Wilson Jumper Lifts Bowie State to 73-71 Overtime Victory Over Saint Augustine's

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Bowie State University earned a hard-fought 73-71 overtime victory over Saint Augustine's University on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the CIAA Tournament. The Bulldogs entered the contest as the No. 3 seed from the CIAA Northern Division while the Falcons were the No. 2 seed from the Southern Division.

Darrell Brooks, Head Coach at Bowie State University noted, "I'm just really, really happy and blessed to be here.  We were kind of dead in the water with two seconds left…but I thought we defended and played tough to get back in the game. "

Anthony Gaskins led all players in the contest with 28 points in the loss while Quincy January netted 20 points and hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds (three offensive, nine defensive) for the Falcons.

Bowie State senior Miles Jackson (Silver Spring, Md.) drained 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds (one offensive, seven defensive) while fellow senior Andre Jackson (Baltimore, Md.) and sophomore Ahmaad Wilson (Baltimore, Md.) added 13 points apiece.  Junior Michael Briscoe (Waldorf, Md.) scored 10 points for the Bulldogs.

January opened the contest with back-to-back buckets and a free throw for the Falcons to give Saint Augustine's a quick 5-0 edge.  A jumper by senior Justin Beck (Ellicott City, Md.) and a layup by Miles Jackson cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 5-4.  Gaskins answered with a bucket but Andre Jackson's three-pointer knotted the score 7-7 by the 14:23 mark in the first half.

The Falcons responded with a 12-0 run to surge ahead 19-7 by the midway mark before a three-pointer by Wilson and three-point play by Justin Beck brought the Bulldogs within six points (19-13).  Wilson's jumper followed by two made free throws by Briscoe put the Bulldogs back within striking distance. 

Gaskins pushed the Falcons ahead 23-17 using four free throws.  Miles Jackson drilled a three-pointer on Bowie State's next possession to make the score 23-20 before Gaskins' hit a layup to give Saint Augustine's a five point edge with 4:13 on the clock.  Sophomore Omari George (Baltimore, Md.) took advantage of two Falcon fouls and dropped four free throws, leaving Saint Augustine's clinging to a 25-24 edge with 2:38 remaining before halftime.

Miles Jackson's jumper at the 1:36 mark gave Bowie State their first lead of the game.  January answered with a layup and Gaskins tacked on a bucket to push the Falcons ahead 29-26 heading into halftime.

At the start of the second half, Keith Crawford drained a three-pointer for the Falcons before Bowie State answered with a free throw and three-pointer by Andre Jackson to cut Saint Augustine's lead to two points (32-30) with within the first two minutes of the second half.  January's jumper and Gaskins' layup shifted the momentum back in favor of the Falcons before a 5-0 run by the Bulldogs put Bowie State within one point (36-35).  A free throw by three-pointer by Jeremy Saunders followed by a bucket by January left the Bulldogs training 42-35 with 13:31 left in the game.

At the 10:44 mark, Gaskins drained two free throws to give the Falcons 48-39 advantage and their largest lead of the second half.  Down but not out, Bowie State used a layup by Wilson and three free throws by George to make the score 48-44 with 9:00 left in the game. January answered with a layup to give the Falcons some breathing room (50-44) but the Bulldogs answered with a 7-2 run, leaving Saint Augustine's with a narrow 52-51 edge.

Nick Moyer sunk two free throws for the Falcons with 3:44 left in the game so to make the score 54-51. With a 55-53 lead and 2:52 on the clock Briscoe used two free throws to tie the score 55-55.  Gaskins answered with a jumper but Andre Jackson stroked a three-pointer on Bowie State' next possession to push the Bulldogs ahead 58-57. Gaskins came up with a steal and layup with 1:27 left to play resulting in a 59-58 lead for Saint Augustine's.

After a quick timeout, a Bulldog foul led to a successful free throw for January and a 60-58 advantage.  Watson hit a free throw for the Falcons with 39 seconds  on the clock but Wilson drilled a three-pointer to knot the score 61-61 with 33 seconds left to play.  A three-point play by Gaskins solidified the Falcons' advantage (64-61) with just six seconds on the clock but Julian Livingston drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the contest into overtime 64-64.

At the start of the overtime period, Gaskins capitalized on two free throws before Andre Jackson answered with one of his own to make the score 66-65 in favor of the Falcons.  Livingston promptly drained a three-pointer with Wilson adding a free throw for a 69-66 Bowie State lead with 1:33 remaining in the contest.  Antonio Watson hit a jumper to put the Falcons within one point (69-68) but two free throws by Andre Jackson gave Bowie State a 71-68 edge with 47 seconds on the clock.

