Jackson's 3-pointer at buzzer gives XU win at Tougaloo

BOX SCORE

TOUGALOO, Miss. — Seth Jackson scored a career-high 25 points and made a 3-pointer at the final buzzer Monday to give Xavier University of Louisiana an 84-81 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory at Tougaloo.
    
The Gold Rush (19-11, 6-5) won on the road for the second time in three days.
     
Jackson's shot occurred after Andravious Smith of the Bulldogs (12-11, 4-7) scored a tying 2-pointer after an offensive rebound with six seconds remaining.
    
Jackson, a junior guard, was 3-of-3 from behind the arc after entering the game 1-of-17 for the season. He made his first 3-pointer Saturday at Edward Waters to end a zero-for-15 drought.

Morris Wright scored 21 points, including four 3-pointers, for Xavier. Chris Ward scored 13 points and Gary Smith 10. Wright scored in double figures for the 38th consecutive game and made a 3-pointer for the 37th consecutive game.

De'Andre Scott scored 30 points and Quintarius Porter 24 for Tougaloo, which led 12-0 through the first three minutes and 43-42 at halftime. Scott made five 3-pointers.
    
Xavier will visit GCAC and city rival Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday to close the regular season. The GCAC Tournament will begin March 4 in New Orleans, with first-round games at Dillard (men) and SUNO (women) and semifinals and finals at Xavier's Convocation Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Florida A&M Men’s Tennis Team Bests Liberty, Citadel

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The FAMU Men’s Tennis team swept two home matches over the weekend, bouncing Liberty University and The Citadel at the Rattler Tennis Courts, winning both matches by 5-2 scores.

Tennis Match Results

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY vs Florida A&M University
Feb 19, 2016 at Tallahassee, FL
(FAMU Tennis Courts)
Florida A&M University 5, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY 2

Singles competition
1. MATHESON,Sam (LIBERTYM) def. OKUNGBOWA,Courage (FAMUM) 3-6, 7-5, 10-6
2. SMALL,Karlyn (FAMUM) def. SAMAAI,Egon (LIBERTYM) 7-5, 6-0
3. WAITMAN, C. Agustin (FAMUM) def. POYNTER,Alex (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-4
4. ESPINOZA,Walner (FAMUM) def. CASTANO,Diego (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 6-3
5. GUTIERREZ,Eddie (LIBERTYM) def. EVANS,Jalen (FAMUM) 6-1, 6-3
6. SKOROMNYY,Illya (FAMUM) def. BUSH,David (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. MATHESON,Sam/SAMAAI,Egon (LIBERTYM) vs. ESPINOZA,Walner/WAITMAN, C. Agustin (FAMUM) no result
2. OKUNGBOWA,Courage/SKOROMNYY,Illya (FAMUM) def. GUTIERREZ,Eddie/HELLER,Ryker (LIBERTYM) 6-2
3. SMALL,Karlyn/EVANS,Jalen (FAMUM) def. CASTANO,Diego/BUSH,David (LIBERTYM) 6-2

Tennis Match Results
THE CITADEL vs Florida A&M University
Feb 20, 2016 at Tallahassee, FL
(FAMU Tennis Courts)
Florida A&M University 5, THE CITADEL 2

Singles competition
1. AMARI,Artemie (CITADELM) def. OKUNGBOWA,Courage (FAMUM) 6-4, 6-3
2. SMALL,Karlyn (FAMUM) def. BRADLEY,Nicholas (CITADELM) 6-4, 6-2
3. WAITMAN, C. AgCustin (FAMUM) def. HENSON,Matthew (CITADELM) 6-2, 6-2
4. ESPINOZA,Walner (FAMUM) def. PRIDE,Jackson (CITADELM) 7-6, 6-0
5. EVANS,Jalen (FAMUM) def. HOBSON,Roy (CITADELM) 6-4, 6-4
6. ANZALONE,Michael (CITADELM) def. SKOROMNYY,Illya (FAMUM) 7-6, 4-6, 10-7

Doubles competition
1. ESPINOZA,Walner/WAITMAN, C. Agustin (FAMUM) def. AMARI,Artemie/BRADLEY,Nicholas (CITADELM) 8-0
2. OKUNGBOWA,Courage/SKOROMNYY,Illya (FAMUM) def.
ANZALONE,Michael/HENSON,Matthew (CITADELM) 8-6
3. SMALL,Karlyn/EVANS,Jalen (FAMUM) def. PRIDE,Jackson/GRADY,Connor (CITADELM) 8-3

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Rush, Nuggets rained out in Georgia 2nd straight day

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia -- Xavier University of Louisiana's dual matches Sunday in the Green and Gray Tennis Invitational against Cumberland and Georgia Gwinnett were rained out.

It was the second consecutive day that rain prevented the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets from playing. XU coach Alan Green said he will attempt to reschedule with Georgia Gwinnett, which has the NAIA's top-ranked men's team and No. 2 women's team.

Next for Xavier's women, 1-3 and ranked 13th in the NAIA, will be Grambling at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Greenwood Park in Baker, La. The XU men, 4-2 and ranked fourth, will play Troy at 3 p.m. Thursday at XU Tennis Center. Troy was 68th in the NCAA Division I team rankings of Jan. 27.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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CIAA Announces 42nd Annual Women’s Basketball Tournament Bracket

COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE BRACKETS

CHARLOTTE^nd Annual Women's Basketball Tournament bracket.  The 2016 CIAA Basketball Tournament will be held from Tuesday, February 23^rd – Saturday, February 27^th at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Women's competition will kick-off at 10:00 a.m. EST.
, North Carolina  -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) releases the official 42
"This is the most exciting time of CIAA basketball.  We have great pairings, great parity, and you never know who is going to be crowned champion", says CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams.

"The twenty-two game schedule will definitely be the highlight of this year's tournament experience as the legacy continues."

With the conclusion of regular season competition, the 2016 Women's Basketball Tournament pairings and bracket have been announced by the CIAA Basketball Tournament Committee.  Pairings are based on the highest divisional winning percentage.  In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker rule begins with head-to-head competition results followed by head-to-head point differential.  If a tie situation remains, the highest conference winning percentage will be utilized.  The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds of each division receive a first round bye.

Virginia Union University (VUU) captured the Northern Divisional Title with a 9-1 record.  For the second consecutive season, Shaw University (SU) has been crowned the Southern Division Champion with a 9-1 record in divisional play.

