Arkansas Pine Bluff Upsets Houston Cougars

HOUSTON, Texas -- Marcel Mosley scored a career high 33 points and Arkansas-Pine Bluff knocked off Houston 61-56 in overtime on Wednesday night. The upset marked the first victory over a non-conference opponent in a power conference since a 58-56 victory over Conference USA opponent Florida International during the 2010-11 season.

The Golden Lions (2-8) scored their first road victory in seven tries while handing the Cougars (5-2) their first home loss in five games.

UAPB led 27-16 at halftime and was up 16 points with 15:29 left in the game before Houston scrambled back, tying the game with 36 seconds left on two free throws by LeRon Barnes. Neither team scored in regulation after that.

The Golden Lions scored the first eight points of overtime. Houston got within three with 30 seconds left after a free throw and grabbed an offensive rebound, but Tevin Hammond made a steal and Mosely hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Mosley carried the load for the Golden Lions in more ways than one. The Marion, Ark. native played a career best 45 minutes while also connecting on 10 of his 16 shot attempts including a 5-of-9 mark from three point range

JoVaughn Love had 10 rebounds for the Lions.

Jherrod Stiggers led Houston with 16 points. Barnes added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Houston is a member of the American Conference, the same league that w
on last season’s National Championship with UCONN.

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Albany State University coach Mike White resigns

Longtime ASU coach expected to be named new coach at Benedict

ALBANY, Georgia -- Longtime Albany State football coach James “Mike” White announced his resignation at ASU on Wednesday and is expected to be named the new football at Benedict College on Thursday.

A news conference has been called for 3 p.m. Thursday to announce the hiring.

Albany State athletic director Richard Williams said White turned in his letter of retirement on Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t say shocked, but more so excited,” Williams said. “I’m excited to see people who love Albany State and have given so many years of service move on to bigger and better things. He’s proven himself to be an excellent coach in the SIAC and I’m very happy for him and his family.”

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Bethune-Cookman interested in TSU coach Rod Reed

COACH ROD REED

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State football coach Rod Reed told The Tennessean that Bethune-Cookman athletics director Lynn Thompson has received permission to speak to him about the Wildcats coaching vacancy.

Brian Jenkins resigned as Bethune-Cookman's coach on Tuesday and was introduced Wednesday as the new coach at Alabama State.

Thompson told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that he as "moving rapidly," toward hiring a replacement for Jenkins and already had narrowed his search to a small group of candidates.

"We have focused in on a few people who have what we feel it takes to ...

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Bethune-Cookman moving fast to replace football coach Brian Jenkins

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- The search five years ago that led to Bethune-Cookman’s hiring of Brian Jenkins took about a month.

The process to hire his successor should take just a few days, B-CU athletic director Lynn Thompson said.

While Jenkins was being introduced as the new head football coach at Alabama State on Wednesday afternoon, Thompson was already paring down his possibilities to replace the highly successful coach to three candidates, “plus a wild card.”

“We have focused in on a few people who have what we feel it takes to be our next head coach,” Thompson said. “This is not a cattle call.”

Thompson said a new coach could be announced as early as Friday.

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Brian Jenkins introduced as new ASU coach, says he's excited to be in the 'football powerhouse' of Alabama

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MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- In his introduction Wednesday as the new football coach at Alabama State University, Brian Jenkins said the Hornets program currently has the talent and opportunities to win at a high level.

"We already have enough in place to succeed," Jenkins said. "There is work that has to be done, but the opportunities are there."

Jenkins, 43, comes from Bethune-Cookman, an FCS program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) where he compiled a 34-6 conference record and won two HBCU national titles; he replaces fired head coach Reggie Barlow. (It was announced on Nov. 24 that the school's Board of Trustees would not renew Barlow's contract.)

Jenkins recognized Barlow's contributions during the press conference, but also said that he would make some foundational changes.

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Briar Cliff Masters Gold Nuggets, wins 64-60 in Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida -- Slone Masters scored a season-high 29 points and made all 17 of her free throws Wednesday, leading Briar Cliff to a 64-60 basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the Cruzin Classic.

The Chargers (9-4) of Sioux City, Iowa, and NAIA Division II won their fourth in a row and snapped the five-game winning streak of the Gold Nuggets (7-5), ranked 19th in NAIA Division I.

Masters, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, scored 18 points and made 10 free throws to lead Briar Cliff to a 34-24 halftime advantage. Xavier closed the gap early in the second half but led only once in that period, at 55-54 on Donyeah Mayfield's basket with 1:46 remaining. Briar Cliff then scored the next six points, capping the run on Kaylee Blake's two free throws with 21 seconds remaining.

Trailing 60-58, Xavier had a chance to tie when it gained a turnover with 14 seconds remaining -- but the Nuggets committed a turnover six seconds later. Briar Cliff then made four free throws, the last two by Masters.

Masters grabbed 12 rebounds and had three steals and two blocks. Blake scored 11 points.

Whitney Gathright scored all 16 of her points in the second half for Xavier and led the Gold Nuggets with six rebounds and six assists. Vinnie Briggs and Alesha Smith scored 10 points apiece.

Briar Cliff dominated at the line, making 34-of-40 free throws to Xavier's 19-of-25.

Xavier, 0-3 at neutral sites this season, lost for the third time by four or fewer points.

Xavier will play its second and final game of the Cruzin Classic at 2 p.m. EST Thursday against Northwood (Fla.), the host school. Northwood is 1-4 and lost 80-64 Tuesday to Briar Cliff.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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Townsend hoping to name FAMU head football coach by Friday

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Nelson Townsend, Florida A&M’s new interim athletic director, is tackling the athletic department’s most pressing issue head on.

Townsend told the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday he hasn’t ruled out naming a head coach by Friday, even though two of the top eight candidates announced for the job have accepted head coaching positions at other schools.

Willie Simmons, a Quincy native who worked as the offensive coordinator at Alcorn State, accepted a job as Prairie View A&M's head coach. Latrell Scott, who coached at Virginia State last season, is now the head coach at Norfolk State, another MEAC school.

“Yes, it’s disappointing (Simmons and Scott) were candidates we could not hire,” Townsend said.

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