FAMU's Jasmine Grice Named MEAC Player Of The Week

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Florida A&M’s Jasmine Grice was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. Bethune-Cookman’s Kailyn Williams was selected the Rookie of the Week, while Coppin State’s Larissa Carter earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.

 

Grice (G, 5-10, Sr., Quincy, Fla.) totaled 57 points, 17 rebounds and 11 steals as the Lady Rattlers were 1-1 in conference games during the week. Grice poured in 34 points, on 12-of-17 shooting, in a 87-42 win against Howard. She also finished with eight steals and seven boards against the Lady Bison. Grice began the week with 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 80-68 loss to Savannah State.

 

Williams (C, 6-5, r-Fr., New Orleans, La.) averaged 12.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in conference games against South Carolina State and Maryland Eastern Shore. Williams recorded a double-double of 17 points, on 8-of-11 shooting, and 11 rebounds in a 71-53 win against SCSU. Against Maryland Eastern Shore, Williams added eight rebounds, seven points and four blocks.

 

Carter (F, 6-0, Sr., Atlanta, Ga.) totaled 21 rebounds in a pair of wins against Norfolk State and North Carolina Central. Carter registered 14 boards, to go along with 18 points, in a 67-58 win against North Carolina Central. She had seven rebounds and three blocks in a 71-52 victory against Norfolk State.

 

Other Top Performers: 

 

Raven Bankston (DSU) registered 21 points, four rebounds and two steals in a 50-47 loss to North Carolina A&T.

 

Alyssa Bennett (Hampton) averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals in wins against Morgan State and Savannah State.

 

Ashleigh Claybrooks (UMES) recorded a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 78-70 loss to Bethune-Cookman.

 

Shakeyia Colyer (BCU) finished with 24 points, on 9-of-18 shooting, in a 78-70 win against Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

Rae Corbo (NSU) dropped in 17 points, including 10 from the free-throw line, in a 59-54 win against South Carolina State.

 

Ashle Craig (CSU) scored a career-high 27 points, on 9-of-13 shooting, in a 71-52 win against Norfolk State.

 

Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Hampton) averaged 18.5 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in wins against Savannah State and Morgan State.

 

Cherisha Floyd (SCSU) recorded eight defensive rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals in games against Bethune-Cookman and Norfolk State.

 

Jessica Freeman (NCCU) averaged 18.5 points in games against North Carolina A&T and Coppin State.

 

Victoria Gonzalez (Howard) shot 60 percent (6-of-10) from the field to finish with 14 points in a loss to Florida A&M.

 

Rachel Gordon (NSU) totaled 23 points, 21 rebounds, two blocks and a pair of assists in games against Coppin State and South Carolina State.

 

Nicole Hamilton (Hampton) finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three blocks and one steal in a 99-45 win against Morgan State.

 

Tierra Hawkins (DSU) grabbed 15 boards and dropped in 11 points in a 50-47 loss to North Carolina A&T.

 

Tracy King (NCAT) totaled 21 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and eight steals in wins against North Carolina Central and Morgan State.

 

April McRae (NCAT) recorded 20 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a 59-47 win against North Carolina Central.

 

Logan Powell (NSU) averaged 9.0 rebounds and 8.5 points in games against Coppin State and South Carolina State.

 

Tierra Protho (FAMU) pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in a 80-68 loss to Savannah State.

 

Kourtney Williams (SCSU) finished with 23 points, four steals and a pair of rebounds in a 59-54 loss to Norfolk State.

 

Courtesy MEACSports.com

Alabama State: Several Hornets with NFL aspirations

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Isaiah Crowell is in Florida training for NFL workouts after completing the paperwork to enter the NFL draft as a junior, his head coach said.

Reggie Barlow said the former Alabama State tailback is working out at EXOS in Gulf Breeze, Fla., at The Andrews Institute in preparation for the NFL Combine on Feb. 23 and the Hornets’ Pro Day workout in mid-March.

“He’s been down there training since Jan. 2,” Barlow said. “According to (draft analysis), they have a fifth-round draft grade on him. Obviously, that’s prior to the Combine. He has selected representation and is off training now, getting ready for the Combine.”

Barlow said Crowell is working out with ...

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Historically black college football programs struggling to keep up

Photo Courtesy: Tennessee State University Athletics

Tennessee State’s Kadeem Edwards (#73) is the only Senior Bowl player from an HBCU, despite a history of producing legends. (Note: Jackson State's All-American defensive back Qua Cox was a late addition to the game after this article was published).  The 3-Times All-Ohio Valley Conference lineman Edwards, earned his Bachelor's Degree in December 2013 with Honors, in Human Performance and Sports Sciences with an overall 3.5 GPA.

MOBILE, Alabama  --   Kadeem Edwards ( Sanford, FL, Seminole H.S.) has a quarrel with a certain tradition, and for that, he may get struck down by a lightning bolt thrown by the lords of historically black college and university (HBCU) football.

It is sacrilegious not to bow to the spectacle of the bands at an HBCU football game, but Edwards takes a deep breath and says something sacrilegious anyway. He wishes the bands and the halftime extravaganza did not reign over the game.

Edwards is a big fan of the music. He appreciates the skill and the thrill of a show. He understands the culture and the allure of the HBCU halftime show and the postgame pageantry. The bands draw a crowd.

But he wants black college football to be about more than the bands.

