Franciscan/San Jose City College) added 10 as the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team closed non-conference play with a 65-51 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Friday night at the NIU Convocation Center.

Bowie just missed a double-double, finishing with a game-high nine rebounds. Win the victory, NIU improves to 6-6 heading into Mid-American Conference play.

The Huskies shot 46.3 percent (19-of-41) in the contest while holding the Wildcats to just 29.6 percent (16-of-54) shooting. NIU outrebounded Bethune-Cookman, 41-26, and controlled the paint, scoring 32 points in the paint to just 14 for BCU.

 “I thought it was a workman-like game for our guys,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “We came out focused; we got the lead early, we build on the lead, and we came out in the second half and expanded the lead. We had a lot of good basketball from a lot of our guys.

“I thought we established ourselves early against their zone by going inside and we did an unbelievable job defensively. Anytime you can hold a team under 30 percent shooting you have to credit your defense.”

NIU jumped out to a quick start, scoring the first eight points in the contest. Four different players scored, capped by a layup from redshirt junior center Pete Rakocevic (Chicago, Ill./Wilbraham & Monson/Sacramento State) as the Huskies held Bethune-Cookman (2-15) scoreless for the first five minutes of the contest.

Rakocevic finished with nine points and five rebounds, going 3-of-4 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

The Wildcats answered with the next nine however, taking a 9-8 lead with 13:28 to play in the opening half. The back-and-forth runs continued as the Huskies scored the next eight to lead 16-9 just past the midway point of the half.

NIU led by eight, 30-22, with less than a minute to play before Bowie closed the scoring in the opening 20 minutes with an old-fashioned three-point play, giving the Huskies a 33-22 advantage at the intermission.

Bowie and Aaric Armstead each had six in the first half to pace NIU as the Huskies shot 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from the field and 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the line in the half, while holding Bethune-Cookman to just 25 percent (7-of-28) shooting.

After the Huskies pushed the lead to 16, 40-24, early in the second half, Bethune-Cookman made a run to cut the lead back to single-digits, 42-33, with 13:50 to play. Following a timeout, NIU responded with the next eight, taking a 50-33 lead.

Bethune-Cookman made six triples in the second half, including a pair in the final two minutes, but by then the game was out of reach as NIU cruised to the 14-point victory.

Clemmye Owens finished with a game-high 19 points, including five triples, for the Huskies. Malik Jackson and Maurice Taylor just missed double-figures with nine each for the shorthanded Wildcats who dressed just eight players.

NIU will open league play on Wednesday night, Jan. 8, as the Huskies travel to Buffalo, N.Y., to take on the Bulls. Game time in the Queen City is schedu

Final Stats | Final Stats in PDF
led for 6 p.m. CT.

COURTESY NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Norfleet, 3-Point Shooting Lead Mount St. Mary's Past NSU

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Led by a 31-point effort by Julian Norfleet, Mount St. Mary's shot nearly 70 percent from the floor in a 104-84 victory over the Norfolk State men's basketball team on Friday night at Joseph Echols Hall.

The Mountaineers hit 18-of-25 from 3-point range in breaking NSU's 16-game home winning streak. The Spartans did fare well on the offensive end, hitting close to 60 percent for the game, but NSU (8-7) was unable to overcome The Mount's prowess from long range.

Norfleet hit 11-of-13 overall and had four of the team's 3-pointers to go along with 10 assists and four steals. Mount St. Mary's (4-9) shot 35-of-51 (68.6 percent) overall on the night, including 22-of-29 (75.9 percent) in the first half.



NSU outscored the Mountaineers by two in the second half and committed just two turnovers after having 11 in the first half. Mount St. Mary's had a 20-4 edge in points off turnovers in the first half but failed to score any in the second. The Mount also had a 13-2 edge in fastbreak points in the first but scored only two in that manner after intermission.

Senior Brandon Goode led NSU with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while seniors Anell Alexis and Malcolm Hawkins each tallied 16 on a combined 10-of-15 shooting. The Spartans connected on 32-of-54 (59.3 percent) overall, including 15-of-21 in the first stanza (71.4 percent).

After the Mountaineers missed their opening 3-point attempt, both teams combined to make 20 straight shots in a contest reminiscent of NSU's 115-85 win over Newberry earlier in the year. By the time the next miss came around, at 10:18 on a 3-point attempt by the Mountaineers, they led the Spartans 30-23.