Crawford dug deep and hit a three-pointer to knot the score 71-71 with just 19 seconds left in the game but Wilson came through with a jumper to seal the 73-71 victory for Bowie State.

Bowie State advances to CIAA semifinal action on Friday with the victory.  Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Time Warner Cable Arena. The Bulldogs will take on the winner of Thursday's Virginia State University/Fayetteville State University quarterfinal match-up.  Saint Augustine's ends the season with an 11-16 overall record while Bowie State advances with a 17-12 overall mark.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

from THE EDITOR: FAMU Rattler Basketball Experiences Largest Home Crowd Ever

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --The Rattler faithful should remember the date: February 20, 2016. On that date FAMU men and women basketball teams competed against their number one rival, the Bethune Cookman University Wildcats. Yes, the men lost and the Lady Rattlers won. Regardless of the outcome from either game, indications are that the Rattlers are on the rise.

The Wildcats and others in the MEAC should be concerned. The BCU men’s basketball team defeated the FAMU Rattlers, however, that win was by only 1 point against a young Rattler team full of developmental players. Recruiting is at a premium for the Rattler men. Because of sanctions brought on by poor academic performance in previous years the Rattler men lost two of their top players from last year’s team and are restricted from post season play. The Wildcats on the other hand could just as easily have lost in the same manner they won, but with an experienced team reflective of their best recruiting. One should note that this same Rattler team took the top team in the conference, the Hampton Pirates, into overtime before losing at their place.

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Shaw Football Releases 2016 Schedule

RALEIGH, North Carolina – The Shaw University football team will play a 10-game schedule in 2016, highlighted by six home games, including a season-opening date against Limestone, announced by the Department of Athletics Friday afternoon.

 

The Bears kick off the season Saturday, Sept. 3 with a 1 p.m. home game against Limestone for the first time ever in program history.

 

SU will take a trip down south the following week to face Wingate before hosting UNC Pembroke in a home contest to conclude the non-conference regular season.

 

After opening the season with three non-conference teams who will most likely be a top contender in their respective conferences, things don't get any easier for the Bears as they open conference play Saturday, Sept. 24 against Bowie State at Durham County Memorial at 1 p.m.

 

The Bears stretch run will consist of road dates at Elizabeth City State (Oct. 1) and Livingstone (Oct. 15), Saint Augustine's (Nov. 5) and home dates against Fayetteville State (Oct. 8), Johnson C. Smith (Oct. 22), while homecoming will be against the defending 2015 CIAA Champions of Winston-Salem State (Oct. 29).

 

The 2016 CIAA Football Championship will take place on November 12th at a site to be determined.

 

All home games will be played at the Durham County Memorial Stadium, located on 750 Stadium Drive, Durham, NC.

 

Visit Shawbears.com for the most up-to-date information on the Shaw football team and all 11 varsity sports.

SHAW UNIVERSITY BEARS 2016 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sep. 03 Limestone 1:00 PM
Sep. 10 at Wingate 1:00 PM
Sep. 17 UNC Pembroke 1:00 PM
Sep. 24 Bowie State * 1:00 PM
Oct. 01 at Elizabeth City State * 1:00 PM
Oct. 08 Fayetteville State * ^ 1:00 PM
Oct. 15 at Livingstone * ^ 1:00 PM
Oct. 22 Johnson C. Smith * ^ 1:00 PM
Oct. 29 Winston-Salem State * ^ 1:00 PM
Nov. 05 at Saint Augustine's * ^ 1:00 PM

* Conference ^ Division  Bold: Home event

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Earnest Wilson named ECSU Vikings head football coach

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University has named its new head football coach. Athletic Director Derrick Johnson announced today that former ECSU offensive coordinator and Savannah State University (SSU) head football coach Earnest J. Wilson III has been tapped to head the Vikings football program.

"We are delighted that Earnest has agreed to become our head football coach," said Johnson. "His football expertise, leadership traits and passion for Elizabeth City State University are qualities that our student-athletes and fans will embrace."

Wilson is entering his 25th year of coaching. He comes to ECSU with a strong background in college and professional coaching experience.

Wilson is coming to ECSU from Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member Savannah State University where he served as the head football coach since 2013. Prior to SSU, Wilson served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Hampton University in 2012.

