Offensive Woes Send IUPUI Jags to 70-49 Loss at NCCU

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  The IUPUI basketball team capped a seven-day, three-state mammoth road trip with a thud, falling 70-49 North Carolina Central inside McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium on Monday night (Dec. 29). Freshman D.J. McCall was the lone Jaguar to score in double-digits with 11 points and senior DavRon Williams added a game-high 13 rebounds in his return to his former school.

Dante Holmes led four Eagles in double-digits with 15 points and Karamo Jawara and Nimrod Hilliard added 13 points each. Anthony McDonald chimed in with 11 points, all coming after halftime. IUPUI shot just 29.2 percent overall and committed 18 turnovers, leading to 12 NCCU easy points.

"We've got to put this one behind us and start looking ahead to (Summit) league play. That's what's important now. We didn't execute tonight and we fell behind and never really got back in it," Head Coach Jason Gardner said. "They're a good basketball team and they're even better at home. They threw the first punch and we didn't respond the way we should have."

NCCU (10-5) came in ranked among the national leaders in points allowed and field goal percentage defense and clamped down on the Jags en route to its 27th consecutive home win.

IUPUI (4-10) was slow to find its offense against NCCU as the Eagles soared to a 25-6 lead. NCCU orchestratred an emphatic 20-2 scoring edge to push an early 5-4 lead out to a 19-point advantage. The hosts made three treys during the run, capped by a Rashaun Madison connection, forcing Gardner to call his second first half timeout. Freshman Leo Svete halted the run at the free throw line before McCall and P.J. Boutte combined to score 12 of the Jaguars' final 14 points of the half.

Boutte stroked a pair of triples as IUPUI closed the half with a 10-2 surge to close within 32-22 at the break.

Any positive momentum the Jaguars built evaporated at halftime as NCCU opened the second half with the first seven points and a decisive 15-3 run to put the game away. Jawara punctuated the run with a steal and slam in front of his own bench.

More to follow...

IUPUI will open Summit League play when the Jaguars take on preseason favorite Fort Wayne on Sunday night (Jan. 3) at 7:00 p.m. inside the Gates Sports Center. The game will be heard on WNDE 1260 AM as Will Flemming (pxp) calls the action from courtside.

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Hawai'i Men's Basketball Hosts Southern, Prairie View A&M This Week

HONOLULU, Hawai'i  – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is back in action this week, hosting Southern University on Monday, Dec. 29 and Prairie View A&M on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at the Stan Sheriff Center. Tip off times for both games are set for 7:00 p.m.

The games will be the team's final non-conference matchups heading into Big West Conference play in January.

The Rainbow Warriors (10-4) are coming off a 2-1 performance at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic including wins against Nebraska and Colorado. Their lone loss came in an overtime defeat to No. 11 Wichita State.

Isaac Fleming was UH's biggest offensive threat in the Diamond Head Classic and was honored with an all-tournament selection for his efforts. He averaged a team-high 15 ppg for the three games while also sharing team-high honors in assists per game (5.7). He was also a threat on the defensive end, recording four steals over the weekend.



The 'Bows continue to field one of the more formidable defenses in the nation. Through Christmas Day games, UH ranks in the top 10 in total steals and rebounds.

Game Notes

Game 15 & 16 Tip-off Notes
Who: Hawai'i (10-4, 0-0 Big West) vs. Southern University (3-10, 0-0 SWAC), Prairie View A&M (2-10, 0-0 SWAC)
Date: Monday, Dec. 29; Tuesday, Dec. 30
Times: 7:00 p.m.  (11:59 PM ET)
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, O'ahu
Television: Live on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD). Kanoa Leahey (play-by-play) Tony Sellitto (color) and Artie Wilson (color) on the call.
Streaming Video: BigWest.tv
Radio: Live on ESPN 1420 AM with Bobby Curran and Jeff Portnoy. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona and KTOH on Kaua'i.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Series Information: First meeting versus Southern. UH leads Prairie View A&M, 2-0.
Promotions: Jack in the Box is the game sponsor on Monday and will distribute 500 rally towels and award Burgers for a Year at halftime. UH Alumni Association paid members receive 50% off adult tickets. The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is the game sponsor on Tuesday and will award a two-night stay in an ocean-front junior suite at halftime. UH season-ticket holders receive 50% off adult tickets.

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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.

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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.

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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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