Chowan University (CU) represents the North at the No. 2 seed with an 8-2 record.  Livingstone College (LC) will represent the South as the No. 2 seed and Fayetteville State University (FSU) will compete on Tuesday as the South's No. 3 seed, as determined by the following tiebreaker scenario. Both teams finished with a 6-4 divisional record and split victories in head-to-head contests.

However, Livingstone earned a 14-point advantage with the 82-64 victory on February 10^th compared to the 2-point (65-63) FSU advantage on January 20^th.

Fayetteville State will open the tournament at 10:00 a.m. versus the North's No. 6 seed Bowie State University (BSU).  No. 3 seeded Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (LUPA) will take on Saint Augustine's University (SAU), the South's No. 6 seed, at 12:10 p.m.  Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), the South No. 4 seed, will play the North's No. 5 Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) at 2:20 p.m.  Concluding women's play on Tuesday will feature the North's No. 4 Virginia State University (VSU) versus the South's No. 5 Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday's action will begin at 10:00 a.m. with No. 2 North Chowan awaiting the winner of the FSU/BSU matchup.  The South's No. 2 Livingstone will play the winner of the LUPA/SAU battle at 12:10 p.m.  The JCSU/ECSU winner will advance to face-off versus the Northern Division's top contender, Virginia Union, at 2:20 p.m.  Women's contests will close with a battle between Shaw (South No. 1) and the winner of VSU/WSSU.

Tournament play will continue with semi-finals on Friday, February 26^th starting at 3:00 p.m.  The Women's Championship Game will tip-off on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and air live on the ASPiRE Network.

For more information regarding the 2016 CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit ciaatournament.org.  Follow the CIAA on social media via Facebook (TheCIAA), Twitter (@CIAAForLife), Instagram (@CIAASports), or download the CIAA mobile app available for Apple and Android devices.

COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS

CIAA Announces 71st Annual Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket

CLICK ON SCHEDULE TO ENLARGE
COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS

Charlotte, North Carolina  --  The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) releases the official 71^st Men's Basketball Tournament bracket.  The 2016 CIAA Basketball Tournament will be held from Tuesday, February 23^rd – Saturday, February 27^th at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Men's competition is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. EST.

With the conclusion of regular season competition, the 2016 Men's Basketball Tournament pairings and bracket have been announced by the CIAA Basketball Tournament Committee.  Pairings are based on the highest divisional winning percentage.  In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker rule begins with head-to-head competition results followed by head-to-head point differential.  If a tie situation remains, the highest conference winning percentage will be utilized.

"This is the most exciting time of CIAA basketball.  We have great pairings, great parity, and you never know who is going to be crowned champion.  The twenty-two game schedule will definitely be the highlight of this year's tournament experience as the legacy continues."

Virginia State University (VSU) earned the North's No. 1 seed with an 8-2 record while the Southern Division was clinched by the 7-3 Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU).  The No. 2 seeds were accounted for by Virginia Union (VUU), who finished 7-3 in the North and Saint Augustine's University (SAU), who completed a 6-4 divisional season.

Bowie State University (BSU) came in at No. 3 in the North, after topping a tiebreaker with Chowan University (CU).  Both 5-5 and tied in head-to-head contests, the tiebreaker was determined by the point differentials of BSU's 78-62 victory on February 13, a 16-point advantage, in contrast to the Hawks' 70-61 victory on February 16, a 9-point advantage.  Shaw University (SU) secured the South's No. 3 seed followed by Livingstone College (LC) at No. 4, who stole a three-way tiebreaker over Fayetteville State University (FSU) and Winston-Salem State University (WSSU).

Livingstone, Fayetteville State (South No. 5), and Winston-Salem State (South No. 6) all held 4-6 records at the conclusion of regular season play.  After a second three-way tie in head-to-head contest records, the seeding order was determined by head-to-head point differentials.  Between Livingstone and FSU, a 13-point advantage was earned by the Blue Bears in their 97-84 victory on February 10 as opposed to the 6-point margin (84-78) tallied by the Broncos on January 20.  Between WSSU and FSU, a 17-point advantage was earned by the Broncos in their 67-50 victory on February 13 as opposed to the 2-point margin (66-65) tallied by the Rams on January 25.  Winston-Salem State and Livingstone achieved a 2-point differential over one another, resulting in yet another tie.  Taking conference records into account, Livingstone topped WSSU with their 7-9 record (.438%) over the Rams' 5-11 (.313%) finish.

Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (LUPA) and Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) rounded out the North at No. 5 and 6, respectively.

The men's competition will begin at 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday with a contest between Lincoln (Pa.) will meet Winston-Salem State.  Immediately following at 8:50 p.m., Fayetteville State and Elizabeth City State.

Wednesday's bracket schedule will highlight Chowan awaiting the winner between FSU/ECSU for a 6:40 p.m. tip-off.  That evening, at 8:50 p.m., Livingstone will battle the winner of the LUPA/WSSU contest.

Men's quarterfinals will tipoff at 1:00 p.m. between SAU and BSU.  Virginia State will await the winner of the Chowan and FSU/ECSU game at 3:00 p.m. Johnson C. Smith will take on the winner of the Livingstone versus LUPA/WSSU contest at 7:00 p.m.  At 9:00 p.m., Virginia Union and Shaw will take their turn on the court.  Quarterfinals are broadcast live on the ASPiRE Network and streamed via CampusInsiders.com.

Friday, February 26^th will feature the men's semi-final basketball games at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.  The Men's Championship Game is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and will broadcast live on ESPN3 and tape-delayed for a 10:00 p.m. broadcast on ESPNU.

For more information regarding the 2016 CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit ciaatournament.org.  Follow the CIAA on social media via Facebook (TheCIAA), Twitter (@CIAAForLife), Instagram (@CIAASports), or download the CIAA mobile app available for Apple and Android devices.

COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS

Stillman Wins 12th Straight

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Stillman College men's basketball team took on Tuskegee University on Saturday. The Tigers of Stillman College were victorious, 75-61, in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest. The win was the 12^th in a row for the Tigers and their 17^th win in their last 18 games.

Ronald Singleton led Stillman (21-5, 15-1) with 25 points and nine rebounds. Rodnerius Lewis added 17 points for Stillman. Stanley Magee chipped in 10 points in 13 minutes off the bench. The Tigers finished the night shooting 46 (23-of-50) percent from the floor.

Elijah McMillan led Tuskegee (13-11, 9-8 SIAC) with 17 points, while Joshua Culver added 11 in the loss for the Golden Tigers. Tuskegee finished the night shooting 32.8 (19-of-58) percent from the floor and 25.0 (6-of-24) percent from beyond the arc.