Wilson took the helm at SSU at a time when the athletic program was faced with NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions, including scholarship reductions among other penalties. Wilson, who is credited with turning the program around, is also responsible for raising the football team's GPA from 1.9 to 2.5.

Wilson has a track record as a winning coach. While at Hampton University, the team's offensive attack was ranked in the top five and boasted the top rusher in the MEAC. Prior to Hampton he worked at Jackson State University as offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and wide receiver coach where his offense led the South Western Athletic Conference in scoring offense, pass offense, pass efficiency, first downs and fourth down conversions. Under his guidance, JSU led the nation in total offense, averaging almost 500 yards a game. During Wilson's time with JSU (2010-12) the team had the ninth highest scoring offense in the nation, averaging 35 points a game.

While at New Mexico State University, Wilson recruited the #2 Quarterback in the nation and his offense led the nation in total offense gained. Wilson's offense also captured the #3 spot for passing in Division I football.

Wilson's coaching background includes a stint as the head coach and director of football operations for the Jacksonville Tomcats and the Carolina Rhinos of Arena Football League 2 (AFL2). In his first season as the Rhinos head coach the team posted a 10-8 record. The next year, Wilson led the Rhinos to a 13-5 record and advanced to the semifinals of the playoffs. Wilson led the Jacksonville Tomcats to an 8-8 record (second place).

Wilson also served as the head coach of the Dayton Skyhawks of the Indoor Football League (1999). He led the team to the semifinals of the playoffs.

Wilson served as ECSU offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach and offensive line coach from 1996 to 1998. He was also the head men's and women's track coach.

"Coach Wilson brings deep experience in college and professional football," said Johnson. "He is committed to elevating the student-athlete experience, catalyzing fan and community engagement, while developing a winning tradition."

COURTESY ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Records for Hopkins, Gathright in XU's road victory

TOUGALOO, Mississippi — Senior guards Trana Hopkins and Whitney Gathright combined for 58 points and five Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball records Monday in a 78-68 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference victory against Tougaloo.
    
Hopkins scored a career-high 34 points and made seven 3-pointers to tie an XU game record. Gathright scored 24 points and set XU game records with 17 free-throws attempted and 15 made. Gathright raised her career total of made free throws to 429, an XU record, and her 150 made free throws in 2015-16 are an XU season record.
    
After a halftime tie at 28, Hopkins took control for the Gold Nuggets (18-11). She scored 18 points, including 4-of-4 3-pointers, in the third quarter. She scored eight points in the second minute of that period.
    
In addition to Gathright's three records, she raised her career point total to 1,324. She is the ninth Gold Nugget to reach 1,300.
    
Xavier's explosion occurred two days after a season-low-tying point total in a 60-47 loss at Edward Waters. The Gold Nuggets regained a tie for second place in the GCAC after Edward Waters lost 58-52 at home to SUNO. Xavier, Philander Smith and Edward Waters are 6-5 in conference. On Saturday, the final day of the regular season, Xavier will visit Dillard, Philander Smith will visit Tougaloo, and Edward Waters will play host to GCAC champion Talladega.
    
Hopkins produced the most points by a Gold Nugget since Cassee Davis scored 35 at Belhaven on Feb. 26, 1998. Gathright scored 33 in a 91-86 overtime victory Nov. 14 against the NAIA's current No. 1 team, Our Lady of the Lake.
    
Ahsia Clayton scored 16 points for Tougaloo (1-18, 0-11).
    
Xavier and Dillard will tip off Bat 3 p.m. Saturday at Dillard's Dent Hall. The Lady Bleu Devils won 57-52 at Xavier Feb. 6.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Nuggets slip to their lowest ranking of the season

NEW ORLEANS — Dropping 2-of-3 games, including a first-ever loss to Edward Waters, helped send Xavier University of Louisiana to its lowest position of 2015-16 in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
    
The Gold Nuggets were tied for 30th place, down four spots, among the 33 teams receiving three-or-more points Tuesday. Xavier has victories this season against five teams ranked ahead of it, including No. 1 Our Lady of the Lake and No. 9 Shawnee State in November, but six losses in the last 11 games have put Xavier on the bubble in its bid to return to the national tournament for the first time since 2014.
    
Xavier began this past week with a 70-62 victory against SUNO, then lost 67-57 at Loyola — which climbed to 24th nationally — and 60-47 at Edward Waters.
    
