New Mexico State hosts Texas Southern Tuesday night

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico  –  The New Mexico State Aggies (5-9) play the fourth of a seven-game homestand as they host Texas Southern Tuesday night. The Aggies dropped a 58-57 overtime heartbreaker to No. 24/25 Colorado State on Saturday night, while the Tigers (3-9) upset Kansas State 58-56 Sunday.

SERIES RECORD: This is first meeting between the Aggies and Texas Southern, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

MEDIA COVERAGE: Wednesday’s game can be heard live on the Aggie Sports Network and over the Las Cruces radio airwaves on KSNM, 98.7 with NM State Hall of Famer Jack Nixon on the call.

The game will not be televised, but will be available on a pay-per-view video stream on NMStateSports.com.

LIVE STATS ON THE WEB: Live stats will be available for fans at www.nmstatesports.com at no cost all season long. Fans can click on the ‘Live Events’ link at the top of the NMStateSports.com home page or go to the men’s basketball schedule page and click on the ‘related links’ tab to access the live stats.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Get all the updates of Aggie Athletics on Twitter and Facebook. Get in-game statistics and in-game updates on Twitter @NMStateAggies. Find out about all Aggie Athletics promotions and events on Facebook (NM State Aggies and The Aggie Student-Athlete). Also, new this season, follow us on Instagram at NMStateAggies for photos from all the Aggie athletics.

WHAT WILL THEY DO NEXT: NM State’s unique marketing series, “What Will They Do Next” has got folks wondering what they might see at an Aggie Basketball game. So far this season, NM State has presented Pie Night complete with a pie eating contest, The Zooperstars, a mascot basketball game, given away 10 42-inch HD televisions, 5,000 trading cards and one live turkey. “What Will They Do Next?” The only way one can find out is to be in attendance at the Pan American Center! Call 575-646-1420 for tickets.

KIDS GET IN FREE: The Aggies welcome the youngsters against the Tigers as kids 12-and-under get into Tuesday night’s game free. It’s great family entertainment at the Pan American Center.

Game Notes

ABOUT THE TIGERS: Texas Southern (3-9) has a pair of upsets during the last 10 days. First it was then No. 25 Michigan State 71-64 in East Lansing on Dec. 20, then a wild 58-56 win at Kansas State on Sunday. There was also a 61-60 loss at Auburn on Dec. 23 thrown in. TSU is paced by forward Chris Thomas (6-5, Jr., Denver, Colo.) who averages 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals. Guard Madarious Gibbs (6-1, Sr., Newnan, Ga.) chalks up 10.7 points with 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Guard Deverell Biggs (6-1, Sr., Omaha, Neb.) adds 10.2 points with 2.9 boards, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals. The Tigers are scoring 60.2 points an outing, while allowing 72.6 per game.

ABOUT THE AGGIES: The Aggies loss to Colorado State marked the first time since the 2011-12 season that NM State has lost more than one game at the Pan American Center in a season. That season the Aggies lost three games at home (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada). NM State had its 14-game home court winning streak at the Pan American Center snapped by New Mexico on Dec. 20, still the Aggies sport a 34-4 record at the Pan Am since the start of the 2012-13 season.

The Aggies’ 14-game home court winning streak was the second longest, dating back to the 11-12 season. The longest is 15-games, with the 14-game and an 11-game streak.

In the last 45 contests played by NM State at the Pan Am, the Aggies are 41-4.

With the win over Northern New Mexico, NM State is 9-0 against non-Division I teams under Marvin Menzies. The Aggies are 70-2 against non-Division I teams since Division I was established in 1973.

The Aggies have lost four players to significant injuries this season, including two starters (Daniel Mullings and Tshilidzi Nephawe) and two newcomers expected to make strong contributions (Tanveer Bhullar and Anthony January).

NM State has dropped all seven of its road games this season, with five of those teams either ranked or receiving votes in the AP and/or USA Today polls.

NM State is averaging 15.4 turnovers a game this season, and has turned the ball over 20 times in three games (Wichita State, Stetson, New Mexico).

NM State held Florida A&M to 33 points on Nov. 26, the fewest points scored at the Pan American Center and the fewest points scored against the Aggies since March 1952.

The Aggies are averaging 75.0 points a game at the Pan American Center this season, while giving up 56.6 points. On the road, NM State is averaging 65.9 points, while allowing 74.7 points a contest.

NM State looks to complete the rare four-peat in 2014-15, as the Aggies have won the WAC Tournament title and participated in the NCAA Tournament three years in a row.

Senior Remi Barry is leading the Aggies in scoring. Barry is averaging 13.9 points a game (sixth in the WAC) after scoring double-digits in 12 of this season’s 14 games. He is sixth in the WAC in field goal percentage, shooting 49.6 percent from the floor. He leads the WAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 59.3 percent.

Redshirt freshman Pascal Siakam grabbed his second double-double against Colorado State (13 pts/13 rbs). In 14 games, Siakam is averaging 11.9 points and is second on the team with 7.1 rebounds (tops for active players). He leads the WAC in blocked shots with 2.1 per game (55th nationally), is second in WAC in field goal percentage, .541, and ranks fifth in the league in board work. He has six games of three or more blocked shots.