Stillman will play at Fort Valley State on Monday night. Game time is set for 7:30 PM.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY STILLMAN COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Virginia State Men’s Basketball Outlasts Lions in Overtime to Clinch Northern Division Title

ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Virginia State University men's basketball team outlast Lincoln University, 66- 62, in overtime on Saturday, February 20 clinching the CIAA Northern Division Champion Title. A crowd of 4,976 Trojans, military members, faculty, family, and friends gathered to commemorate Senior Night and the Trojans debut in the Virginia State University Multipurpose Center.

With the win the Trojans conclude the 2015-16 regular season 20-5 overall, 14 -2 in the CIAA.

The Trojans were offensively led by junior forward Elijah Moore (Yorktown, VA) who recorded 12 points. Freshman forward Joseph Bradshaw (Silver Springs, MD) led the Trojans defensive effort recording 7 rebounds.



In the first half the Trojans shot 38.2 percent (13-34) from the field, 11.1 percent (1-9) from behind the arc, and 70 percent (7-10) at the line.

The Lions went on a 7-0 run to begin the game. LU took their largest lead of the game with 13:58 remaining in the first half up by 16 points.

A shot from behind the arc by sophomore Waymond Wright (Raleigh, NC) at the 12:43 mark began a series of scoring for the Trojans. With 7 minutes remaining in the first half junior guard Kevin Williams (Franklinton, NC) linked up with Moore to close the scoring gap and bring the Trojans within 2 points.

With 5:33 remaining in the first half, a quick layup by Williams was the first of nine game ties, knotting the Trojans and Lions at 24- all. A free throw by freshman guard Cyonte Melvin (Hampton, VA) gave the Trojans their first lead of the contest with 5:09 left in the opening half, but the Lions didn't let up and carried a 35-34 lead into the half.

Moore got to the rim to score the first points of the second half, giving the Trojans a 36-35 lead.

Both teams battled back and forth through a series of ties and lead changes as the second half progressed.

With 1:04 left in the game VSU found themselves trailing LU 52-57. Layups by Williams and Moore brought the Trojans within 1 point. After sending the Lions to the line, VSU trailed by 2 points. With 1.3 seconds remaining in the game, Moore hit the 1st free throw and intentionally misses the second.  Junior forward Melvin Gregory (Weems, VA) secures the rebound and puts the shot back up to send the game into overtime.

Down 62-61 in overtime, the Trojans lay on the defensive pressure and force a LU turnover. A basket by Moore at the other end gave the Trojans a 63-62 lead. The crowd erupted and the Trojans would maintain possession of the lead for the duration of the game for the 66-62 win.

VSU ended the night shooting 41.9 percent (26-62) from the field, 16.7 percent (3-18) from behind the arc, and 45.8 percent (11-24) at the line.

The Trojans will depart for Charlotte, NC tomorrow to prepare for the CIAA Tournament. The Tournament will be held February 22-27. VSU men's basketball will play their first contest of the tournament on Thursday, February 25.

The Virginia State Department of Athletics annual 1,000 cans, 1 goal campaign initiative is underway. The canned food items collected will be donated to the local food banks. The Department encourages all fans, alumni, faculty and friends to bring a canned food item to all of the home games this season.

For more information on VSU Trojans men's basketball, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.

Box Score

COURTESY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Hosts Coppin State on ESPNU Monday Night

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Norfolk State makes its lone ESPNU appearance of the MEAC regular season on Monday when the Spartan men's basketball team takes on Coppin State at home at Joseph Echols Hall. Tip-off is slated for an official 9:05 p.m. start.

The first of four final regular season games finds NSU needing a win to control its destiny for the No. 1 seed in the MEAC tournament. At 9-3, NSU finds itself in third place and one game back in the loss column from league leader Hampton (10-2). South Carolina State (10-3) sits in second place.

Despite a loss in its last game, NSU has still won seven of its past nine.

Norfolk State Men's Basketball

NSU vs. Coppin State	Monday, Feb. 22	9 p.m.	Joseph Echols Hall
TV: ESPNU | Watch ESPN	Live Stats
Radio: Star 1310 AM | Live Audio; Hot 91.1 FM | Live Audio	Game Notes

Media Coverage
Jason Benetti and Stan Lewter will have the call on ESPNU, NSU's second appearance of the season on the channel. Fans can also view the game through the WatchESPN app.

The game will also be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Aaron Clark on the call. Live audio is available through www.star1310.com as well as hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Star 1310 website or through www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB") for Hot 91.1.

Fans can also follow along with the live stats.

Series History
Norfolk State has won the last seven meetings with Coppin State, including the first meeting this year by an 88-56 score. CSU's last win came at Echols Hall on Jan. 30, 2012, a game in which NSU scored just 13 points in the first half but 69 in the second, ultimately falling to the Eagles, 87-82. The Spartans still lead the all-time series, 25-11.

About Coppin State
The Eagles are coming off a win last Thursday at home in a make-up contest from earlier this year. CSU downed North Carolina Central 71-60 to improve to 7-19 overall and 5-8 in the league. Three players score in double figures for a team that averages close to 71 but also gives nearly 81 points per game. Christian Kessee leads the way with 14.0 points, with Terry Harris (11.8 points, 7.1 rebounds) and Trevon Seymore (10.1 points, 3.8 assists) also providing offense. The Eagles shoot just 37.6 percent overall and 32.8 percent from long range, averaging 22.5 attempts per game. CSU has been outrebounded by 4.5 boards per contest and allow teams to shoot better than 47 percent from the field.

Last Time Out
NSU had a 17-point first-half lead but went nearly 10 minutes at the start of the second half without a field goal. Despite tying the game late and erasing what had been a nine-point deficit, the Spartans were unable to get past Delaware State in a 67-64 loss on Saturday. Jordan Butler tied the game with two free throws with 23 seconds left, but DSU's Devin Morgan drained a 3-pointer with just 5.7 seconds left for the win. D'Shon Taylor made a last-second shot from just inside the 3-point line, and then Morgan made two free throws after a technical foul for the final margin. Taylor and Jeff Short each had 15 points for NSU, which shot 50 percent in the first half but just 5-of-21 in the second half. Butler had 14 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. The Spartans last surrendered a 17-point lead two years ago in a setback to East Carolina.

MEAC Standings
Hampton (10-2), South Carolina State (10-3) and NSU (9-3) are in a tight battle for the top 3 spots in the league, including the more advantageous first and second spots in the MEAC tournament. The only other team in the MEAC with less than six losses is Bethune-Cookman (8-5). The top four seeds in this year's tournament will get byes into the quarterfinal.

