TSU's German Breaks School Record in, 48-33, Win at MSU

MURRAY, Kentucky -- Mike German broke the school record for career passing yards and the Tennessee State football team won at Murray State, 48-33, for the first time since 2003.

 

Playing in his final collegiate game, German finished the day 28-of-48 for a personal-best 463 yards and six scores including one on the ground. The redshirt senior is tops in school-history with 8,664 career passing yards.

 

Ryan Mitchell was German’s main beneficiary, catching 10 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

 

German’s counterpart, KD Humphries had a fine day, too, totaling 467 yards. However, the TSU defense sacked the Racer quarterback eight times and forced four turnovers.

 

For the first time all year, TSU scored a touchdown on its opening possession. German was 5-of-7 for 72 yards on the drive, including a 14-yard score to Isaiah Freeman. Lane Clark’s ensuing point-after was good and the Tigers led, 7-0, with just over four minutes gone in the game.

 

German threw his second touchdown later in the first period when his deep-bomb was caught by Ryan Mitchell for 72 yards. The big play was set up by De’Ante Saunders’s fifth interception of the season.

 

Everything was going German’s way in the first half. He fumbled a snap to start the second quarter, but still had the awareness to pick up the ball and throw it 55-yards down-field to a wide-open Weldon Garlington. Two plays later, German hit Freeman for an 11-yard touchdown to put his team up, 20-0.

 

After a quick Murray State scoring drive, German again found the end zone, this time with his feet following an eight-yard scamper. The score put the Tigers up by 20 with 7:47 left until halftime.

 

German added one more touchdown before the halftime horn – a four-yard strike to Andrew Bather – to finish the first half with 302 yards and five touchdowns (one rush).

 

The Racers scored three second-half touchdowns and cut the lead down to 41-26 with eight minutes left to play, but German hit Mitchell with another deep-ball to up the score to 48-26. The toss went for 59 yards and officially iced the game.

 

MSU would add one more touchdown, but could not recover an onside kick and TSU won, 48-33.

The Tigers finished the season 6-6, marking the first time since 1984-86 that Big Blue has had three straight non-losing seasons.

 

NOTES: After TSU’s third touchdown, Jessaman Dunker accumulated three 15-yard penalties setting up an extra-point attempt at the MSU-48. German kneeled the ball for an unsuccessful conversion… German’s touchdown run in the second quarter was his fifth of the season… Bather’s TD reception in the second half was his first career touchdown…

 

Daniel Fitzpatrick’s interception in the third quarter was the 11^th of his career, moving him into third place in school history… German is now first all-time in attempts with 1,142… German’s six touchdown passes were the second-most in school history, matching Kenneth Biggles’s mark in 1982… German’s 463 yards were the fourth-most in a single game… Ryan Mitchell’s 231 yards were tied for the fifth-most in a game with C.J. Johnson…

 

BOX SCORE

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Fakler, Jackson lead Xavier at NAIA national meet

LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Seniors Catherine Fakler and Kwame Jackson closed their cross country careers Saturday by leading Xavier University of Louisiana at the NAIA National Championships.

Fakler ran 5,000 meters in 21 minutes, 22.3 seconds to tie for 290th place out of 336 women. It was the first meet for Fakler, the 2013 Louisiana Runner of the Year, since Sept. 20. An injury sidelined her before she was cleared this month to resume workouts and competition.

In the men's 8,000-meter race, Jackson, a three-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion, placed 307th out of 320 runners in 30:27.3.

The Gold Nuggets' other finishers were Hannah Finnegan (315th, 22:23.7), Carlie Calais (323rd, 22:57.0), Hali Yarmush (324th, 22:59.5) and Reeka Belton (328th, 23:42.9). All the Nuggets finished ahead of Edward Waters' Joy Miller, the GCAC champion who placed 332nd in 25:00.50.

Also finishing for the Gold Rush were Christopher August (315th, 32.51.8), Emmanuel Detiege (318th, 36:46.3), Alex Xavier (319th, 45:11.8) and Xaiver Latting (320th, 50:08.20).

XU CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS ARRIVE AT KANSAS

Yarmush and Detiege are seniors.

