No. 6 XU beats No. 5 Brenau; Ewell rallies twice to clinch

Simone-Alyse Ewell
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
H.S: The Roeper School

MOBILE, Alabama -- Sophomore Simone-Alyse Ewell rallied in the second and third sets of singles Monday to clinch Xavier University of Louisiana's 5-4 victory against Brenau in a matchup of ranked NAIA women's tennis opponents.

The Gold Nuggets (4-4), ranked sixth, snapped a two-dual losing streak and recorded their first-ever victory in five attempts against the fifth-ranked Tigers (4-1).

Ewell, playing at the fifth flight, defeated Valeria Savina 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 after trailing 5-2 in the second set and 4-1 in the third.

"I had two options -- let the deficit get the best of me or relax and play like it was 0-0," Ewell said. "I just kept focusing. In the third set I tried to put a lot of pressure on my opponent. I was hitting approach shots and coming to the net. I was volleying for winners or forcing my opponent into errors."

"My teammates were there cheering for me every point, and that helped a lot, too."

Ewell won in three sets for the first time at Xavier. As a freshman she played three three-set matches, losing two with the other not completed. Ewell said she had not won in three sets since a juniors tournament about four years ago.

"Simone had an amazing match. Probably her best since she's come to Xavier," XU coach Alan Green said. "It came at a perfect time, because we needed it."

Xavier won 2-of-3 doubles matches -- Ewell and Amber Brown won 8-6 against Savina and Kelley Cohron at No. 3 -- and got singles victories from freshmen Nour Abbes and Sha'Nel Bruins.

Ewell was the only XU player to win in doubles and singles.

Abbes improved to 7-0 with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory against Dominika Jasova at the top flight. Bruins beat Cohron 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 for her team-leading eighth singles victory of the season, which includes fall tournaments.

Brion Flowers and Brandi Nelson earned their first victory as doubles team, 9-7 at No. 2 against Maria Perdomo-Medina and Stephanie Moniz. Flowers also went three sets in singles, losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to Zalina Nazarova at No. 3. That tied the dual at four victories apiece.

"It was a tough, grueling day for us," Green said. "It was as even a match as it could be. We did not have the fast start we had last night against Southeastern (Louisiana). All the doubles were tight. Brenau deserves a lot of credit for that (Coach) Andre (Ferreira) had his team ready to play. But we gutted it out."

It was Xavier's second victory of the season against a top-5 opponent. The Gold Nuggets won 9-0 at then-No. 2 William Carey on Feb. 14.

Xavier's next duals will be Saturday in Jackson, Miss., against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents Fisk at 10 a.m. and Tougaloo at 2 p.m. The Gold Nuggets' next home dual will start at 2 p.m. on March 12 against Oral Roberts at XU Tennis Center.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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WSSU officials: Hayes is still AD

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- A familiar face has been missing from recent games at Winston-Salem State, and that was evident Saturday night when Bill Hayes, the energetic athletics director, was not at the Gaines Center for Senior Night of the women’s-men’s basketball doubleheader.

In fact, Hayes, 70, hasn’t been around for at least the last two weeks.

Officials in the athletics department have said he has been on vacation.

Kevin Manns, an assistant athletics director in charge of sports information, said as far as he knew, Hayes is still the athletics director.

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XU's Goode performances make him GCAC Player of Week

ANTHONY GOODE
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
H.S: Millford Mill Academy

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Goode is the first this season from Xavier University of Louisiana to be selected Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball.

Goode, a 6-foot junior guard from Baltimore and a graduate of Milford Mill Academy, earned the award for Feb. 17-23 after averaging 22 points during Xavier's 2-0 week. Goode scored 24 points, including the first five of overtime, in a 103-99 home victory against then-NAIA No. 24 Philander Smith this past Monday, then scored 20 points on 8-of-10 from the floor in an 83-61 home victory against Tougaloo on Saturday.

He is the first Xavier player this season to record back-to-back 20-point games. For the week, Goode shot 52 percent from the floor and 88.2 percent from the line. He made 12-of-13 free throws against Philander Smith.

Goode, in his first season at Xavier, is averaging 9.4 points in 27 games with eight starts. He averaged a team-best 16.3 points in the past 10 games.

Xavier is 20-7 and ranked 14th in NAIA Division I. The Gold Rush will play Belhaven (14-12) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center. Xavier will close the regular season with a 5 p.m. Saturday game at conference and city rival Dillard, then play host to the GCAC Tournament from March 6-9.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Live stats / XU men's basketball vs. Belhaven, 6 p.m.

TSU's Leonard, Edwards Compete in NFL Combine

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Over the weekend, two former Tennessee State football players took part in the 2014 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tight end A.C. Leonard impressed many media members, scouts and coaches when he ran an unofficial time of 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash. That would have been the third fastest time by a tight end since the NFL began recording times in 1999.

Leonard’s official time was 4.50 seconds.

The former Tiger continued his impressive display of athleticism with a broad jump of 10.8 inches and 20 reps in the bench press, which were the best marks by a tight end.

The Jacksonville, Fla. native also turned in a great performance in the vertical leap with a jump of 34 inches. That hop was the third highest among tight ends at this year’s event.

Kadeem Edwards also took part in the combine activities and came out well with a 5.25 second 40-yard dash, 26 reps in the bench press and a 27 inch vertical jump.

Edwards also had a broad jump of 99 inches, a 7.95 second time in the three cone drill and completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.82 seconds.

The former Tigers will meet with NFL teams before taking part in Tennessee State’s Pro Day in March.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jasmine Grice Leads NCAA DI: Chasing FAMU Greats

Star point guard joining some illustrious company in the Lady Rattler
history book in her final season in the Orange and Green in the steals category

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –-  Florida A&M University point guard Jasmine Grice is making a run at the Lady Rattler Basketball history book with three regular season games left in her final season.

The former All-State guard from nearby Quincy, Florida’s East Gadsden High School, who was voted Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Co-Player of the Year prior to the start of this season, is currently leading NCAA Division One in steals with101 in 27 games (3.7 average).

That puts her 9th on the FAMU Single Season Steals list, just one steal ahead of her 10th place standing of 100 steals in 30 games in 2013.

Grice’s nation-leading pace puts her on track to become the third Lady Rattler to lead the nation in steals.

Should she run the table in the steals chase, she would join NCAA Career Steals leader Natalie “Pocketbook” White (1992, 1994, 1995) and Shelly Boston (1990, 1991), who combined to lead the nation in steals five times in a scintillating six-year span.

Grice stands fifth (5th) in FAMU career steals with 255 in 99 games, trailing Hall of Famer and fellow Gadsden County native Cathy Robinson’s 294 steals from 1992 to 1996.

NOTE: Grice also ranks 7th nationally in scoring, averaging 24.6 points per game.

Previous Lady Rattlers of Larceny
Boston, a Seattle, Washington native, played three seasons between 1988 and 1991, recording 416 career steals, before passing the torch to White, a Fort Valley, Georgia native, who made an immediate splash setting an NCAA freshman record with 143 steals in 1992.

That 1992 season saw the Georgia Peach set the single game Division One steals record with 14 at South Alabama in Mobile, a mark which remains in the NCAA history book.

White finished her career with 624 steals, still the NCAA Career high, one of six single game, single season and career NCAA, MEAC and FAMU records she still holds.

White and Boston were proceeded in the steals competition by April Manning (1984-88), who finished third on the FAMU career steals list with 351, and was the first Lady Rattler to make a run at an individual NCAA title, finishing one (1) steal shy (132), behind Alabama State’s Neacole Hall (133) in 1988.


FAMU Career Steals
Name (Years) No.
1. Natalie White (1991-95) 624
2. Shelly Boston (1988-91) 416
3. April Manning (1984-88) 351
4. Cathy Robinson (1992-96) 294
5. Jasmine Grice (2010-14) 255
6. Donyale Ferguson (1988-91) 252
7. Glenda Lee (1996-00) 224
    Crystal Worlds (1997-00) 224
9. Tene Miller (2001, 2003-05) 209
10. Linda Thomas 204
     Antonia Bennett 204
12. Valerie Robinson 193
13. Monika Williams (1991-95) 189
14. Gail Myrick (1983-87) 185
15. Deidra Jones (2006-10) 182
16. Demetria McMillian (1989-93) 181

Single Season Steals
Name (Years) No.
1. Natalie White (1995)* 191
2. Natalie White (1994)* 172
3. Shelly Boston (1990)* 160
4. Natalie White (1992)* 143
5. Shelly Boston (1991)* 142
6. April Manning (1988) 132
7. Natalie White (1993) 118
8. Shelly Boston (1989) 104
9. Jasmine Grice (2014)* 101
10. Jasmine Grice (2013) 100
11. Donyale Ferguson (1991) 97
12. Cathy Robinson (1995) 91
[*] NCAA leader in steals.

 

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TSU Tigers Concludes Play at the Tiger Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The 2014 Tiger Classic closed out with Tennessee State dropping its final two games. The Tigers came up short in its comeback bid against Dayton. The Flyers held on to a 4-3 win, before Indiana State would step on the field to take a 3-0 decision from the Tigers.

TSU drops to 4-11 as Dayton improved to 3-7 and Indiana State moved to 5-3.

The Tigers found themselves behind right from the start in both games. In the first game, Dayton used a three-run home run to gain the early advantage. TSU would leave five runners on base over the first four innings before they could break through in the fifth.

With one out, the Tigers received three consecutive hits from Courtney Gearlds, Kiarra Freeman and Jayna Hanawahine to load the bases. Lindsey Burgess was able to drive a ball deep enough to center allowing Gearlds to step on home plate and cutting the Flyers lead to 3-1.

Dayton extended the lead back to three with an unearned run in the top of the seventh. With the task in hand, the Tigers started working into the Flyers lead in their final at bat. With one out, Gearlds and Freeman put together back-to-back singles before moving up one base as Hanawahine reached on an error. A Burgess single to centerfield moved all the runners 60-feet, making the score 4-2, as Gearlds crossed home. Kate Morris produced another run for the Tigers with a sacrifice fly to center, plating Freeman to make the score 4-3. That would be as close as the Tigers could get as Rebekka Gross flew out the left field to end the game.

Shea Morris (3-5) worked five innings, picking up four strikeouts opposed to three hits and a walk. Olivia Gamache worked the final two innings surrendering an unearned run on one hit and one walk.

The Tigers outhit Dayton 9-4, but was not able to take advantage of the hit advantage by leaving nine runners on base.

TSU found themselves down after the top of the first inning in the nightcap as the Sycamores manufactured a run off Gamache. The Tigers tried to answer back in the bottom of the first inning, but would strand two runners on base. Four of the final six innings saw the Tigers reach base, only to end each inning empty handed. TSU left six runners on base as the Sycamores held the Tiger lineup to four hits, a walk and a hit batsman.

Indiana State added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning off Gamache. The Sycamores touched the senior hurler for three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks 4.2 innings. Shea Morris worked the final 2.1 innings fanning two, while giving up a hit to the first batter she faced.

The two strikeouts for Morris gives her 435 in her career, three short of the all-time TSU mark set by Amanda Vaught.

On the weekend, Burgess batted .571, as she finished 8-of-14 with a double, a home run, three walks and four RBI.

The Tigers will travel to Statesboro, Ga., to take part of the Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern. Play begins on Friday, Feb. 28.

2014 Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team

MVP: Taylor Lockwood, Indiana State
Morgan Allee, Indiana State
Erika Crissman, Indiana State
Tiffany Ricks, Dayton
Gabrielle Snyder, Dayton
Miranda Castiglione, Youngstown State
Casey Crozier, Youngstown State
Kelsey Dominik, Temple
Sarah Prezioso, Temple
Sabrina Gamboa, Western Michigan
Lindsey Burgess, Tennessee State 

Tiger Classic - Day One – Results

Game 1 - Dayton 3, Temple 2

Game 2 – Western Michigan 14, Dayton 2

Game 3 - Temple 11, Western Michigan 3 (5)      

Game 4 – Youngstown State 1, Tennessee State 0

Tiger Classic – Day Two – Results

Game 5 – Indiana State 5, Youngstown State 4

Game 6 – Dayton 9, Youngstown State 3

Game 7 – Western Michigan 3, Tennessee State 2

Game 8 – Indiana State 7, Dayton 3

Game 9 – Temple 8, Western Michigan 4

Game 10 – Tennessee State 7, Temple 5

Tiger Classic – Day Three – Results

Game 11 – Youngstown State 5, Western Michigan 1

Game 12 – Indiana State 6, Temple 0

Game 13 – Dayton 4, Tennessee State 3

Game 14 – Indiana State 3, Tennessee State 0

BOX SCORE TSU vs, DAYTON
BOX SCORE TSU vs. INDIANA STATE

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

GSU Wins Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Championship ended with Grambling State lifting the title crown on Sunday at the Birmingham Crossplex. The Tigers have now won four out of the last league championships.

GSU head coach Bertram Lovell was named the 2014 Indoor Track and Field Men's Coach of the Year. Grambling State picked up the win with 98 points with Alabama State finishing second with 70 points. Mississippi Valley State notched third place in the team standings with 79 pints. Rounding out the final team standings include: Prairie View A&M (76), Texas Southern (72), Southern (65), Jackson State (52), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (50), Alabama A&M (15) and Alcorn State (14).

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S CHAMPIONS
Courtesy SWAC.ORG

Weight ThrowD'Wayne Houston of Southern began the day by taking the crown in the Weight Throw. He won the event with a toss of 17.88m (58-08.00). Lee Thrasher of Alabama State was second with a throw of 17.50m (57-05.00), while Reginald Redding of Southern claimed third at 16.65m (54-07.50).

60m Hurdles
For the second consecutive season, Bentrell McGee of Jackson State just missed the meet record in the 60 meter hurdles. He clocked in at 7.92 which is identical to his finishing time a year ago. The record of 7.91 still stands. Michael Prejean (Prairie View) came in second at 7.98 with Darrius Davis (Grambling State crossed the line third at 8.10.

60m
Devin Jenkins came in first place and tied last year’s record of 6.66 in the 60m Dash. Kameron Cowan (GSU) and Jatarius Harris (Mississippi Valley State) tied for a second place finish at 6.76. Alernon Watkins (Alabama A&M) rounded out the top three at 6.90.

1600m
Matthew Agard claimed first place for UAPB with a time of 4:25.09. Sorone Batiste (PVAMU) came in second place at 4:26.10. Shockingly, last season’s winner and record holder Daniel Kibet (MVSU) came in third place at 4:27.86.

400m
Jamael McTear (GSU) came in first place at 48.20 followed by Jeff Lacroix and Michael Holmes of TSU with finishing times of 48.82 and 48.93 for a second and third place finish respectively.

800m
Darius Taylor (GSU) came in first place at 1:55.78 followed by ASU teammates Carlos Flores and Bryont Brown that finished at 1:57.03 and 1:57.04 respectively.

Triple Jump
Preston Woodard of Prairie View won the Triple Jump with a leap of 15.53m (50-11.50) followed by Tometrick Hemmingway (JSU) 14.61m (47-11.25) and Darryl Jones (Alcorn) 14.59 (47.10.50)

5000m Run
Kibet (MVSU) crossed the line at 16.20.30 for a first place finish followed Issac Romero (TSU) at 16.24.23 and Agard (UAPB) 16.27.87.

200m Dash
Devin Jenkins (Southern) clocked in at 20.92 with a first place in the 200m Dash. Kameron Cowan and Jamael McTear of (GSU) went on to finish second and third respectively with times of 21.11 and 21.67.

Pole Vault
Christopher Amisial of Alabama State broke his own record at 4.15m (13-07.25) but also tied with Jawalyn Brooks (TSU) for first place. James Bickham (PVAMU) came in second at 3.85 (12-07.50). Sylvester Byrd came in third place at 3.75m (12-03.50)

1600m Relay
Alabama State earned the first place spot in the 4x400 Meter Relay clocking in at 3:15.42 followed by Texas Southern’s time of 3:15.47. Prairie View A&M came in third place at 3:17.02.

 

FINAL RESULTS

 

COURTESY SWAC.ORG 

Alabama State Claims Women's 2014 Indoor Track and Field Title

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- Alabama State University made it five in a row at the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex. The Lady Hornets have now won five in a row making it their ninth overall conference title.

Head Coach Ritchie Bean was again named SWAC Indoor Track and Field Women's Coach of the Year.

The Lady Hornets captured the title with 212 points followed by Texas Southern with 86 points. Prairie View A&M rounded the top three with 71.5 points. Closing out the team scoring - Southern (70), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (53), Grambling State (42.5), Mississippi Valley State (34), Jackson State (28), Alcorn State (14) and Alabama A&M (9).

FINAL RESULTS

60m Hurdles
Tershauna Broadnax darted to a first place finish in the 60 meter dash. She left last season’s mark behind with a finish of 8.51. Narricka Williams (ASU) came in second at 8.66 followed by Jeressa Mathis (Texas Southern) who placed third with a time of 8.70.

60m Dash
Latrice Lee (ASU) won the 60 meter dash which marks back to back seasons a Lady Hornet finished first. Her time was 7.59. Teammate Alexis Ferebee followed with a second place finish at 7.64. Tonia Mckinley (Southern) clocked in at 7.69 to finish third.

1600m
Ninfa Barnard of UAPB broke her own record from a season ago clocking in at 5:03.99. Joyce Chumo (MVSU) came in second at 5:05.06 followed by Artrailia Lesane at 5:06.70.

Pole Vault
Quinta Collier (ASU) won the event thowing a 2.81m (9-02.50. Melissa Pena (TSU) and Mahogany Cullins both placed third at 2.71m (8-10.75). Kimberly Valmyre (JSU) came in third place 2.61m (8-06.75)

400m
Alexis Ferebee (ASU) finished first at 55.27 with Whitney McDonald (TSU) coming in second at 55.42. Kimberly Wedderburn (ASU) came in third place with a time of 55.51

800m
Tatiana Etienne (ASU) broke last season’s record set by Ninfa Barnard (UAPB) by finishing first with a time of 2:12.21 in the 800m Dash. This year Barnard crossed the line second (2:12.64) while Tierra McGowan came in third at 2:13.51.

Weight Throw
Ashley Parker of Prairie View and Samone Coaxum of Grambling tied for first in the Weight Throw. Both ladies had throws of 14.38m (47-02.25). Emma Lee Tigner of Alabama A&M picked up third place with a toss of 13.79m (45-03.00).

200m
ASU swept the 200m Dash event. Latrice Lee came in first at 24.59, followed by Santina Williams who finished second at 24.70 along with Alexis Ferebee who came in third at 24.85.

Triple Jump
Kadijah Gordon (ASU) jumped her way into a first place finish at 11.98m (39-03.75). Terralyn Johnson (TSU) 11.96m (39-03.00) finished second followed by teammate Trisha Williams 11.62m (38-01.50)

3000m
Paige Rankine of Alabama State shattered her own record clocking in at 17:38.59. Chumo (MVSU) came in second 17.57.67 while Lesane (ASU) finished third at 18.39.21.

4x400m Relay
The Alabama State 4x400 took home the first place finish followed by Texas Southern and last season’s winner Prairie View A&M.




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Raising awareness about historically black colleges and universities

STANFORD, California  -- Chantal Winston is a junior at Palo Alto's Gunn High School, where she helped to start Gunn's Black Student Union. She's thinking hard about college and spent part of Saturday attending a Black College Awareness Fair on the Stanford University campus.

"I've lived in Palo Alto all my life, and there are not many black students at Gunn," said Chantal. "It would be nice to go to a college or university where there are more people like me."

California is known for Stanford, a host of other elite private universities and the vast University of California and California State University systems. But the Golden State lacks an "HBCU," or Historically Black College and University, and many Bay Area high school students may overlook such colleges when applying to schools. There are 81 private HBCUs, all located east of the Mississippi River. The vast majority are in the South.

For 24 years, the Black College Awareness Fair has been sponsored by the Rho Delta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the first sorority founded by black women, at Howard University in 1908.

"We hold this event at Stanford for the exposure," said Saidah Grayson, a Stanford alum and president of the sorority's Rho Delta Omega campus, which is based in Palo Alto. "There are no HBCUs in California.

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ASU's Crowell Has Solid Showing at NFL Combine

Isaiah Crowell

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- After rushing for almost 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns at Alabama State, former ASU running back Isaiah Crowell had his day before the NFL coaches, general managers and scouts before a live television audience on the NFL Network.

The running backs that were invited to the combine had their day on Sunday being tested in the 40-yard dash, 225 pound bench press, vertical jump and broad jump.

Speed may be the largest test that is looked at and Crowell ran an unofficial time of 4.50 in the 40-yard dash and ran an official time of 4.57 which was tied for the 16th fastest time among the running backs at the combine.

Crowell had a vertical jump of 38.0" (3'-2") which was tied for the fourth best jump and he was also tied for fourth in the bench presss when he pressed the 225 pounds set of weights 23 times.

In the day's broad jump test, Crowell was able to jump from a standing position 117.0" (9'-9") which was the 21st best standing broad jump effort.

Crowell will now go back into training and will work towards the National Football League(NFL) Draft which will be held Friday May 8-Sunday May 10.

The first round will be held on Friday with rounds two and three on Saturday and Sunday will see rounds four through seven completed.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Norfolk State Spartans Outduels Coppin State 73-68

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  A late 17-point advantage dwindled down to single digits, but the Norfolk State men's basketball team was still too much for Coppin State in a 73-68 victory over the Eagles on Saturday afternoon at the Physical Education Complex.

The Spartans pulled away from CSU in the latter stages of the second half, pushing their lead to a game-high 17 with less than five minutes to go. The Eagles had a late response, hitting several 3-pointers and free throws to cut NSU's lead to as few as three points with less than 10 seconds left.

CSU, though, ran out of time in its comeback attempt, and the Spartans improved their record to 15-11 overall, 9-3 in the MEAC.

Three different players scored 15 points on the afternoon for NSU, which also connected on exactly 50 percent from the field. Senior scoring leaders Pendarvis Williams, Malcolm Hawkins and Brandon Goode each tallied 15 points for the Spartans, while Goode also completed the double-double with 11 boards.



Taariq Cephas led CSU (9-18, 6-8) with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but the Eagles connected on just 20-of-55 overall (36.4 percent), including 10-of-30 from 3-point range.

NSU held a 41-23 edge on the boards and outscored the Eagles 26-10 in points in the paint. The Spartans hit 27-of-54 for the afternoon.

A 3-pointer from junior Kievyn Lila-St. Rose opened up the second half scoring and gave NSU its first double-digit lead of the day. CSU got to within four thanks to a 9-2 run, but the Eagles had just one field goal in more than 10 minutes of action as NSU began to pull away.

The Spartans began that stretch with a 13-3 run, but CSU's free throw shooting – the Eagles finished 18-of-21 for the game – kept them close enough to make its late run. Buckets by Goode and senior Marese Phelps twice put NSU up by 17, the latter at 64-47 with 4:45 left in the game.

A trey from Williams with three and a half minutes left was NSU's only basket within the last four minutes of the game. Cephas scored seven straight for the Eagles to get to within single digits. Andre Armstrong then hit a trey and a pair of free throws in the last 30 seconds of the game, and another 3-pointer from Michael Murray with nine seconds to go made it 71-68 in favor of NSU.

Hawkins, in his first game back after missing four straight, went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe late in the game to seal the win.

Sophomore RaShid Gaston nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine boards for the Spartans.

Armstrong added 13 points for CSU, and Murray totaled nine points and seven boards. Sterling Smith also scored in double figures with 14. Coppin State also had just nine turnovers, compared to 17 for NSU, which led to a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers.

In the first half, neither team had more than a four-point lead until Williams scored eight straight for NSU for a 28-21 lead with 6:45 to go before intermission. Goode followed by scoring the last seven points for the Spartans, who went into the half up 35-27.

The Spartans will take on Howard on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

Box Score

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
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NSU Spartans Rally in 10th for 5-4 Win over Quinnipiac

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- After yielding the go-ahead runs in the top of the 10th, host Norfolk State rallied with three in the bottom of the frame to pull off a 5-4 win over Quinnipiac in Saturday's final game of the Spartan Baseball Classic.

Zach Markel tied the game with a two-out RBI single, then scored the winning run on the Bobcats' second error of the inning and fifth of the game to give the Spartans (1-4) their first win of the year.
With the game tied 2-2 heading into extras, Quinnipiac took advantage of four walks, two with the bases loaded, to claim a 4-2 lead.

But NSU bounced back in the bottom of the frame. Freshman third baseman Justin Burrell doubled to lead off the inning off Bobcats' reliever Joseph Scaglione. One batter later, he scored on a single by Justin Lee to cut the deficit in half. After Killian Strenn struck out, Lee advanced to second on a wild pitch. Markel then lined a 2-2 pitch from Scaglione into center field, scoring Lee to knot the game at 4-all.

Cameron Day then walked and Ross Cardwell reached on a throwing error by Quinnipiac to load the bases. Denathan Dukes then grounded one to short and the Bobcats mishandled it, allowing Markel to score the winning run.

The wild 10th inning capped a back-and-forth game. Quinnipiac scored a pair of runs in the top of the second. A walk, infield single and hit batsmen loaded the bases with no outs. Louis Ianotti plated the game's first run with a sacrifice fly, and Mike Blumenthal's two-out RBI double made it 2-0.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh, when the Spartans strung together a clutch two-out rally. Quinnipiac reliever Matthew Lorenzetti retired the first two batters of the inning, but then hit Strenn and walked Markel. Day followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Strenn. Pinch hitter Cardwell then tied the game with a sharp double down the left-field line.

The Spartans had a great chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, as Lee and Strenn hit consecutive two-out singles and Markel walked to load the bases. But Lorenzetti got Day to ground out to end it.

The Bobcats scored twice in the 10th off Spartan relievers Connor Jones and Troy Applin. Jones issued a walk to Mike Palladino and was replaced by Applin. Applin retired the next two batters, but gave up a single to Vincent Guglietti and walked Scott Donaghue, Rob Pescitelli and Brian Ruditys in succession to force in a pair of runs. But Josh Vales came in and struck out Ianotti to end the threat.

Lee went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Markel scored a pair of runs.

Donaghue went 2-for-3 for Quinnipiac.

Vales (1-1) got his first win for NSU, while Scaglione (1.2 innings, three runs allowed) took the loss for the Bobcats.

Tomorrow's final day of the Spartan Classic starts with Buffalo vs. Quinnipiac at 10 a.m. before NSU faces Villanova at 2 p.m.

Box Score

 

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications

COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton Pirates Outlast Howard on the Road

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- The Hampton University men's basketball team withstood a late run from rival Howard Saturday night, escaping Burr Gymnasium with an 81-78 win.

The Pirates (15-11, 10-3 MEAC) picked up their fourth straight win.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) led four Pirates in double figures with 19 points, while also grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Brain Darden (Hampton, Va.) added 15 points.

Sophomore forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) each chipped in 10 points.

James Daniel had a chance to send the game to overtime with six seconds left, going to the free throw line to shoot three shots. But he missed the first free throw before hitting the next two to cut Hampton's lead to 79-78.

Darden answered with two free throws of his own with four seconds left to clinch the game.

When Maxwell slammed home a dunk with 4:27 left, it gave the Pirates a 73-60 lead and capped a 14-1 run. That run coincided with a cold spell from the Bison; before Tyler Stone hit a layup with 4:03 left, Howard went without a field goal since the 15:01 mark – when Daniel hit a trey to give Howard a 51-44 lead.

That basket punctuated a 14-5 run to open the second half for the Bison.

Howard also held control early in the first half, leading 15-8 at the 13:17 mark before the Pirates began chipping away at it. Daniel gave Howard a 24-19 lead at the 7:48 mark with a pair of free throws, but the Pirates answered with a 10-0 run to take a 29-24 lead with 6:11 left in the half after a layup from sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.).

Howard fought back to tie the score on three occasions in the first half, including 34-34 at the 1:58 mark. Hampton scored five of the next six points, taking a 39-35 lead with 56 seconds left in the half after a trey from senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.).

Solomon Mangham hit two free throws with 31 seconds left to send the Pirates into the half with a 39-37 lead.

Maxwell had a team-high eight points at the break.

The Pirates shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the floor and out-rebounded Howard 39-33. Hampton also scored 26 points off of 20 Bison turnovers.

Howard (6-21, 4-8 MEAC) shot 44.4 percent (20-for-45) from the floor and hit seven of its 14 3-pointers. The Bison went just 31-for-50 (62.0 percent) from the free throw line.

Daniel led the Bison with 38 points.

The Pirates will have their road finale on Monday, when they take on Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. 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.

Box Score

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

HU Bennett Reaches Career Milestone in Win at Howard U.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --   The Hampton University women's basketball team locked down on defense late Saturday evening in Burr Gymnasium, defeating rival Howard 59-52.

 The Lady Pirates (22-4, 13-0 MEAC) won their 12th straight game.

Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) led four Lady Pirates in double figures with 18 points, becoming the 25th player in program to reach the 1,000-point mark. Junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) added 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting.

Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) and freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) each added 12 points. Hamilton also had a team-high seven rebounds and three blocks.

Howard held an early 8-5 lead, before the Lady Pirates scored six unanswered points to take an 11-8 lead on a Bennett jumper at the 11:16 mark. Bennett added a layup at the 8:24 mark to put the Lady Pirates up 13-10 and eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career.

The Lady Bison cut Hampton's lead to 20-19 with 4:00 left after two free throws from Sydni Johnson, but the Lady Pirates closed out the first half on a 9-0 run, and a Bennett jumper with 50 seconds left in the half gave Hampton a 29-19 lead.

Hampton took that lead into the locker room, and Bennett led all scorers at the break with 10 points. The Lady Pirates shot 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the floor in the opening half.

Howard opened the second half with an 8-0 run, cutting the lead to 29-27 on a trey from Jasmine Hill at the 18:14 mark before Bennett stopped the run with a pair of free throws with 18:00 left, giving Hampton a 31-27.

Johnson cut the lead to 33-30 with a 3-point play with 16:34 left, but Hamilton and Tate-DeFreitas scored on back-to-back possessions; Tate-DeFreitas hit a trey with 15:46 left to put the Lady Pirates up 38-30.

Bennett extended the lead to 40-30 with a layup with 15:12 left, giving the Lady Pirates a 7-0 run.

Tate-DeFreitas hit a layup with 10:23 left to cap a 5-0 Lady Pirates spurt and give Hampton a 48-39 lead. Howard answered with a 6-0 run, though, cutting the gap to 48-45 with 7:37 left on a breakaway layup from Jasmine Hill.

But Howard committed back-to-back turnovers, and Hamilton ended the run with a breakaway layup with 6:04 left. When Bennett added two free throws with 5:34 left, the Lady Pirates led 52-45.

In all, the Lady Pirates went on a 7-2 run, punctuated by a Bennett layup with 2:36 left to put Hampton up 55-47. During that span, Howard went over six minutes without a field goal.

Te'Shya Heslip hit a 3-pointer with 1:20 left to end the Lady Bison's drought, but the Lady Pirates hit five free throws down the stretch to take the game.

The Lady Pirates shot a season-best 53.7 percent (22-for-41) from the floor and hit three of seven 3-pointers (42.9 percent). Howard out-rebounded the Lady Pirates 26-25, but Hampton held a 26-22 edge in points in the paint.

Howard (10-15, 6-6 MEAC) shot 39.1 percent (18-for-46) from the floor.

Heslip led the Lady Bison with 11 points.

The Lady Pirates will have their 2013-14 road finale on Monday, taking on Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. 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.

Box Score

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

The Long Ball Fuels Split on Day Two of TSU Tiger Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State softball used a pair of long balls to earn a split on day two of the 2014 Tiger Classic. TSU came up short against Western Michigan, 3-2, in the first game of the day and picked up their first win at Tiger Field against Temple, 7-5.

 

TSU moves to 4-9, while Western Michigan is 5-5 and Temple is 2-2.

 

In the opener, WMU held a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Jayna Hanawahine picked up a one-out double to centerfield and scored a batter later to make the score 3-1. Kate Morris would beat out a ground ball back to the pitcher and advanced to second as the throw got away, allowing Hanawahine to cross home plate.

 

Liz Stansberry worked a walk in between outs in the seventh inning to give TSU one last shot at the Broncos. The freshman moved to third on a passed ball and was chased home by a Lindsey Burgess single down the right field line. Courtney Gearlds continued the inning with a double to left-center, giving the Tigers runners on second and third with two outs. Hanawahine followed and lifted a ball to centerfield, but the Broncos were able to make the catch to end TSU’s chance at a comeback victory.

 

Shea Morris went the distance and fell to 3-4 as she was touched for three runs, two earned, off five hits and a walk. Morris ended the game with five strikeouts.

 

The nightcap was scheduled to start at 7:00pm, but due to the length of each game of the day, the Tigers and the Temple Owls would have to wait till 9:33pm to throw the first pitch. TSU loaded the bases in the first inning as Hanawahine reached on a fielder’s choice and moved up 60-feet on a single by Burgess and another on a single by Rebekka Gross. The Tigers gained the early 1-0 lead as the Owls were not able to handle a Kate Morris grounder.

 

The lead was short-lived as Temple picked up an unearned run in the second and two more in the top of the third.

 

Trailing 3-1, the Tigers fired back as Hanawahine delivered a rocket over the left field fence with Kiarra Freeman on base to tie the game at 3-3. The blast is the third on the season for the sophomore, who matched her total from her rookie campaign.

 

In the top of the fourth, Temple regained the lead off Tiger starter Olivia Gamache with their fourth unearned run of the game. But once again, the TSU offense fired back and would take the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning.

 

Stansberry led off with a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by Gearlds. Stansberry moved to third on a Freeman single and scampered home as Temple was not able to handle a hard ground ball off the bat of Hanawahine. A Burgess walk loaded the bases for Kate Morris. The junior delivered with a single up the middle to drive in Hanawahine and Freeman for a 6-4 lead.

 

Gamache would return to the circle in the fifth with the lead, but was lifted after a walk to the leadoff batter. Gamache left the game on her fourth walk and allowed three hits to the hot hitting Owls, while fanning six in her four innings of work.

 

Shea Morris would enter in relief and immediately walked the first batter she faced to put the game tying runs on base. Morris settled in and struck out the next two batters and induced a ground ball to get out of the fifth with the two-run lead intact.

 

The Owls did inch closer in the sixth with a run, but Burgess answered back on the second pitch she saw in the bottom of the sixth with a line drive shot over the centerfield fence. The leadoff home run reestablished a two-run lead for the Tigers.

 

Morris picked up the three-inning save with five strikeouts and surrendered just two hits. The save was the first of the season and the fourth of her career. Gamache earned the win to improve to 1-4.

 

Burgess finished the game 3-for-3 with a walk and batted .714 (5-for-7) on the day with a run and two RBI.

 

TSU will close out the Tiger Classic with a pair of games on Sunday. Dayton and the Tigers are scheduled for a 1:30pm contest, while Indiana State will be the final test for TSU at 3:30pm. Both games can be heard on TSUTigers.com and seen on the OVC Digital Network.

 

Tiger Classic - Day One – Results

Game 1 - Dayton 3, Temple 2

Game 2 – Western Michigan 14, Dayton 2

Game 3 - Temple 11, Western Michigan 3 (5)           

Game 4 – Youngstown State 1, Tennessee State

Tiger Classic – Day Two – Results

Game 5 – Indiana State 5, Youngstown State 4

Game 6 – Dayton 9, Youngstown State 3

Game 7 – Western Michigan 3, Tennessee State 2

Game 8 – Indiana State 7, Dayton 3

Game 9 – Temple 8, Western Michigan 4

Game 10 – Tennessee State 7, Temple 5

 

Box Score TSU vs. Temple

Box Score TSU vs Western Michigan

 

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Gold Rush reach 20 victories for fourth straight season

NEW ORLEANS -- Reserve guard Anthony Goode needed just 19½ minutes to score 20 points and lead NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana in an 83-61 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Tougaloo on Saturday.

The Gold Rush (20-7, 9-2) reached 20 victories for the fourth straight season. Xavier has 29 20-win seasons, a Louisiana men's collegiate record. Second on the list is Louisiana-Lafayette with 22.

Goode was 8-of-10 from the floor and became the first Gold Rush player this season with consecutive 20-point games.

Xavier Rogers scored 16 points and Morris Wright 15 for Xavier, which won for the ninth time in its last 10 home games.

Cordaryl Campbell scored 19 points, Andravious Smith 16 and Jermell Anderson 10 for Tougaloo (11-17, 5-6).

Xavier trailed 7-1 through the first two minutes, then tied the score four times before taking the lead for good, 18-16, on an RJ Daniels basket at 10:29 of the first half. A Rogers 3-point play at 8:43 capped a 14-2 run and gave the Gold Rush a 26-16 lead.

Wright's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave Xavier a 41-23 halftime lead. Rogers scored with 3:23 remaining to give Xavier its largest lead, 77-47.

After allowing an average of 87.7 points in its previous three games, Xavier clamped down on a Tougaloo team which entered with a five-game win streak and was averaging 88.4 points during that time. The Gold Rush outshot the Bulldogs 55.6 to 38 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 38-23. Daniels grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.

Tougaloo had four players with three fouls by halftime and two fouled out. Xavier capitalized by making 21-of-25 free throws, 16-of-16 in the final 28:43.

Rogers and Olivier Siewe (three rebounds, one steal) were honored in a senior-day ceremony.

Xavier's Dannton Jackson reached 20 victories for the ninth time in 11 seasons as head coach. He tied LSU-Shreveport's Chad McDowell for third place on the all-time state list, which is led by Grambling's Fred Hobdy (14) and LSU's Dale Brown (10). Hobdy is deceased, and Brown and McDowell are retired from the sport.

Xavier will play non-conference opponent Belhaven at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center -- that's a makeup of a Jan. 28 game postponed because of wintry weather -- then conclude the regular season at conference and city rival Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday. Xavier will play host to the GCAC Tournament from March 6-9.


Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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SWAC Men's Indoor Track & Field Championship Recap

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  –  The Southwestern Athletic Conference wrapped up Day one of the 2014 SWAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. This is the third year the event has taken place at the Birmingham Crossplex. Finals for the three field events (shot put, long jump, high jump) were completed along with the finals of the 3,000 Meter Run and Distance Medley Relay, while preliminaries set the field for the finals on Sunday in the remaining events.

After Day 1 (5 Events)
1 – Mississippi Valley State - 42
2 - Southern - 30
3 – Prairie View A&M - 29
3 – Alabama State - 28
5 – Grambling State - 19
6 – Arkansas Pine Bluff - 15
7 – Texas Southern - 14
7 - Jackson State – 14
9 – Alcorn State A& - 4

HIGHLIGHTS FROM DAY 1Daniel Kibet (Mississippi Valley State repeated as the men's 3,000 meter run champion with a time of 8:59.34. Jacques Williams (Jackson State) crossed the line second at 9:06.42, with Matthew Agard (Arkansas - Pine Bluff) finishing third at 9:08.28.

D'Wayne Houston of Southern repeated as the leader from a year ago in the Shot Put once again winning the title with a throw of 16.06m (52-08.25). Reginald Redding placed second throwing a 15.61m (51-02.75), while David Young of Grambling State came in third with a throw of 15.20m (49-10.50).

In the men's Long Jump, Afton McClammy (Alabama A&M) came away with the title-winning jump of 5.97m (19-07.00). Shawn Jackson (Grambling State) came in second with a jump of 5.84m (19-02.00) while Rodney Noel of Alabama A&M earned a third place finish with a leap of 5.76m (18-10.75).

Mississippi Valley State led the way in the Distance Medley Relay, winning the event with a time of 10:28.65. Prairie View A&M came in second with a time 10:35.64 for the second consecutive season with last season’s winner Grambling State finishing third clocking in at 10:36.60.

Pierre Shepherd (Prairie View) was the winner in the High Jump, clearing 6-09.00 (2.02m). Devauntay Brown (Alabama State) placed second at 6-09.00. Anthony Hall (Grambling State) finished third 6-07.50.

COURTESY SWAC.ORG

FAMU Rattler Win Shootout With B-CU 80-75 On Senior Day

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- The FAMU Rattlers(11-16, 7-7 MEAC), defeated the Wildcats of B-CU (6-23, 4-10 MEAC) 80-75 in a shootout on Senior Night at the Ocean Center.

On a night designed for B-CU seniors, FAMU senior guards Jame Adams and Reggie Lewis were determined to play spoiler.  Adams shot 7-of-12 from the field, carding 26 points, while Lewis hit on 6-of-15 for 20 points.  Jomari Bradshaw scored 15 points, while Trey Kellum added qq points to round out the double figure scorers for the Rattlers.

Mikel Trapp scored 26 for B-CU, while Clemmye Owens would be the only other Wildcat in double figures with 24 points.

Kellum pulled down a game high 12 rebounds, while Trapp led the Wildcats with eight.  The game was tightly contested, resulting in just 31 total turnovers, with B-CU having one more than FAMU.

The stat lines looked as close as the game did.  FAMU shot 42.9 percent from the field, while B-CU shot 43.3.  B-CU shot 50 percent from the three-point line, while FAMU shot 47.4.  FAMU shot 67.6 percent from the free throw line, while B-CU shot 70 percent.  FAMU did however dominate scoring in the paint, pouring in 55, while B-CU made 44.

The Rattlers will return to the Al Lawson Center to play the Tigers of Edward Waters College on Wednesday Night in a 7 p.m. start.

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