Xavier, 18-11 overall and tied for second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference at 6-5, will close its regular season Saturday in a 3 p.m. matchup with city and GCAC rival Dillard at Dillard's Dent Hall. The Lady Bleu Devils helped knocked the Gold Nuggets out of the top 25 with a 57-52 victory Feb. 6 at Xavier.
    
GCAC regular-season champion Talladega, which did not play this past week, dropped from 14th to 15th. Our Lady of the Lake received all nine first-place votes and tops the rankings for the fourth consecutive week.
    
The GCAC Tournament will be played March 4-6 in New Orleans, with first-round games at SUNO (women) and Dillard (men) and all semifinals and finals at Xavier's Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 21) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Our Lady of the Lake (9) 24-2 219 1 2 Westmont 24-3 212 2 3 Bethel (Tenn.) 24-5 202 7 4 Lyon 24-3 198 8 5 Campbellsville 23-6 178 4 6 The Master's 23-4 176 10 7 Columbia (Mo.) 25-3 174 3 8 Vanguard 19-5 173 6 9 Shawnee State 24-5 162 9 10 MidAmerica Nazarene 22-5 160 5 11 Freed-Hardeman 22-6 150 12 12 Lewis-Clark State 23-4 149 11 13 Central Methodist 24-2 141 tie-15 14 Wayland Baptist 20-4 129 13 15 Talladega 21-3 125 14 16 Montana State-Northern 21-6 113 17 17 Oklahoma City 16-7 101 18 18 Benedictine (Kan.) 24-4 96 20 19 Lindsey Wilson 22-5 95 22 20 Carroll (Mont.) 19-7 89 tie-15 21 Pikeville 21-5 78 21 22 LSU-Shreveport 19-6 70 23 23 Great Falls 19-9 68 24 24 Loyola 19-6 58 25 25 Langston 17-6 53 19        Dropped from rankings:  None        Others receiving votes:  Auburn Montgomery 40, Baker 39, Martin Methodist 24, Huston-Tillotson 13, Xavier 11,, Georgetown (Ky.) 11, Culver-Stockton 7, Cumberland (Tenn.) 3 Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

XU Bruins, Setodji receive GCAC's weekly awards

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Sha'Nel Bruins and Thomas Setodji have been selected Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week in tennis for Feb. 15-21. Bruins won for the second consecutive week and the third time in her career.
    
Bruins, a junior from Colfax, La., and a graduate of Grant High School, teamed with Dasia Harris to defeat Daniella Arcila and Anastasia Castro 8-3 and score Xavier's only point in a 6-1 loss to NAIA No. 4 SCAD Savannah in the Green and Gray Invitational at Lawrenceville, Ga.
    
Setodji, a home-schooled freshman from Domont, France, teamed with Kevin Chaouat to defeat SCAD Savannah's Quentin Staley and Sean Hajdu, the ITA's 18th-ranked NAIA doubles team, at the Green and Gold Invitational. Setodji led Yulin Liu 7-5, 4-1 in singles when the dual was halted with Xavier having clinched a 6-0 victory.
    
Next for Xavier will be a 3 p.m. Wednesday women's dual match against Grambling at Greenwood Park Tennis Center in Baker, La., a suburb of Baton Rouge. The XU-Troy men's dual, scheduled for Thursday at XU Tennis Center, has been moved to Franco's Athletic Club in Mandeville, La. Competition will start at 2 p.m.
    
Xavier's men are 4-2 and ranked fourth in the NAIA, and the women are 1-3 and ranked 13th.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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SSU Announces 2016 Football Schedule



COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The Savannah State University football program announced its 2016 schedule.

The 10-game slate will pit the Tigers against two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs and has four home games, which will be played at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

The Tigers open the season on the road against FBS foes Georgia Southern and Southern Mississippi. SSU play, GSU on Sept. 3 and Southern Miss. on Sept. 10.

GSU played in the GoDaddy Bowl in 2015 while USM played in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Following a bye week on Sept. 17, Savannah State will begin Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play with a home contest against Bethune-Cookman, on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m.

The Tigers play at Florida A&M on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m., but return home to face Morgan State on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.

Savannah State returns to the road on Oct. 15 to play North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. followed by a bye week on Oct. 22.

SSU will have a two-game home stand on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.

The Orange and Blue Nation will celebrate Homecoming on Oct. 29 against Howard at 2 p.m. followed by a home game against Norfolk State on Nov. 5 at 1 p.m.

The Tigers will close out the season with road games at Hampton (Nov. 12) at 1 p.m. and South Carolina State (Nov. 19) at 1:30 p.m.