In team scoring, the Gold Nuggets had 1,214 points to place 38th out of 38 women's teams. The Gold Rush's 1,205 points placed 36th out of 36 men's teams. Team champions were British Columbia's women (43 points) and Oklahoma City's men (55). British Columbia won the women's title for the third consecutive year.

Individual champions were British Columbia's Maria Bernard (17:03.8) in the women's race and Wayland Baptist's Benard Keter (24:36.4) in the men's.

Temperatures during the meet were in the mid-50s.

Next for the XU distance runners will be the outdoor track and field season, which will begin in early March.



Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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Magicians make XU homecoming win streak disappear

NEW ORLEANS -- Daequan Mitchell-Fields scored 22 points Saturday, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:01 remaining, to lead LeMoyne-Owen to a 68-64 men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Magicians (1-2) of NCAA Division II shot 47.7 percent from the floor, the best by an XU opponent this season, and snapped the seven-game homecoming win streak of the Gold Rush (7-2).

Mitchell's 3-pointer gave LeMoyne-Owen a 56-53 lead after Morris Wright's 3-pointer for Xavier tied the score at 53.

Mitchell, 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-8 on 3-pointers, made his final trey at 3:58 to give the Magicians a 59-54 lead.

The Gold Rush cut the margin to two points twice in the final 20 seconds, but LeMoyne-Owen made 4-of-4 free throws to defeat Xavier for the second straight year.

Marcel Hawkins had 14 points and nine rebounds for LeMoyne-Owen, and Timothy Ware scored 11.

Wright made three 3-pointers and led Xavier with 15 points and a career-high-tying eight assists. Sydney Coleman was 6-of-7 from the floor had 14 points and seven rebounds. Jarvis Thibodeaux led the Gold Rush with eight rebounds.

Coleman's basket in the second minute gave Xavier its final lead, 4-2. LeMoyne-Owen outscored Xavier 9-1 during the next 3:19 and led 37-34 at halftime. The Magicians held double-digit leads in both halves.

Xavier shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the floor. Both teams shot well from long range, with LeMoyne-Owen making 9-of-17 3-pointers and Xavier hitting 8-of-20.

Both Xavier losses this season are to NCAA Division II opponents. The Gold Rush had won four straight since a 62-61 home loss to Albany State on Nov. 6.

Xavier will travel to Marshall, Texas, for a 6 p.m. Tuesday game at Wiley. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 against NAIA No. 9 William Carey.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Gold Nuggets beat Warner for 21st straight home victory

NEW ORLEANS -- Donyeah Mayfield sat out the first half but led NAIA No. 18 Xavier University of Louisiana with 12 points Saturday in a 71-59 women's basketball homecoming victory against Warner.

It was the 21st consecutive home victory for the Gold Nuggets (3-4) and their second this season in the Convocation Center.

Mayfield, a junior transfer from South Alabama, entered the game in the 23rd minute, made 6-of-8 from the floor and matched her season scoring high in just 11 minutes.

Freshman Ireyon Keith scored 10 points for Xavier for the second consecutive game, and Alesha Smith scored 10.

Marie Fleurival had 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots for Warner (3-3), an NAIA Division II member. Baylie Bridges scored 15 points, and Hannah Kotzen scored 10.

Xavier led for 37 1/2 minutes. Keith's free throw at 10:42 put the Nuggets ahead to stay, 12-11. Xavier led 37-25 at halftime and 58-38 after Mayfield's basket with 8:16 remaining.

The Lady Royals cut Xavier's lead to 65-58 on Kotzen's free throw with 2:30 remaining, but the Gold Nuggets closed with a 6-1 run which included two Mayfield baskets.

Warner shot 43.1 percent from the floor, the best by an XU opponent this season, and Xavier shot 40.6 percent. Both teams made six 3-pointers, three by Xavier's Eliqua Brooks in four attempts. Xavier outrebounded Warner 41-32 and got a career-best six rebounds from sophomore Kelsee Singleton.

Warner had a 7-0 advantage in blocked shots. In their other home game, the Gold Nuggets blocked eight shots against NAIA No. 22 Mobile.