Block Party
The Spartans set the school record with 17 blocks against Morgan State, surpassing the previous best of 13 set at Savannah State on Jan. 5, 2005. The team's 17 swats is tied with Houston Baptist for the most this season in a game in NCAA Division I. NSU has 24 blocks the last two games.

NSU ranks No. 34 in the nation with 5.1 blocks per game. The top four seasons in NSU history in terms of total blocks have all come within the last five years. The Spartans have averaged 161.0 blocks per season over those last five years and currently have 137 for this season.

Player Tidbits
Jeff Short
 • Averaging 16.8 points on 27-of-58 shooting and 2.0 assists last 5 games
 • Has 7 steals the last 2 games
 • Averaging 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 46.5 % from the floor in league games
 • Ranks 6th in the MEAC in scoring (16.0), 7th in free throw % (80.5),  and 3-point field goal % (37.6) and 10th in 3-point field goals (2.2); Sits No. 164 in the nation in free throw % (80.5), 198 in points per game (16.0) and 212 in 3-point field goals per game (2.15)
 • Stands No. 118 in NCAA D-I in career scoring average (13.1) and 134 in points (1,247)
 • Ranks 2nd in NSU career records in free throw % (.814), 7th in 3-point field goals (125), 8th in 3-point field goal percentage (.386), 10th in 3-point field goal attempts (324), 16th in scoring average (17.8) and 34th in scoring (1,065)
 • Ranks 7th in a season in NSU's D-I history in free throw % (80.5) and 11th in scoring average (16.0) and 3-point field goals (56)
 • Has made a 3-pointer in 17 straight games

D'Shon Taylor
 • Has scored 12+ points in 11 of the last 12 games and is averaging 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds last 6 games
 • Has 11 steals the last 6 games
 • Averaging 13.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in league play while shooting 46.2 % overall and 39.1 % from the 3-point line
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (36.6), 12th in field goal % (45.3) and 17th in scoring (12.7)
 • Ranks 13th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal % (.359) and 16th in 3-point field goals (84) and 3-point field goal attempts (234)

Charles Oliver
 • 22-of-24 from the free throw line the last 5 games
 • Averaging 13.3 points in league play while shooting 42.7 % from the floor, 39.4 % from 3-point range and 84.6 % from the free throw line
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in free throw % (83.1), 13th in 3-point field goals (1.9), 14th in 3-point field goal % (35.6) and 18th in scoring (12.5); Sits No. 94 in the nation in free throw % (83.1)
 • Stands 3rd in NSU D-I season records for free throw % (83.1) and 14th in 3-point field goals (52)

Zaynah Robinson
 • Averaging 10.3 points, 5.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds in the last 4 games
 • Averaging 7.7 points and 3.5 assists in league games while shooting 40.0 % overall, 40.6 % from 3-point range and 84.4 % from the free throw line
 • Has hit 30 of his last 34 free throw attempts
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in assist-turnover ratio (4.0), 4th in 3-point field goal % (40.8), 6th in steals (1.4) and 10th in assists (3.1); Stands No. 7 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (4.00) and 202 in steals per game (1.41)

Jordan Butler
 • Averaging 12.4 points on 20-of-35 shooting with 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks the last 5 games
 • Shot 12-of-16 from the free throw line at Delaware State, the most attempts by an NSU player since Corey Lyons had 18 on March 12, 2009; Has gone 19-of-25 from the line the last 2 games
 • Has 13 blocks the last 2 games; Tied career high with 7 blocks against Morgan State, tying the NSU D-I record shared by Kyle O'Quinn; Fell 1 short of tying the overall school record of 8
 • Averaging 7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.2 assists in league play while shooting 52.8 % from the floor and 76.0 % from the free throw line
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in blocks (2.3), 8th in offensive rebounds (2.4), 9th in rebounding (6.9) and 11th in defensive rebounds (4.5); Also stands No. 30 in the nation in blocks (2.26), 174 in offensive rebounds (2.41) and 219 in rebounds (6.9)
 • Stands No. 45 in NCAA D-I in career blocks per game average (1.62)
 • Ranks 6th in NSU career records in blocks (97)
 • Also stands 5th in NSU D-I season records for blocks (61)

Alex Long
 • Averaging 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 assists while shooting 59.1 % from the floor and 88.0 % from the free throw line in league play
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)
 • Has hit 24 of his last 27 free throw attempts

Preston Bungei
 • Averaging 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in league play while shooting 51.3 % from the floor and 77.4 % from the free throw line
 • Ranks 12th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)

Jonathan Wade
 • Averaging 7.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 43.5 % from the floor and 86.7 % from the free throw line in league play

Good from the Line
NSU, which ranked No. 282 in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 77.3 percent this season, which currently ranks the Spartans fifth in the nation. NSU is attempting to hit better than 70 percent this year for the first time since the 2003-04 season and break the school record of 72.3 set in 1968-69.

On the year, the Spartans have shot 330-of-413 (79.9 percent) from the free throw line after intermission but just 168-of-233 (72.1 percent) beforehand. They have also hit 146-of-178 (82.0 percent) in the last five minutes and overtime of their games this year.

Good From Long Range
With 202 3-pointers this year, Norfolk State has set the school record for most makes in a season, surpassing the previous best of 198 set in 2011-12. NSU is hitting 35.9 percent from beyond the arc, just ahead of the school's Division I record of 35.7 percent set in 1998-99.

Big Win
NSU's 32-point victory over Coppin State in December marked the Spartans' biggest victory against a MEAC team as well as any Division I opponent. The previous best for a D-I opopnent was a 31-point victory (81-50) at Savannah State (then a D-I independent) on Jan. 5, 2005. The previous best against a MEAC opponent came on Jan. 16, 2006 in a 28-point win over Morgan State (81-53).

Up That Scoring
NSU is averaging 73.5 points per game this year, the most since the Spartans tallied 76.0 per game in 1999-2000.

Conference Streak
NSU has secured its 18th straight season this year with a .500 or better record in the MEAC. In fact, in Norfolk State's 61 seasons in a conference, the program has had just one losing conference record (9-10 in the CIAA in 1990-91).

NSU is tied with Wisconsin for eighth in the nation for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records in a row in Division I (See table page 5). NSU has posted 23 straight .500 or better conference records, dating back to that 1990-91 campaign.

