The Lincoln Lady Lions Advance To 2015 CIAA Tournament Semi's With 59-51 Win Over Virginia Union

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Lincoln University used a solid overall performance on both ends of the court, and converted 21 of 25 free throws, as the Lady Lions advanced in the 2015 CIAA Tournament Quarterfinals, with a 59-51 win over Virginia Union University.

With the win, The Lincoln improves to 20-7 overall, while Virginia Union ends their season with a 9-18 overall record.

Virginia Union was able to get out to the early 7-0 lead by the 17:10 mark, before a timeout by The Lincoln.

The timeout would settle the Lady Lions down and a Zephrah Pam layup would finally get The Lincoln on the board at 7-2.

By the first media timeout, The Lady Panthers of Virginia Union would hold a 9-4 lead. They would increase that lead to 11-4, before the Lady Lions would answer with a 12-4 run of their own to erase the Panther lead and surge ahead, 16-15.

By the 7:45 mark of the first half the Lady Lions had extended their lead to 18-15 on a pair of free throws Zephrah Pam.



The Lincoln Lady Lions were able to keep the Lady Panthers at bay, and would finish the half outscoring the Lady Panthers 11-10, to take a 29-25 lead into the locker room at the half.

Virginia Union would start the second half just like they began the game, with a quick 11-4 run to overtake the Lady Lions at 36-33 with 13:45 left to play.

With the game tied at 36-36 with 13:33 left to play, the Lady Lions of The Lincoln University would dig down deep on the defensive end of the court, and the results were a 13-3 run over the next five minutes, to give them some breathing room at 49-39.

Coming down the stretch The Lady Lions would rely on their free throw shooting to seal the game, as they would convert 8 of 10 free throws over the final six minutes to lock the game away for the 59-51 win.

The Lincoln University Lady Lions were led in scoring by Zephrah Pam, who scored a game high 17 points, while also pulling down 10 rebounds. Amani Clark finished with 12 points, four steals and three rebounds.

Virginia Union was led by Lady Walker, who scored 12 points and pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds and five blocked shots. Trylanda Jennings added 12 points four rebounds and three assists.

The Lincoln University will now advance to the CIAA Tournament Semi-Finals at 1:00pm on Friday.

QUOTES:

The Lincoln University Head Coach, Jessica Kern

"This is new territory for us. The game tonight was a game of jitters, I will say that. Once you have a bye, the kids come in on the highest of highs, and we needed some time to settle in."

"I remember my rookie season, and everyone saying that there is nothing like the CIAA. You got that right! Our freshmen have gone through the good, bad and the ugly, and have now grown into seniors. This is really emotional for my seniors because they were there from day one. They have been through the growth. And I believe our freshmen now have taken heed to that, and have a level of respect from 1 to 15. It's very encouraging as a coach to see that. "

"We have done this through a whole lot of motivation and inspiring and all of that fun stuff. We have to do it the traditional route at the Lincoln. We are not in the position where we can get a lot of division I transfers or junior college players. So when we take high school freshmen, it's really a lot of skill development, and turning them from girls to women, along with a real sense of family."

Virginia Union University Head Coach, Barvenia Wooten-Cherry

"I would first like to thank Coach Taylor for all that he's done for the athletic program at Virginia union and supporting our team."

"I thought we started well. We were aggressive and I thought we went at them well. Our team down the stretch got tight. We had a lot of missed shots. We only made 18 of 63 shots."

"And regardless of the defensive effort that we attempted to make tonight, we got beat inside the paint. We were able to contain their outside shooters, but inside the pain was the difference in the game."

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DSU Hornets Announce 2015 Football Schedule

DOVER, Delaware -- - Five home games at Alumni Stadium, a visit to FBS Kent State and contests against the five teams that shared last year’s MEAC championship highlight the 2015 Delaware State University football schedule released today.

The 2015 season will be the first for the Hornets under new head coach Kenny Carter, who was named to the post on Jan. 21.

The Hornets will play four of their first six 2015 contests on the road, beginning with the season opener on Sep. 5 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. This will be the first meeting between the Hornets and Flames since 2001. The teams met 14 times between 1982 and ’01, with Liberty holding a 9-5 lead. The Flames are coached by former Nebraska star quarterback Turner Gill, who led the team to a 9-5 overall record and second round appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2014.

The following week (Sep. 12), Delaware State will visit Kent State (OH) of the FBS Mid-American Conference for the third time. The Golden Flashes handed Delaware State its lone regular season loss in the Hornets’ MEAC championship campaign the first time the teams met in 2007. Kent State, behind former quarterback and current New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, also defeated DSU in 2008. The Golden Flashes were 2-9 overall (1-6 MAC) in 2014.

The Hornets will play their 2015 home opener and annual Hall-of-Fame contest on Sep. 19 against Division II Chowan (N.C.) of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the first meeting between the teams. The Hawks were 2-9 overall and 1-6 in the CIAA last season.

After a week off, the Hornets will begin conference play at home on Oct. 3 against long-time rival Morgan State, which earned the MEAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs after sharing the league’s regular season title with four other teams last season. The Bears were 7-6 overall and 6-2 in the MEAC in 2014. Morgan State snapped a two-game losing streak to the Hornets with a victory in last year’s season finale to stretch its series lead to 34-24.

DSU will begin another two-game road swing with a visit to Hampton for a MEAC contest the following week (Oct. 10). The Pirates have won the last two meetings with the Hornets to open up a 26-14 lead in the series. Hampton was 3-9 overall and 2-6 in MEAC games last season.

The Hornets will visit Florida A&M in their next game on Oct. 17. DSU will seek to avenge a 41-7 home loss to the Rattlers last season. The Hornets were winners in their last visit to Florida A&M in 2013, but the Rattlers hold a commanding 23-9 lead in the series. FAMU hired Alex Wood as its new head coach after posting a 3-9 overall record and 3-5 MEAC mark in 2014.

Delaware State will be back at Alumni Stadium for the next two weeks, beginning with a visit by South Carolina State in the annual Homecoming contest on Oct. 24. It’ll be the first meeting between the teams since 2012 when the Hornets posted a 31-17 win over the Bulldogs at Alumni Stadium. South Carolina State was one of the teams sharing the 2014 MEAC title with a 6-2 league record. The Bulldogs were 8-4 overall last season. SC State leads the all-time series 26-16.

DSU’s homestand will continue the next Saturday (Oct. 31) against Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats have won or shared the MEAC title in four of the last five seasons, including 2014 with a 6-2 league record (9-3 overall). The 2015 season will also be the first for new BCU head coach Terry Sims. The Wildcats have won the last three meetings with the Hornets, including a 27-7 victory in Daytona Beach, Fla., last season. DSU, however, holds a 19-18 series lead.

Delaware State will be back on the road the following Saturday (Nov. 7) against North Carolina Central. The Eagles have won six of the last seven meetings with the Hornets to open up a 15-5 series lead. NCCU won the last contest.

between the teams 23-20 in overtime in Durham, N.C., during the 2012 season. The Eagles were 7-5 overall and one of five teams to share the MEAC title with a 6-2 league record in 2014.

The Hornets will return to the Tar Heel State for their final road game of the season against North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C., on Nov. 14. The Aggies were MEAC co-champs with a 6-2 league record; and 9-3 overall mark in 2014. NCA&T spoiled the Hornets’ homecoming with a 33-20 win last season, although DSU leads the series 22-20-1.

Delaware State will close out the 2015 season at home against the Howard Bison in the Hornets’ oldest rivalry. Howard’s 5-7 overall record (3-5 MEAC) last season included a 17-10 victory over DSU in Washington, D.C. The Hornets and Bison have met 71 times, including each of the last 57 seasons. Delaware State holds a 36-34-1 lead in the rivalry.

Delaware State University football has also announced that its 2015 spring camp will begin on March 18. .The first practice is set for 6 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. The camp will include 15 practice sessions, highlighted by the Red/White scrimmage on Apr. 11.

DSU spring football practice dates: Mar. 18 (6 pm); Mar. 20 (4:30 pm); Mar. 21 (9:15 a.m.); Mar. 23 (6 am); Mar. 25 (6 pm); Mar. 27 (4:30 pm); Mar. 28 (8 am; scrimmage); Mar. 30 (6 pm); and Mar. 31 (6 am).

Apr. 1 (6 am); Apr. 8 (6 am); Apr. 10 (4:30 pm); Apr. 11 (1 pm: Red/White Scrimmage); Apr. 13 (6 am); Apr. 15 (6 am).

2015 DSU Football Schedule

Date Opponent Site Time Series record 
Sep. 5 Liberty Lynchburg, Va. TBA Liberty leads 9-5
Sep 12 Kent State Kent, OH TBA Kent State lead 2-0
Sep. 19 CHOWAN Home 2 p.m. First meeting (Hall-of-Fame Day)
Sep. 26 OPEN
Oct. 3 Morgan State* HOME 2 p.m. MSU leads 34-24
Oct. 10 Hampton* Hampton, Va. TBA Hampton leads 26-14
Oct. 17 Florida A&M* Tallahassee FL TBA Florida A&M leads 23-9
Oct. 24 So. Carolina State* HOME 2 p.m. SC State leads 26-16 (Homecoming) 
Oct. 31 Bethune Cookman* HOME 2 p.m. DSU leads 19-18
Nov. 7 No Carolina Central Durham, N.C, 2 p.m. NCCU leads 15-5
Nov. 14 No. Carolina A&T* Greensboro, N.C. 1 p.m DSU leads 22-20-1
Nov. 21 Howard* HOME 2 p.m. DSU leads 36-34-1

 *MEAC game
Dates/Times subject to change
Home games at Alumni Stadium on DSU campus in Dover, Del.
DSU Ticket Office: 302-857-7497/1-866-378-TixxO

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Nuggets, Rush win at home against Alcorn State

NEW ORLEANS -- Sophomores Sha'Nel Bruins and Adam Albrecht delivered clinching singles victories Tuesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to dual-match tennis decisions against Alcorn State.

The Gold Nuggets (5-5), ranked third in the NAIA, defeated Alcorn State 5-4. The Gold Rush (4-1), ranked eighth, won 5-3.

Bruins, playing on her birthday, rallied from an 8-4 deficit in the third-set super-tiebreaker to defeat Aakanksha Punj 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 (14-12) at the sixth flight. Albrecht ended the men's dual when he beat Garry Amor 6-3, 6-0 at the fifth flight.

Bruins and Brandi Nelson won in doubles and singles for the Gold Nuggets, who defeated an NCAA Division I opponent for the first time in five attempts this season.

Also scoring for the Nuggets was sophomore Nour Abbes, who defeated Aida Kelic 6-3, 6-2. Abbes, ranked first in the NAIA, is 37-1 in her XU singles career, 20-1 this season and 7-0 this semester.

For the Gold Rush, Kyle Montrel and Tushar Mandlekar won in doubles and singles. Montrel, playing with his third partner in five duals, improved to 5-0 in doubles this semester when he and Vincenzo Ciccone beat Amor and Kilian Salgado 8-4.

The XU men have won three straight and are 4-0 at home this season.

Alcorn State's men are 2-7, and its women are 1-8.

"Birthday girl Sha'Nel pulled it out for us," XU coach Alan Green said. "This was a huge win for our women. We couldn't lose again like last night (5-4 to Brenau), and Sha'Nel didn't let it happen. This was a very nerve-racking match against one of the best teams in the SWAC.

"The guys played very well despite not having two starters in the lineup."

Xavier's men will visit the University of New Orleans at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Both XU teams will play a pair of home duals Saturday -- 10 a.m. against Rhodes and 2 p.m. against Tougaloo.

Results:  Men    Women


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director  
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Track and Field to Head to EIU for OVC Championship

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  – This weekend, the Tennessee State track and field teams will wrap up their respective Indoor Seasons in the OVC Championship on the campus of Eastern Illinois.

The Tigerbelles are looking to win back-to-back titles after being crowned champs last season at home.

“There is definitely pressure to repeat [as champions],” head coach Chandra Cheeseborough said. “We have to realize that winning the second one is much harder than the first. I hope everyone will have their game-face on and ready to perform.”

Two big pieces to the women’s success in last year’s Championship were Clairwin Dameus and Amber Hughes. Damues got TSU off on the right foot by placing first in the Pentathlon with a total score of 3,625. Hughes then ran a scorching 7.68 seconds in the 55-meter hurdles to take top prize while Dameus placed second.

The dynamic duo later teamed to break the OVC record in the 4x400 meter relay with a winning time of 3:42.73. Both are back this season and are looking to do even better.

“In addition to her other events, Amber has been competing in the triple jump the last few weeks and the first time she competed, she jumped 40 feet. She is very confident she can get us at least 40 points,” Cheeseborough said. “Clairwin is the ultimate competitor. She is second in the pentathlon right now, but she came from behind last year, so we know she can win from that spot.”

The Flying Tigers will be trying to improve upon their third place finish a year ago and will welcome back Quamel Prince who came up big for TSU by winning the 800-meter dash by nearly two whole seconds after completing the event in 1:51.44.

“Quamel is an awesome athlete and very humble. He is the type of person who can do anything you ask, and do it well. I am looking for great things from him this weekend and moving forward,” Cheeseborough said.

One member who wasn’t there for last season, but who has had success this year, is freshman Jemarruse Amos. In TSU’s last event, he clocked the second fastest time in the OVC in the 60 meter hurdles, placing second with a time of 8.22 seconds.

The events will start Friday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. with the pentathlon and conclude on Saturday at 4 p.m. with the 4x400 meter relays.

Fans can follow the action, here: 2015 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championship

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Day 1 Of The CIAA Basketball Press Conference

Women's Bracket  |  Men's Bracket

LIVE STATS/TELEVISION SCHEDULE

CIAA Tournament: VUU Escapes With a Win over St. Aug

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Virginia Union survived the final minutes without leading scorer Ashle Freeman to pull out a CIAA Tournament victory.

Freeman scored a game-high 25 points before fouling out but her teammates held off Saint Augustine's 74-71 in a women's first-round basketball contest at Time Warner Cable Arena on Tuesday, February 24. The Lady Panthers (9-17 overall), the No. 5 Northern Division seed, advanced to Wednesday's quarterfinals where they will face The Lincoln, the Northern Division co-champion, at 2:20 p.m.

Freeman played a tremendous game but picked up her fifth foul with the Lady Panthers ahead 65-59 with just under six minutes left. Her departure from the contest sparked the Lady Falcons, who rallied to take their first lead of the game at 71-70 on a Jeanne-Marie Wilson layup with 54 seconds remaining.

Several Lady Panthers stepped up at crunch time. ShaHadah Barrett hit a free throw to tie the score and Trylanda Jennings made one of two free throws after drawing a foul in the paint. She missed the second free throw but Taylor White grabbed a key rebound and was fouled. White hit two free throws for a 74-71 lead with eight seconds left.

But the contest was not over yet. Wilson picked up a loose ball and fired a potential game-tying three-pointer which appeared on target. The shot missed and time expired as the Lady Falcons got the rebound.



"This team has resolve," Lady Panthers' Head Coach Barvenia Wooten-Cherry said. "It helps that we are close as a unit. We depend on each other."

Lady Walker added 22 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, and Sydney Howard scored 10 points for the Lady Panthers, who defeated the Lady Falcons in all three meetings this season. Regime McCombs pumped in 20 points, Wilson added 17 points and Terri Jacobs scored 12 points for the Lady Falcons, the No. 4 Southern Division seed who finished the season at 12-14 overall.

The Lady Falcons, who trailed 40-28 at halftime, rallied behind Jacobs, a forward who scored all her points in the second half after being held scoreless in the first half. They climbed back in the game and were in position to close out with a victory, but the Lady Panthers survived with a group effort.

The Lady Panthers, behind 16 points from Freeman and 14 from Walker, had their way with the Lady Falcons in the first half after bursting out to a 6-0 lead. The margin steadily grew to double digits, and it appeared the contest would be a rout.

"We didn't come out with the intensity that Virginia Union came out with," Lady Falcons' Head Coach Rachel Bullard said. "We couldn't get in sync. We played with heart in the second half but dug ourselves a hole in the first half."

The Lady Falcons, led by the trio of Jacobs, McCombs and Wilson, made a game of it before the Lady Panthers stayed strong down the stretch without Freeman, their career scoring leader.

"We had to relax and take our time [in the closing minutes] because we knew what was at stake," Howard said.

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CIAA Tournament: SAU Uses Balanced Scoring to Defeat ECSU

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Saint Augustine's University men's basketball team had four players score in double figures and never trailed in the second half as they took a 61-54 win over Elizabeth City State in the first round of the CIAA Men's Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on Tuesday evening.

Elizabeth City State jumped on Saint Augustine's early, bolting to a 7-0 lead but the Falcons battled back, taking the 14-13 lead. Keith Crawford (Richmond, Va.) would nail a three pointer to stake the Falcons to a 17-13 lead at the 7:07 mark in the first half.

ECSU would cut the lead to 27-25 following a three pointer from Glenn Patterson with 1:21 remaining in the opening stanza. The Falcons would get a jumper from Marquis Hines to make it 29-25 and would carry that lead into the halftime break.

In the second half, St. Augustine's jumped to a 36-26 lead, their largest of the game, when Marquis Hines boarded a missed free throw and got the put back with 16:30 remaining.

ECSU was able to cut the lead to 36-29 following a Brachon Griffin free throw with 15:51 remaining. The Vikings then cut it to 36-31 with two more free throws, this time from Darrell Ward.

After a Falcon turnover, ECSU trimmed the lead to 36-33 following a Darrell Ward layup with 14:24 remaining. DeCarlos Anderson would bring ECSU to within one at 36-35 after he got two free throws to fall with 13:47 remaining.

SAU would break the 12-0 ECSU run when Keith Crawford tipped in a miss, providing the 38-35 ECSU lead. After two technical free throws, SAU jumped ahead 40-35. Anthony Gaskins then got a three pointer to drop, giving SAU the 43-35 lead with 11:00 to play.

The St. Augustine's lead would shrink to 43-27 following a pair of John Tatum free throws with 10:42 left.

ECSU was able to score on two straight possessions, when Tatum nailed a three pointer then added two free throws on their next possession to narrow the Viking lead to 45-42 with 7:11 to go. Anthony Gaskins would answer for SAU, when he drilled a long three pointer with 6:38 left to make it 48-42. Gaskins would then hit another three pointer from the exact same spot a possession later to extend the Falcon lead to 51-42 at the 5:48 mark.

Up 54-47 at the 3:56 mark, St. Augustine's got a pair of free throws from freshman Quincy January to boost the lead to 56-47. Elizabeth City State would get a three pointer from James Theus to cut it to 56-50. The Vikings then forced a turnover, but would give the ball right back with 1:44 to play. St. Augustine's would give it right back, and ECSU's three point attempt was no good.

After a St. Augustine's timeout with 1:01 to play, SAU was able to burn 15 seconds off the clock before ECSU was able to foul. SAU's Raheem Jolliffe knocked down two free throws with 48 seconds left to make it 59-50 . ECSU then got a layup from John Tatum to trim the lead to 58-52 with 21.8 to play.

St. Augustine's then would go on to get a free throw from Anthony Gaskins to extend the lead 59-52. ECSU answered quickly with a basket from Brachon Griffin with 12.6 remaining. After the ECSU timeout, the Vikings were forced to foul, sending Jolliffe to the line for two shots. Jolliffe knocked down both shots to provide the 61-54 final.

Anthony Gaskins led four St. Augustine's players in double figures with 14 points. Teammates Raheem Jolliffe and Marquis Hines each finished with 11. Hines also finished with 10 rebounds. Keith Crawford added 10 points for the Falcons.

ECSU got 11 points each from John Tatum and Darrell Ward.

With the loss, Elizabeth City State finishes at 9-21 while St. Augustine's improves to 12-15.

St. Augustine's will advance to the CIAA Tournament quarterfinals and will battle Lincoln at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Quotes:

St. Augustine's Head Coach MarQus Johnson
"Tonight was a complete team effort. We defended and rebounded well and when we do both, we will be in a lot of ball games."

"We haven't played in this type of arena before, with the depth perception that goes with it. At the end, we hang our hat on defense and it is evident with the result tonight."

On Bench Play
"I've told every player that their chance could be on any given night. Right now everyone is playing their role, has high energy and it's been good for us."

"I'm not a huge stat guy, but we did defend very well. I think it was one of the best defending jobs we did all season."

"Anthony (Gaskins) can get hot very quick. He has the confidence to knock them down."

On Tourney Prep
"It's interesting. I've been in this league for 20 years as a player and coach. I told them it's a different experience. I also told the guys to relax, enjoy it, and have fun."

On Chowan
"Chowan is a great team. They did well in the Northern division this year and they beat us. Right now we are going to go look at some game film and get ready for them tomorrow."

SAU's Marquis Hines
"It was hard not playing in the tournament last year. It feels real good playing this year with the adversity that we had this season. It feels good and I want to go hard for my team, family as well as my coaches."

ECSU Head Coach Alico Dunk
"This evening's game was tough and a hard fought game by both teams. It was a tough loss. We had our chances to make some plays and change the momentum. You've got to give credit to St. Augustine's as they hit big shots at the right time."

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