NSU made its first 10 shots of the game, but the Spartans eventually called timeout after a quick layup gave Mount St. Mary's a 14-point edge, 39-25. The Mountaineers pushed it to 19, 47-28, and by as much as 25 in the first half.

The Spartans got no closer than 18 in the early part of the second half before a couple of free throws from Hawkins at 7:56 cut the deficit to 15. An 11-1 run by the Mountaineers, though, pushed their advantage back up to 20 for the rest of the contest.

Junior Jamel Fuentes added 13 points and eight assists for the Spartans.

Rashad Whack had 23 points for Mount St. Mary's, including 15 on 5-of-10 shooting from long range. Will Miller (15 points, 5-of-5 3-pointers), Gregory Graves (11 points) and Byron Ashe (10 points, 3-of-3 3-pointers) also contributed on the offensive end.

NSU will get back into conference play next weekend with a trip to UMES and Delaware State.

Box Score

By Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Prince Leads No. 9 Past Baylor Past Savannah State, 80-50

Box Score | Quotes | Notes  Highlights | Postgame   Photos » 

WACO, Texas  -- Reserve Taurean Prince scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half, leading No. 9 Baylor to an 80-50 victory over Savannah State on Friday night.

Cory Jefferson had 13 points for Baylor (12-1), and Isaiah Austin and Rico Gathers each scored 11 as Baylor won its 12th consecutive home game.

Joshua Montgomery made four 3-pointers in the first half and scored 15 points for Savannah State (2-12).

Baylor improved to 25-9 in January since 2009-10. The Bears' only loss this season was to then No. 8 Syracuse in Hawaii in November.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Cory Jefferson (13 points) had his 42nd career double-figure scoring game (12th of season, career-high 11th straight and 19th in last 20 games), and Baylor is 34-8 all-time when he scores in double figures.
• Jefferson's 3 blocks tied a season high and marked his 6th multi-block game of the season and 40th of his career - Baylor is 31-9 when Jefferson has multiple blocks in his career.
• Rico Gathers (11 points) had his 8th career double-figure scoring game, 4th of the season and 4th in his last 5 games.
• With 11 points, Isaiah Austin has scored in double figures in 7 of his last 8 games, 9 times this season and 36 times in his career -- Baylor is 27-9 when Austin scores double figures in his career.
• Taurean Prince scored 15 points, it was his 7th career double figure game and 4th of the season.
• Prince (15 points) led the team in scoring for the 1st time this season and 2nd time in his career - Baylor is 2-0 when Prince leads in scoring.

STAT OF THE GAME
Baylor outscored Savannah State in the paint, 40-16.

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor hits the road to open Big 12 play Tuesday, Jan. 7, against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Tip is set for 6 p.m. CT., and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Savannah State start MEAC play with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at home on Monday, January 6, at 8 PM in Savannah, Georgia. 

COURTESY BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Campbell Camels look to rebound Saturday night vs. Delaware State Hornets

Audio | Video | Live stats CAMPBELL GAME NOTES (pdf)

BUIES CREEK, North Carolina – After a hard-fought setback against in-state rival East Carolina, Campbell looks to rebound Saturday when Delaware State visits Gore Arena for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
The Camels (6-8) dropped a 79-71 decision to the Pirates Thursday despite a career-high 29-point effort, plus 5 assists from Reco McCarter.  Marvelle Harris came off the bench to add season highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Camels, who are 2-1 on their current 5-game home stand.

Campbell finished with a 27-5 edge in 2nd-chance points, but the Pirates knocked down 13-of-23 threes and got a Gore Arena record 37 points from Akeem Richmond.

 

Delaware State (3-10, 0-2 MEAC) halted a 5-game losing streak Thursday in a 66-65 OT win at home against Gardner-Webb.  The Hornets trailed by 15 with 15:27 to play, but GWU missed 3 front ends of 1-and-1 chances down the stretch.  Casey Walker led DSU with 21 points and 8 rebounds.