He wants it to be more about the football again.

“The first time I saw half the people in the stands leave after the halftime show by the band, it upset me,” said Edwards, a 6-foot-4, 309-pound offensive guard who played at Tennessee State University in Nashville. “It was a little disrespectful.”

He sighed and shook his head slowly side to side.

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.The C.S. Podcast: TSU's NFL Prospect A.C. Leonard, Tight End

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- 2014 NFL Draft Prospect out of Tennessee State University, TE A.C. Leonard joined Chris Shanafelt on The C.S. Podcast on January 17, 2014 for an interview to talk about his college football career and to talk about the possibilities of playing in the NFL.

During his time at Tennessee State, Leonard recorded 85 receptions, 1,134 yards & 12 TD's. A.C. Leonard is a name that you will want to watch out for come May during the 2014 NFL Draft! Be sure to follow on Twitter @ChrisShanafelt & @LaidWayyBack1.

TSU Lady Tigers Welcome EKU for Metro Schools Day

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | VIDEO

GAMEDAY

The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will welcome youth from all of the Davidson County Metro Schools to the Gentry Center as the Lady Tigers host Eastern Kentucky, Monday morning at 11 a.m. in an OVC contest. The game will be TSU’s second in three days.  On Monday, Inman will coach against one of his former players, Chrissy Roberts, and a team that he led for twenty years.   

 

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE

Tennessee State is coming off an, 87-70, win over Morehead State on Saturday. The win improved TSU to 7-13 (4-3 OVC) and gave coach Larry Inman his 500th career win. The victory was TSU’s second straight home win.

 

TSU is averaging 68.0 points per outing while shooting 36.6 percent from the field. Chelsea Hudson leads the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game while Rachel Allen (12.0 ppg), Alana Morris (7.1 ppg) and Brianna Lawrence (6.7 ppg) round out the top scorers for TSU. TSU is currently tied for second place in the East Division.

 

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

Tennessee State fell behind early but used a 29-13 scoring run in the last eight minutes of the first half to go ahead, 35-26 at half time. TSU pulled away in the second frame and went on to defeat Morehead State, 87-70, in the Gentry Center. Chelsea Hudson had a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds while Brianna Lawrence had 14. Rachel Allen and Alana Morris each tallied 13 points as Briana Morrow chipped in 11. 

 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Eastern Kentucky (11-6, 5-1 OVC) has won three straight including the most recent victory over Belmont. The Lady Colonels defeated the Bruins, 75-59, in the Curb Event Center on Saturday.  EKU is in first place in the East Division.

 

In the win over Belmont, Marie Carpenter tallied 27 points after knocking down six three-pointers in the game. Shelly Harper and Pilar Walker eached chipped in 12. 

 

Overall, Eastern Kentucky is led in scoring by Marie Carpenter who averages 22.1 points per game. Shelly Harper (11.2 ppg) and Pilar Walker (10.8 ppg) round out the top scorers for EKU.

 

As a team, the Lady Colonels average, 69.1 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from long range.

 

TSU vs. EASTERN KENTUCKY

Tennessee State will match-up with Eastern Kentucky for the 52nd time in the series history with EKU holding a, 36-16, advantage. Last season, TSU split with EKU,  falling to the Lady Colonels, 62-54, on the road before clipping the opponent, 69-66, in the Gentry Center on Senior Night. TSU had dropped four straight to EKU before picking up the victory last season.

 

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

Tennessee State will return to action on Monday, Feb. 3 on the road at Tennessee Tech. Game time is slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off in the Eblen Center.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

from THE EDITOR: FAMU Men, Referees Not in Sync

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The fans got the message as they showed up in numbers not seen since a win at home against Bethune Cookman in 2012. The 2,577 fans watching the game is almost twice the number in attendance for any other home game this season. Rumors are that the Rattlers are back. Some still wishing for the unlikely return of former head coach Mike Gillespie, or a Gillespie look alike, were hoping to see a revitalized Rattler program. What they saw instead was a senior laden Rattler team that was outgunned by a freshman dominant Howard team.

FAMU was not alone in what will be considered a night of upsets. On this night the “lowly” Bethune Cookman, who had lost 17 games in a row, in a mild upset beat the other conference cellar dweller Maryland Eastern Shore 69-63. Not to be outdone, a struggling South Carolina State University Bulldog team defeated Norfork State in stunning fashion 73-61; and the woeful North Carolina A&T after getting pummeled by Norfolk last week defeated the previously undefeated Morgan State in overtime 68-67. Perhaps not as much an upset, Hampton with two conference losses handed the previously undefeated Savannah State its first conference loss of the season 80-71. The only MEAC team to win a game when they were supposed to on this night was North Carolina Central, who defeated Coppin State 87-63.

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Sights and Sounds from 2014 Honda Battle of the Bands

WATCH IN 1080p HD, Wide Screen

GREAT JOB, BANDS!!!

Banks leads balanced offense; SU men roll past Alabama A&M

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern men’s basketball team made sure it wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

The Jaguars suffered their first Southwestern Athletic Conference loss Wednesday night when a lethargic start led to a 15-point halftime deficit and a disappointing loss at Mississippi Valley State.

So when they returned to the court Saturday night they were determined to start fast and make it count.

The result was a nearly wire-to-wire 66-52 victory against Alabama A&M in the Clark Activity Center.