Limit Those Giveaways
The Spartans on the season are averaging 12.8 turnovers per contest. The school record for fewest giveaways per game is 13.1 set in 1987-88. NSU has also had as many or fewer turnovers than the opposition in 12 of the last 13 games. On the flip side, NSU is averaging 20.6 points off turnovers the last eight games.

Rackin' Up the Points
In five of NSU's wins this year in conference play, the Spartans have scored 99, 92, 88 (twice) and 87 points. In fact, NSU has scored at least 70 points in 11 of 12 MEAC games this year and is averaging a league-best 80.9 points and shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from 3-point range and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe in conference games. The Spartans also have a 73-34 edge in blocks against MEAC teams this year.

MEAC Rankings
The Spartans continue to lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage (35.9) and free throw percentage (77.3) while also ranking second in scoring offense (73.5), field goal percentage defense (42.6), 3-pointers per game (7.5) and blocks (5.1) and third in scoring margin (-0.5), assists (12.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.0).

Scoring Around the Basket
NSU is averaging 25.3 points in the paint this year but 33.2 in the last five games.

Winning Record
NSU is aiming for its fifth straight winning season. Prior to the start of that streak in 2011-12, NSU had a winning record just twice in 14 seasons since moving to Division I in 1997. The Spartans owned an 86-51 record over the previous four seasons, the best four-game stretch for the program since 1993-97 (94-26).

Best in the Conference
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, NSU is 61-15 in regular season conference play (29-8 at home, 32-7 on the road), just behind North Carolina Central (62-14) during that time for the best record in the league. Counting MEAC tournament games, the Spartans are 67-18, while the Eagles are 67-17 during that time. NSU also owns a 99-65 overall record since the start of the 2011-12 season, second in the conference to North Carolina Central (103-53).

Good from 3
Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 208 straight games, dating back to a contest at South Carolina State on Jan. 25, 2010, when NSU finished 0-of-17 from 3-point range.

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

MSU Lady Bears Knock Off N.C. Central, 66-55; Takeover First-Place In MEAC Standings

COURTESY MSU ATHLETICS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Durham, North Carolina native Zuri White recorded her third double-double of the season, finishing with a game-high 12 rebounds and 10 points, to help the Lady Bears to a 66-55 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over visiting North Carolina Central (NCCU) on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House.

Braennan Farrar finished with 15 points, seven assists and four steals, all game highs for the Lady Bears (12-13, 10-3 MEAC), who improved to 7-3 at home. Benedicta Makakala added 10 points, while Lexus Spears and Tykyrah Williams each added eight points apiece for Morgan State, who won their fourth straight at home and improved to 5-1 in MEAC play at Hill Field House this season.

It wasn't pretty all the time, but in the end the Lady Bears ended a two-game losing skid to NCCU and also got some help from their crosstown rivals at Coppin State. Morgan State's win, coupled with Bethune-Cookman's loss to Florida A&M, along with Coppin State's four-point upset win over league-leader Hampton on Saturday, has the Lady Bears sitting in sole possession of first-place in the league standings.

The visiting Lady Eagles (4-20, 2-11 MEAC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held a 9-2 advantage, before Morgan State got going with a 12-0 spurt to take a 14-9 lead into the second quarter. Two free throws by Makakala got the run going and Spears' layup at the 2:15 mark in the first quarter gave the Lady Bears their first field goal of the game and cut the guests lead to 9-6. Morgan State then scored the next four points, capped off by a layup from Farrar to give the hosts their first lead of the quarter at 10-9 after one.

The Lady Bears concluded their 12-0 run, scoring the first four points to start the second quarter for the 14-9 lead. Back-to-back three-pointers by Farrar and Danielle Robinson gave Morgan State a 22-16 lead with 4:52 left in the quarter. North Carolina Central pulled within 24-20 on a basket by Tisha Dixon with 1:44 remaining, but the Lady Bears closed out the period with a three-pointer by Robinson, followed by a trey by Farrar, as time expired to give the hosts a 30-20 halftime advantage.

NCCU came out in the second half scoring the first six straight points in part of a 12-4 run to cut the Lady Bears' lead down to two points (34-32) with 4:56 left in the third quarter. Morgan State responded with a 9-4 run to extend its lead to 43-36, following a basket by White with 2:10 left in the quarter. The Lady Bears would cling to a 45-40 lead after three.

The guests pulled within 53-51, following two free throws by Kierona Morton with 5:39 remaining in the game. That would be as close as the Lady Eagles would get. The Lady Bears would score the next seven points, while holding NCCU scoreless for the next 5:17 to take a 60-51 lead.

A layup by Monique Whaley-Briggs with 22 seconds to play ended the scoring drought for the Lady Eagles, who would suffer their fourth consecutive game and eighth straight MEAC contest this season.

Dixon led NCCU with 13 points and 11 rebounds to earn a double-double. Chantal Thomas scored 11 points and had a team-high five assists and a game-high four steals. Whaley-Briggs came off the bench to score 11 points.

Both teams tallied 40 rebounds for the game. NCCU committed 23 turnovers, which Morgan State turned into 21 points. Morgan State had 15 turnovers as a team and the Lady Eagles scored 10 points off those turnovers. NCCU's bench held a 22-15 advantage.

Morgan State will battle North Carolina A&T State (11-13, 9-3 MEAC) in a crucial late season MEAC contest on Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House. The Lady Aggies, who enter Monday's game tied with Hampton in second-place, were off on Saturday and was in a three-way tie for second with the Lady Bears and Bethune-Cookman, before Saturday's games were played.

The Lady Aggies hold a 36-21 alSCl-time series advantage over Morgan State and have won the last four contests against the Lady Bears. Last season N.C. A&T defeated Morgan State, 69-57 in Greensboro, N.C. (2/23/15).

BOX SCORE

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas Southern wins SWAC Indoor Track and Field Championship

PHOTO COURTESY: SWAC.ORG

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  – Texas Southern University repeated as Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field champions, winning the 2016 meet with 122 points. Sunday afternoon at the Birmingham Crossplex.

Clyde Duncan from Texas Southern University was presented the 2016 Men's Indoor Coach of the Year award.

Alabama State placed second with 99 points.  Grambling State finished third with 91 points.  Rounding out the final standings were: Jackson State (78), Prairie View (73), Mississippi Valley (46)  Southern (44), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (41), Alcorn State (21) and Alabama A&M (9).

Southern’s Reginald Redding and Alcorn State’s Darryl Jones were the 2016 Co-Men's Most Outstanding Field Performers.  Redding won the men’s shot put and was second in the weight throw, and Jones was second in the triple jump and long jump.  Grambling State’s Hassan Chepkwony was the 2016 Men’s Most Outstanding Field Performer, winning the men’s 1-mile run, 3000m run and 5000m run.