SSU's four home games will have themes.

The Bethune-Cookman game will be Greek Night/Parents Weekend; the Morgan State game will be The Pink Game/Military Day; the Howard game will be Homecoming; and the Norfolk State game will be Community/High School Band Day.

View Full 2016 Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Home / Away	Time
9/3/2016	Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, GA	A	TBA
9/10/2016	University of Southern Mississippi	Hattiesburg, MS	A	TBA
9/17/2016	Open		N	Open
9/24/2016	Bethune-Cookman University	Savannah, Ga. - Theodore A. Wright Stadium	H	7 p.m.
10/1/2016	Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, FL	A	6 p.m.
10/8/2016	Morgan State University	Savannah, Ga. - Theodore A. Wright Stadium	H	7 p.m.
10/15/2016	North Carolina Central University	Durham, NC	A	2 p.m.
10/22/2016	Open		N	Open
10/29/2016	Howard University	Savannah, Ga. - Theodore A. Wright Stadium	H	2 p.m.
11/5/2016	Norfolk State University	Savannah, Ga. - Theodore A. Wright Stadium	H	1 p.m.
11/12/2016	Hampton University	Hampton, VA	A	1 p.m.
11/19/2016	South Carolina State University	Orangeburg, SC	A	1:30 p.m.

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Xavier will get Saturday rematch with ranked Dillard

NEW ORLEANS — When Xavier University of Louisiana visits Dillard in men's basketball at 5 p.m. Saturday, it will be the 14th consecutive time that one of the teams is in the NAIA Division I Coaches' Top 25. But for the second time this season, that ranked team is Dillard.
    
Xavier's Gold Rush were among "others receiving votes" Tuesday for the fifth consecutive week after 55 consecutive top-25 appearances. Dillard, which trailed Xavier in last week's rankings, climbed into a tie for 25th place with Oklahoma City.
    
This is Dillard's third top-25 appearance in 2015-16 after a 12-year absence from the rankings. The first time Xavier and Dillard met this season, the Gold Rush rallied in the second half Feb. 6 for a 69-61 victory at Xavier which helped knock the Bleu Devils out of the top 25.
    
Xavier has won six straight and 14 of the last 15 meetings with its longtime city and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rivlal. The XU men won the last 11 times at Dillard's Dent Hall. The Bleu Devils have not won on their campus against the Gold Rush since an 84-68 decision Feb. 24, 2001.
    
Talladega, which clinched the GCAC regular-season championship outright with a 96-80 home victory Monday against Dillard, climbed from fifth to a third-place tie nationally. LSU-Alexandria received all nine first-place votes and tops the poll for the fourth consecutive week.
    
Dillard will be the final opponent of the regular season for Xavier, which is 19-10 overall and 6-5 in the GCAC. The GCAC Tournament will be played March 4-6 in New Orleans, with first-round games at Dillard (men) and SUNO (women) and all semifinals and finals at Xavier's Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 21) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 LSU-Alexandria (9) 25-2 219 1 2 Georgetown (Ky.) 24-3 211 2 3-tie Talladega 22-4 195 5 3-tie Texas Wesleyan 23-4 195 7 5 Hope International 24-4 194 6 6 Lewis-Clark State 25-3 190 3 7 Pikeville 23-4 178 4 8 Biola 26-3 170 9 9 Freed-Hardeman 23-5 163 12 10 MidAmerica Nazarene 22-6 155 16 11 William Penn 22-6 145 10 12 Columbia (Mo.) 23-5 141 8 13 Langston 20-6 138 11 14 Mid-America Christian 21-7 130 13 15-tie Arizona Christian 21-6 108 17 15-tie Our Lady of the Lake 17-6 108 19-tie 15-tie Park 18-7 108 19-tie 18 Peru State 19-9 100 18 19 William Carey 18-10 92 14 20 Cumberlands 19-9 83 21 21 Carroll (Mont.) 18-8 80 15 22-tie William Jessup 18-8 67 22 22-tie Montana Western 18-10 67 RV 24 Westmont 19-8 55 23 25-tie Dillard 17-9 33 RV 25-tie Oklahoma City 13-9 33 25 Dropped from rankings:  No. 24 Middle Georgia        Others receiving votes:  Campbellsville 31, LSU-Shreveport 26, Bethel (Tenn.) 26, Southwestern Assemblies of God 19, Xavier 17, Dalton State 10, Voorhees 6 Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

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
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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
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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.

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CIAA Announces 71st Annual Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracket

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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.

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