PVAMU Lady Panthers overwhelm Louisiana Tech 77-68

RUSTON, Louisiana -- The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers led from start to finish Wednesday as they defeated Louisiana Tech 77-68.

Alexus Parker and Lamaria Cole both set career highs in points as the Lady Panthers (3-1) handed one of the most storied programs in women's basketball history its first loss to a school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 40 years.

Parker scored 26 points on 12-of-19 shooting and grabbed three steals, while Cole added 24 points, four assists and four steals for Prairie View A&M; she was 10-of-19 from the field. Monique Abbs came off the bench and scored 11 points for the Lady Panthers.

Brandi Wingate, the daughter of 15-year NBA veteran David Wingate, recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds for Louisiana Tech (3-3).

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Cole scored on a 3-pointer to open the scoring 47 seconds into the first quarter, and from there the Lady Panthers led the rest of the way, as the Lady Techsters were unable to tie or take the lead.

Prairie View A&M's up-tempo offense helped force 22 Tech turnovers, yielding a 27-13 Lady Panthers advantage in points off turnovers. The Lady Panthers led by as many as 15 points midway through the second quarter, and held a 61-47 lead through the end of three periods.

The Lady Techsters, who are coached by Tyler Summitt, the son of legendary former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, would get within six points with less than five minutes to play in the game, but would no closer. Louisiana Tech shot 63 percent from 3-point range in the second half after making only one out of 12 long-range shots in the first half (8.3 percent).

The Lady Panthers shot 49 percent (33 of 67) from the floor and 42 percent (5 of 12) from 3-point range. Their only shortcoming came at the free throw line, where they shot only 40 percent (6 of 15).

Larissa Scott, the nation's leading rebounder going in to Wednesday's game, pulled in 13 rebounds and scored six points.

Prairie View A&M's win ended Louisiana Tech's 29-game winning streak over SWAC opponents. The only SWAC school to claim a victory over the Lady Techsters before Wednesday was Southern University, which defeated Louisiana Tech in the 1975-76 season.

The win also gave Prairie View A&M head coach Dawn Brown her first victory over a Conference USA program in five tries. The Lady Panthers had lost their three previous matchups against Louisiana Tech in a series that dates back to 1989.

The Lady Panthers return to action Saturday when they host Lamar. Tipoff between the Cardinals and Lady Panthers is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Prairie View A&M's William J. Nicks Arena.

Box Score

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Air Force Reserve Named Celebration Bowl Sponsor

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Air Force Reserve joins the new Celebration Bowl as title sponsor of the game that opens the college football bowl season. The Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl will crown an HBCU football champion as the champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) square off against the champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) on ABC at noon on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

“We are very excited to be the title sponsor of the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl,” said Col. Christopher Nick, the Air Force Reserve’s Recruiting Service commander. “We feel that spotlighting the top teams from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities aligns well with the Air Force Reserve’s commitment to diversity. We hope that the players, attendees and viewers will gain greater awareness about Air Force Reserve opportunities to serve part-time in the military while living in their local communities.”

“As we continue to build toward creating a pinnacle event when the inaugural Celebration Bowl kicks off on December 19, it is exciting to have the Air Force Reserve join us as our title sponsor,” said John Grant, Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl executive director. “This game being the first kickoff on the first day of the college bowl season is a tremendous opportunity, made all the more exceptional with such a valued sponsor and representative of the United States Armed Forces.”

Fans can purchase tickets to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl at ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or at the Georgia Dome box office. Prices range from $15 to $60, plus applicable taxes and fees.


The Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. For more information, visit www.TheCelebrationBowl.com, and follow the event on Twitter and Facebook.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

SWAC title could come down to special teams

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — When asking a football coach the keys to beating an opponent, the response usually includes some form of the following "offense, defense and special teams." It's the quintessential coach-speak item that has become an empty phrase.

Winning on offense and defense are obviously key, but just how much goes into special teams preparation? Coaches at Grambling say not enough at some programs.

"A lot of times they focus on offense and defense and they just kind of go through special teams," Grambling linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Terrance Graves said. "Here at Grambling, we do a great job of preparing for special teams. We actually implement a special teams game plan."

The special teams plan was used this past weekend when Grambling neutralized Southern speedster Willie Quinn, who is regarded as one of the top special teams players in the country.

This weekend, Grambling is hoping special teams can play another key role in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship against Alcorn State.

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2015 All-SWAC Football Teams Announced

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alabama State University, Alcorn State University, Grambling State University and Mississippi Valley State University received the four major 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference postseason football awards in voting conducted by league head coaches and sports information directors. The conference made the announcement on Wednesday, just three days prior to its 2015 Toyota SWAC Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 5, at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Grambling State quarterback Johnathan Williams was named Offensive Player of the Year. Alabama State linebacker Kourtney Berry was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year while Alcorn State’s Marquise Warford landed the Newcomer of the Year award. Rounding out the postseason accolades, Mississippi Valley State receiver Booker Chambers was tagged Freshman of the Year.

Southern led the way with 11 selections and five landing on first team. Alcorn State and Grambling State finished second with six and four picks receiving first-team votes respectively. 

Williams led Grambling State to a 9-2 overall record (9-0 SWAC) and its first Western Division title since 2011. He helped GSU become the first school to earn a perfect conference record since 2008. The grad student ranks first in the FCS and in the SWAC in touchdown passes (36), first in the conference in passing yards (2,910), third in the SWAC in passing yards per game (262.8) and total offensive yards per game (294.6). Helping those averages was a big win over Prairie View A&M in which Williams passed for 429 yards inlcuding six touchdowns.

Berry led the SWAC and finished fifth in NCAA in tackles with 130. He registered double digit tackles in seven games with a season-high 19 against GSU.  Twice Berry has been named SWAC Defensive Player of the Week in 2015.  Berry is also listed on the CFPA Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.

Chambers led the Delta Devils in scoring with seven touchdowns. The true freshman hauled in 15 receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns.  Chambers returned 35 kickoffs for 777 yards and a long of 88 yards. Used in a variety of roles, he also rushed for three scores and one passing touchdown.  Chambers totaled1,098 all-purpose yards on the season.

In his first Division I collegiate season after transferring from Memphis, Warford racked up nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards.  He led the Braves in receptions and was second on the team in receiving yards.  He was also fourth on the team in rushing yards while finishing with five touchdowns. 
 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Johnathan Williams (Grambling State)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kourtney Berry (Alabama State)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Marquise Warford (Alcorn State)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Booker Chambers (Mississippi Valley State)

COACH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Broderick Fobbs

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB	Johnathan Williams	Grambling State
RB	Johnta’ Hebert	Prairie View A&M
RB	Lenard Tillery	Southern
OL	Isekelli Ongosia	Alcorn State
OL	Detonio Dade	Alcorn State
OL	Justin Miller	Grambling State
OL	Anthony Mosley	Southern
OL	Damian Love	Alabama State
WR	Chad Williams	Grambling State
WR	Daniel Williams	Jackson State
TE	Jordan Payne	Alcorn State

DEFENSE
DL	Stacey Garner	Alcorn State
DL	Darien Moody	Alcorn State
DL	Javancy Jones	Jackson State
DL	Gabe Echols	Southern
LB	Kourtney Berry	Alabama State
LB	Damon Watkins	Alcorn State
LB	Willie Duncan	Arkansas-Pine Bluff
DB	Guy Stallworth	Grambling State
DB	Warren Gatewood	Alcorn State
DB	Danny Johnson	Southern
DB	Marquis Green	Mississippi Valley State

SPECIAL TEAMS
K	Ryan Deising	Jackson State
P	Cory Carter	Texas Southern
RS	Willie Quinn	Southern

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB	Austin Howard	Southern
RB	Darryan Ragsdale	Alcorn State
RB	Martez Carter	Grambling State
OL	Jordan Johnson	Prairie View
OL	Terrell Lee	Southern
OL	Reginald Redding	Southern
OL	Markus Cook	Jackson State
OL	Kerry Williams	Alabama State
WR	Derric Griffin	Texas Southern
WR	Chester Rogers	Grambling State
TE	Montrell Jones	Southern

DEFENSE
DL	Demarcus Berry	Arkansas Pine Bluff
DL	Jamison Goins	Grambling State
DL	DeVohn Reed	Prairie View
DL	Michael Jolivet	Grambling State
LB	Darien Anderson	Alcorn State
LB	Aaron Tiller	Southern
LB	Arkez Cooper	Grambling State
DB	Dionte McDuffy	Southern
DB	Robert Porter	Jackson State
DB	Marquice O’Leary	Prairie View
DB	Dominique Weaver	Prairie View

SPECIAL TEAMS
K	Marc Orozco	Grambling State
P	Haiden McCraney	Alcorn State
RS	Booker Chambers/Octayvious Miles	Mississippi Valley State/Alabama A&M

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

DII Football Notebook: Take aways from the Second Round

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The second round of the playoffs provided some more upsets and some interesting story lines, although not quite as shocking or surprising as the opening round.

With teams like Grand Valley, Northwest Missouri, CSU-Pueblo and Shepherd surviving, we have some traditional playoff teams still in the mix - three that have won national championships. Slippery Rock, West Georgia, Tuskegee and Emporia State are providing us with some new blood, giving the playoffs a great balance.

Slater's Homecoming

Tuskegee upset North Alabama to advance to the regional finals against West Georgia. It is significant for a couple of reasons.

Tuskegee is once again showing it can compete with the best teams in Division II after opting out of the playoffs for so many years. It now has playoff wins against teams from two other conferences in this year's playoffs. The Golden Tigers will have to beat West Georgia in order to have an opportunity to beat a team from a third conference. They have represented the SIAC well.

Also, Tuskegee's coach Willie Slater was the offensive coordinator for Bobby Wallace and UNA when the Lions won three national championships in a row from 1993-1995. The Lions remain the only team to accomplish this.

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Alcorn State Braves hope experience pays off

LORMAN, Mississippi -- In last year’s SWAC title game, Southern was the team with title game experience while Alcorn State was participating in the contest for the first time.

Familiarity proved to be overrated last season as the Braves beat the Jaguars, 38-24, to earn their first conference title in 20 years.

Now it’s Alcorn State’s turn to fill the role of experienced champion when it faces Grambling in the SWAC title game on Saturday (3 p.m., ESPNU) at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

This is the Tigers’ first appearance in the conference championship game since 2011.

“You hope it helps a little bit,” Braves coach Jay Hopson said. “Guys that have played in the game kind of understand the situation, and they understand the environment they’re in. I always think it’s a little bit of an advantage, but at the end of the day, you have to go play football and that is what it comes down to.”

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Grambling's offensive line the unsung heros of 2015

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- A dynamic quarterback and arguably the conference's best wide receiver corps almost went to waste in 2014 due to Grambling's inability to consistently run the ball.

With nearly every offensive skill players back for 2015, the Tigers vowed to improve their physicality, improve their offensive line and improve their run game. It's worked wonders so far.

Once the offense's biggest weakness, Grambling's offensive line has easily become a position of strength and a key reason why the Tigers were able to roll through the Southwestern Athletic Conference with a 9-0 mark.

"They've been basically the unsung heros all year long. They've allowed us to really run the football effectively and keep (quarterback) Johnathan (Williams) upright and then allowing him to hand the ball off from time to time where he doesn't have to do as much running," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said. "That's been something that's been good for us this season."

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Southern University marching band does mind-blowing cover of Adele's 'Hello'

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NEW ORLEANS -- The Bayou Classic falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Southern University (of Baton Rouge, not New Orleans; this distinction is incredibly important) and Grambling State square off against each other, more often than not for sole ownership of the top spot in the SWAC division.

What I’m getting at is that this is an event in Louisiana every year, and the Battle of the Bands, which takes place before the actual game is arguably the best part. During this year’s competition, Southern University’s marching band – known affectionately, and appropriately as “The Human Jukebox” – absolutely knocked a rendition of Adele’s smash hit Hello out of the park.


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Celebration Bowl to Officially Invite North Carolina A&T

ATLANTA – The first invitation for the inaugural Celebration Bowl – to be played on Saturday, Dec. 19, at noon from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta – will be extended to the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) College Football Champion, North Carolina A&T State University, during halftime at the school’s men’s basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 2. Executive Director of the Celebration Bowl, John Grant, will be on site to officially deliver the invitation to university chancellor Harold L. Martin. The tipoff for the basketball game against The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is set for 7:30 p.m.

“Congratulations to back-to-back MEAC Champion North Carolina A&T for scoring their ticket to the inaugural Celebration Bowl,” said Grant. “We are excited for the Aggies to join us in this historic match-up against the winner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.”

The opponent facing North Carolina A&T’s Aggies in the Celebration Bowl will be decided during the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 5, where Grambling State University will take on Alcorn State University


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Establishing itself as the very first bowl game of the season, the Celebration Bowl is a new Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) postseason football bowl owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. It is a championship-style game between the MEAC and SWAC division champions and will be televised on ABC. ESPN is working with the 100 Black Men of Atlanta to manage the game’s ancillary events which include youth symposium, robotics showcase, college and job fair, fan experience and more.

Tickets are on sale now at the Georgia Dome box office or at www.ticketmaster.com. Additional details are available at www.thecelebrationbowl.com. Follow on Twitter and Facebook.

For MEAC fans, a special rate of $99/night is being offered at the Marriott Marquis, and is available for December 17-19. Please visit Celebration Bowl for more details.

For SWAC fans, a special rate of $89/night is being offered at the Hilton Atlanta, and is available for December 17-19. Please visit Celebration Bowl for more details.

The Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center is also offering a special rate and is available for December 13-20. Please visit Celebration Bowl for more details.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

B-CU Terry Sims named MEAC football coach of year

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Bethune-Cookman Football first-year head coach Terry Sims was honored as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, announced Monday afternoon by the league office in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition, five B-CU student-athletes were named to the all-conference first team, while another five were selected to the second and third team, respectfully.

Terry Sims, having taken over the reins of the Wildcats program on December 22, 2014, guided the Wildcats to a share of the MEAC title in 2015, including a 9-2 overall finish and 7-1 mark in league play. For the Maroon and Gold, the title represented the school’s fourth consecutive (eighth overall), matching South Carolina State (1980-83) for the second-longest streak in MEAC history.

The Wildcats were victorious over in-state rival Florida A&M, 35-14 in the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic to secure their stake in the conference title. B-CU led the MEAC in several statistical categories, including scoring offense (31.4 avg/g), total offense (445.0 avg/g), rushing offense (191.8 yds./g), pass offense (253.2 avg/g), and pass efficiency (164.1 efficiency). The Cats also hold top 10 positions in the FCS in passing yards per completion (6th) and team passing efficiency (3rd). B-CU entered the STATS FCS Top 25 poll in the final ranking of the season (25th) and have slowly climbed the FCS Coaches Poll to reach No. 21 following the last game of the regular season.

Also representing Bethune-Cookman on the All-MEAC First team was quarterback Quentin Williams (Tampa, Fla.), wide receiver Jawill Davis (Miami, Fla.), offensive lineman Dariusz Bladek (Kissimmee, Fla.), linebacker Robert Way (Belle Glade, Fla.) and defensive back Marquis Drayton (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

Williams, a redshirt senior, enjoyed statistically his best season at Bethune-Cookman in 2015. He finished the regular season as the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) leader in passing efficiency (187.2), third in passing yards per completion (16.45), tied for 23rd in passing touchdowns (19), tied for 39th in points responsible for (134), 40th in passing yards (2,171), tied for 40th in points responsible per game (12.2) and 46th in passing yards per game (196.9).

Davis is earning his first postseason accolade, finishing the year leading Bethune-Cookman in receptions (39) and receiving yards (788). He ended the campaign with a team-high matching six touchdown receptions, and finished ninth in the league for receptions per game (3.5). He was second in receiving yards per game (71.6), and ended 46th in the FCS for total receiving yards.

Bladek, a redshirt junior offensive tackle, was a preseason all-conference selection, and earns his first postseason award. Bladek helped pave the way for the Wildcats to lead the MEAC in several statistical categories, including scoring offense (31.4 avg/g), total offense (445.0 avg/g), rushing offense (191.8 yds./g), pass offense (253.2 avg/g), and pass efficiency (164.1 effic.). He also blocked for quarterback Quentin Williams to earn three MEAC Offensive Player of the Week awards throughout the campaign.

On defense, redshirt senior linebacker Robert Way led the Wildcats with 70 tackles, adding a team-high 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also broke up a team-best eight passes from his outside linebacker position, going on to recover two fumbles and force another.

Joining him on the first team for defense was redshirt senior strong safety Marquis Drayton. The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native amassed 37 tackles on the season, including 21 primary stops. He stepped in front of three passes for interceptions, taking one back 30 yards for a touchdown against Morgan State in the year’s final home game. His three interceptions allowed him to end the year tied for third in the league in that category. He would also finish the year second in the MEAC for kick return yards, averaging 23.4 yards per return.

Representing the Cats on the All-MEAC Second Team was running back Anthony Jordan (Atlanta, Ga.), tight end Ja-Quan Lumas (Orlando, Fla.) and linebacker Donald Smith (Tampa, Fla.). On the third team was running back Michael D. Jones (Sarasota, Fla.) and junior punter Jonathan Cagle (Pensacola, Fla.).

North Carolina A&T running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year. Javon Hargrave of South Carolina State took the Defensive Player of the Year award. Both student-athletes received the top honors just one year ago. North Carolina Central’s Dorrel McClain earned Rookie of the Year honors and North Carolina A&T State’s Brandon Parker was selected as the Offensive Lineman of the Year, as voted on by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors.

For a complete list of this year’s All-MEAC Team members, please visit MEACsports.com.

Follow Bethune-Cookman Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics), Twitter (www.twitter.com/BCUathletics) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/BCUathletics) for all of the latest news and updates. Fans also receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year, via the social media outlets or www.BCUathletics.com.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Week 13: Grambling State Remains On Top in HSRN FCS Football Poll

HARTLEY, Delaware – Grambling State University's Bayou Classic win over Southern University solidified the Tigers' first place position in the final regular season HSRN FCS Football Poll.  GSU had moved into the top spot following North Carolina A&T's loss to North Carolina Central a week ago.  The Tigers had been sitting in the #2 spot for several weeks prior to moving up.

GSU, SWAC Western Division Champion, now heads to Houston to meet Eastern Division titleist Alcorn State, Saturday.  The winner will face N.C. A&T in the Celebration Bowl, December 19 in Atlanta.

Division I/FCS

Rankings did not change from the previous week.  The final poll will be released following the Celebration Bowl.

Division II/NAIA

Voting for this week's poll has been suspended until the end of the playoffs.

About HSRN:
HSRN (Heritage Sports Radio Network) is the national leader in live radio broadcasts of mid-major athletics. HSRN combines innovative programming and production with a vast broadcast network. The SiriusXM platform avails partners of HSRN exposure on the world's largest radio broadcaster as measured by revenue and exposure to 28.3 million subscribers. In addition to SiriusXM, HSRN is available on terrestrial radio affiliates, smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at HSRN.com.  

Week 13 – Rankings
Division I FCS
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	Grambling State (8)	9-2	88	1
2	North Carolina A&T (1)	9-2	77	2
3	Alcorn State	8-3	67	3
4	Bethune-Cookman	9-2	61	4
5	Prairie View A&M	8-2	59	5
6	North Carolina Central	8-3	49	6
7	South Carolina State	7-4	36	7
8	Southern	6-5	28	8
9	Alabama State	6-5	15	9
10	Hampton	6-5	11	10
	Others receiving votes
	Tennessee State (3)

  

TSU announces changes with Football Program

HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern Tigers head football coach Darrell Asberry has informed TSU that he is stepping down from his post with the football program.