Of the 15 players on the NM State roster, nine are from countries other than the United States. Five players are from Toronto, Canada, with two from France, one from Cameroon and one from South Africa.

MENZIES MOVING UP: Head coach Marvin Menzies has joined the number three spot on the New Mexico State all-time coaches wins list. In his eighth season at NM State, Menzies has a 157-97 record and needs just one more win to take over third all-time. Jerry Hines (1929-40, 1946-47) posted 157 wins in 12 seasons. Hall of Famer Lou Henson (1966-75, 1997-2005) holds the NM State record with 289 wins on the Aggie bench (289-152, 16 years), while Neil McCarthy (1985-97) has 229 victories (229-114, 12 years). Menzies was named one of Forbes’ top 25 college coaches for the money in November.

LOOKING BACK: The Aggies gave No. 24/25 Colorado State a hard run, but suffered a heart-breaking 58-57 loss to the Rams Saturday night at the Pan American Center.

NM State held an eight-point first half lead and a five-point second half lead, only to have the Rams battle back both times. Trailing by three with four seconds left, Ian Baker buried a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. In the extra frame, with the Aggies up three with 1:20 to go, CSU scored the last four points and held on to remain unbeaten.

Remi Barry led the Aggies with 14 points, while Pascal Siakam picked up his second career double-double with 13 points and 13 boards, and added four blocks. Baker tallied 12 points with eight boards and four assists.

The Aggies shot 38 percent, held the Rams to 35 percent from the floor and outrebounded CSU 41-36. However, they turned the ball over 17 times to just five for CSU.

THE M*A*S*H UNIT: NM State has had a rough time with injuries at the start of this season. The Aggies suffered several injuries during preseason practice with ankle injuries to both Tanveer Bhullar and Anthony January that have cost both the start of the season. January is out for the season and will apply for a medical redshirt. Bhullar had to be casted and is expected to be out at least until the start of conference play. Second team Preseason All-WAC forward Tshilidzi Nephawe suffered a foot injury during the preseason, but was able to come back to start the first six games. But his foot was not healing properly, so he was shut down at Thanksgiving with a January target to return. Then in practice following the first the New Mexico game, WAC Player of the Year Daniel Mullings broke his finger severely enough to have surgery. Mullings is expected to be out until at least early February.

TOUGH TO SCORE AGAINST: New Mexico State held Florida A&M to just 33 points in their game on Nov. 26, 2014. It marked the fewest points allowed by the Aggies since March 4, 1952 when NM State beat Eastern New Mexico 34-27 in the NAIB Tournament.

The Aggies also held Northern New Mexico to only 39 points on Dec. 22, 2014.

The games are just the seventh and eighth times since 1950 that NM State has allowed an opponent less than 40 points in a game.

AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED COMPETITION: New Mexico State is 1-18 against teams ranked in either the AP or USA Today Top 25 since the 2006-07 season. The Aggies last win against a nationally ranked team was on Jan. 20, 2007, when they defeated No. 13/15 Nevada 80-73 at the Pan American Center. NM State has lost the last 18 contests against teams nationally ranked since then. Coach Marvin Menzies’ Aggies are 0-16 against nationally ranked squads.

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S.C. State defeats College of Charleston 60-51

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Junior guard Amber Howard scored a team-high 13 points and played 36 minutes to lead South Carolina State to a , 60-51, victory over College of Charleston Sunday at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

The Lady Bulldogs improve to 8-4 overall, 1-1 in the MEAC, while the Lady Cougars fall to 1-9 on the season.

CofC had three players in double-figures with Breanna Bolden and Erin Hall each with a team-high 15 points. Bolden also grabbed seven rebounds in the victory. Christy Hewitt grabbed a game-high nine rebounds along with 12 points.

Despite the costly turnovers (21), the Lady Bulldogs shot 72.7% (16-of-22) from the charity stripe, while College of Charleston shot 58% (10-of-17).

Junior forward Jazzmine Johnson had a solid performance with eight points, five assists, and four steals to help guide the Lady Bulldogs to victory.

South Carolina State will close out non-conference play on Sunday (Jan. 4) when they host intrastate rival Furman University in a 4:00 p.m. showdown.

For more information on South Carolina State Basketball vist us at www.scsuathletics.com or call 803-536-7060.

BOX SCORE

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Wild game-ending sequence pushes Texas Southern past Kansas State (VIDEO)

MANHATTAN, Kansas -- Faced with a four-point deficit with 15 seconds remaining, most college basketball teams would have a hard time forcing overtime much less finding a way to win the game. However in Manhattan, Kansas, Mike Davis’ Texas Southern Tigers pulled off a comeback that will go down as one of the most stunning in college basketball this season, with some help from the Kansas State Wildcats.

Texas Southern, the preseason favorites to win the SWAC, scored six points in the final 3.8 seconds to knock off Kansas State by the final score of 58-56 with Jason Carter’s shot as time expired being the difference.

Texas Southern found itself in position to win the game thanks in part to some poor foul shooting by Kansas State, which made just two of its final eight free throws. During that period Chris Thomas and Maradarious Gibbs both made baskets, with Gibbs’ layup pulling the Tigers to within three with just over 18 seconds remaining (55-52). A Nino Williams free throw increased Kansas State’s lead to four, but then Jevon Thomas made the mistake of fouling Tonnie Collier on a three-point shot with 3.8 seconds to go.



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UMES Hawks Dethrone Duquesne Dukes, 78-69

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania  --  The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball team impressed once again with a 78-69 road victory at Duquesne on Sunday afternoon. UMES (7-8) put together a complete offensive performance, inside and out, on the way to their third win of the season against an Atlantic 10 opponent, all on the road.

The Hawks’ offense got off to a blistering start, leaping out to a first half lead with phenomenal three-point shooting. Devon Walker (Philadelphia, Pa.) led UMES with a scorching first half, shooting 5-of-6 from three-point line, including a four-point play. UMES led by 15 points after two free throws by Mike Myers (Camden, N.J.) with 3:21 before halftime, but the Hawks went on a scoring drought. Duquesne finished the half on an 8-0 run to cut the halftime deficit to seven points, 45-38. As a team, UMES shot 66.7% from the floor in the opening twenty minutes, and 8-of-11 from beyond the arc.

The incredible shooting in the first half forced Duquesne to make defensive adjustments, and UMES countered by changing their attack. The Dukes switched from a 2-3 zone to man-to-man defense, as the Walker and company busted the zone with shots over the top. The Hawks responded by exploiting the favorable 1-on-1 matchup down low with Myers in the second half. The senior forward had just four points at halftime, but Myers finished with a double-double at 22 points and 14 rebounds. Myers was a beast on the offensive glass, cleaning up on five offensive boards with numerous thunderous dunks.

listen to ‘12/28/14: UMES Men's Basketball Post Game Show’ on audioBoom

Duquesne battled back to within two points, but UMES never relinquished the lead down the stretch. A jumper by Micah Mason cut the Hawks’ advantage down to 54-52 with 10:17 to go. Myers threw down a slam dunk, followed by another huge three-pointer by Walker to slow down any Dukes’ comeback. The Hawks kept enough distance from Duquesne, maintaining at least a two-possession lead for the remainder of the contest.

Myers paced the Hawks with his first double-double as a Hawk, setting career-highs in both points scored (22) and rebounds (14). Walker nearly matched his career-high in scoring, settling one point shy at 21 points for the afternoon. Devin Martin (Baltimore, Md.) was the third Hawk in double digits at 10 points, also contributing three assists. The Hawks shared the ball well, tallying 19 assists, led by six from senior guard Ishaq Pitt (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Reserve guards Travis Trim and Ryan Andino both set career-highs in assists with four each.

The Hawks’ offense did not slow down one bit after their impressive showing at St. Bonaventure. After scoring over 70 points just once in their first 13 games, the Hawks have scored at least 78 points in back-to-back victories. UMES shot 57.1% from the field, including 9-of-15 from deep for the game. The Hawks outrebounded Duquesne, 32-30, creating 13 second chance points, primarily from the effort of Myers.

With the win, UMES improves to 7-8 on the year, setting up an opportunity to climb back to an even .500 in their next game. With their seventh victory, the Hawks have already surpassed its overall win total from last season, all before the end of non-conference play. UMES is now 3-1 vs. the Atlantic 10 Conference this season, with all four games coming on the road. Prior to this season, the Hawks’ basketball program had not defeated a current A-10 team in 45 years.

UMES will go for their third straight win when they continue the road trip at the UT-Martin on Tuesday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Skyhawk Arena in Martin, Tenn. on Tuesday, December 30. Hawks fans can listen to all the action live on the Hawks Radio Network, powered by SFMSports.net and Fox Sports 960 AM.

Box Score

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NIU Huskies Return Home to Host Hampton

Game Notes in PDF 

NIU (4-5, 0-0 MAC) vs. Hampton (6-6, 2-0 MEAC)
Date / Time: Monday, December 29, 2014/
Site: NIU Convocation Center • DeKalb, Ill.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 1360-AM, 98.9-FM (DeKalb), WIND 560-AM (Chicago) or online at NIUHuskies.com
Live Stats: NIUHuskies.com
Twitter Updates: @NIUscores
All-time Series: First Meeting

7 p.m. CT

DEKALB, Illinois – After playing four of its last five on the road, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team returns home for its final two non-conference games of the season, beginning on Monday night (Dec. 29) as it hosts Hampton.

HUSKIE QUICK HITS
• NIU is playing a member of the MEAC for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Huskies defeated Bethune-Cookman, 65-51, on Jan. 3, 2014. 

• Aaron Armstead is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game over the last three games, going 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) from three-point range during that stretch.

• Pete Rakocevic is shooting 66.7 percent (10-of-15) from the floor over the last three games, including 5-of-8 last time out against Notre Dame (Dec. 22). 

• The Huskies committed a season-low 10 turnovers last time out against Notre Dame (Dec. 22). 

• Notre Dame’s 91 points was a season-high for a Huskie opponent; its 58.9 percent shooting from the field is the highest an opponent has shot against NIU during Mark Montgomery’s four-year tenure. 

• Travon Baker recorded the 100th steal of his NIU career at Notre Dame (Dec. 22). • With its 71-64 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 16, NIU has won nine consecutive home games dating back to last season. NIU’s current home winning streak is its longest since winning nine-straight home games from the final home game of 1993-94 (Feb. 26, 1994) through the first eight games of the 1994-95 season (Jan. 3, 1995).
• Darrell Bowie currently leads NIU, and is 19th in the MAC, in scoring (12.1 ppg) and is second on the team, and 11th in the league, in rebounding (6.8 rpg).

ABOUT HAMPTON

• The Pirates of Hampton come to DeKalb with a 6-6 overall record, 2-0 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play. Hampton’s last contest was a 75-66 home win over Northern Arizona on Dec. 21.
• Three players are scoring in double figures for Hampton, led by 12.3 points per game for Quinton Chievous; he is also Hampton’s leading rebounder at 8.2 boards per contest. Dwight Meikle (12.2 ppg) and Deron Powers (10.3 ppg) also score in double figures for the Pirates.
• After starting the season 1-5, Hampton has won five of its last six games. The lone blemish during that stretch is a 73-55 setback at Illinois (Dec. 17).
• Hampton has nine players playing 10-plus minutes per game.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
• Monday’s contest marks the first all-time meeting between NIU and Hampton.
• NIU is playing a member of the MEAC for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Huskies defeated Bethune-Cookman, 65-51, on Jan. 3, 2014.

NOTRE DAME RECAP
• NIU fell to the 16th-ranked Fighting Irish, 91-66. All five starters for Notre Dame scored in double figures.
• Three players scored in double figures for NIU, led by 15 points from Darrell Bowie. Aaron Armstead (13) andPete Rakocevic (10) each had double figures off the bench as the Huskie reserves scored 33 points.
• The Huskies committed a season-low 10 turnovers against the Fighting Irish.
• Notre Dame’s 91 points was a season-high for a Huskie opponent; its 58.9 percent shooting from the field is the highest an opponent has shot against NIU during Mark Montgomery’s four-year tenure.

HITTING THEIR STRIDE
• A pair of Huskies, senior guard Aaron Armstead and senior center Pete Rakocevic, have seen significant increases in their offensive production of the last three games.
• Aaron Armstead is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game over the last three games, going 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) from three-point range during that stretch.
• Armstead scored a season-high 13 points last time out at Notre Dame (Dec. 22), including four three-pointers. Armstead also connected on four triples at Dartmouth (Dec. 19) and made three trifectas against Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 16).
• Armstead ranks eighth in the MAC in three-point percentage, shooting 45.5 percent on the season.
• Rakocevic is shooting 66.7 percent (10-of-15) from the floor over the last three games, including 5-of-8 last time out against Notre Dame (Dec. 22).
• Rakocevic is averaging 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds over the last three games. He had averaged 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds over the first six games of the season.
• In the first game of the current three-game stretch, Rakocevic tied a career-high with three blocks against Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 16).

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Culver Column: FAMU got its coach, now give him time

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Let’s start with the obvious: Alex Wood is a good hire for Florida A&M’s next head coach.

Wood comes equipped with decades of coaching experience at the collegiate and NFL levels. He’s known as an offensive mastermind capable of getting the most of the personnel he has while implementing potent schemes.

Last season, as interim head coach at Buffalo, Wood went 2-2 and led a team that averaged 438.2 yards per game on offense. He was on staff for Miami teams that won the national title in 1989 and 1991 and has even coached the likes of NFL Pro-Bowler Daunte Culpepper.

He’s the proven winner with NFL experience and a strong vision that everyone who hangs out in the comments section of FAMU football stories has been clamoring for.

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In CIAA, it's always hoops season

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- No offense to football, volleyball, track and field or baseball, but the CIAA revolves around basketball.

When the league kicks off basketball season with its preseason media day in October, attention turns to February and Charlotte, site of the postseason tournament. In Division II, the CIAA tournament is still the biggest dog on the block, rivaled only by the ACC and Big East in all the land regardless of division.

It’ll also be in Charlotte for at least six more years after the city, CIAA and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority reached an agreement in September.



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2014 The Sports Network FCS All-America Team

With position, player, school, class, height, weight:

First Team - Offense
QB - John Robertson, Villanova, Jr., 6-1, 221

RB - Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State, Jr., 5-9, 205; Gus Johnson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 5-10, 224; Zach Zenner, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 220

FB - Seth Fisher, Richmond, Jr., 6-2, 232

WR - DeAndre Carter, Sacramento State, Sr., 5-10, 185; R.J. Harris, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-0, 201; Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington, So., 6-2, 195

TE - MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois, Sr., 6-3, 255

OL - Joe Haeg, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-6, 299; Mason Halter, Fordham, Sr., 6-8, 297; Chad Hamilton, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 6-3, 305; Max Holcombe, Jacksonville State, Sr., 6-3, 290; Collin Seibert, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 6-4, 290

AP - David Johnson, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-1, 229

PK - John Lunsford, Liberty, PK, 6-1, 180

KR - Pokey Harris, Murray State, Sr., 5-10, 173

First Team - Defense

DL - Kyle Emanuel, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 251; Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State, Jr., 6-2, 295; Davis Tull, Chattanooga, Sr., 6-3, 240; Zack Wagenmann, Montana, Sr., 6-3, 250

LB - Quinn Backus, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 5-10, 215; Don Cherry, Villanova, Jr., 6-1, 221; Nick Dzubnar, Cal Poly, Sr., 6-2, 250; Connor Underwood, Indiana State, Jr., 6-3, 240

DB - Jacob Hagen, Liberty, Sr., 6-3, 205; Donald Payne, Stetson, So., 6-0, 215; Christian Ricard, Stony Brook, Sr., 6-1, 205; Jaquiski Tartt, Samford, Sr., 6-1, 218

P - Kyle Loomis, Portland State, Sr., 6-2, 230

LS - Chris Highland, Illinois State, Sr., 6-2, 230

PR - Antonio Hamilton, South Carolina State, Jr., 6-0, 185

Second Team - Offense

QB - Vernon Adams Jr., Eastern Washington, Jr., 6-0, 200

RB - John Crockett, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 215; Chase Edmonds, Fordham, Fr., 5-9, 185; Tyler Varga, Yale, Jr., 5-11, 220

FB - Brandon Howe, Cal Poly, Sr., 6-2, 225

WR - Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois, Sr., 6-2, 199; Darrin Peterson, Liberty, Jr., 6-2, 190; Brian Wetzel, Fordham, Sr., 5-11, 190

TE - Harold Spears, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-4, 255

OL - Cole Caruthers, Central Arkansas, Sr., 6-4, 292; Nick Easton, Harvard, Sr., 6-3, 300; Antoine Everett, McNeese State, Sr., 6-3, 325; Darren Pinnock, Morgan State, Sr., 6-4, 330; Jake Rodgers, Eastern Washington, Sr., 6-6, 315; Jack Rummells, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-5, 300

AP - Johnta Hebert, Prairie View A&M, Jr., 5-10, 195

PK - Michael Schmadeke, Northern Iowa, Jr., 5-10, 181

KR - Devin Rahming, Duquesne, Sr., 5-11, 170

Second Team - Defense

DL - Jeff Covitz, Bryant, Sr., 6-2, 255; James Cowser, Southern Utah, Jr., 6-4; 244; Zack Hodges, Harvard, Sr., 6-3, 235; Alec May, Georgetown, Sr., 6-4, 255; Xavier Williams, Northern Iowa, Sr., 6-2, 309

LB - Tony Bell, UT Martin, Sr., 6-1, 200; Evan Byers, Bucknell, Sr., 6-0, 235; Isiah Corbett, Southeastern Louisiana, Sr., 6-3, 250; Lynden Trail, Norfolk State, Sr., 6-7, 250

DB - Colten Heagle, North Dakota State, Sr., 5-11, 206; Gordon Hill, Sacred Heart, Sr., 6-0, 220; De'Ante Saunders, Tennessee State, Sr., 5-11, 220; Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State, Sr., 6-0, 215

P - Ben LeCompte, North Dakota State, Jr., 5-10, 200

LS - Phil Faccone, Wagner, Sr., 5-9, 195

PR - Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech, Jr., 5-8, 175

Third Team - Offense

QB - Justin Arias, Idaho State, Sr., 6-1, 210

RB - Malcolm Cyrus, Alabama State, Sr., 5-10, 180; Khairi Dickson, Saint Francis, Jr., 6-0, 182; Connor Kacsor, Dayton, Sr., 6-0, 200; Dy'Shawn Mobley, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., 5-11, 217

FB - Andrew Bonnet, North Dakota State, Jr., 6-3, 250

WR - Chris King, Duquesne, Jr., 6-1, 196; Mark Roberts, Lamar, Sr., 6-3, 190; Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State, Fr., 6-4, 205

TE - Nick Boyle, Delaware, Sr., 6-6, 270

OL - Jermaine Barton, Illinois State, Sr., 6-7, 315; Mike Coccia, New Hampshire, Sr., 6-3, 301; Cornelius Edison, Portland State, Sr., 6-3, 295; Vince Kowalski, Villanova, Sr., 6-4, 298; Corey Levin, Chattanooga, So., 6-5, 285; Jaime Martinez, Sacred Heart, Sr., 6-4, 340

AP - Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T, So., 5-6, 172; Chandler Curtis, Mercer, Fr., 5-10, 186

PK - Ryan McCrum, Southeast Missouri, So., 6-0, 228

KR - Xavier Roberson, Southeastern Louisiana, Jr., 5-9, 180

Third Team - Defense

DL - P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State, Fr., 6-1, 270; Sage Harold, James Madison, Sr., 6-4, 245; Mike Reilly, William & Mary, Sr., 6-4, 265; Devaunte Sigler, Jacksonville State, Jr., 6-5, 292; Gary Wilkins, Furman, Sr., 6-3, 240; Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas, Jr., 6-6, 271

LB - Kourtney Berry, Alabama State, So., 6-0, 215; Christon Gill, Western Carolina, Sr., 6-0, 225; Jerome Howard, Prairie View A&M, Sr., 6-0, 216; Mike Zeuli, Princeton, Sr., 6-2, 230

DB - Imoan Claiborne, Northwestern State, Sr., 5-11, 187; Jarrett Dieudonne, Wagner, Sr., 6-1, 190; Matt Hermanson, Montana, Sr., 6-1, 198; Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State, Jr., 5-10, 180; Tye Smith, Towson, Sr., 6-0, 170

P - Lachlan Edwards, Sam Houston State, Jr., 6-5, 214

LS - Shane Ballard, Coastal Carolina, Sr., 6-3, 210

PR - Michael Jones, North Carolina Central, So., 5-10, 180

In the FCS Huddle: Top 10 FCS stories of the year

EXCERPT:

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (SportsNetwork.com) --  North Dakota State football has been the story of the decade in the FCS, but in 2014 the Bison have had some sharing to do within their Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Illinois State earned a share of the Valley title alongside NDSU and, although both programs didn't meet in the regular season, they will square off in the FCS championship game on Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas - the first time the two national finalists are members of the same FCS conference.

Here's a Top 10 countdown of a memorable 2014 across the FCS, dominated by you-know-what conference:

6. Grambling Revival - First-year coach Broderick Fobbs turned around the fortunes of Grambling State, his alma mater, a year after a turbulent season in which there was three different coaches in charge, the players staged a six- day walkout in protest of conditions in the program and refused to travel to a game at Jackson State - forcing the Southwestern Athletic Conference program into a forfeit - and the Tigers won only one game for a second consecutive season. Under Fobbs, the historically black national power won its first seven SWAC games and nearly reached the conference championship game in a 7-5 campaign.

2. Coaching Carousel - The head coaching changes for 2014 got a head start late last year and it wasn't pretty. An unsettling 28 of the 124 FCS programs - a whopping 22.6 percent - had new head coaches this season. The big successes included Fobbs (Grambling State), Klieman (North Dakota State), Greg Gattuso (Albany), John Grass (Jacksonville State), Everett Withers (James Madison), Lee Hull (Morgan State), Jody Sears (Sacramento State), K.C. Keeler (Sam Houston State) and Clint Conque (Central Arkansas). The big-name changes after this season included former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini stepping into a ready-to-go situation at Youngstown State, Brian Jenkins leaving Bethune-Cookman for Alabama State and Bob Stitt replacing the retiring Mick Delaney at Montana.

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Duquesne Dukes Returns to Action on Dec. 28 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore

DUQUESNE MEN'S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 10	Maryland Eastern Shore (6-8) at Duquesne (4-5)
Date | Time	Sunday, December 28, 2014 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Location	A.J. Palumbo Center (4,406) | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Game Notes	Complete Game Notes
Live Video	A-10 Digital Network (click "live events" tab)
Radio	ESPN 970 AM / iHeartRadio / 3WS HD2
Streaming Audio	Red Zone Media
Live Statistics	Gametracker
Live Statistics	StatBroadcast
Social Media	@ GoDuquesne
Tickets	call 412-232-DUKE (3853)

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- Duquesne leads the series 2-0 ... this is the first meeting since a 74-71 DU overtime win on Dec. 31, 2002 ... UMES, which finished 6-24 last year, is in its first season under Bobby Collins ... Collins came to UMES from Winston-Salem State where he led three of his last four teams to the NCAA Division II tournament.

UMES THIS YEAR
Maryland Eastern Shore, which opened the season with eight-straight games away from home, has won five of its past seven ... the Hawks, who have played 14 games, are 2-1 against the A-10 with a 106-66 loss at VCU (Nov. 20), a 72-66 win at Fordham (Nov. 29) and an 82-80 win at St. Bonaventure in their last game on Dec. 22 ... UMES had not defeated a current A-10 team in 45 years prior to the win at Fordham ... UMES, which went nearly four years without a non-conference road win, is 3-5 on the road, the Hawks ended the streak with a 53-41 win at Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 19 ... 10 days later, they won at Fordham ... this is the third of six more consecutive road games for UMES ... leading scorer, 6-9, 245-pound Michael Myers, has taken a page out of the Ovie Soko scoring book ... Myers (14.0 ppg.), who played junior college ball at Angelina (Tex.) JC, has gone to the line 114 times in 14 games (8.1 attempts per game) ... Soko, who is currently playing professionally in France, averaged a school record 9.6 FTA/g.last season for the Dukes.

UMES UPENDS BONNIES
Maryland Eastern Shore is coming off an impressive 82-80 win at St. Bonaventure on Dec. 22 ... the Hawks, who led by as many as 16 in the first half, shot 53.7 percent, including 10-of-17 from 3-point ... Michael Myers led five Hawks in double figures with 19 points ... Devin Martin (17 points) and Ryn Andino (12 points) hit four 3-pointers each for the Hawks ... Martin (4-7), Andino (4-6) and Devon Walker (2-4, 12 points) were the only three players to attempt a 3-pointer for UMES ... the 82 points were 10 more than UMES' previous season high (in a 72-66 road win over another Atlantic 10 school, Fordham, on Nov. 29).

LEFTOVERS FROM UMASS LOWELL
Leftovers from Duquesne's 79-63 win over UMass Lowell on Saturday, Dec. 20: Duquesne ended a four-game losing streak by shooting .518 from the field, including a Jim Ferry Era-best 12-of-20 (.600) from 3-point ... Micah Mason, who entered the game 6-of-26 from the arc in his four previous games (20 total pts.), hit all five of his 3-point attempts in scoring a team-high 17 points ... Derrick Colter, Jordan Robinson and Jordan Stevens added 10 points each ... Robinson's point total was a career high, as were Stevens' seven assists ... the Dukes assisted on 21 of 29 field goals ... Dominique McKoy, in his first start of the year, had a game high-tying six rebounds ... all 15 Dukes in uniform played ... DU led by 29 before emptying the bench ... the Dukes outscored the River Hawks 23-9 in fast break points and 36-12 in bench points ... DU went 7-of-11 from 3-point in jumping out to a 40-24 halftime lead ... DU outrebounded UML 37-27.

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Jenkins' B-CU departure leads top local college stories of 2014

COACH BRIAN JENKINS

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --It had become a December routine.

Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins, fresh off another wildly successful season, would interview with another school and then remain with the Wildcats.

But this year, Jenkins broke the routine and ended his five-year tenure at B-CU.

Jenkins' departure for Alabama State earlier this month leads the News-Journal's top 10 local college stories of 2014.

Departures, arrivals and returns highlight the list. In the same year the NAIA football championships arrived in Daytona Beach, Embry-Riddle announced it will be leaving that organization to compete on the NCAA Division II level.

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Howard's Terrence Tusan's motives a mystery

DENTON, Texas  -- A former coach and family friend of the Howard Bison running back who was one of two suspects fatally shot during an attempted robbery in Texas says Terrence Neal Tusan was a "good kid" and student.

Tusan, 22, was killed on Sunday at a Denton, Texas, apartment complex. Denton police say five people were involved in some sort of altercation during the home-invasion robbery.

"He was a good kid," Clarence Nevels, a former coach and mentor to Tusan, told the Denton Record-Chronicle. "He had good grades and was just down at AT&T Stadium for Thanksgiving Day Madness Youth Football speaking to students about believing in themselves."

Tusan, who was at home on holiday break from the Washington D.C., school, was killed along with 18-year-old Jakobi Dmon Gipson.

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Temple Men's Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Slate Sunday vs. Delaware State

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  Temple men's basketball wraps up the non-conference poriion of its schedule Sunday with a home game against Delaware State. It will be the first-ever meeting between the schools with tip time set for 5:00 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN3 and broadcast on 1210 AM WPHT.

Fans bringing new, unwrapped toys to game will receive $5 off the price of tickets.   Temple basketball players will deliver these toys to Shriner's Hospital for Children in early January.  

Fresh off an incredible upset of #10 Kansas, the Owls (8-4) will look to remain unbeaten at the Liacouras Center,  Temple is 5-0 in the building this season and 175-55 all-time.

A trio of guards tops the Cherry and White in scoring with senior Jesse Morgan leading the way with a 16.5 average.  JuniorQuenton DeCosey, who has scored in double figures in 11 straight games, is averaging 15.1 points per game while senior co-captain Will Cummings (14.8 ppg.) tops the team in assists (3.8 apg.).

Junior transfer Jaylen Bond (6.3 ppg.) leads the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg.) while junior Devontae Watson (2.3 rpg.) rounds out the starting five.

Delaware State (5-7) has lost three of its last four, including an 83-70 defeat at Oregon.  Senior center Kendall Gray (11.5 ppg,), who leads the MEAC with a 10.4 rebound average, did not make the trip to Oregon, and is listed as game-to-game due to suffering from an undisclosed illness. 

Senior guard Amere Gray leads DSU in scoring with a 19.1 average and is the reigning MEAC Player of the Week. Senior forward Tyshawn Bell also averages double figures with 11.5 points per game.

Delaware State has played all but two of its games on the road. The Hornets toppled Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, 72-65, on November 28 and also have wins at Penn (77-75, OT) and at Delaware (66-53).   

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Marquette Hosts Morgan State Sunday At 1 p.m. CT

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin -- The Marquette University men’s basketball team (7-4, 0-0 BIG EAST) wraps up its season-long five-game homestand Sunday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. CT when the squad hosts Morgan State (2-10, 0-0 MEAC) in non-conference action at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. FOX Sports 1 will feature MU’s 10th national television broadcast of the campaign, with John Sadak (play-by-play) and Dickey Simpkins (analyst) calling the action. Sunday’s action will also mark the conclusion of the non-league portion of the Golden Eagles’ 2014-15 campaign. Marquette opens BIG EAST Conference action Dec. 31 at DePaul.

TV Info: FOX Sports 1 | Radio Info: 540 ESPN

Marquette Game Notes  | Morgan State Game Notes 

BIG EAST Featured During New Year’s Marathon

The BIG EAST Conference will ring in the New Year with a full day of BIG EAST Basketball for the second annual New Year’s Eve Tip-Off Marathon on FOX Sports 1.

From noon until midnight, fans can watch the debut of the 2014-15 conference slate as all 10 teams battle it out for BIG EAST glory.

The schedule of games is St. John’s at Seton Hall (11 a.m. CT), Butler at Villanova (1:30 p.m. CT), Marquette at DePaul (4 p.m. CT), Creighton at Providence (6:30 p.m. CT) and Georgetown at Xavier (9 p.m. CT).

Marquette Has Had Success In Morgan State Series

The Golden Eagles have claimed each of the five all-time meetings with Morgan State, with the most recent matchup coming during the 2006-07 campaign (77-57, Dec. 22).

The two programs first met in the 1988-89 campaign and each of the outings have come in Milwaukee. Marquette is 27-0 all-time against programs currently in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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Tennessee State Tigers Travel to UT Volunteers, Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State University men’s basketball team will travel to the University of Tennessee on Saturday for a game at Thomson Boling Arena at 7:30 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

The Tigers (2-10) will face the Volunteers (6-4) for the fourth time in their history. UT has won the previous three meetings. The last game between the two took place last season with TSU falling 88-67.

TSU lost 67-45 their last time out to Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders went on an 18-0 run to begin the game. The Tigers were able to quell the offensive onslaught for the remainder of play, but could not drum up their scoring efforts in response. At its smallest, the gap between the two teams was nine before ballooning to the final of 22.

On the other hand, Tennessee is coming off a 64-54 victory against Mercer. The Volunteers beat the Bears for the second time in a calendar year. Their first meeting was in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Josh Richardson heads up a three-pronged scoring attack with 16.3 points per game. Kevin Punter (10.1) and Armani Moore (10.0) are the other two Volunteers who average double-digit scoring.

TSU will look to counter with their double edged sword of Jay Harris and Marcus Roper. Both average 11 points per game and have been the go-to guys on offense for the Tigers.

The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Knoxville. For those who cannot make it to the game, it will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Just three non-conference games remain on the Tigers’ schedule before the gauntlet of OVC play begins.

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After up-and-down career, Howard University Bison Greg McGhee eyes NFL future

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howard quarterback Greg McGhee is an advocate of correct posture.

Down 26-13 with four minutes remaining in the third quarter of the season finale against rival Hampton, Howard returner Richard Aiyegoro muffed a punt. Hampton recovered. Knowing the turnover would likely cost Howard the game, Aiyegoro put his head down in anguish.

McGhee pulled Aiyegoro’s helmet back up.



“We’re going to get [the football] right back,” said, McGhee, who then relayed that message to other teammates, many of whom surrounded the quarterback with their heads down. “Keep the same energy and swagger we had the first kickoff.”

McGhee would be fully justified if he lowered his head as well. Since he played his last down of high school football, his pursuit of an NFL roster spot has suffered repeated setbacks.

However, whether the Bison rebounded to beat Hampton or were blown out in ...

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2014 FAMU Wind Symphony In Concert

Ram Ramblings: A lot to be thankful for on Christmas Eve

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Nobody really knows why folks take stock of their lives around the holidays but it's a tradition that continues.

That's why Christmas Eve is as good a time as any to be thankful for a lot of things. A healthy family is atop the list and my wife and I couldn't be prouder of our 11 and 9-year-old.
But as they get older it's apparent they are getting somewhat of an attitude but I guess that will be more of an issue when they become teenagers.

If you are a Winston-Salem State fan then 2015 should be a good year. From all indications the new chancellor (Elwood Robinson) will be engaging and is definitely a fan of athletics.

During football season Dr. Robinson wasn't shy about ...

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JCSU Golden Bulls up and down at break

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith can get off the see-saw for the holidays.

The Golden Bulls’ up-and-down season has produced a 6-6 record heading into January’s CIAA schedule, revealing a team that has yet to establish an identity.

“I thought we could be better. I think we have to remain at our growing edge and I thought there were times we did not do that, so we were not focused on growing and getting better. That’s what I’m still after – trying to get the team better and more mature. Hopefully, we’re getting some signs of consistency.”

JCSU hasn’t been able to sustain it during nonconference play, although the Golden Bulls have been competitive despite losing all-CIAA forward Emilio Parks for a month with a knee injury. The initial diagnosis suggested a ligament tear that would sideline him for the season, but a second revealed a less severe injury. He returned last week and scored 25 points in two games.

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GSU Coach Broderick Fobbs get state honors

PHOTO COURTESY: GRAMBLING STATE ATHLETICS

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Grambling State coach Broderick Fobbs and Louisiana Tech quarterback Cody Sokol are among the individual award winners on the 2014 All-Louisiana college football team announced by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Fobbs was an easy choice of the voters for the state's coach of the year after taking Grambling from a last-place finish and one win a year ago to competing for a division title. Grambling won seven games against SWAC opponents. Fobbs was the Southwestern Athletic COY and also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award.

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