 

CAMEL TRACKS

• Campbell stands 4-3 at Gore Arena this year, while Delaware State is 0-7 away from home.
• The Camels tied a team Gore Arena record for fewest turnovers (6) on Thursday vs. ECU.
• Over the last two games, Campbell has surrendered only 8 second-chance points, 5 to East Carolina and 3 to Georgia Southern, while out-rebounding those foes by a total of 13 boards.
• Delaware State collected its first win against a Division I opponent this season when it rallied for Thursday's OT victory against Gardner-Webb.  The Hornets have faced a difficult schedule, including road losses to Georgia Tech (68-50), Clemson (58-37), George Washington (94-50), Dayton (56-46) and Oklahoma State (75-43).
• Campbell leads the all-time series with the Hornets 3-0, but the teams have not met since a 76-64 Camel win on Jan . 2, 1986 at Carter Gym.  In that contest, John Huffstetler led CU with 14 points while future Big South players of the year Clarence Grier ('86-87) and Henry Wilson ('88-89) added 13 and 10 points, respectively.Campbell stands 20-21 all-time vs. current members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 0-1 this season (loss to NC Central).  The Camels dropped 2 games against MEAC members in 2012-13 (to NC A&T and Savannah State).  Campbell last defeated a MEAC club on Nov. 17, 2011, a 94-66 triumph over NC A&T at Gore Arena.
• Big South Conference members are 3-9 vs. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools this season entering Saturday's action.  In addition to Campbell's game vs. Delaware State, Radford travels to Hampton Saturday (4 pm).
• Delaware State ranks 2nd among MEAC schools in scoring defense, allowing just 65.6 points per game.  However, the Hornets are scoring only 59.2 points per outing and has reached the 70-point barrier (in an 80-70 loss to Delaware) only once against Division I opponents.
• Thursday's victory against Gardner-Webb marked the first time this year Delaware State has won a game decided by 10 or fewer points after dropping the first 5 of those decisions.
• Delaware State was picked 7th (of 13 schools) in the MEAC pre-season poll.  Norfolk State was the favorite, while fellow '13-14 CU opponent NC Central was 3rd.
• Junior forward Tyshawn Bell missed Monday's 60-57 loss to St. Francis Brooklyn, but returned to score 10 points in 30 minutes vs. Gardner-Webb.
• Following Saturday's game, the Camels open Big South Conference play Wednesday at home vs. High Point (7:00 p.m.).

COURTESY CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Charleston Cougars Host Howard In Final Non-Conference Tune-Up

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (7-7, 0-0 CAA) vs. HOWARD (3-13, 1-1 MEAC)
Game #15
January 4, 2014 • 4:00 p.m. (ET)
TD Arena/John Kresse Court (5,100)
at Charleston, S.C.

Television: MyTV Charleston
Radio: College of Charleston Radio Network (ESPN Radio 910 AM)
Series History: CofC Leads 1-0
Last Meeting: CofC def. Howard, 77-73, on Dec. 30, 2002 at State Farm Classic in Charleston, S.C.
Internet: Free Live Statistics at www.CofCSports.com
Free Live Video: www.ustream.tv/channel/charleston-sports-network---cofcsports-com
Twitter: @CofCBasketball

THE COACHES
College of Charleston: Doug Wojcik
Second Year at CofC: 31-18 (.633)
Ninth Year Overall: 171-110 (.609)

Howard: Kevin Nickelberry
Fourth Year at Howard: 25-79 (.240)
Seventh Year Overall: 75-126 (.373)

RADIO (College of Charleston Radio Network)
Play-By-Play: Everett German
Color Analyst: Danny Johnson

TELEVISION (MyTV Charleston)
Play-By-Play: Jeff McCarragher
Color Analysts: Nate Ross and John Kresse

GAME PREVIEW
The College of Charleston men’s basketball team (7-7) plays host to Howard (3-13) in its final non-conference tune-up on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. The game will be televised live locally on MyTV Charleston. The Cougars are looking to make it a 3-0 week after claiming a pair of road victories at former Southern Conference rivals The Citadel (72-48) on Dec. 29 and Davidson (76-64) on Jan. 1. The squad is playing some of its best basketball of the year shooting a season-best 60.5 percent from the field at Davidson on New Year’s Day. They also outrebounded the Bulldogs and Wildcats by an average of 12.0 boards per contest and outscored them by an average margin of 18.0 points combined. Defensively, CofC held both teams to one of its lowest-scoring outputs of the season – a stat category the Cougars have consistently ranked in the top 30 nationally and tops in the Colonial Athletic Association this year holding opponents to 62.9 points per game. Graduate senior Willis Hall (Charlotte, N.C.) reeled off a monster game at Davidson with career-highs in points (26) and rebounds (21), while junior floor general Anthony Stitt (Charlotte, N.C.) has led the team to a 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio (29-21) in the last two outings including a personal-best nine assists versus the Wildcats. Hall became the first known CofC player to record a 20/20 double-double performance in the Division I era of the program (1991-Present). Meanwhile, Howard is fresh off of coast-to-coast travel having last played at Southern Cal (L, 82-60), prior to the New Year on Dec. 29 in Los Angeles.

