Nuggets top No. 18 Langston, finish 2-0 at XU Classic

NEW ORLEANS — Seniors Whitney Gathright andDonyeah Mayfield scored 18 points apiece Friday to help Xavier University of Louisiana earn a 68-57 women's basketball victory against Langston in the final game of the Xavier Classic.
     
The Gold Nuggets (5-2), ranked 21st in NAIA Division I, finished 2-0 in the four-team, two-day event. The Lady Lions (4-2), ranked 18th, were 1-1.
     
Gathright also had a career-high 11 assists, zero turnovers and a season-high-tying four steals. Her 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth quarter put Xavier ahead to stay, 47-44.
     
Langston's Alexus Johnson, the No. 3 scorer in NAIA Division I, had 21 points and 17 rebounds before fouling out with 5:08 remaining and her team trailing by seven. T'Keya Mason had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
     
It was the first time in Bo Browder's 17 seasons as head coach that the Nuggets defeated ranked opponents on consecutive days. Xavier beat No. 16 Shawnee State 74-70 Thursday. Xavier is 4-1 against ranked opponents this season.
     
"Our team is working hard and continues to improve every time we step on the floor," Browder said. "I like our team's attitude toward defense this season."
     
Xavier limited Langston to its fewest points this season. The Lady Lions entered the game averaging 78 points.
     
The Gold Nuggets will play Mobile at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at XU's Convocation Center.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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GameDay Preview: Tuskegee at North Alabama

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1. The bigger picture: Tuskegee recorded its first playoff win in school history with a 26-16 victory over Catawba College last week. The win revamped a team that was down after missing out on the conference championship and had to wait to see if it’d even make the playoffs.

“It was exciting. Getting our first win out the way really meant a lot,” quarterback Kevin Lacey said. “The momentum for us really picked up and it’s carrying over to practice. Guys see the bigger picture now. A lot of guys were down about not winning the conference, but you have to let that go. There’s a bigger task at hand. You can prove you’re the best in Division II, and that second opportunity means a lot.”

2. Familiar faces: Not only is it a big game because it’s the second round of the playoffs, the game against North Alabama also has special meaning to Tuskegee coach Willie Slater. Slater was the offensive coordinator at UNA from 1992-99, winning three national championships. His quarterback at the time, Cody Gross, is now the offensive coordinator for the Lions.

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WSSU gets road victory over Virginia Union

RICHMOND, Virginia — Winston-Salem State got plenty of balance on its way to a nonconference win over Virginia Union on Friday night at Barco-Stevens Hall.

The Rams came away with an 82-71 victory to improve to 4-2 on the season. Even though the Panthers (2-3) and Rams are in the CIAA, it was a designated nonconference game and doesn’t count in the conference standings.

Damone Harrison led the way for the Rams with 21 points, and Carlos Rankins and Rayvon Harris each added 12 points. C.J. Ford scored 10 points as all nine WSSU players had at least one basket.

Coach James Wilhelmi of the Rams said by telephone after the game that he loved the balanced scoring.

“I know I’ve said it before, but that’s Ram basketball,” Wilhelmi said. “We try to find those mismatches to take advantage of what we can, and I like how the guys are spreading the ball around.”

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Jackson State Men’s Basketball Downs Savannah State 69-42

JACKSON, Mississippi --  Paris Collins and Javeres Brent combined for 36 points and nine rebounds to help the Jackson State men’s basketball to a 69-42 victory over Savannah State at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.

The Tigers overcame a three-point first half deficit and outscored Savannah State 46-16 in the second half en route to the victory.

Collins led all scorers with 19 points on 7-14 shooting from the floor. He also pulled down five rebounds and dished out a game high five assists. Brent followed with 17 points on 6-14 shooting.

Christopher Martin led Savannah State with 14 points.

JSU’s bench outscored Savannah State’s 40-15 and held the advantage in points in the paint (30-10).

JSU held Savannah State to 27.1 percent shooting from the field (13-48) and 19 percent from three-point range (4-21). The Tigers shot 44.8 percent from the field (26-58) and 40.9 percent in threes (9-22).

JSU returns to action Sunday, Nov. 29 when the Tigers travel to face Marquette. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m.

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COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Dillard beats NAIA No. 16 Shawnee State at XU Classic

NEW ORLEANS — Alena Evans scored 20 of her career-high 31 points in the second half Friday, leading Dillard to an 80-71 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 16 Shawnee State in the Xavier Classic.

The Lady Bleu Devils (4-6) earned their second victory of the season against a ranked opponent.

After a halftime tie at 39, Evans was 7-of-7 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the line. Her basket at 5:23 of the third quarter put Dillard ahead to stay, 51-50.

Alyssa Washington scored 15 points for Dillard, and Shaelynn Moore and Rashida Ademosu scored 12 apiece.

Ali Zieverink, NAIA Division I's leading scorer, had 23 points for the Bears (7-2). Abby Feuchter had 12 points and 12 assists, and Ashton Lovely and Madison Ridout scored 10 points apiece.

Feuchter set a Xavier Classic record for assists in a game. The previous record was 11 by Rust's Tremelanie McFadden against Mobile in 2011.

Dillard finished 1-1 in the Xavier Classic, and Shawnee State was 0-2.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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600 shoes a year: Inside the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Nike deal

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- An annual $10,000 Nike account for the conference commissioner. Hundreds of pairs of sneakers for each school. Six-hundred-fifty white t-shirts for the conference. Free tickets for Nike at the Bayou Classic and conference championships.

These are some of the provisions of the Birmingham-based Southwestern Athletic Conference's five-year deal with Nike.

The contract is a piker compared to the gangbuster corporate deals between apparel companies and big time football schools such as the University of Alabama. ESPN estimates that the market for collegiate-licensed apparel $4.6 billion annually.

The Nike agreement supplies the conference, which generated $6.1 million in revenue in 2013, with some swag and cash. Athletes at the conference schools have to wear Nike shoes as a result.

Two Alabama schools benefit from the deal: Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University. So do fellow SWAC members Alcorn State University; Grambling State University; University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Jackson State University; Mississippi Valley State University; Prairie View A&M University; Southern University & A&M College; and, Texas Southern University.

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Rush 4-0 vs. NCAA D2s after beating Clark Atlanta

NEW ORLEANS — Morris Wright scored 21 points Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to an 85-72 men's basketball victory against Clark Atlanta.
     
Wright, a senior point guard, reached 20 points for the third consecutive game and the fifth time in the last six games.
     
The Gold Rush (7-2), ranked 19th in NAIA Division I, defeated an NCAA Division II opponent for the fourth time in as many tries this season. Xavier, a longtime elite NAIA program, is 23-7 against NCAA D2s during Dannton Jackson's 13 seasons as coach.
     
Xavier's Gary Smith matched his career high of 16 points, and RJ Daniels scored 11 to reach double figures for the third consecutive game.
     
James Arnold scored 16 points, Lawrence Freeman 15 and Tim Sanders 10 for Clark Atlanta (0-5).
     
Smith's basket in the seventh minute put Xavier ahead to stay, 13-11. The Gold Rush led 45-31 at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead for all but one second of the final period.
     
The Gold Rush shot 50 percent from the floor and reached 50 percent for the fifth consecutive home game. Xavier outrebounded the Panthers by 16, a season best, and improved to 7-0 at home.
     
Xavier will play Mobile (6-0) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at XU's Convocation Center. Mobile gave Xavier its first loss of the season Nov. 17.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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