“We needed to respond in a big way just to get our focus and our confidence back,” guard Trelun Banks said. “It was a team effort and a big win for us.”

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North Carolina Aggies Win In Overtime

A&T knocks off previously MEAC unbeaten Morgan State.

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  Lamont Middleton and Richaud Pack had big games for North Carolina A&T Saturday night at Corbett Sports Center. Middleton finished with 26 points and five rebounds, while Pack ended the night with 25 points and eight rebounds on 10-for-10 shooting at the foul line.

But the biggest minutes played in A&T’s 68-67 overtime win over Morgan State may have been the ones played by a freshman who came into the game averaging just 6.3 minutes per game. Six-foot-nine center Steven Burrough hit two big free throws to send the game into overtime and then played solid defense on Morgan State’s 7-2 center Ian Chiles down the stretch to give the Bears (6-11, 4-1 MEAC) their first conference loss.

“I thought he effectively took Ian Chiles out of the game the last four minutes,” said Alexander. “They couldn’t get the ball to him. He did a tremendous job on him.”

A&T (7-13, 3-2 MEAC) sent the game into overtime despite never taking the lead in regulation. With the Aggies trailing 57-51 with a little more than four minutes remaining, Pack hit back-to-back threes to tie the game at 57 with 2:48 to play in regulation.  The Bears tried to respond by getting the ball to Chiles who finished the game with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. In attempt to prevent Chiles from receiving the ball on the block, A&T center Bryan Akinkugbe was called for a foul, sending Chiles to the line and sending Akinkugbe to the bench with his fifth foul. The call left Alexander with a decision to make.

“When Bryan fouled out I had to make a decision on who would be best to guard (Chiles),” said Alexander. “My gut said Steven was the biggest, so let’s go with the biggest. He was probably the least experienced, but he was the biggest.”

Alexander’s decision would pay off in more ways than one. Chiles hit his two free throws to give the Bears a 59-57 advantage. After an Aggies turnover, Blake Bozeman’s 3-pointer rimmed out. As Burrough went for the rebound, Chiles came over his back for the foul, sending Burrough, a 57 percent free throw shooter with only 14 attempts this season to the line with 1:26 to play.

Burrough calmly knocked down the two free throws that would eventually send the game into overtime tied at 59.

A&T took its first lead of the game in the overtime period as Middleton’s two free throws gave A&T a 63-62 lead with 3:19 to play. Two more Middleton free throws increased the Aggies lead to three, but MSU guard Justin Black quickly came down the floor and hit a step back 3-pointer, his first and only three of the night, to tie the game at 65 with 2:30 remaining.

Pack gave the Aggies the lead back with a free throw, but on his second free throw, he was called for a lane violation, which gave MSU the ball back with a chance to take the lead. Black did just that by hitting a baseline jumper with 11 seconds to play to give MSU a 67-66 lead.

Even with timeouts remaining, the Aggies didn’t hesitate. Senior point guard Jeremy Underwood pushed the ball up the floor and found and sprinting Pack going toward the basket. Underwood’s laser pass landed in the hands of Pack who scored with a layup over the extended arm of Chiles to give A&T a 68-67 lead with 6.9 seconds remaining.

“It was more of Jeremy’s idea to be honest,” said Pack about the decision to try to score in transition. “I saw we were pushing the ball up the floor and Jeremy turned to me and threw it. I just had to make a play.”

Everything seemed to be looking up when Black, in an attempt to win the game, ran over Underwood and was called for an offensive foul with five seconds to play. But on the inbounds pass, Underwood was called for a backcourt violation, giving the Bears the ball back with 3.6 to play.

Hubbard would get to the rim, but his layup came up short as the Aggies improved to 5-1 at home this season. Black led the Bears with 19 points and nine rebounds.  Chiles scored the first two points of overtime, but never scored again in the extra period.

The Aggies, who bounced back after enduring their worst MEAC loss in school history last Wednesday night, will face Coppin State 6 p.m., Monday at Corbett.

“This game was a test of our character,” said Alexander about the MSU win. “Everyone in this room knows what happened to us Wednesday. Either we were going to stand up like men; which was my request to the team, my challenge to them. Or we were going to fold our tent and have a mediocre season. This was a great show of resiliency.”

Photo Album

A&T 68, MSU 67 OT

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Greene, Partida join SU baseball staff

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern baseball coach Roger Cador brought in two new assistant coaches because they had more to offer than just their baseball acumen.

Former LSU and major league right-hander Rick Greene was brought in not just to teach the Jaguars pitchers, but also to strengthen the program’s standing in the Baton Rouge community.

New hitting coach Mike Partida was brought in not just to work with the hitters, but also to use his roots in the athletes-rich Houston area to boost recruiting.

Cador said Greene, who has maintained visibility in the community through his 2 Seam Dream Foundation that raises money and awareness for cancer research, “fit the bill.”

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WSSU falls flat against Fayetteville State

PIKEVILLE, North Carolina — Somewhere between Forsyth County and Wayne County, Winston-Salem State lost its shooting touch.

WSSU also didn’t have much defense as Fayetteville State rolled to a 74-56 victory at Aycock High School on Saturday night. Playing in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 1,500, the Rams were flat, and Coach Bobby Collins had no explanation.
“I don’t know,” Collins said. “We came here and had a good shoot-around, and we had plenty of rest, and it was a great atmosphere and for some reason we just didn’t have it.”

Things got so bad in the second half that the Rams (11-8, 2-1 CIAA Southern Division) went 11 minutes with a field goal. The Broncos (12-6, 2-1) took charge during that stretch, turning to their swarming and physical defense and going inside on offense.

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Texas Southern closes out MVSU in the second half to capture 65-55 win

HOUSTON, Texas -- Jazzmin Parker scored 24 points and tallied eight rebounds to help lift Texas Southern over Mississippi Valley State 65-55 Saturday night at H&PE Arena.

Morgan Simmons registered in her fourth double-double on the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Brianna Sidney tacked on 11 points of her own. Rounding out the scoring charge, Ashley Ferguson provided the Lady Tigers with an offensive spark, scoring 10 points off the bench for TSU (8-9,5-1).

The Lady Tigers were able to use a 15-10 points in the paint advantage in the first half to give them a 39-25 lead at the break.

After trailing by as many as 21 points in the second half, MVSU used a 17-6 run to pull within three points of the Lady Tigers with five minutes remaining, but it was not enough. TSU used a series of free throws in the last three minutes of the game to take home the win.

"I'm extremely happy with the way our team battled through adversity in the second half," said TSU head coach Johnetta Hayes-Perry. "When Mississippi Valley made their run in the second half we were able to maintain our composure and close the game out on a strong note. Mississippi Valley is a well coached team and they play hard for 40 minutes. This was another big win for our program early in conference play."

Texas Southern will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday closing out a two-game home stand. Tip-off for Monday's game has been slated for 5:00 pm.

Box Score    

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Golfweek: Men's spring preview - SWAC

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- During the month of January, Golfweek will preview the spring season for each conference. Today, we look at the SWAC Conference.

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Top of the class: Alabama State

•Player to watch: Francis Berthiaume, Alabama State.

•Freshman to watch: Donnell Lynch, Jackson State

•Conference championship: April 21-23, Oak Wing Golf Club, Alexandria, La.
•Past champions (since 2009): Alabama State (2012-13), Jackson State (2009-11)

• •
CONFERENCE CAPSULES
(Golfweek/Sagarin rank in parentheses)

• Alabama State (No. 219): Won the ASU Fall Classic while sophomore Francis Berthiaume captured the title for a clean sweep at home.

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HU Lady Pirates Stifle Savannah State on the Road

SAVANNAH, Georgia – Host Savannah State couldn't buy a basket in the opening 20 minutes on Saturday at Tiger Arena, and the Hampton University women's basketball team took full advantage en route to a 70-46 win.

The Lady Pirates (15-4, 6-0 MEAC) have won their last 36 games against MEAC foes, and they have not lost since the start of the new calendar year – a streak of five games.

Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) led four Lady Pirates in double figures with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and she finished one rebound shy of her eighth double-double of the season. Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) added 15 points.

Junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) and senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) each added 11 points and four assists.

The Lady Pirates led 5-0 to open the game, and when Tate-DeFreitas hit a pair of free throws with 12:45 left in the half, Hampton had opened up a 16-6 lead. Savannah State cut the lead to seven, 16-9 on a 3-pointer from Kenyata Hendrix, but Hampton scored nine of the next 13 points to take a 25-13 lead at the 7:16 mark after a Bennett free throw.

Ezinne Kalu cut the lead to 26-18 with 4:38 left in the half with a trey, but the Lady Pirates closed out the half on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a floating 3-pointer from Hamilton at the buzzer.

Hampton went into the break up 36-18.

Bennett led the Lady Pirates with 13 points in the first half, and Savannah State went just 7-for-29 from the floor (24.1 percent) in the opening 20 minutes, while also committing 12 turnovers.

Savannah State cut Hampton's lead to 41-24 with 13:42 left in the second half – after the half got off to a slow start for both teams – before the Lady Pirates scored the next nine points to take a 50-24 lead at the 10:24 mark on a jumper from Cole.

Cole later added two free throws with 5:42 left to put the Lady Pirates up 59-32, giving Hampton its largest lead of the game. Savannah State went on an 11-3 run to cut the lead to 62-43 with 3:29 left on two Kalu free throws.

But the Lady Pirates maintained control, and a 3-pointer from freshman guard Georgianna Gilbeaux (Washington, D.C.) with 15 seconds left pushed the game to its final margin.

The Lady Pirates shot 40.7 percent (22-for-54) from the floor and made five of their 16 3-pointers (31.3 percent). Hampton held a 43-39 advantage on the glass, and the Lady Pirates turned Savannah State over 22 times.

Savannah State (11-9, 4-2 MEAC) shot just 28.3 percent (17-for-60) from the floor and went just 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) from behind the arc. The Tigers also went just 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from the free throw line.

Kalu led the Tigers with 15 points, despite going just 4-for-16 from the floor.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Monday, when they head to Orangeburg, S.C. to take on South Carolina State at 5:30 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern women roll past AAMU Bulldogs

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The Southern women’s basketball team overwhelmed Alabama A&M from the opening tip and rolled to an 81-59 victory Saturday afternoon in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The Jaguars remained undefeated in Southwestern Athletic Conference play with their most one-sided league victory.

Southern (10-5, 7-0 SWAC) will host Alabama State on Monday night. The Bulldogs are 3-13 and 1-5.

“Overall I was pleased with the effort,” Jaguars coach Sandy Pugh said. “We came out with the intensity I wanted. I was pleased with the bench coming in.

“Defensively we had some good sequences where we kept the pressure up, then I thought we got lackadaisical.”

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Pirates Bounce Back, Roll Past Savannah State

SAVANNAH, Georgina  – The Hampton University men's basketball team looked like it felt right at home in Tiger Arena Saturday evening, withstanding a couple Savannah State runs to emerge with an 80-71 win.

The win snapped a two-game skid for the Pirates (9-10, 4-2 MEAC).

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) led three Pirates in double figures with 21 points on 9-for-18 shooting, and he fell one rebound shy of his third double-double of the season. Sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) added 17 points.

Sophomore guard Breon Key (Hampton, Va.) came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points.

A Jyles Smith dunk with 5:12 left in the game cut the Pirates' lead to 66-60, but Hampton withstood the pressure with a 6-1 run that ended with a dunk from Maxwell to put the Pirates up 72-61 with 2:15 left to play.

Key added a free throw with 1:38 left to give Hampton a 74-63 lead.

Savannah State answered with an 8-2 run, cutting the Pirates' lead to 76-71 with 38 seconds left after a clutch 3-pointer from Jeremiah Hill. But the Pirates hit all four of their free throws down the stretch – all from Key, who went 8-for-11 from the charity stripe – to ice their second MEAC road win.

The Pirates led for most of the game, despite being tied 2-2 early – mostly because Hampton answered that with a 7-0 run to take a 9-2 lead with 16:56 left in the first half after a layup from sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.).

Darden added a 3-pointer at the 14:57 mark to put Hampton up 15-4.

Savannah State scored 10 of the next 13 points, cutting Hampton's lead to 18-14 with 11:44 left in the half following a jumper from Patrick Hedley. The Pirates scored the next seven points after that, taking a 25-14 lead at the 8:33 mark after a Maxwell jumper.

Sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) hit two free throws at the 4:58 mark to give the Pirates their largest lead of the half, 33-21, before Savannah State went on a 13-1 run to tie the game at 34-34 on a Deven Williams free throw with 17 seconds left.

A Maxwell layup 15 seconds later sent the Pirates into the intermission with a 36-34 lead.

Savannah State opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take a 42-38 lead with 17:24 left, before the Pirates answered with a 10-0 run, taking a 48-42 lead with 15:01 remaining after a jumper from Maxwell.

After the Tigers cut the lead to 48-45, the Pirates scored the next seven points to take a 55-45 lead after a free throw from junior center Emmanuel Okoroba (Garland, Texas) with 11:35 left to play. Sophomore guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) added a trey with 9:24 left to put Hampton up 58-48.

The Tigers scored the next five points, cutting the lead to 58-53 with 8:48 left, but another 10-0 Hampton run put the Pirates up 63-53 with 8:00 left after Key hit a pair of free throws. Alante Fenner hit a layup with 7:28 left to cut that lead to 63-58, but the Tigers never sustained a long run to catch the Pirates.

The Pirates shot 40.0 percent (24-for-60) from the floor and hit four of their 13 3-pointers (30.8 percent). On top of out-rebounding the Tigers 47-42, Hampton also hit 28 of 44 free throws (63.6 percent) and turned 19 Savannah State turnovers into 15 points.

Savannah State (7-13, 5-1 MEAC) shot 40.9 percent (27-for-66) from the floor, but the Tigers only went 6-for-22 (27.3 percent) from behind the arc and 11-for-20 (55.0 percent) from the free throw line.

Hill led four Tigers in double figures with 15 points.

The Pirates will be in Orangeburg, S.C. on Monday, when they take on South Carolina State at 7:30 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Page's 20 Paces ASU Hornets Past Alcorn State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Jamel Waters only scored four points but none was bigger than his two free throws with six seconds left and Alabama State clinging to a 56-54 lead.  Those two free throws gave the Hornets a two possession lead which was all the Hornets needed in the 58-54 win.

 "It was an ugly game and it was hard fought, very physical and we didn't shoot the ball well," Head Coach Lewis Jackson.  "Our guys stayed the course and we persevered down the stretch."

After scoring a career-high 22 points in ASU's last outing, junior Luther Page again led the Hornets with a game-high 20 points.  Brandon Graham scored a career-high 16 points as those two were the only two Hornets to reach double digits.

"Luther has played well for us the last couple of games and we need his leadership," Jackson said.  "He talks on the floor and he understands the defense we are trying to get done and he has been doing a good job of posting up, finding the open guys for open shots."

"Brandon Graham did a good job of moving around without the ball and making some shots.  He also did a good job of getting in there and getting some rebounds."

The game was close the entire 40 minutes with neither team holding more than a six-point lead.  Alcorn (7-12/4-3 SWAC) held a 52-49 lead with 3:30 left in the game, but the Hornets defense stepped up and held the Braves to only a field goal the rest of the game as ASU outscored the home team 9-2.

Both teams struggled from the field and ASU (11-6/5-1 SWAC) finished the game hitting 34 percent from the field and only hit four of their 21 three point attempts for 19 percent.  The Hornets only shot 10 free throws but knocked down eight of them.

Graham almost completed a double-double with nine rebounds while Page added six and Bobby Brown five.  Waters had a game-high three assists as ASU finished with 10.

Alcorn's leading scorer was Octavius Brown with 13 points.  Anthony Evans and Marquis Vance had 12 each.  Brown also led Alcorn's rebounding effort with a game-high 11.

Alcorn shot 37 percent from the field and like the Hornets they struggled on their three point field goals only hitting four of their 15 attempts for 27 percent.  Alcorn hit six of its 13 free throws.

"We told the guys we could not come in here and rely on our offense and expecting our outside shot to be as good as it has been and if it is that's good and well," Jackson said.  "Our defense was certainly going to have to stand up and I thought holding them to 58 points was good. Again, it was not pretty but that's the sign of a team that is trying to grow up."

The first half saw Alcorn's Evans throw up a three at the horn to give the Braves a 24-21 halftime lead.  Vance led Alcorn with six points and Evans had five.

ASU struggled from the field but Page was able to score nine first-half points while Brandon Graham hit two three point field goals for six points.

ASU continues the present road trip with a game at Southern Monday, Jan. 27 with the tip off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.  The game will be for first place in the conference as Southern has a half game lead on the Hornets.

 Box Score

 COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Team Effort Helps A&T Cruise By Morgan State

A&T Eboni Ross works the Paint

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -- Four players scored in double figures as the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team cruised to a 78-48 win over Morgan State Saturday evening at Corbett Sports Center.

The Aggies (14-3 overall) move to 4-1 in the MEAC and the Bears (2-16) fell to 0-5 in the conference.

A&T has played exceptionally well at home this season where they remain undefeated at 7-0 and have held their opponents to just an average of 47.0 points at Corbett Sports Center. Saturday was no different as the Aggies defense scored 27 points off turnovers, recorded 10 steals, and beat the Bears on the boards 56-39.

Redshirt junior Debbie Smith led A&T in scoring for the third time this season with a game-high 14 points. Senior forward Tracy King added 13 points, tallied five assists and four steals. Redshirt sophomore Aprill McRae finished with 11 points and led the Aggies in rebounds with eight. Junior center Temitope Oladele came off the bench to register a career-high 11 points and seven rebounds.

“The keyword tonight was team,” head coach Tarrell Robinson said. “I think everyone who played contributed. We did a great job defensively and that carried over from the first half to the second.  My hat goes off to Temitope Oladele who made the most of her 21 minutes tonight. It’s the most minutes she’s played all season, and she really impacted the game. She had a great overall game.”

A&T led 33-17 at the half and enjoyed a 19-6 run to bust open the game in the second half, taking a 52-23 lead after a layup from Smith with 14:23 remaining in the game. The Bears were never able to respond to such a substantial first-half deficit.

The Aggies opened the game on an 11-3 run until Danielle Robinson hit a 3-pointer to nip A&T’s lead to 11-6 with 15:26 remaining in the half. Smith’s baseline jumper at the 9:40 mark gave A&T its first double-digit lead, 22-11, which they held for the remainder of the half.

A&T took advantage down low and outscored Morgan State 38-10 in the paint. The Aggies bench also contributed significantly adding 34 points.

Tracy Carrington who is the MEAC’s top scorer, couldn’t handle A&T’s pressure and led the Bears with 13 points. Robinson finished with 11, and Ivy Harrington added 10 and eight rebounds.

“We wanted to limit Carrington’s touches,” Robinson said. “We know that she leads their offense but as far as this game, we wanted to move up in the conference standings. We plan on going undefeated at home this season. The energy that we get from our fans is important. We had a great crowd today but now we have to move on and get ready for Monday.”

The Aggies will host Coppin State on Monday, Jan. 27 beginning at 6 p.m.

A&T 78, Morgan State 48

Photo Album

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCCU Downs Coppin State to Earn Fifth Straight Win

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  North Carolina Central University earned its fifth straight win to move to 4-1 in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) behind 18 points in the first half by senior Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) to go along with the staunch maroon and gray defense holding Coppin State University to 33.3 percent shooting on the way to an 87-63 win at McDougald-McLendon Gym on Saturday afternoon.

The host Eagles were scorching from the field offensively to take the early advantage as NCCU jumped out to a 9-2 lead through the first three minutes.

Both teams went back-and-forth through the first nine minutes cutting the early deficit to two at 18-16 with 11:28 to go in the first frame on senior Michael Murray's three-pointer.

The maroon and gray responded with an 8-to-2 run to take a 26-18 lead on sophomore Dante Holmes (Baltimore, Md.) jumper with 8:46 to go.

Over the next four minutes, the host Eagles heated up from behind-the-arc and stretch the lead out to 14 at 40-26 and used that momentum to take a 50-37 advantage into the locker room.



In the first half, Ingram went 3-for-4 from three-point range and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line to pace the maroon and gray with 18 points.  As a team, NCCU shot 18-for-29 (62.1 percent) from-the-field, 7-for-10 (70 percent) from three-point range to jump out to the double-digit lead.

Coppin State came out in the second half determined to get back in the game, cutting the margin to eight at 52-44 after Sterling Smith's three-pointer with 18:17 left.

With 16:46 left in the second stanza, CSU's Brandon St. Louis free throw cut the deficit to seven at 54-47.

The host Eagles got a big boost from junior Jordan Parks' (Queens, N.Y.) top-of-the-key three-pointer to push the advantage back to 11 at 60-49 with 15:09 to go.

CSU made it 64-58 on Daquan Brickhouse's layup with 10:50 left, and that's when the maroon and gray dropped the hammer and went on a 17-0 run to put the visiting Eagles away at 81-58.  During that span, Coppin State missed seven straight shots as the host Eagles pulled away for the 87-63 win.

In the win, NCCU shot 51.6 percent from the field, 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) from three-point range, while connecting on 14-of-16 (87.5 percent) from the charity stripe.  On the other hand, the host Eagle defense held Coppin State to 20-of-60 shooting from the field and outscored them in the paint 42-18, and 16-to-2 in fast break points.

Ingram led all scorers with 24 points as he connected on 3-of-6 shots from deep and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line.  Senior Point guard Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) ended the day with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting as he went 2-for-4 from three-point range in the win.  Parks ended up with 12 points, while both Alfonzo Houston (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) and Holmes finished with 10 points respectively.

CSU (6-13, 3-3 MEAC) was led by the duo of Taariq Cephas and Michael Murray who both piled up 16 points in the second straight league loss for the Eagles.

NCCU (13-5, 4-1 MEAC) will be playing for a spot atop the league as they move on to take on Morgan State on Monday night to wrap up the season long five game homestand.  Tipoff from McDougald-McLendon Gym is set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27.

Visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon for the latest on NCCU Athletics. 

Box Score

Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Former MVSU football standout featured in news article

COACH VICENT BROWN
CO-DC/LINEBACKERS COACH
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Photo Courtesy MVSU Athletics

STORRS, Connecticut -- When Vincent Brown said goodbye to professional football after he was cut by New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells during training camp in 1996, he decided it was time to get as far away from football as he could.

The game had been his whole life ever since high school, but now, it was time to chart a new course, start a new career.

So he went back to school, got his Series 7 Securities license and went to work for MassMutual as a financial broker in his hometown of Atlanta.

"Every day I'd go into the office with a coat and tie on and sit there and be miserable," Brown said. "There were some aspects of it that were OK, but it was nothing like being on the (football) grass."

During that time, Brown's son, Vincent Jr., was getting into football, playing Pop Warner, and Brown -- who during his playing days earned the nickname "The Undertaker" for his tackles that drove opponents into the ground -- felt the tug of the game pulling at him again.

"When I got cut by the Patriots, coach Parcells said to me, `You have the ability to influence others ... you've got to find a way to use it,'" Brown said. "It took me a couple of years to realize what he was saying. But it's been rewarding ever since."

From starting as a high school volunteer in 2001, Brown has used coaching to get back into football and will head into 2014 as the co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for the UConn Huskies under new head coach Bob Diaco.

"There's going to be challenges," Brown said recently at a sit-down with all the assistant coaches at the Burton Family Football Complex. "There's going to be growing pains, but at the end of the day, I'm very excited to work with these young men, get their confidence up and get them playing at an extremely high level.

CONTINUE READING 

Dawson Odums signs new Southern deal

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern football coach Dawson Odums took a moment away from recruiting this week to sign his new four-year contract with the Jaguars.

Odums and Southern Athletic Director William Broussard agreed to terms, which included a 25-percent pay raise to $175,000 per year, last month. The SU System Board of Supervisors approved the deal earlier this month.

“It’s good (to have the contract signed),” Odums said Friday. “I hadn’t thought about it much. Dr. Broussard has been doing a good job since I’ve been here, and there wasn’t any doubt or question that it would get done.”

Odums led the Jaguars to an 8-4 record and their first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship in 10 years in 2013.

CONTINUE READING

Dannton Jackson shares the love at Xavier

“When it’s time, we’re going to be where we’re supposed to be.” “God doesn’t make a whole lot of mistakes. I’m not going to move until God tells me to move.” --- Dannton Jackson

NEW ORLEANS  -- Xavier’s Dannton Jackson heads into Saturday night’s game against rival Dillard as his school’s all-time winningest coach because he’s not afraid to ask for help.

Not afraid to admit he doesn’t know everything, realizing he can always get better — even after posting 241 wins in just more than a decade.


Xavier men's basketball coach Dannton Jackson
Courtesy Photo by Irving Johnson III, Xavier University  

So can his assistant coaches, who are required to have mentors outside the program. So can his players, whom he’s preparing for life after the final shot clock expires.

In a male-dominated profession, full of ego and secrecy, Jackson’s list of mentors, advisers and friends reads like a Who’s Who of college basketball: North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Bill Self of Kansas. John Calipari of Memphis and Texas’ Rick Barnes.

These coaches and others have opened their programs and playbooks to Jackson, who has studied and mimicked every detail — all to make the Gold Rush better.

CONTINUE READING

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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FAMU Lady Rattlers Stop Howard Bison 87-42 at Lawson

Courtesy FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Women’s Basketball team snapped their two-game losing streak with an 87-42 win over Howard University, here Saturday afternoon at the Al Lawson Center in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest.

FAMU (9-11, 3-4 MEAC) was paced by Jasmine Grice as she scored a game high 34 points to lead all scorers. Kimberly Sparkman added 26 points as she connected on seven-of-nine three pointers from behind the arc, while Taneka Rubin finished with 11. Both Tierra Prothro and Rubin finished with eight boards each to lead the Lady Rattlers, while Sparkman dished out a four assists.

HU (7-11, 3-2 MEAC) was led by Victoria Gonzalez with 14 points and six boards to lead the Lady Bison.

FAMU jumped out to a 21-11 lead on a Grice free throw with 11:52 to in the first.

The Lady Rattlers would close out the first half with a 20-12 run as FAMU would go into the break with a 41-23 at the half.

FAMU finished the first half shooting 37.5 percent (12-of-32), while HU shot 34.5 percent (10-of-29).

The Lady Rattlers would open up the second half with an 11-6 run to take a 54-29 lead, capped off by a Grice jumper with 14:03 to go in the.

FAMU would extend their lead to 73-37 on a Grice layup with 6:56 to go in the game as the Lady Rattlers went on to win the contest 87-42.

The Lady Rattlers finished the game shooting 43.1 percent (31-of-72), while HU shot 31.0 percent (18-of-58).

FAMU will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 1 as they will host South Carolina State at the Al Lawson Center in a MEAC matchup in a 4 p.m. start.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Coach Inman Records 500th Career Win in MSU Victory

Photo courtesy of Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics

Coach Inman receives game ball after reaching 500 career wins.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Head Tennessee State University women’s basketball coach Larry Inman recorded his 500^th career win Saturday night with an, 87-70, victory over Morehead State in the Gentry Center.

 

With the win, Tennessee State improved to 7-13 overall and 4-3 in the OVC. For the second time this season five players scored in double-digits for TSU led by Chelsea Hudson’s double-double of 15 points and 15 rebounds. Brianna Lawrence finished the game with 14 points while Rachel Allen and Alana Morris each tallied 13. Briana Morrow had 11 points in the contest.

 

Morehead State (9-11, 3-4 OVC) was led in scoring by Terrice Robinson who had a game-high 26 points. Almesha Jones, the only other player to post double-figures, had 22.

 

In the first half, TSU fell behind 13-6 with eight minutes ticked off the clock. The Lady Tigers picked it up after an old fashioned three-point play by Briana Morrow sparked a 9-0 run that put them on top, 15-13.

 

Morehead State regained the lead, 18-17, on a triple from the corner before the teams began to trade buckets.

 

The game was tied, 22-22, when TSU scored five unanswered to move ahead, 27-22. The Lady Tigers closed out the half by outscoring the Eagles, 8-4, and went into the break leading, 35-26. After trailing early, TSU outscored MSU, 29-13, during the last eight minutes of the frame.

 

MSU used a 7-2 run to open the second half and cut the deficit down to just four points, 37-33, with 16:55 left to play. The Eagles knotted the score at 40-all about one-minute later but the Lady Tigers regained the advantage, 46-40, behind a floater from Rachel Allen.

 

TSU built its advantage back up to 52-44 but the opponent scored the next four points to cut into the deficit.

 

With 7:58 on the clock, Brianna Lawrence stepped beyond the arc and buried a three to give TSU a double-digit lead, 62-52.

 

Later in the game, Alana Morris scored on a break-away lay-up after Jayda Johnson forced a turnover to put TSU on top, 72-56. The Lady Tigers never looked back.

 

Despite only connecting 1-of-7 from long range, Tennessee State shot 54 percent from the field. TSU dominated the boards, 49-23, and made 32-of-45 from the charity stripe.

 

MSU shot 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from the field, including 25.0 percent (6-of-24) from three-point range. The Eagles made 26-of-32 from the free-throw line for an 81.3 percent clip.

 

TSU had 23 turnovers in the contest but held the advantage in points in the paint, 38-20, second chance points, 21-11, and bench points, 33-10.

 

The Lady Tigers return to action on Monday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. against Eastern Kentucky. TSU will welcome students from Davidson County Metro Schools for the Kid’s Day game.

 

FINAL STATS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush defeat Dillard, regain first place in GCAC

NEW ORLEANS -- Morris Wright scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half Saturday to help NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana earn a 62-54 men's basketball victory against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

The Gold Rush (16-5, 5-1 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) defeated the Bleu Devils (4-7, 0-5) for the 16th time in the last 18 meetings. Xavier leads the series 79-48.

Xavier leads the GCAC by a half-game over Talladega, Edward Waters and Philander Smith. Talladega began the day in first place but lost 90-89 at Philander Smith.

Wright was 3-of-3 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the line in the second half. He scored the final five points after Dillard reduced its 14-point deficit to three in the final two minutes.

Anthony Goode scored 14 points for Xavier and reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game. Wesley Pluviose-Philip had eight points and seven rebounds, and Sydney Coleman had seven points and nine rebounds.

Jarrain Jenkins had 10 points and seven rebounds for Dillard, which has dropped six straight, and Lance Theard scored nine.

Dillard scored the first two points but never led again. Xavier answered with three consecutive 3-pointers -- the first two by Xavier Rogers, the other by Goode -- in 93 seconds. Xavier led 28-21 at halftime and held its largest advantage, 44-30, after Goode's two free throws with 10:47 remaining.

Both teams shot 36 percent from the floor. Xavier dominated at the line, making its first 16 attempts of the second half and finishing 25-of-32 overall. Dillard made 10-of-15 free throws.

Xavier outrebounded Dillard 41-21. It was the eighth consecutive time and the 13th time in the last 14 meetings that the Gold Rush outrebounded the Bleu Devils.

The game attracted a Convocation Center-record crowd of 2,700. The teams drew 2,500 a year ago.

Xavier will conclude a six-game home stand with a 7 p.m. Tuesday game against Belhaven.

PHOTOS

Box score

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