Next for the Gold Nuggets will be a pair of games against ranked NAIA opponents in the Xavier Classic: No. 6 Wiley at 7 p.m. Thursday and No. 24 Langston at 4 p.m. Friday. Langston is 6-0 with a home victory against defending NAIA champion Oklahoma City.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Lindsey Wilson eliminates Nuggets in NAIA first round




XU women's volleyball travels to Lindsey Wilson
XAVIER GOLD NUGGETS FINISH SEASON AT 20-6

COLUMBIA, Kentucky -- Yennifer Ramirez and Sarah Shilling combined for 33 kills and a .482 hitting percentage Saturday to lead 12th-ranked Lindsey Wilson to a 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

The Blue Raiders (33-3) will advance to pool play in the national tournament with 23 other teams at Sioux City, Iowa, beginning Dec. 2. The Gold Nuggets, eliminated in the first round at nationals for the fourth straight year, finished 20-6.

Ramirez, a 6-foot-3 sophomore and the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year, hit .382 with 18 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Shilling hit .636 with 15 kills and three blocks.

Lindsey Wilson's .343 hitting percentage was the highest by an XU opponent this season. Xavier hit .129.

CeCe Williams, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament MVP, had 11 kills, nine digs and three blocks for Xavier. Franziska Pirkl had 21 assists, 12 digs and three blocks and posted her third consecutive double-double and 10th of the season.

Chinedu Echebelem, the GCAC Player of the Year and Xavier's only senior, closed her career with six kills and five digs. Jodi Hill had three blocks.

Lindsey Wilson opened the match with an 8-1 run and closed the second set with a 15-3 run after Xavier led 12-10. The Blue Raiders led 9-1 and 19-7 in the third set.

The Blue Raiders had advantages of 50-28 in kills, 54-38 in digs and 4-2 in aces. Both teams recorded six blocks.

Lindsey Wilson extended its home winning streak to 18, including 11 victories this season.




XU Gold Nuggets at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport for
travel to Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, Kentucky. 
XU PHOTO GALLERY

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Five-Way Tie for MEAC Football Title; Morgan State Earns AQ

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Following an exciting finish to the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football season, the Morgan State Bears (7-5, 6-2 MEAC) earns a share of the conference's title and be awarded the MEAC's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Championship.

The Bears, led by first year head coach Lee Hull, defeated Delaware State 69-7 to remain in the hunt for the title and berth. The win, combined with a loss by North Carolina A&T State to North Carolina Central, 21-14, sealed the playoff opportunity for the Bears.

This will be the first MEAC football title, outright or share, for the Bears and their first berth to the NCAA Division I Championship.

Morgan State vaulted to the top of the five-way tiebreaker process based on wins over tied conference opponents North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.

Along with Morgan State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State, all finishing at 6-2 in MEAC play, will share the conference title. This is the first time in conference history that five teams earned a share the title.

The last time multiple teams earned a share of the MEAC title was in 2010 when Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and South Carolina State were all named co-champions.

The 2014 NCAA Division I Championship selection show will ta
ke place on Sunday, November 23 at 11 a.m. (ET) on ESPNU and ESPN Watch App.

For more information on MEAC Football, visit www.MEACsports.com.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Bethune-Cookman goes for two to down FAMU in Florida Classic overtime thriller

ORLANDO, Florida -- All week leading into the Florida Classic, Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins heard the same message from his 14-year-old son, Brian Jenkins Jr.

“If you got a chance to go for two, dad, go for two,” Jenkins recalled his son saying.

The advice felt prescient when the Wildcats scored what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown in overtime against Florida A&M on Saturday evening, so Jenkins looked out on the field and delivered the call to his quarterback, Larry Brihm: “We’re going for two.”

The decision would provide another memorable Florida Classic finish.

Lined up in an unconventional formation, Brihm took the snap and rushed to his left, barreling into the end zone to lift the Wildcats (9-3, 6-2 MEAC) to a thrilling 18-17 victory in front of an announced crowd of 41,126. It was B-CU’s fourth consecutive win in the Classic, the Wildcats’ longest winning streak in the history of a rivalry that dates back to 1925.

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