THE SKINNY ON THE BISON

Howard is looking to end a two-game losing stretch. The Bison last defeated Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe Delaware State in a 64-62 overtime thriller won on a last-second layup by freshman guard/forward James Miller on Dec. 15 at the Big Apple Classic held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. CofC will be the program’s second CAA opponent of the season having lost in overtime (84-79) at home to William & Mary on Nov. 30. Howard has one of the youngest teams in the country with nine freshmen on the roster including leading scorer, James Daniel, who is averaging 19.8 points per game which ranks among the top 40 nationally among NCAA Division I scoring leaders. The former Virginia Tri-State Player of the Year also ranks in the top 20 in three-point field goals made per game (3.33 avg.) and missed the USC game with a toe injury.

WATCH MYTV CHARLESTON

Local affiliate MyTV Charleston can be viewed locally over the air on Channel 36.1, on Channel 36 for DirecTV, Dish Network and AT&T U-verse subscribers as well as Channel 13 for Comcast, Knology and Time Warner cable subscribers in the Charleston, South Carolina, television market. MyTV Charleston also reaches as far as the Orangeburg, Walterboro and Georgetown areas.

SERIES REWIND

College of Charleston leads 1-0 in the all-time series with Howard. Both teams last met in the championship game of the State Farm Good Neighbor Classic on Dec. 30, 2002 held at the old John Kresse Arena. Former CofC standouts Thomas Mobley and Troy Wheless scored 18 and 16 points respectively to lead the Cougars to a 77-73 win over the Bison. It marked CofC’s fifth consecutive State Farm Classic title. Howard took a 58-57 lead with 6:38 remaining on a layup by Quadir Habeeb, however, the Cougars answered with a 10-3 run and hit their last eight free throws over the final 43 seconds to secure the win. Wheless and Mobley were named to the all-tournament team along with MVP Mike Benton, who registered 15 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots against the Bison. CofC beat Maryland-Baltimore County, while Howard downed Oral Roberts for a spot in the title game.

PROJECTED COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON STARTERS

#22 Anthony Stitt, G, 6-1, 180, Jr. (9.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 34.1 min)

#24 Canyon Barry, G, 6-6, 195, RS-Fr. (9.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 24.7 min)

#3 Anthony Thomas, SF, 6-7, 207, Sr. (7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 23.3 min)

#53 Willis Hall, F, 6-6, 235, Sr. (11.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 32.0 min)

#1 Adjehi Baru, F, 6-9, 225, Jr. (9.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 29.0 min)

PROJECTED HOWARD STARTERS

#10 Keon Hill, G, 5-9, 170, Fr. (3.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 16.8 min)

#2 Kofi Andoh, G, 6-4, 185, Fr. (2.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.6 apg, 13.9 min)

#3 Prince Okoroh, F, 6-5, 220, Jr. (15.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 33.0 min)

#20 Solomon Mangham, F, 6-7, 210, Fr. (7.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.0 apg, 27.1 min)

#5 Marcel Boyd, C, 6-10, 230, Fr. (5.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.6 apg, 18.8 min)

CONFERENCE PLAY ON THE HORIZON

The Cougars will commence their inaugural season in the CAA with their home opener against James Madison on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. (ET) at TD Arena. Prior to joining the league on July 1, 2013, CofC compiled a 33-12 (.733) overall record against the Colonial and their current and past members.

COUGARS AGAINST THE MEAC

CofC is 17-13 (.567) all-time against schools hailing from the MEAC including Coppin State (1-3) which it last faced in 1992, Hampton (1-0) in 1999, Howard (1-0) in 2002, Maryland Eastern Shore (1-1) in 1990, Morgan State (2-0) in 1992, North Carolina A&T (1-1) in 1993 and South Carolina State (10-8) in 2010.

   Howard Game Notes

COURTESY COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Charlotte 49ers Host N.C. A&T In Final Non-Conference Game

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Charlotte 49ers (8-4) play North Carolina A&T (3-10) in their final non-conference game, Saturday, January 4 at 7 pm. The game will broadcast in the Charlotte area on WCCB Charlotte.

The 49ers are 18-4 since the 1991-92 season in their final non-conference home game. The 49ers are 16-6 since the 1991-92 season in their final non-conference game. Since the 2000-01 season, the 49ers are 10-3 in their final non-conference home game. Since the 2000-01 season, the 49ers are 9-4 in their final non-conference game. Last season, Charlotte defeated UNC Asheville, 71-63 in overtime, in Halton Arena in their final non-conference game, January 2, 2013.

Last time out, Charlotte lost to Georgia Tech, 58-55, December 29. The 49ers found themselves down nine points (51-42) with 3:01 left in the second half. The 49ers went on a 13-4 run over the next 2:50 tying the score at 55 when Shawn Lester knocked down a three from the top of the key with 10 seconds on the clock. Georgia Tech’s Trae Golden knocked down a three with four seconds left giving Georgia Tech the win. Pierria Henry nearly sent the game into overtime as he made a three-pointer from the top of the key but after the officials reviewed the shot it was shown to leave his hands barely after the clock hit zero. Denzel Ingram recorded his first career 20-point scoring game with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field. Willie Clayton recorded his 11th straight double-figure scoring game with 11 points. Clayton also grabbed nine rebounds. Henry dished out seven assists.

 

Lester has scored in double-figures in 10 of Charlotte’s 12 games this season. Lester (13.8 ppg) leads the 49ers in scoring. Clayton (11.9 ppg), Terrence Williams (10.9 ppg), Henry (10.4 ppg) and Mike Thorne (10.3 ppg) round out the 49ers double-figure scorers. Ingram averages 9.2 points per game.
Henry leads Conference USA in steals per game at 2.55. Clayton is third in Conference USA in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game. Clayton leads Conference USA in offensive rebounds (5.2 per game). Ben Cherry has knocked down 22 threes in the last nine games. Cherry is second in Conference USA in three-point field goal percentage (50.0%). Clayton leads Conference in field goal percentage (62.2%). Marcus Bryan has given the 49ers solid production off the bench this season so far.

North Carolina A&T has three players averaging double-figures led by Lamont Middleton’s 17.9 points per game. Richaud Pack averages 16.5 points per game. Bruce Beckford averages 12.5 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game.

Saturday’s game will mark the ninth meeting between Charlotte and North Carolina A&T. The 49ers have won all eight of the previous meetings including a 102-39 victory over North Carolina A&T in their last game which was played in Halton Arena, November 24, 2003.

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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA - CHARLOTTE SPORTS INFORMATION 

Hampton Pirates to take on Radford at Home

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- The Hampton University men's basketball team will go for its second straight win on Saturday, as the Pirates play host to the Highlanders of Radford at 4 p.m. at the HU Convocation Center.

The Pirates (6-7) snapped a two-game skid back on Dec. 29 with a 101-95 double-overtime win over Winthrop at the HU Convocation Center, marking the first time since 2006 that Hampton scored 100 or more points in a game.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) led five Pirates in double figures with 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.), a Radford transfer, added a career-high 19 points.

Sophomore guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) added 16 points, while sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) chipped in 13 points and redshirt-freshman guard Lawrence Cooks (Charlotte, N.C.) added 12 points.

Radford (10-4) is riding a four-game winning streak after defeating The Citadel 76-59 at home on Thursday night, and the Highlanders are in their third season under head coach Mike Jones. Radford is a young team, with 10 underclassmen and just one senior on the squad.

Junior forward Javonte Green was a Preseason Second Team All-Big South selection, and he currently leads the Highlanders in both scoring (17.1 points per game) and rebounding (6.7 boards per contest). Junior guard R.J. Price is the only other player averaging double figures in scoring, pouring in 14.2 points a night.

Hampton is 2-3 against Radford, and the two teams met last season – with Radford coming away with a 73-64 win on its home court. The Pirates won back-to-back meetings in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons; the 2004-05 matchup came on a neutral court, and the Pirates beat Radford at the Convocation Center in 2005-06. Radford has made two previous trips to the HU Convocation Center, splitting those two games.

