Jackson State icon Willie Richardson dies

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State legend Willie Richardson died on Monday afternoon, a university spokesperson confirmed.

Sharon-Grisham Stewart, Hinds County chief medical examiner/coroner, confirmed that Richardson died of natural causes.

Richardson, 76, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He played nine seasons in the NFL, mostly for the Baltimore Colts and appeared in Super Bowl III. Richardson was first-team All Pro in 1967 and made the Pro Bowl in '67 and '68.

"He could do anything with the ball (as a player). Last time I played golf with him he shot even par at age 75. Everything he did athletically was smooth. He made everything look easy," Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum historian Rick Cleveland said. "He always had a kind word for everybody. Last time I saw him was at the press conference to name Fred McNair the head coach at Alcorn (last week). Here's a Jackson State guy showing up for the head coach at the rival school and he did it just because he said so many times in life people don't get what they deserve. He wanted to be there for Fred because he was getting what he long deserved. He was just a kind guy."

Richardson was drafted by the..

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UNLV Football To Open 2016 By Hosting Jackson State

Rebels and Tigers will tangle in special Thursday matchup on September 1.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- UNLV will open its 2016 football season by hosting Jackson State University as part of a unique partnership between the two schools and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Director of Athletics Tina Kunzer-Murphy and LVCVA Chairman Lawrence Weekly announced Monday.

The game will be played Thursday, Sept. 1 at Sam Boyd Stadium. Kickoff time and TV information are still to be determined. Individual tickets to the game will go on sale during the summer. Group and season tickets are available now by calling (702) 739-FANS or visiting unlvtickets.com.

Festivities around the game will include more than just the on-field matchup as Jackson State’s famed marching band, the Sonic Boom of the South, cheerleading squad and popular dance squad, the Prancing J-Settes, will travel to Las Vegas and appear at other events, including a public pep rally, as well as at the stadium.

“We wanted our season-opener to stand out as we celebrate the program that head coach Tony Sanchez is building here and this will be more than just a game, it will be a party,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “UNLV is excited to help the LVCVA promote our community through helping us bring in a historic FCS program.”

Jackson State, a historically black college (HBCU), is a member of the tradition-rich Southwestern Athletic Conference and has produced Pro Football Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Jackie Slater and Lem Barney. UNLV hosted JSU once before, downing the Tigers 39-2 on Oct. 4, 1975. The Rebels are 3-0 all-time in games played against teams in the SWAC as they also downed Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M during the 1974 season.

“Las Vegas is a world-class city with an impressive listing of sporting events to match, including a variety of championship events that attract top professional and collegiate athletes and the most dedicated sports fans,” said Weekly. “We are excited to add the proud history of Jackson State football to our extensive lineup with the upcoming matchup against UNLV this football season and we look forward to welcoming the school’s fans to Las Vegas to experience everything our city has to offer.”

ABOUT THE LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and almost 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever- increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.lasvegas.com.  Rebels will open
their spring practice on March 7.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern University Human Jukebox Performance @ Nyx-Pre Party 2016

The 2016 Edition of the Southern University Human Jukebox. Under the Direction of Mr. Nathan Haymer,Head Director of Bands.Mr.Brian Simmons, Assistant Director of Bands. Mr. Kedric Taylor,Assistant Director of Bands. Mr. Lorenzo Hart,Percussion Instructor.



Krewe of Femme Fatale 2016

ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

Lincoln Blue Tigers Rack Up Eight Wins at the Mule Relays

WARRENSBURG, Missouri - The Lincoln women's track & field team won eight events and posted 18 top-five finishes at the Mule Relays, hosted by the University of Central Missouri on Friday (Feb. 5).

Yanique Ellington was a double winner, taking the crowns in both the 60m (7.63) and the 200m (25.09). In the former event, Adewumi Ademuwagun was the runner-up at 7.76 while Diana Cauldwell placed fourth at 7.84. In the 200m, Ademuwagun (26.35) came in third while Cauldwell (26.92) edged Kimona Shaw (26.93) for seventh.

Cauldwell picked up a win in the triple jump, posting a top distance of 12.02m, while Jonelle Campbell was the runner-up at 11.24m. Ademuwagun, meanwhile, was victorious in the long jump, claiming the title with a top mark of 5.49m. Tina Coombs came in second in the long jump at 5.48m and Cauldwell rounded out the top-three (5.41m).

Kissi-Ann Brown was also a two-time champion on Friday, winning the 400m in 58.23 before teaming with Jhevere Hall, Ebony Rose and Shanice Clarke to take the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:55.41. Shaw took fifth in the 400m, timing in at 1:00.37, and Tajera Lawkin came in seventh (1:03.99).

The Blue Tigers additionally swept the top-two of the 800m, with Monique Thompson taking the crown with a time of 2:15.74. Clarke, meanwhile, placed second in 2:21.57. LU's other win came in the 60m hurdles, where Nadia Harriott was the champ after finishing in 8.97. Lexanna Morgan finished fifth in the hurdles at 9.15.

Lincoln had two other notable finishes on the day, both in the 600-yard run. Ebony Rose took third in that event, clocking in at 1:28.81, while Akeeba Rose placed ninth in 1:38.21.

Up next for the Blue Tigers is the Fred Wilt Invitational, which will be hosted by Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 12-13).

Complete Results

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Brianna Lawrence’s Buzzer Beater Lifts TSU Past MSU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- Senior Brianna Lawrence sank a floater at the buzzer to give the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team a much needed win over Morehead State, 78-76, Saturday night in the Gentry Center.

 

After Morehead State tied the game with five seconds remaining, Tennessee State had one more chance. The Lady Tigers made good on their opportunity and Brianna Lawrence knocked down the game winner just before the clock expired.

 

The win snapped a five-game losing skid for TSU and moved the team to 10-14 (5-6 OVC). Lawrence finished with 18 points and four steals while Jayda Johnson scored 17. I’mani Davis notched her third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go with six assists and three blocks.

 

Miranda Crockett led Morehead State (9-16, 3-8 OVC) with 20 points while Eriel McKee (17), Brianna McQueen (14) and Natalie Greenwell (12) also reached double-figures.

 

The Lady Tigers got off to a fast start and made their first seven field goal attempts. A three-pointer by Diamond Beatty followed by a bucket from Jordan Brightwell gave TSU a 17-6 lead midway through the opening quarter.

 

Despite a 7-0 run from Morehead State, TSU led 21-15 heading into the second frame. The Eagles continued to push in the second quarter and outscored the Lady Tigers 8-3 to pull within one (27-26).

TSU once again built its lead up, 35-26, but MSU answered and sliced the deficit to one, 40-39, late in the period before the Lady Tigers went into halftime leading, 41-39.

 

Morehead State scored the first points of the second half and from there the teams traded buckets. The teams played to a 46-46 tie when scores from TSU including a reverse lay-up by Franceska Brown gave the Lady Tigers a, 51-46, cushion.

 

On the ensuing possession, however, MSU used a three-point play to make the score, 51-49. TSU created a little distance when Diamond Beatty knocked down a three-pointer near the two-minute mark. But seven consecutive points from opponent made the score, 61-61 with seconds on the clock. As time winded down, Brianna buried her fourth triple of the game at the buzzer to give TSU a, 64-61, lead heading into the final stanza.

 

Four unanswered points from Morehead State to start the fourth, gave the Eagles a 65-64 lead. On TSU’s next trip down the floor Asia Sims connected from long range to give the lead back to the Lady Tigers.

 

The next several minutes were a battle. At the final media timeout of the game, TSU was holding on to a slight, 71-70, lead. Out of the break, Asia Sims knocked down her second three-pointer of the game to make the score, 74-70, in favor of the home team with less than four minutes remaining. The score stayed close the rest of the game.

 

With 37 seconds remaining and TSU up by two, I’mani Davis came away with an offensive rebound that kept the possession with the Lady Tigers. After seconds ticked off the clock, TSU used a timeout to draw up a play.

 

TSU’s shot attempt, however, was off the mark and MSU grabbed the rebound. The Eagles burned a timeout to advance the ball with 10.9 seconds left. The Eagles were able to score with five seconds left to even the game at 76-all.

 

With time winding down, Brianna Lawrence drove the length of the court to drain a floater at the buzzer to give the Lady Tigers the victory.

 

Tennessee State returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 10 versus Tennessee Tech. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in the Gentry Center.

FINAL STATS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

McCall, Chaney Lead TSU Past Morehead State, 77-76

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 23 points and Armani Chaney (Chicago, Ill.) added a career-high 17 to carry the Tennessee State men’s basketball team to a 77-76 home victory over Morehead State on Saturday night at the Gentry Center.

 

“I’m really proud of our guys,” second-year TSU Head Coach Dana Ford said. “I thought they did a great job. We played against a really good team and someone I have a lot of respect for in Coach Woods. They’re a really good team, and they’re definitely someone who we had to play a really good game to beat. We’re happy with the win, and we’re moving on to our next game.”

The Tigers (16-7, 7-3 OVC) earned their first home victory over Morehead State (12-11, 6-5 OVC) since Jan. 11, 2012. Marcus Roper (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.) also finished in double figures with 11 points for TSU, which shot 54.5 percent (22-for-44) from the field.

 

For Morehead State, Xavier Moon posted a team-high 20 points to lead four Eagles in double figures.

Early on in the game, Demontez Loman (South Port, N.C.) picked up steals on back-to-back plays leading to his breakaway dunk followed by a McCall layup as the two sides were tied at 14-14 mid-way through the first half.

 

Later in the half when the Eagles had taken the lead, Chaney drove the lane and fed Loman for another dunk for a 24-23 lead to jumpstart a 9-0 run. The stretch gave the Tigers a 31-23 edge with just over a minute until halftime. The Tigers were able to take a 33-26 advantage going into the locker rooms.

 

The Eagles scored the first five points of the second half to cut the TSU edge down to 33-31. The Tigers bounced back later in the half when Roper banked in a three then swished another one next time down the floor for a 51-39 lead with just under 12 minutes left. The 12-point advantage was the largest for either side on the night.

 

After Morehead State was able to battle back, Chaney’s three from straight away extended TSU’s cushion back up to 63-55 with five minutes left.

 

In the final minute, Morehead State cut the lead down to two at 75-73 with 4.3 seconds left on Moon’s three-pointer. McCall knocked down two clutch free throws for a 77-73 lead before Miguel Dicent’s desperation three went in to put the final score at 77-76.

 

The Tigers forced the Eagles into 17 turnovers on the night with the Eagles holding a 33-31 rebounding advantage.

 

Up next, the Tigers host Tennessee Tech at the Gentry Center on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

 

GAME NOTES: TSU’s record now stands at 31-35 in the all-time series versus Morehead State… TSU improves to 8-2 at the Gentry Center this season… TSU’s last home win over Morehead State came on Jan. 11, 2012… Marcus Roper (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.) scored in double figures for the eighth time this season… The attendance of 6,312 was the highest for a TSU home game this season.

 

Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford

“We knew that we would have to match their intensity and their toughness and their grit. It was a pretty good matchup for us, and we were able to squeak it out. We’re going on the second week in February. It’s not about playing a certain way. It’s about winning, especially when you’re in a conference race.”

• On the close win

“Armani Chaney is really good. His situation this year is he has two experience guards in front of him. The kid can play. He can play 20-30 minutes a game right now as a freshman. He’s going to play a lot here. It’s just a credit to him to be ready to play when his number is called. He practices hard every day and he’s got some of the most high character of anyone on our team. We’re not surprised as a coaching staff because we know what he is capable of doing.”

• On the play of Armani Chaney

“It was special. We need to make it hard for other teams to win here. We need people to come out and watch the guys because they represent the University in a first-class way, and to me, that’s the most important thing. They deserve to play in front of thousands of fans because of the blood, sweat and tears they put in every day.”

• On the environment and fans

Tennessee State Guard Tahjere McCall

“Coming into tonight, the biggest focus was just being a team. Whoever is scoring, whoever is helping the helper, whoever is rebounding, just do everything together.”

• On the team effort

Tennessee State Guard Armani Chaney

“Really, I’ve just been trusting the process day-by-day and just trying to get better. I’m trying to be a better player when I don’t play and just be ready when my number is called. Everyone on the team helps me.”

• On being ready to play

“It was fun. This is college and this is an HBCU, so it’s even more fun. Everything is just based off how we do. I feel like we’ve brought something to the table this year, and the fans came out and supported us and we love that. We represent the University and they represent us."

• On the student second and environment at the game

BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Edward Waters Dawkins Joins 1000 Point Club In Rout Of Morris

Kyeshia Dawkins
Courtesy: GCAC Media Relations

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Edward Waters junior guard Kyeshia Dawkins entered Saturday's home non-conference game against Morris College needing just seven points to join the prestigious 1000 Point Club. Instead, the Columbia, South Carolina native led all scorers with 23 points as the Lady Tigers dominated their former Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Rivals, 83-53. Dawkins became just the fourth Lady Tiger in school history to achieve 1000 career points, joining former Lady Tiger stars Latrika Allen, Ruth Waters, & Ebony Presha.

Edward Waters (16-6, 3-4 GCAC) was dominant in every nearly phase of the as all but one Lady Tiger scored in the contest. EWC held the Lady Hornets (6-8) to just 28% shooting from the floor and forced 25 Morris turnovers. The Lady Tigers shot 42% from the floor and hit 78% of their free throws en route to the 30 point victory. EWC had two others in double figures along with Dawkins as freshman guard Jermisha Collins (Bradenton, Florida) finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Bianca Thornton (Miami, Florida) finished with 16 points in just over thirty minutes of action. Tomeka Harris, Lakil Mason, & Leondra King led the Morris efforts with nine points apiece.

The Lady Tigers continue their home stand this Wednesday night as they will host the Lady Hornets of Concordia College-Alabama in a non-conference matchup at 6pm inside the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Center.

COURTESY: GULF COAST ATHLETICS CONFERENCE MEDIA RELATIONS