WEIGHT THROW
Grambling State’s Samuel Reese claimed the SWAC crown  in the men’s weight throw with a toss of 15.59m (51-01.75 feet). Reginald Redding of Southern was second (15.44m; 50-08.00 feet), and Texas Southern’s Trauvon Martin made a throw of 14.89m (48-10.25 feet) to earn third place.

POLE VAULT
Jawalyn Brooks repeated as SWAC champion in the men’s pole vault, outdueling Southern’s Desmond Thomas to win the 2016 title. Brooks cleared 4.55m (14-11.00 feet) to earn first place. Thomas, who finished second, also cleared 4.55m, but had more unsuccessful attempts than Brooks during the event. In third place was Alabama State’s Christopher Amisal (4.25m; 13-11.25 feet).

TRIPLE JUMP
Tevin Kimble of Texas Southern notched a jump of 15.08m (49-05.75 feet) to capture the top spot in the men’s triple jump. Alcorn State’s Darryl Jones (15.02m; 49-03.50 feet) was second, and Jackson State’s Javauny Hyde earned third place with a distance of 14.74m (48-04.50 feet).

60M HURDLES
Jackson State’s Bentrell McGee broke the SWAC Indoor Championship record in the 60-meter hurdles, as he took home the gold with a time of 7.85 seconds. The previous record was set in 2005 by Jackson State’s Michael Tinsley. Mississippi Valley State’s Shane Martin earned second place (8.02 seconds), and Texas Southern’s Mykele Young Sanders was third with a time of 8.04 seconds.

60M
Alabama State’s Josh Davis won the men’s 60-meter dash with a mark of 6.81 seconds. Coming in second place for the second-straight year was Prairie View's Keon Campbell, running a time of 6.82 seconds. Finishing third was Jackson State’s Bentrell McGee with a time of 6.83 seconds.

MILE
Grambling State’s Hassan Chepkwony took the gold medal in the men’s 1-mile run with a time of 4.25.32. Bryont Brown of Alabama State overtook Jackson State’s James Curtis down the stretch to gain second place with a time of 4.25.85, and Curtis was third with a time of 4.25.99.

400M
Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Jerrel Wilson won the men’s 400-meter dash with a time of 47.93 seconds. Grambling State’s Jamael McTear finished second at 48.01 seconds, and UAPB’s Justin Cooper claimed third with a time of 48.18 seconds.

800M
After a third-place finish in 2015, Southern’s John Haynes nabbed first place in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.35. Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Malique Smith finished second at 1:54.51, and Texas Southern’s Jalen Wade was third (1:55.26).

200M
Jackson State’s Bentrell McGee notched a time of 21.14 seconds to claim the men’s 200-meter SWAC title. Finishing second was Texas Southern’s Clyde Lee (21.45 seconds) and Mississippi Valley’s Eric Chism finished third at 21.51 seconds.

5000M
Grambling State’s Hassan Chepkwony won the 2016 SWAC championship in the 5000m run with a time of 15:43.46. Aaron Albert of Mississippi Valley State was second with a result of 16:07.75, and Syed Hussain of Prairie View finished third (16:14.38).

4x400M RELAY
Arkansas-Pine Bluff set a new SWAC Indoor Championship record, as Jordan Haley, Lamarques Woodard, Jerrel Wilson and Justin Cooper won the event at 3:12.54, breaking the previous high mark of 3:13.26 set by Jackson State in 2005. Finishing second was Grambling State, and Alabama State was third.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU Women Hold Off B-CU At Homecoming, 53-48

Tallahassee, Florida – The FAMU Women’s Basketball team held off Bethune-Cookman, 53-48,  in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at the Al Lawson Center Saturday afternoon.

 

This match up had a lot more at stake than bragging rights for the year.  This game was for a top seed  in the upcoming MEAC Tournament.

 

FAMU (14-11, 8-4 MEAC) started of strong. The ladies shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half. The Lady Rattlers played tough defense ending the quarter with a chase down block from Khadejra Young.

 

FAMU led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter.  

 

The Lady Rattlers kept their foot on the gas during the second quarter. The score was 25 to 16 with 4:46 left in the first half.  Despite FAMU’s effort B-C clawed their way back into the game with defensive intensity. They closed the quarter on a 10-0 run, to take a 26-25 lead at the half.  

 

The third quarter started off slow because both teams locked in on defense.

 

FAMU led 33-30 half way through the third quarter. Both teams began to find an offensive rhythm late in the quarter, but FAMU seized the momentum with a buzzer beater layup at the end of the period, for  41-36 lead.. 

 

The Lady Wildcats opened up the final quarter on a 7-0 run holding The Lady Rattlers scoreless for more than three minutes.

 

The Rattler offense came alive late in the fourth quarter after a big steal from Khadejra Young. The Wildcats sloppy play continued into the next possession and resulted in a turnover and easy points.

 

The game went down to the wire, but the Rattlers were able to put the nail in the coffin with more tough defense.

 

Khadejra Young led the team with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five  assists, three steals and one block.

 

Head Coach LeDawn Gibson was pleased with how her team finished the game.

 

“We played better together as a team. We lost to them three times last year so it was very important to win. That’s what our pregame talk was about,” said Wilson.

 

WHAT’S NEXT:  The Lady Rattlers will travel north to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore. The game is on Monday and tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

 

By MARC BETANCOURT

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Rattler Baseball Clinches Series by Pounding Marshall 20-4

Willis McDaniel had a home run and five RBI in the win.
Courtesy: FAMU Athletics 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –  Florida A&M (2-0) kept the offense going, in game two, with 20 runs on 21 hits to defeat Marshall (0-2) by a score of 20-4 on Saturday at Moore-Kittles Field. It was the first time the Rattlers totaled 20 runs in a game since defeating Maryland Eastern-Shore 20-5 on April 18, 2009. Seniors Alec Wong (3-for-4) and Ryan Hutson (3-for-3) continued to swing a hot bat for FAMU. Freshman, center fielder, Willis McDaniel drove in five runs while going 3-for-5, with his second home run of the season and three runs scored.

FAMU had two monster innings as it scored seven in the fourth inning and nine in the sixth inning. Dylan Dillard (2-for-5, RBI and two runs) and Ben Ellzey (3-for-4, two RBI, two runs) also had big games for Florida A&M at the plate.