Hampton is 13-11 all-time against schools currently in the Big South Conference, including a 70-53 loss to Liberty earlier this season in the Corpus Christi Challenge on Nov. 29 and a 101-95 double-overtime win over Winthrop on Dec. 29.

The Pirates are 0-1 against Campbell; 1-0 against Charleston Southern; 1-1 against Coastal Carolina; 2-0 against High Point; 2-3 against Liberty; 3-1 against Longwood; 2-3 against Radford; and 2-2 against Winthrop.

The Pirates have never faced Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, UNC Asheville, or VMI.

The Pirates went 7-8 at the HU Convocation Center last season, even though they won three of their last five home contests. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 31-23 overall in the Convocation Center, and the Pirates are 4-1 at home this season after beating Winthrop on Dec. 29.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

UMES Concludes Road Trip Against the SSU Lady Tigers

The women's basketball team finishes their seven-game road trip versus Savannah State University

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland  – Tomorrow, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women’s basketball team wraps up their seven-game road trip as they head to Savannah, Ga. to face the Lady Tigers of Savannah State University inside Tiger Arena. Game-time is 6:00 p.m. (EST)

LAST TIMEOUT

In their 50th meeting, the Lady Hawks dropped their conference opener to South Carolina State University (SC State), 63-50. UMES scored the first bucket of the second half on an offensive put back from senior Shanyce Stewart (Mount Vernon, N.Y.), 27-23, but the Lady Bulldogs controlled the tempo as they went on a 12-4 run with less than 11 minutes in regulation, 39-25. Within the next seven minutes, the Lady Hawks climbed back into the game after back-to-back free-throws by Shawnee Sweeney (Chester, Va.) to cut the deficit to single-digits, 49-40. SC State withstood UMES’ late surge as they finished the contest hitting their free-throws down the stretch to win, 63-50.

TOP PERFORMERS

Jessica Long (Fort Washington, Md.) paced the Hawk attack with 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Senior Breonna Evans (Melfa, Va.) recorded a career-high eight points, including two triples, while Ashleigh Claybrooks (Manassas, Va.) finished with seven points and 10 boards in a losing effort.

Other notable Hawk performances included Stewart recording her 12^th career 10+ rebound game with a game-high 18 boards. With her efforts, she surpasses Adobi Agbasi with the second-most 10+ rebound performances since the 2005-06 season, trailing only April McBride (39).

MATCHUP PREVIEW

Tomorrow’s matchup is the eight meeting between these two institutions where UMES leads the all-times series, 5-2, including last season’s overtime victory over the Lady Tigers, 55-44. In that contest, four Lady Hawks scored in double-digits, led by Sweeney recording 12 points. Alexis Udoji (Randolph, Mass.) was one block shy of posting a triple-double as she finished with 11 points, 12 boards, and nine blocks. Savannah State’s Erin Hogue notched a double-double in the last meeting with 13 points and 13 boards in 41 minutes of action.

This season, the Lady Tigers are among the top the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) leaders in field goal percentage, shooting nearly 39% from the floor, led by senior guard Ezinne Kalu. She leads the team in multiple categories, including points (14.8), steals (2.3), and minutes (29.4). Other notable Lady Tiger includes Charmaine Greene as she was selected to the 2013-14 MEAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Team.

For the Lady Hawks, they remain among the conference leaders in rebounds-per-game (47.3) and three-pointers-per-game (6.5). Long leads the team in scoring (14.7) and assists (4.7), which is third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Stewart and Udoji provide the frontcourt presence as they are among the top rebounders, averaging 9.7 and 8.8 boards-per-game, respectively. Sweeney continues her hot streak as she is currently 14^th in the nation, averaging 3.2 three-pointers-per-contests. Click Here to view UMES game notes.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

On Jan. 11^th, the Lady Hawks return to the William P. Hytche Athletic Center to face Norfolk State University. Game-time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (EST)

For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS 

Towson Tigers Head to Coppin State on Saturday

MEDIA INFORMATION Date Saturday, Jan. 4 | 2:00 p.m. Location Baltimore, Md. | Physical Education Center Tickets CoppinStateSports.com Live Video/Audio Towson Sports Network Game Notes Towson | Coppin State Twitter @Towson_WBB TOWSON TIGERS Record 5-7, 0-0 CAA Last Game Dec. 28 - Towson 67, Loyola 46 Head Coach Niki Reid Geckeler (Georgetown, 1993) Coppin State Eagles Record 4-8, 1-0 MEAC Last Game Dec. 29 - Alabama 82, Coppin State 60 Head Coach Derek Brown (Montclair State)

TOWSON, Maryland  -- The Tiger women's basketball team wraps up its non-conference slate with a trip to Coppin State. Towson visits the Eagles on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m.

Series History: Towson faces its final non-conference local opponent today in Coppin State.

The Tigers hold a 10-3 advantage in a series that began in 1985. Towson has won two straight in the match-up after a 58-55 win in the Towson Center last year. Then senior Michelle Peebles led the Tigers with 15 points and nine rebounds in that game.

Going Deep: The Tigers hit a season-high eight three-pointers in the win over Loyola. It was the most three-pointers by the Tigers in a single-game since they hit eight in the win over William & Mary last March.

Towson’s efforts against the Greyhounds were led by sophomore guard Dominique Johnson, who connected on four. Four other Tigers hit one three-pointer in the game.

Keep It 50 Below: A strong defensive effort against Loyola allowed the Tigers to limit the Greyhounds to just 46 points. Towson is now 2-0 this season when it holds an opponent to 50 points or less. The Tigers held Loyola to just 20 points in the first half of that game.

The last time the Tigers held an opponent to 20 points or less in a half was the season opener against Manhattan last year. Since the start of the 2009-10 season, the Tigers are 16-3 when they hold an opponent to 50 points or less in a game.

I’ll Take That: The Tigers grabbed 12 steals in the win over Loyola. Four different Tigers recorded at least one steal in the game led by redshirt senior Nyree Williams and junior Ciara Webb, who had four swipes each. It was the seventh time in 12 games that the Tigers recorded double-digit steals in a game. Towson entered play on Friday ranked fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) while averaging 9.8 steals per game.

Six Tigers have recorded at least 12 steals this season, led by Williams, who has 27 steals. Williams enters play this weekend ranked fourth in the CAA while averaging 2.3 steals per game.

Up Next: The Tigers are back in action on Thursday, Jan. 9 when CAA play begins. Towson travels to Hofstra for a 7 p.m. game to kick off its conference slate.

Support Towson University Athletics by making a tax deductible donation to the Tiger Club. For more information follow this link or to give now, click here.

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COURTESY TOWSON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

B-CU football assistant Denson takes job at Miami (Ohio)

COACH AUTRY DENSON
(Courtesy: B-CU Athletics)

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman running backs coach Autry Denson has left the Wildcats to take the same job with Miami University (Ohio), B-CU head coach Brian Jenkins confirmed Thursday.

Denson, Notre Dame's all-time leading rusher, had been on Jenkins' staff for three seasons. At Miami, he will serve under new head coach Chuck Martin, who had been an assistant at Notre Dame the past four seasons — the last two as offensive coordinator.

 

Martin was not at Notre Dame when Denson played there from 1995 to '98.

 

“Autry did an exceptional job in the time he was here,'' Jenkins said. “Me and the coaches and the Bethune-Cookman family wish him and his family well. We lost a great one.”

 

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MVSU releases 2014 softball schedule

ITTA BENA, Mississippi  -- The Mississippi Valley State softball program has released its 2014 schedule. Click here to view the full schedule.

The 45-game schedule for the defending SWAC Tournament champions includes five non-conference tournaments and the annual SWAC Round-Up Tournament in Longview, Texas.

The Devilettes will kick off the season Feb. 7 at a tournament hosted by Mississippi State where they'll face MSU, Jacksonville State and Northern Kentucky.

The non-conference schedule for the Devilettes includes games against Northwestern  State, Purdue, Samford, Bradley, Arkansas, Western Kentucky, Memphis, William Carey, University of Mobile, Spring Hill College and LSU-Alexandria.

Valley will host two non-conference teams this season – Central Arkansas on March 12 and Mississippi State on April 1.

Alumni Weekend has been set for March 28-29 when the Devilettes host rival Alcorn State. Then, Valley will close out its regular season schedule April 25-26 when they host another rival, Jackson State, on Senior Weekend.

The 2014 SWAC Softball Tournament has been scheduled for May 7-10 in Decatur, Ala. at Wilson Morgan Park.

MVSU finished 25-32 last season and won five straight games at the SWAC Tournament to claim its ninth tournament title in school history. The Devilettes fell to South Alabama and Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament.     
COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION