JCSU Men's Basketball Moves Forward with an 82-63 Win Over Virginia State in CIAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball ousted the Virginia State University Trojans from the 2014 CIAA Tournament on Wednesday, February 26th in an 82-63 decision at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

JCSU, the fifth seed out of the Southern Division, advances to Thursday's quarterfinal round with the victory. The Golden Bulls will take on Bowie State, the defending CIAA Tournament champions, at 3:00 p.m.

Virginia State, the Northern Division's fourth seed, saw their season come to a close with a 14-13 mark on the year. Elijah Moore led the effort with 14 points in the loss. Lamar Kearse and Larry Savage added 11 and 10 points respectively.



"I don't think we played particularly well on either side of the floor…we weren't aggressive in going to the basket…they played better than we did tonight. We are a better shooting team than what we showed," commented Virginia State head coach Lonnie Blow, Jr.

All-CIAA junior forward Emilio Parks (Ashtabula, OH) led all players in the contest with 21 points in the victory for the Golden Bulls. Junior guard LaMarquis Letchaw (Dallas, TX) produced 20 points, including a 14-14 outing at the charity stripe. Senior forward Antwan Wilkerson (Greensboro, NC) notched a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds.

"Hats off to Virginia State; they played an excellent game," said Golden Bulls head coach and 2014 CIAA Hall of Fame inductee Stephen Joyner, Sr. "Defensively, I thought we executed an outstanding game plan and we will have to continue to do that in order to stay in this tournament."

Free throws played a critical role in the contest as JCSU had 44 attempts at the line in comparison to 16 opportunities for the Trojans. The Golden Bulls made good on 37-44 of those trips, while Virginia State went 10-16 from the charity stripe. Additionally, the Trojans finished the contest shooting 3-22 from three point land.

Wilkerson opened up the contest with a bucket for JCSU. Savage quickly tied things up with a basket for the Trojans at the 18:28 mark. Virginia State built an 11-8 lead six minutes into the contest before a 9-0 run by the Golden Bulls gave them a 17-11 advantage at the midway point of the first half.

The Trojans trailed for the remainder of the half, but pulled within three points at the 7:08 mark after a layup by Savage. The Golden Bulls pulled away by nine points on three different occasions before taking a 33-28 advantage heading into halftime.

JCSU came out firing after halftime as Parks tacked on seven points to the Golden Bulls' lead. Savage answered with a layup for Virginia State, but JCSU surged again for a 5-0 run. The Trojans faced a 42-30 deficit with 17:12 left in the contest.

VSU trailed the Golden Bulls 49-36 at the first media timeout of the second half.

The Golden Bulls continued to dominate through the midway point of the second half. At the 9:20 mark, Virginia State made things interesting when free throws by Savage sparked a 5-0 run and pulled the Trojans within five points (55-50). JCSU escaped the threat and pulled ahead 62-52 with 4:56 remaining.

Though the Trojans continued to fight and put points on the board, it proved too little too late as the Golden Bulls cruised to the 82-63 victory.

JCSU played the Bulldogs of Bowie State in their first game of the 2014 calendar year. The Golden Bulls managed to pull out an 84-73 win on their home floor.

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Lady Broncos Stampede Johnson C. Smith 70-47 in CIAA Quarterfinals

Four Fayetteville State Players Score in Double Figures

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- All-CIAA center Deja Middletonhad 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead four players in double figures for Fayetteville State University in a 70-47 CIAA women's quarterfinal basketball victory over Johnson C. Smith in the CIAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday, February 26, 2014.

The Lady Broncos, the Southern Division's top seed, head to the semifinals to play Virginia Union, the No. 3 Northern Division seed, at either 1 p.m. on Friday, February 28. The Golden Bulls, the No. 5 Southern Division seed, ended their season at 14-13 overall.

Akysia Resper added 16 points, Amber Calvinadded 14 points and JeLena Robertson scored 10 points for the Lady Broncos (20-6 overall). Karnina Bunch scored 14 points for the Golden Bulls.

"I thought we came out focused form the beginning," Fayetteville State Head Coach Eva Patterson-Heathsaid. "Johnson C. Smith is an excellent basketball team, a well-coached basketball team. Our student-athletes knew it was going to come down to our defensive effort today. We challenged the bench, the posts, and the guards to give their best efforts. In tournament games, you never know what is going to happen and you need to be able to rely on everyone."

Middleton had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the second half as the Lady Broncos turned the contest into a rout. The Lady Broncos outscored the Golden Bulls 44-28 in the second half to break open the contest after leading 26-19 at halftime.



The Lady Broncos started fast in the second half, scoring the first five points to open a 31-19 lead. The lead climbed to 16 points at 37-21 on a follow shot by Middleton.