Rattler starting pitcher Sawyer Betts (1-0) picked up the win after working 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and four walks. Betts allowed four runs on four hits in his first start.

FAMU scored first, in the bottom of the first inning, with four runs on four hits including two Herd errors for an early 4-0 lead. Marlon Gibbs led off with a single to third base, but an errant throw from Marshall third baseman Tyler Ratliff allowed Gibbs to advance to second. Wong then singled home Gibbs from second and Wong moved up a base as the throw home went through the legs of the catcher. After Jacky Miles, Jr. went down on a called third strike, Brian Davis was hit-by-pitch to place runners on first and second with one out. Dillard would single through the left side to load the bases and Ben Ellzey drew a walk to plate Wong for the second run of the inning. With the bases still loaded, McDaniel brought home Davis, from third, on a bloop single to center and Dillard came home on a sac fly from Ryan Hutson to end the scoring in the inning.

Cory Garrastazu led off the third inning for Marshall with a solo home run to deep right field to cut the Rattler lead to 4-1.

The Rattlers used a seven run fourth inning, as they sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, to blow the game open at 11-1. Hutson led off the bottom of the inning with a single back up the middle and came around to score as Peter Jackson followed by crushing a triple into right center. Gibbs then walked to put runners on the corners before Wong belted a three-run home run over the right field fence. After a Davis walk and another Ellzey single, McDaniel ripped an RBI single into left center as Davis scored from second. Hutson then roped his second hit of the inning, this time a two-run double down the left line as the FAMU lead proved to big to overcome for Marshall.

The Herd made the score 11-2 after scoring a single run in the top of the fifth inning. Garrastazu walked and tagged up to go to second on a deep fly out to straightaway center field from Reynaldo Pastrana. After advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt, Garrastazu scored on Corey Bird’s RBI double into right center.

Marshall plated its’ final two runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut the FAMU lead to 11-4. Sam Finfer led off with a walk and Tyler Ratliff singled to left to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout and a walk to Garrastazu to load the bases, the Rattlers made a pitching change as Brandon Fleming came in for relief of starter Betts. Ratliff scored from third on an errant throw from Miles, Jr. on a pickoff attempt at second and Aaron Bossi later scored the second run of the inning on Pastrana’s RBI single up the middle.

Florida A&M put the game away for good with nine more runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning for a final score of 20-4. FAMU sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning and was highlighted by McDaniel’s second home run of the weekend, a three-run shot to left field.

MU starter JD Hammer (0-1) worked three innings and allowed eight runs on nice hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the loss.

Florida A&M and Marshall close out the three game series at 11:00 AM on Sunday at Moore-Kittles Field.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook, while live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com on the baseball schedule page.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets miss the mark, lose at Edward Waters

 JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Xavier University of Louisiana scored a combined 12 points in the second and third quarters Saturday and lost 60-47 to Edward Waters in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball.
    
The Gold Nuggets (17-11, 5-5), who entered the game in a second-place tie in the conference with the Lady Tigers (19-7, 6-4), fell to fourth place, half a game behind Philander Smith. Xavier will close the regular season with GCAC road games against Tougaloo at 5:30 p.m. Monday and Dillard at 3 p.m. Saturday.
    
Whitney Gathright scored 14 points and Alesha Smith 10 for Xavier, which led 14-9 after the first quarter but made 4-of-28 field goals during the next two periods. Kyeshia Dawkins' basket in the 17th minute put Edward Waters ahead to stay, 19-17, and the Lady Tigers extended their lead to 53-30 on Kadajah Allen's 3-pointer with 4:47 remaining.
    
Dawkins scored 16 points and Allen 13 for Edward Waters — which scored its first victory in 14 all-time meetings with the Gold Nuggets — and Valerie Hill had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
    
For the game, Xavier shot 26.9 percent from the floor (18-of-67). It was the second consecutive game and the eighth time this season the Gold Nuggets shot less than 30 percent. Xavier missed its first 13 3-point attempts and finished 1-of-15. Edward Waters shot 42.3 percent from the floor.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold

Stellar defense gives Rush a GCAC road victory

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Morris Wright's 200th career 3-pointer put Xavier University of Louisiana ahead to stay Saturday in a 42-39 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Edward Waters.

Xavier (18-10, 5-5) allowed its fewest points in more than 100 games to snap a two-game losing streak.
    
Wright, who led all scorers with 13 points, made his only 3-pointer of the game with 10:44 remaining to give Xavier a 28-26 lead. Wright capped the scoring with two free throws with 11 seconds remaining, and Charles-Eddie Smith of Edward Waters (11-15, 3-7) missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
    
Wright is the second Gold Rush player to make 200 career 3-pointers. Mark Stewart, whose career ended in 2008, made 299.
    
No other Xavier player scored more than six points. Elex Carter grabbed 12 rebounds and Kevin Murph seven, both career highs, and Leland Alexander and Chris Ward had five rebounds apiece. Wright had three steals.
    
Cameron Venus scored 11 points and Oceann Maddox nine for the Tigers.
    
Xavier limited Edward Waters to 26.4 percent field-goal shooting — 18.2 percent (6-of-33) in the final 25 minutes. Xavier ranks third in NAIA Division I in scoring defense and fourth in field-goal percentage defense.
    
After a halftime tie at 18, Edward Waters twice led by three, the second time at 26-23 with 11:31 remaining after a pair of Venus free throws.
    
Xavier set a GCAC record for fewest points by a winning team. The points were Xavier's fewest in a victory since a 35-33 decision over Clark (Ga.) in the 1948-49 season.
    
The Gold Rush are 9-0 against Edward Waters since the Tigers joined the GCAC in 2010.
    
Xavier will finish the regular season with GCAC games at Tougaloo at 7:30 p.m. Monday and at Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold

G-Men Mistakes Give JSU 61-58 Win

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The Grambling State University Tigers (6-20, 3-11 SWAC) lost by three to the Jackson State University Tigers (15-12, 10-4 SWAC) on their home court. The game ended with a strong second half effort by GSU, pulling the game within four points with only 10 seconds remaining. But the Tigers fell short, losing 58-61.

Arnold Richmond led Grambling State scoring with 20 points. Deonte Hearns contributed eight points and 10 rebounds. JSU scoring was led by Raeford Worsham with 16 points.

Though GSU's G-Men lost the game, they made a strong comeback effort. They just made too many mistakes. "We lost the game early in the second half. We turned the ball over and we came up with too many empty offensive possessions", said GSU head coach Shawn Walker.