"I appreciate Texas Southern and (TSU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics) Dr. Charles McClelland for all that they've done for me and my family and the support they've given me," said Asberry.

Before joining Texas Southern, Asberry was the head coach at Shaw University for six years.

Asberry, who took over the Tigers program in 2012 helped guide the program through several years of NCAA sanctions and helped boost the programs standing as it relates to APR.

In 2013 the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) announced that the Texas Southern football program would be named the recipient of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) Most Improved Award for the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The APR Most Improved Award recognized one institution at each of the 14 FCS conferences that had the highest APR score improvement from the previous year.

"Over the course of the past four years, Coach Asberry has been a
true professional, a great administrator and someone I will always call a friend," said Dr. McClelland. "We wish him well in all of his future endeavors."

In four seasons with the Tigers Asberry had an overall record of 12-31 including a 9-27 mark in league play.

A national search to find his replacement will begin immediately.

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UAPB Golden Lions Topples Southeastern Louisiana, 62-60

WEST POINT, New York -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff men's basketball team held a late comeback and slugged it out, toe-toe-, with Southeastern Louisiana Lions for 40 minutes in a 62-60 win at the Barclay's Center Classic. The Golden Lions took controlled the game mid-way through the first half and never looked back after being down 6-0 in the first three minutes of the game.

After playing one of the toughest schedule in the nation and coming off road losses to Michigan St. who has a good shot in playing in the Final Four and Nebraska and Cincinnati who projected of making the big dance, the Golden Lions stood strong on what Head Coach George Ivory preach and that's "defense". UAPB (2-5) forced SLU to 14 turnovers and taking advantage of scoring 20 of the team 30 points in the first half for a 30-28 lead.

Junior guard Ghiavonni Robinson came out the locker room with a hot hand, connecting on a three pointer from the left side of the arch with less than three minutes off the clock to extend UAPB lead 37-31 with 17:26 in the game.

Southeastern Louisiana wouldn't go down without a fight after being down by double digits (52-42) with 6:38 in regulation. The Lions would go on a scoring run, but All Tournament team senior forward JoVaughn Love stepped up big for UAPB in the second half and connected on two late jump shots and snatched a key rebound to cool Southeastern Louisiana (1-6) comeback rally.

The Golden Lions (2-5) scored a combined 27 points off turnovers, 34 points in the paint, 34 bench points and 13 fast break points.

UAPB shot 50.9 percent (27-of-53) from the floor, including 25 percent (4-of-16) from behind the arch. The Golden Lions were 4-of-10 (40 percent) from the charity stripes.

Love led the team with 15 points. DeShon Bayless and Charles Jackson each chipped in eight points for UAPB, followed by Ghiavonni Robinson with seven points and three assist T.J. Handley with six points. Love and Trent Whiting each hauled in five rebounds to lead the team.

Love also was named to the All Tournament team in this weekend Barclay's tournament.

All-Tournament Team:
Tanner Plomb, Army West Point (MVP)
Kyle Wilson, Army West Point
Harold McBride, Gardner–Webb
JoVaughn Love, Arkansas – Pine Bluff
Keith Charleston, Southeastern Louisiana

UAPB will return home for a short break before heading out to face Hawaii December 2nd in Honolulu.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

2015 Bayou Classic Attendance Numbers for the Classic

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- On Saturday (11.28), Grambling State blew out their nemesis Southern by a score of 34-23. However, a different set of numbers marked a victory for tourism in New Orleans. The attendance numbers were the highest logged by the annual matchup since the Storm.

62,907 fans flocked to da Dome to watch the rivals square off according to organizers at SWAC. That figure shattered the previous post-Katrina record of 59,874 in 2008.

The record low of 40,715 in 2011 is now a distant memory. In the four years since, attendance increased annually.

Numbers for the past ten years follow.
2015 attendance: 62,907
2014 attendance: 57,852
2013 attendance: 47,385
2012 attendance: 45,980
2011 attendance: 40,715

CONTINUE READING

Florida A&M edges Alcorn State in 73-71 victory

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Malcolm Bernard made a go-ahead basket just before the final buzzer to help Florida A&M beat Alcorn State 73-71 in the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic on Saturday.

Bernard had a triple-double with 14 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and four steals. Justin Ravenal made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points off the bench in 18 minutes of play.

Florida A&M (3-4) led 38-32 at halftime but Alcorn State took a 10-point lead in the second half.

The Rattlers made eight 3-pointers on 16 attempts while the Braves were 3 for 19 from distance.

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn State holds on to beat Jackson State 14-10

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JACKSON, Mississippi --­ The Alcorn State University Braves (8-3, 7-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) held on to beat the tenacious Jackson State University Tigers (3-8, 3-6) 14-10 in front of 21,000 fans at Mississippi Veteran Memorial Stadium, in Jackson, Mississippi.

The Tigers pounced first when Teddrick Terrell took a LENORRIS FOOTMAN fumble 27 yards to the end zone for the first score of the game.

The Tigers' excitement did not last long. On the ensuing kickoff, MARQUIS WARFORD took the kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, which silenced the home crowd and tied the game at 7.

The number one defense in the SWAC held Jackson to 221 yards of total offence and no offensive touchdowns.

The Tigers' defense was able to hold Alcorn to 287 total offensive yards. The Braves uncharacteristically gave up three sacks, which is a season high.

The Tigers added a field goal in the second quarter to extend the lead 10­-7 with nine minutes left in the second half. The Braves missed an opportunity to tie the game after a missed field goal with 16 seconds left in the half. The Braves missed three field goals (26, 24, and 37 yards).

In the second half, the Braves went to their bread butter, the run game. After a 15-yard swing pass to Warford, the Braves attacked with four consecutive run plays.

The Tigers' ensuing drive ended with an interception by ERIC FOSTER in their backfield.

The Braves took advantage of great field position and drove 56 yard in seven plays, capped off on a one yard Aaron Baker touchdown, to take the final lead 14-­10.

On Jackson State's final possession, they drove from their 20-yard line to Alcorn 42- yard line with 2:26 on the game clock. Jordan Williams was not able to connect on their final four plays, turning the ball over on downs.

Ragsdale rushed for 101 yards to lead all rushers. Footman ran for 76 yards and threw for 89, his lowest output since taking over for an injured John Gibbs.

The Braves clinched a title berth last week and will face the Grambling State University Tigers December 5th in Houston, Texas at the NRG Stadium for a chance to repeat as SWAC champions and represent the conference in the Celebration Bowl versus Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference representative North Carolina A&T in Atlanta, Georgia.

BOX SCORE

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COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

The Bayou Classic Attendance was 62,507; Quick-strike offense puts Grambling ahead, then in control of the Bayou Classic against Southern

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Despite what many traditional thinkers may say, Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs has never cared much about how long his team possesses the ball.

He’s more concerned with how fast they can score.

Grambling’s quick-strike approach on offense — led by coordinator Eric Dooley, a longtime Southern assistant coach was a major reason the Tigers overcame a 17-point deficit and rallied for a 34-23 win over the Jaguars in Saturday’s 42nd Bayou Classic.

“With our offense, we’re always in the game,” Fobbs said. “We did a really good job of mixing in the run with the pass, but we always look to score quickly when we can.”


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After trailing 20-17 at halftime, Grambling opened the second half with a 13-play drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Grambling quarterback Johnathan Williams, but only took four-plus minutes off the clock.

Both teams struggled to get anything going the rest of the third quarter, but Grambling completed a four-play drive to open the fourth quarter, heaving a 54-yard bomb to Chad Williams to extend the team’s lead to 31-20.

Five of the Tigers’ six scoring drives took less than 4:10 off of the clock.

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