Middleton scored again for a 46-29 lead with under 10 minutes left. The Lady Broncos stretched the lead to 50-32 on a layup by Bria Robinson. Calvin added two free throws and Resper scored on a layup after a Calvin steal for a 54-32 lead with 7:55 remaining.

Middleton continued to dominate inside, scoring a layup for a 61-36 lead late in the contest. Resper added a jumper for a 27-point Lady Broncos' lead.

"First and foremost, hats off to Fayetteville State," Johnson C. Smith Head Coach Stephen Joyner, Jr., said. "They played a great game. Everybody on their team showed up. I have no problem losing a ball game as long as we fight but I'm disappointed because we did not do that. We've got to get more heart, more hustle, more effort. I know what this team is capable of and we came up way short. We've got to understand that we did not fight the way we're capable of fighting in order to advance in the future. We will use this as motivation."

The Lady Broncos shot 50 percent in the second half while the Golden Bulls struggled from the floor, making only 33 percent of their shots. For the contest, the Lady Broncos outshot the Golden Bulls 42 to 31 percent and won the rebounding battle 44-29, thanks to Middleton.

In the first half, Calvin hit the second of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lady Broncos a 9-7 lead. Her three-pointer ignited the Lady Broncos, who went on a 8-1 run for a 17-8 lead.

A basket by Quinesha Lynch stopped the run and started a Golden Bulls' run. They climbed back within 17-13 while holding the Lady Broncos scoreless for five minutes. The drought ended when Resper scored a layup off her steal for a 19-13 lead. The lead reached 21-13 on a short bank shot by Middleton.

Middleton scored again for a 23-17 lead, but Bunch scored on a driving bank shot to pull the Golden Bulls within four points. Calvin hit another three pointer right before the half for a 26-19 lead.

Calvin led the Lady Broncos with 11 points in the first half. Bunch had seven points for the Golden Bulls.

Final Stats

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SAU Lady Falcons Fall To Virginia State In CIAA Quarterfinals

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- Sophomore guard Porscha Walton (Chesterfield, VA) scored 13 points for Saint Augustine's University in an 85-60 women's basketball quarterfinal loss to nationally-ranked Virginia State University in the CIAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on Wednesday, February 26, 2014.

Sophomore guard Regime McCombs (Greenville, SC) added nine points for the Lady Falcons (13-15 overall), the No. 4 seed in the Southern Division. The trio of sophomore guard Jeanne-Marie Wilson (Temple Hills, MD), senior guard Ebony Spencer (Chesapeake, VA) and sophomore forward Terri Jacobs (McDonough, GA) each had eight points. Jacobs added 11 rebounds.

Tiffanie Adair scored 18 points to lead five double-figure scorers for the Lady Trojans (25-1 overall), who will move on to the tourney semifinals against Shaw University at either 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. on Friday, February 28. The Lady Trojans, are ranked 13th nationally in the USA Today/Coaches poll.

The Lady Falcons barely lost to the Lady Trojans 69-68 in their only regular season meeting on February 5 after holding a late lead. On Wednesday, the Lady Falcons never led after tying the score 2-2 on two free throws by senior forward Victoria Davis (San Diego, CA). The Lady Trojans reeled off seven straight points for a 9-2 lead and never looked back.

The Lady Trojans opened a double-digit lead late in the half at 29-15. The Lady Falcons cut the deficit to 29-19 on a layup by Wilson but the Lady Trojans made a late run for a 44-25 halftime score.

McCombs of the Lady Falcons opened the second half with a three-pointer to cut the lead to 46-29. Spencer added a jumper to pull the Lady Falcons within 15, but that was as close as they would get.

"It was a tough game," St. Aug Head Coach Rachel Bullard said. "We didn't come ready to play. We got hit first and couldn't bounce back."

McCombs and Walton each recorded three steals for the Lady Falcons, who totaled 13 steals as a team. The Lady Falcons scored 24 points off 25 Lady Trojan turnovers, but the Lady Falcons committed 27 turnovers which led to 30 Lady Trojan points.
The Lady Trojans shot 46 percent for the game including 52 percent in the first half. The Lady Falcons shot 37 percent including 23 percent in the first half.

"You get knocked down, you have to figure out a way to pick yourself back up, and we didn't do that," Bullard said.

The Lady Falcons lose two key seniors in Davis and Spencer. However, they return 11 players including their sophomore nucleus of Walton, McCombs, Jacobs, Wilson and guard Lakiya Rouse (Greensboro, NC). Walton is an emerging playmaker in the league and McCombs is one of the CIAA's top three-point shooters. Jacobs is one of the best rebounders in the conference.

The Lady Falcons were extremely competitive on the court. Off the court, they hit the books hard which led to their fifth consecutive CIAA Team Highest Grade Point Avera

"We played hard and we played with class," Bullard said about her team. "They work hard on and off the court."

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ge Award in women's basketball.

JCSU Golden Bulls Women's Basketball Eliminated with a 70-47 Loss to Fayetteville State

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team suffered elimination from the 2014 CIAA Tournament with a 70-47 quarterfinals loss to Fayetteville State University on Wednesday, February 26th at the Time Warner Cable Arena. JCSU finishes the season with a record of 14-13 overall and 8-8 in the CIAA.

Fayetteville State, the Southern Division's top seed, heads to the semifinals to play Virginia Union, the No. 3 Northern Division seed, at either 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. on Friday, February 28.

In the first half, Amber Calvin hit the second of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lady Broncos a 9-7 lead. Her three-pointer ignited the Lady Broncos, who went on an 8-1 run for a 17-8 lead.

A basket by freshman guard Quinesha Lynch (Rocky Mount, NC) stopped the run and started a Golden Bulls' run. They climbed back within 17-13 while holding FSU scoreless for five minutes. The drought ended when Akysia Resper scored a layup off her steal for a 19-13 lead. The lead reached 21-13 on a short bank shot by CIAA Defensive Player of the Year Deja Middleton.

Middleton scored again for a 23-17 lead, but senior guard Karnina Bunch (Vicksburg, MS) scored on a driving bank shot to pull the Golden Bulls within four points. Calvin hit another three pointer right before the half for a 26-19 lead.

Calvin led the Lady Broncos with 11 points in the first half. Bunch paced JCSU with seven points at the break.

Middleton had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the second half as the Lady Broncos created some distance. Fayetteville State outscored the Golden Bulls 44-28 in the second half to break open the contest after only leading 26-19 at halftime.

Middleton continued to dominate inside, scoring a layup for a 61-36 lead late in the contest. Resper added a jumper for a 27-point Lady Broncos' lead.

"First and foremost, hats off to Fayetteville State," said JCSU head coach Stephen Joyner, Jr. "They played a great game. Everybody on their team showed up. I have no problem losing a ball game as long as we fight, but I'm disappointed because we did not do that. We've got to get more heart, more hustle, more effort. I know what this team is capable of and we came up way short. We've got to understand that we did not fight the way we're capable of fighting in order to advance in the future. We will use this as motivation."

JCSU struggled shooting from the floor in the second half, connecting on just 33 percent of their attempts. For the contest, the Lady Broncos outshot the Golden Bulls 42 to 31 percent and won the rebounding battle 44-29.

Bunch finished with a team-high 14 points for the Golden Bulls. Senior guard Deanna Downer (Elberton, GA) followed that effort with eight points, four rebounds, and two assists. All-CIAA center Ashley Porter (Winston-Salem, NC) had six points, five boards, and three blocks.

Middleton had 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead four players in double figures for Fayetteville State. Resper added 16 points, Calvin added 14 points and JeLena Robertson s
cored 10 points for the Lady Broncos (20-6 overall).

Box Score            

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Shaw Falls To Saint Augustine's 74-59 in Second Round of CIAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- Shaw University men's basketball team fell victim to a strong second half performance from their cross-town rival Saint Augustine's, falling 74-59 in the second round of the CIAA Tournament.

 

The Bears conclude their season with a 10-17 mark, while Saint Augustine's improves to 13-15 and will face Livingstone Thursday at 1:00 p.m.

 

Shaw's Andre Paulk notched 20 points for the Bears in the loss.  Joe Reid and Larry Richardson added 11 and 10 points respectively.

 

Head coach Cleo Hill, Jr. stated, "I just thought overall for us to be playing our biggest rival, our energy level was extremely low…I thought there was a point where we threw in the towel.  Coach Sheals is a very good coach and he's going to do well the rest of the tournament.  In the end, I think they wanted the basketball game more."

 

Hill continued, "I don't know what it is.  We came out flat to play our rival.  When we went down by 15 in the second half, I could tell in the body language they were giving up.  I tried to put in some of our higher energy guys, but it just didn't work."

 

Tashuan Stockdale paced the Falcons with 20 points while Jonathon Crawley and Xavier Saddler-Mae each tallied 11 points.  Joel Kindred rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points in the win.  He also grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds (one offensive, nine defensive).

 

Tony Sheals, head coach of the Falcons, noted, "Tonight was a night where we thought we had a favorable match-up because we felt that we could defend them.  When I look at the difference I see that we were plus-14 in rebounds and that was definitely the difference in the ball game." 

 

The first half was an all-out battle for control of both the momentum and score as both teams fought to establish dominance.  The first twenty minutes of play featured eleven ties and nine lead changes.

 

Andre Paul scored the first bucket of the game with a jumper for Shaw.  Tashaun Stockdale responded with a score for the Falcons at the 19:26 mark.  A made free throw by Koron Reed, three-pointer by Paulk and a jumper by Joe Reid put the Bears ahead 8-2 at the 16:06 mark.   The six point lead by Shaw was the largest of the half by either team.

 

The Falcons fought back over the next two minutes to knot the score 8-8.  From that point forward, Shaw and St. Augustine's matched each other bucket for bucket, intensely working to give their team a commanding lead.

 

With 1:14 left in the half and the score tied 25-25, Xavier Saddler-Mee hit a jumper for the Falcons for a 27-25 lead.  Shaw's Jeffrey LeGree answered back with a bucket at the buzzer to knot the game at 27 heading into halftime.

 

The Falcons started the second half with back-to-back scores from Amere May and Stockdale to take a 31-27 lead.  St. Augustine's then took advantage of two turnovers from Shaw and used a Saddler-Mee layup and Stockdale dunk to secure a 35-27 lead.

 

With the score 36-29 in favor of the Falcons, Jonathon Crawley completed the three-point play at the 16:17 mark to leave Shaw trailing by ten.  Back-to-back three pointers by Raheem Joliff solidified a 49-34 lead for St. Augustine's with 11:12 remaining in the contest.

 

From there it was all about the Falcons as they maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.  A resounding dunk by Joel Kindred with 1:40 left in the contest extended the Falcons' advantage to 71-55.  Crawley added a dunk of his own with 18 seconds left in the game to propel St. Augustine's to the 74-59 win.

 

In addition to his 20 points, Paulk pulled in seven rebounds.  Koron Reed led the team with eight boards.  Aquil Younger paced the squad with three assists.

Box Score

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Ram Ramblings: End of an era with retirement of Bill Hayes

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Bill Hayes has a good-size ego. Donald Reaves, the chancellor of Winston-Salem State, also has a good-size ego.

Whether those egos clashed one time too many is something we may never know.

What we do know is that Hayes, who at age 70 doesn’t act like it except for the occasional afternoon nap, is no longer the athletics director at WSSU.

Hayes decided to retire after four years in what could only be termed as a very successful run.

I wasn’t around for the end of the Big House Gaines era in ...

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Texas Southern Tigers Split with New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS  --  A two-day series switched to a double header when Texas Southern traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to face the University of New Orleans.

The threat of bad weather led the teams to play two late games rather than chance a rainout.

In game 1, New Orleans scored in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.  Texas Southern came back and scored three runs in the third inning to go up 3-0.  TSU's first run crossed the plate when Chris DeLeon got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.  An error by the first baseman allowed the Tigers to score again and Luis Armas' single to third base gave TSU their third run of the inning.

"You can see the improvement as we get some of our key guys healthy," said head coach Michael Robertson.  "We just got Luis [Armas] back and he had a great game against UNO."

UNO scored two runs in the 4^th inning to tie the game 3-3.  TSU lost the game on a homerun at the top of the 5^th inning for a final score of 4-3.

Texas Southern had 7 hits with 7 men left on base.  Marquis Webb led the Tigers with 2 hits. Zach Howell, DeLeon and Armas each had 1 RBI.  Larry Romero pitched 3.1 innings with 3 strikeouts, 8 hits and 3 earned runs for the loss.  Darius McClelland pitched 4.2 innings with 3 strikeouts, 3 hits and 1 earned run.

The Tigers evened the score with a win in game 2.  The game was scoreless until the 5^th inning. Sayvon O'Neal gave Texas Southern their first run when he scored on an error by the second baseman.  Armas then got his second RBI of the series with a single to left field.  TSU held a 2-0 advantage in the 5^th inning.

Samuel Terry added to the Tigers' lead with a solo homerun to left field.  It was Terry's and the teams' first homer of the season.

UNO scored one run in the bottom of the 6^th inning but TSU took the 3-1 win.

The Tigers had 9 hits in game 2 with 8 men left on base.  Rios Ryan pitched 6 innings with 3 strikeouts, 4 hits and 1 earned run for the win.

Felix Gomez got the save after closing out with 1 strikeout. Jakari Bass and Jamell Blue each pitched an inning in relief.  Bass had 1 strikeout and 1 hit while Blue had 2 strikeouts and 2 hits.

"Our pitching is ahead of our defense and hitting. That's the way we want it because the defense and hitting will come as the season progresses. We are moving in the right direction" said Robertson.

Texas Southern begins conference play this weekend when they travel to Grambling for a three game series.  The first game is Saturday, March 1^st at 1:00pm.

"This past week has given us momentum going into conference this weekend against Grambling.  I feel real good about us.," Robertson said.    
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2    
By Rodney Bush TSU Sports Information Director
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