It was a slow start for both teams as each scored under 10 points in the first seven minutes of the half. Two 3-pointers from GSU's Arnold Richmond put the Tigers up by five with 11 minutes to go. JSU answered with back-to-back buckets, putting them within one with seven minutes left in the half. JSU scored seven points off of GSU turnovers, giving them a three-point lead over the Tigers.

GSU remained scoreless for over three minutes until free throws by Nigel Riberio and a 3-pointer by Ervin Mitchell put the Tigers up by one. The Tigers of JSU began to pull away with a 3-pointer from Yettra Specks and back-to-back layups from Janarius Middleton and Chase Franklin. Middleton and Specks each had six points. JSU led by five at the half, 30-25.

Both teams started the second half with intensity, defensively and offensively. JSU fouls put Grambling State on the line early and brought GSU within two. Grambling State turnovers allowed JSU to stretch their lead to nine points with less than 16 minutes left. JSU shot over 50 percent from the field, leaving the Tigers behind by 13. Three-pointers from Specks and Javeres Brent kept JSU on top.

With under 10 minutes left in the game, 3-pointers from GSU's Richmond and Riberio put the Tigers within nine. JSU had 13 second chance points to expand their lead with under eight minutes left. JSU guard Raeford Worsham converted a 3-point play, putting JSU up by 10. The Tigers struggled to score with only 12 points scored in under 10 minutes. With three minutes left in the half, JSU led by 10.

The Grambling State Tigers face the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions Saturday (February 27) at 5 p.m. in the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

BRE'ANNA JOHNSON, GSU Sports Media
COURTESY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Texas Southern Tigers get road win over MVSU

GREENWOOD, Mississippi -- Texas Southern won its third straight game in a row and Mississippi Valley State dropped its third consecutive contest 98-67 Saturday night at Harris Arena.

David Blanks and Orlando Coleman scored 17 points apiece to lead TSU and keep them atop the conference standings.

Derrick Griffin scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for his ninth consecutive double-double and 14th on the season while Malcolm Riley added 13 for the Tigers (13-12, 12-1), who shot 55 percent from the field. Chris Thomas, Jose Rodriguez and Tyree Bynum scored 11 apiece.

Leading 48-33 at halftime, the Tigers pulled ahead by 32 points after David Blanks' layup that capped a 13-3 run. The Tigers' biggest lead of the game, 83-50, came on Griffin's free throw.

The Tigers outrebounded the Delta Devils 38-28 and outscored them 38-24 in the paint.

Marcus Romain led MVSU (5-23, 5-9) with 23 points and Isaac Williams added 20.

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Southern women turn the tables on Alabama State, move into second place in the SWAC

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Southern women wanted to reverse the outcome of their first meeting with Alabama State in the rematch Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Jaguars not only did that, they very nearly flipped the entire script in a 57-55 victory in a key Southwestern Athletic Conference game at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

As the Lady Hornets did in their 60-59 overtime victory in the F.G. Clark Activity center on Jan. 23, Southern seized control early, lost the lead in the second half and made the decisive plays in the final seconds.

The only difference was the Jaguars didn’t need extra time win after Briana Green made a steal and put them ahead with a three-point play with 1:46 left and added another steal and free throw with 4.4 seconds left.

Alabama State, which won the first meeting on two free throws with seven seconds left in overtime, failed to score in the final three minutes as its 10-game winning streak came to an end.

CONTINUE READING

Offense on Display as Florida A&M Baseball Downs Marshall 9-4

Florida A&M opened its season with a 9-4 win over Marshall in front
 of 540 fans – more than double the 2015 opening day crowd.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --  Florida A&M (1-0) pounded out 17 hits and got a strong performance from starting pitcher JoJo Durden to defeat Marshall (0-1) by a score of 9-4 on Friday at Moore-Kittles Field. JoJo Durden (1-0) was making his first career collegiate start and worked 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks to earn the win. Durden allowed just one hit over his final 4.1 innings of work. The 17 hits were the most by FAMU since they had 18 against North Carolina Central on March 22, 2014.

The Rattler offense came out to play in the opener as six different players recorded multi-hit performances. Seniors Alec Wong and Ryan Hutson each went 3-for-4, while Wong had two RBI and Hutson added an RBI himself. Marlon Gibbs, Dylan Dillard, Willis McDaniel and Peter Jackson each had two hits on the day. Freshman McDaniel belted a home run in his first career at bat as a Rattler.

The Thundering Herd made an early statement by jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on back-to-back home runs. With two outs, Sam Finfer was hit-by-pitch to give the Herd their first base runner before Tyler Ratliff and Tommy Lane then recorded back-to-back home runs that gave Marshall a quick three run lead.

FAMU answered with two runs in the home half of the first inning to cut Marshall’s lead to 3-2. Gibbs led off the bottom of the first with a double down the left line. Gibbs then moved to third on a single to left from Jacky Miles, Jr. before coming home to score as Brian Davis reached on a fielder’s choice. Davis later came around to score, all the way from first, on Dylan Dillard’s RBI single into right field.

The Rattlers took their first lead of the game, at 5-3, with three runs on five hits in the second inning. It proved to be all they would need for the win. In his first career at bat, McDaniel led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run over the fence in left field to tie the game at 3-3. Hutson then singled to left and Jackson singled through the left side to put two runners on with no outs.

Gibbs bunt single with no outs loaded the bases before Wong’s RBI single plated Hutson to give FAMU their first lead of the game. Jackson then scored on Miles, Jr.’s sac fly to left to push the Rattler lead to two runs.

Florida A&M extended its’ lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the third inning with two more runs, on three hits, including one Herd error in the inning by the right fielder Cory Garrastazu. Hutson and Wong each had RBI singles in the inning to pace the offense.

Marshall picked up a run in the seventh inning to cut the Rattler lead to 7-4. Aaron Bossi singled up the middle with one out and advanced to second as Leo Valenti grounded out to third. Bossi then went to third on a passed ball before scoring on Corey Bird’s RBI single up the middle.

FAMU answered right back with a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Shane Gordon came in to pinch hit in the DH spot of the lineup and led off with a triple to center field. Dillard then followed with and RBI single up the middle to bring home Gordon from third and make the score 8-4.

The Rattlers would add one more run in the eighth inning for a final score of 9-4.

Herd starter Chase Boster (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs, all earned, in 2.2 innings of work. Boster had two strikeouts and no walks against the 20 batters he faced.

Florida A&M and Marshall return to the field tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Moore-Kittles Field for game two of the three game series.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook, while live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com on the baseball schedule page.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS