VUU Advances in NCAA Tourney with 91-72 Win

RICHMOND, Virginia (3/11/16) -- The Virginia Union women are one step closer to reaching their third goal of the season.

Following CIAA Northern Division and conference titles, all that's left in the eyes of the Panthers — the top seed in the Atlantic Region — is the Division II championship.

Their pursuit started Friday with a 91-72 win over eighth-seeded Indiana (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament at Barco-Stevens Hall on VUU's campus.

Three Panthers recorded double-doubles in Union's 13th consecutive victory. The team will face Wheeling Jesuit at 7 p.m. today at Barco-Stevens Hall.

Kiana Johnson scored 27 points and dished out 10 assists. Lady Walker scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Taylor White had 17 points and 17 rebounds.

Megan Smith scored 22 points to lead the Crimson Hawks.

Union's last game before Friday was Feb. 27 in the CIAA title game.

"It is just really exciting to see your team come out after almost a two-week layoff and be able to put 91 points up on the board. That was pretty impressive," Panthers coach AnnMarie Gilbert said. "The two stats that I'm more impressed with are us having 49 rebounds, 18 of them offensive, and only six turnovers.

"For a team that really has tried to balance the days that we rested and then the day we came back and prepared, I just thought our team did a magnificent job."

Indiana had 34 rebounds. VUU scored 46 points in the paint, got 24 second-chance points and 30 fast-break points. The Panthers scored 21 or more points in every quarter.

Just 2 points separated the teams after the first quarter, but the Panthers closed the second on a 16-7 run to take a 47-38 halftime lead. White already had a double-double in the first half with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson had 14 points. Walker added 13 points and eight rebounds.

Smith hit 4 of 5 from the field and two behind the arc for 12 points to lead the Hawks at halftime.

Union scored 9 unanswered just before the midway point of the third to make it a 15-point game at 59-44. The Hawks cut it to 68-56 after the third, but the Panthers outscored Indiana 23-16 in the fourth for the win.

"I thought we did a pretty good job of trying to negate the hot hand," Gilbert said of the Union defense. It held the Hawks to 40.9 percent from the field and 11 of 33 from 3-point range. "Kudos to them, because they hit a lot of big shots. They played us well early on. We just withstood some of their runs and finished the game strong."

The tournament originally was scheduled to be held at the Arthur Ashe Center, but was changed to Barco-Stevens on Wednesday night due to the floor of the Ashe Center not being a hardwood court.

The last-minute change didn't affect Johnson and the rest of the Panthers. In fact, they prefer Barco, where they haven't lost all season (12-0).

"We're comfortable at home," Johnson said. "We've played here all year. We haven't lost a game here. We don't plan on losing a game here, and we love our fans."

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Southern is No. 16 seed in NCAA tournament, will face Holy Cross in First Four game in Dayton, Ohio

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern will play fellow No. 16 seed Holy Cross in a First Four game in the NCAA tournament Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

The teams will tip off at 5:40 p.m. CDT, and the game will air on truTV. The winner will play the No. 1 seed in the West region — Oregon — at 6:27 p.m. Friday in Spokane, Washington. That game also will air on truTV.

“At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who or where,” Jaguars coach Roman Banks said. “We were just glad to see our name pop up on the screen.”

Southern (22-12) is playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in four seasons after claiming an automatic bid by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship. The fourth-seeded Jaguars edged third-seeded Jackson State 54-53 in the title game Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston. The program had been ineligible for postseason play the past two seasons because the university had submitted “unusable data” on student-athletes Academic Progress Rates to the NCAA.

“To make the NCAA tournament the first year after the ban was lifted speaks volumes about these student-athletes,” Banks said.

NCAA TOURNAMENT MEN'S BRACKET

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Hampton and the coach who called Jesus back in NCAA tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- One of our favorite results from a lengthy list of conference championship games across the nation Saturday came in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference where Hampton beat South Carolina State 81-69 to advance to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

Nothing against South Carolina State. It had a good season and was equally worthy of the title, but Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. is just too much fun. He’s the kind of coach you want to see succeeding at this time of year because he seems to have a way of adding to the fun.

You might remember Joyner from last season. After his team won a play-in game in the First Four against Manhattan, he was asked in the press conference about facing Kentucky and he picked up his cell phone and pretended to call Jesus.

As he continued the gag, he asked Jesus how to handle Kentucky and Jesus apparently hung up.

So there was Joyner again Saturday in the final seconds of his team’s victory. He stalked the sidelines like a wild man who couldn’t wait to celebrate his third MEAC tournament title and NCAA trip in six years. . When the game was over and he shook hands with opponents, he climbed up on a short wall behind the bench area to pump his fist at Hampton supporters and celebrate the moment with them.

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MLB Diversity Business Summit explored the advantages of diversity

Marian Rhodes
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer
MLB: Arizona Diamonbacks

Rhodes earned an Accounting degree from Florida A&M University and
an MBA in Marketing from Webster University.

PHOENIX, Arizona -- Valuing diversity starts at the top was the message that Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. promoted at Chase Field on Mar. 8, 2016. On Mar. 9, the third and last day of the MLB Business Diversity Summit, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona, executives from various teams acknowledged past problems, focused on their visions of the future of the game, and described actions they are taking to ensure, not just the diversity of the game, but the viability of the baseball.

Common understanding is important to any cause. When asked what they thought “diversity” meant, answers from a panel of MLB executives included “inclusion,” “representative,” “balance,” and “opportunity.” Marian Rhodes, DBacks Senior Vice President/Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer, a FAMU alumnus who played a prominent role throughout the conference, described how she does not want to do business with companies that are not diverse. Ken Hendricks, the Managing General Partner, stated that achieving diversity has to be a core principle and is a full-time job.

Seminars and panel discussions that day described how baseball is making a difference in communities and how the demographics of players, employees, contractors and fans must change to ensure the future of the game. For example, Debbie Castaldo, DBacks Vice President of Corporate and Community Impact, cited the jersey distribution plan benefitting 40,000 kids in 75 Arizona little league teams.

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FAMU’s athletic department will control game-day parking under new proposal

MILTON OVERTON, JR.
FAMU Athletic Director

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- In a bid to bolster Florida A&M’s cash-strapped athletics department, the university’s Board of Trustees on Thursday agreed to take control of game-day parking away from the Rattler Boosters.

Parking during football games has been controlled by the Boosters, but the board agreed the athletics department should oversee the lots surrounding Bragg Memorial Stadium. Revenue from parking under Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr.’s new plan is projected to be $300,000 in 2017, according to documents provided to the board.

By 2019, the revenue should increase to $350,000. The BOT approved Overton’s plan, but only under the condition he meet with the Rattler Boosters and President Elmira Mangum to ensure an “amicable” transition.

“It’s standard in intercollegiate athletics that the athletic department utilizes (university-owned parking lots),” Overton told trustees.

In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat after the meeting, Overton said, “It’s very important in that we’re able to respond to our fans. The fans asked for it in the survey. All we’re doing is going down a line, making sure we respond to our fans.

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Tournament MVP Gathright is GCAC Player of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time this season and the fourth time in her career, Xavier University of Louisiana's Whitney Gathright is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball.

Gathright — a 5-foot-4 senior point guard from New Orleans and a graduate of John Curtis Christian School — averaged 19.7 points, four rebounds, 5.3 assists and two steals in three games to lead the Gold Nuggets (22-11) to the GCAC Tournament championship for the second time in three years and the fifth time in the last seven seasons.

  

Gathright shot prodigiously during the tournament, making 38 shots and missing 10 (16-of-24 from floor, 5-of-7 3-pointers, 22-of-24 free throws). She produced game-highs of 25 points, six assists and three steals in the tournament final Sunday, a 75-68 victory against 15th-ranked Talladega.

Gathright and Brittany Powell (2008-10) are the only XU women's basketball players to win four GCAC weekly awards in a career.

Xavier will compete March 16 or 17 in the opening round of the NAIA Division I National Championship at Independence, Mo.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XU's French connection earns two more GCAC awards

NEW ORLEANS — It hasn't taken long for freshmen Thomas Setodji and Charlene Goreau to achieve success with Xavier University of Louisiana tennis.
    
Setodji and Goreau, both French residents who enrolled at XU in January, were named Tuesday as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for Feb. 29-March 6. It's the second GCAC weekly award for both.
    
Setodji, from Domont, France, was 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles for the Gold Rush. He defeated Vivien Versier 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) in a 6-2 dual-match victory Friday at NAIA No. 10 William Carey, and he beat William Woods' Marcos Constantino 6-1, 6-2 in a 6-0 home victory Sunday. In doubles, Setodji and Kevin Chaouat beat Clement Fosse and Andreas Brune of William Carey 8-5 and David Barbieri and Adam Deen Qurban of William Woods 8-0.
    
Goreau, from Toulouse and a graduate of Raymond Naves School, won all three of her singles matches, all at the top flight against top-25 NAIA teams. Goreau defeated Nataliia Baliaeva of William Carey 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, Gisela Amor of LSU-Alexandria 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7) and Paige Smith of William Woods 6-0, 6-1. Goreau and Brandi Nelson won 8-5 in doubles against LSUA's Amor and Ariadna Cabezas.
    
Setodji is 5-0 in singles and 3-2 and doubles this season, and Goreau is 8-2 in singles and 4-5 in doubles and has a six-match singles win streak.
    
Both XU teams will travel to Jackson, Miss., to play Saturday against Tougaloo at 10 a.m. and Jackson State at 2 p.m. The Gold Rush are 7-3 and ranked third in the NAIA, and the Gold Nuggets are 4-6 and ranked 14th.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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S.C. State men to play in Coach John McLendon Classic to start CIT

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The season is not over for the South Carolina State men’s basketball team, despite falling to Hampton in the MEAC Basketball Tournament championship game in Virginia on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (now 19-14 overall) have accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural Coach John McLendon Classic in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) beginning on Monday in Phoenix, Arizona.
 

S.C. State will play at Grand Canyon University against the GCU team (25-6 overall record) in a 10 p.m. EST game that will be broadcast nationwide on CBS Sports Network. The Antelopes of GCU are coached by former NBA player and three-time NBA All-Star Dan Majerle.

The Coach John McLendon Classic – “This Game is No Secret” – will be a first round game in the 2016 CIT and will officially commence the start of college basketball March Madness among NCAA teams.
 

Both teams playing in the Coach McLendon Classic will don shirts declaring, "This Game is No Secret," in tribute to “The Secret Game” played in 1944 between Coach McLendon's North Carolina College for Negroes (now North Carolina Central) and an all-white team of former college basketball stars attending Duke's Army and Navy medical training program, who were superior to the varsity squad in Durham at the time.

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Southern Wins Second Tournament Title in Three Years

HOUSTON, Texas – An Adrian Rodgers tip-in with just over 16 seconds left lifted Southern to a 54-53 victory over Jackson State and the 2016 SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship.

The tip-in came just after Raeford Worsham made a go-ahead lay-up with 33 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Rodgers rebounded a Jared Sam shot attempt and after missing his first tip-in, he was able to get his put back to fall on the second try. JKST's Chace Franklin’s three attempt and Janarius Middleton’s ensuing put back were no good, giving the Jaguars their ninth SWAC Tournament championship and – under the guidance of  Coach Roman Banks -- their second conference crown in three years.

After trailing for much of the game, Jackson State used an 11-2 run to go ahead by one at the midway point of the final half. Trelun Banks took the lead back for SUBR with a jumper on the next possession, and Southern held a slim lead until a 9-2 run by the Tigers put them ahead 48-42 with less than four minutes left.

The Jaguars were able to get within one possession with 2:40 left, and subesquently tied it with a Banks three-ball on their next turn with the ball.

Paris Collins buried a corner three to put JKST ahead 51-48 with just over a minute and a half left. SUBR was able to claw back in it, as Christopher Hyder free throws made the game 52-51, setting the stage for the final moments.

Banks, who was named tournament MVP, led all scorers with 19 points. Shawn Prudhomme added 10 points, and Rodgers scored seven points to go with 11 boards.

Jackson State was led by all-tournament performer Worsham, who notched a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Paris Collins added 11 points and seven rebounds. The full all-tournament team is listed below.

MVP:Trelun Banks, Southern University

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:Marcus Romain, Mississippi Valley
Raeford Worsham, Jackson State
Trelun Banks, Southern
Malcolm Riley, Texas Southern
Adrian Rodgers, Southern

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FAMU Baseball Gets Walk-Off Home Run from Peter Jackson to Sweep Doubleheader Over B-CU

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  – Florida A&M (10-5, 2-0 MEAC) used a monster offensive performance in game one and a, two-run, walk-off home run by Peter Jackson in game two to defeat Bethune-Cookman (5-9, 0-2 MEAC) by a scores of 15-3 and 2-1 at Moore-Kittles Field on Saturday. The win was the seventh straight for FAMU. In game one, seven different Rattlers had multi-hit performances as the Rattlers scored in every inning. Game two had a phenomenal pitching performance from Ricky Page as he worked a career high eight scoreless innings, while tying a career high with five strikeouts.

The 18 hits allowed by B-CU in game one were the most this season by the Wildcats. It also marked the first time in program history that the Wildcats fell due to the mercy rule. Before today’s walk-off home run, Jackson had just hit his first career home run against Toledo on Tuesday. It was the first walk-off home run for Florida A&M since Alec Wong’s walk-off home run against North Carolina A&T on March 28 of last season.

Rattler game one starter Danny Rodriguez (2-0) earned the win after he pitched a season long six innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Page was the game two starting pitcher for FAMU and despite the strong outing he was credited with a no decision. Hunter Fillingim (1-0) picked up the win in relief after recording the final out in the top of the ninth inning of game two.

The Wildcats scored first in game one with a single run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Demetrius Sims and Jameel Edney led off with back-to-back walks and Michael Cruz beat out the back end of a double play ball, as Edney was out at second base. With runners on the corners and one out, Danny Rodriguez then dropped an RBI single into right field to plate Sims from third. FAMU’s Danny Rodriguez then struck out the final two batters in the inning with the bases loaded to keep the damage at one run.

FAMU answered with two runs on five hits in the home half of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. Marlon Gibbs led off with a ground rule double that bounced over the wall in left center field. With one out, Brian Davis reached on an infield single before Dylan Dillard roped an RBI double down the left line as Davis went to third. Davis then scored the second run of the inning as Ben Ellzey reached on a fielder’s choice, but Dillard was out at third base on the play.

B-CU tied the game at 2-2 with another run in the second inning. Trent Nash led off with a single to left field and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Josten Heron. Nash would later come around to score on a two out RBI single to center from Edney.

The Rattlers jumped out for good by a score of 6-2 with four runs on five straight hits with one out in the second inning. With one out, Jackson, Gibbs and Wong each recorded singles to load the bases. Davis then ripped a two-run single into right field to plate both Jackson and Gibbs, while Wong moved to third. Dillard then scored Wong from third with an RBI double just over the head of the third baseman as Davis went to third. A sac fly to center from Ellzey brought home Davis for the fourth run of the inning.

Florida A&M scored four runs again in the third inning to push the lead to 10-2. Cameron Johnson and AJ Elkins led off with back-to-back singles and Johnson was called out on interference going to third as he ran into the third baseman. Elkins would later score as Gibbs beat out a double play ball. The throw to first on the attempted double play turn went past the first baseman, which allowed Elkins to come home. With runners now on the corners and two outs, Davis blasted his third home run of the season, an opposite field, three-run, home run, over the left field fence.

In the fourth inning, FAMU extended its’ lead to 11-2 on an RBI single from Elkins.

The Rattlers scored for the fifth straight inning as Dillard smoked his third home run of the season, a deep two-run shot to left field, to make the score 13-2 in the fifth inning.

Florida A&M scored its’ final run on their 18^th hit of the game to increase the lead to 15-2. Jacky Miles, Jr. was hit-by-pitch and Johnson walked on five pitches to put runners on first and second. After a great sliding catch by the right fielder, Jake Hellweg, Miles, Jr. scored on an errant throw into second as Jackson reached on a fielder’s choice. Wong then ripped an RBI double down the right line to score Johnson.

B-CU scored their final run of game one, an unearned run, in the seventh inning for the final score of 15-3.

Wildcat game one starter German Hernandez (2-1) suffered the loss after he gave up seven runs on 12 hits in two innings of work with one strikeout. Hernandez had only allowed four runs (two earned) on the season coming in to today. Nate Sterijevski (0-1) took the loss in game two after Jackson proved to be the go ahead run on the home run.

In game two, neither team was able to get a runner past second base until the fifth inning when the Rattlers worked the bases loaded. Elkins led off with a single to right and Willis McDaniel followed with a bunt single just past the pitcher. Elkins was picked off at second and Jackson fouled out to third base for the first two outs. McDaniel stole second and took third on a passed ball before Gibbs walked and Wong was hit-by-pitch to load the bases with two outs. Bethune would then make a pitching change as Joseph Calamita came in for relief and was able to get Davis to go down swinging and strand the bases loaded.

The Rattlers had another chance in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second and one out, but a double play ended the scoring threat. Jackson was hit-by-pitch to start the home half of the seventh inning and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Gibbs. Wong was intentionally walked trying to set up a double play scenario and it worked just as Bethune-Cookman wanted as Davis hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

B-CU took their first lead at 1-0 in the top of the ninth inning. Heron walked and was out at second as Sims reached on a fielder’s choice. Edney was also walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Cruz then recorded an RBI single to into center field to plate Sims from second for the games’ first run.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Elkins led off with a single through the right side and moved to second on a sac bunt from McDaniel. In the next at bat, Jackson fell behind in the count at 1-2, but the next pitch was a hanging breaking ball that he sent over the wall in left center for the walk-off win. The home run was the second of the week and career for Jackson.

Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman close out the three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 PM.
As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook.

Game 1 Box Score                                                                 

Game 2 Box Score

 

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XU to play LC State in 6th straight trip to nationals

NEW ORLEANS — For the sixth consecutive season, Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball is headed to the national tournament.
    
The Gold Rush (21-12) received an at-large bid Wednesday to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. Xavier will play Lewis-Clark State (28-4) at 8 p.m. March 17 — the second day of first-round games — at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
    
Xavier, Georgetown (Ky.) (25), LSU-Shreveport (12) and Columbia (Mo.) (6) have the longest active streaks of consecutive appearances at nationals.
    
Xavier is one of four teams seeded eighth. Lewis-Clark State is a No. 1 seed.
    
The meeting of Xavier and Lewis-Clark State will be their first. The Warriors, from Lewiston, Idaho, won Frontier Conference regular-season and tournament championships.
    
Xavier maintained its No. 29 ranking in this week's coaches poll after a 94-92 double-overtime victory against Tougaloo — the Rush trailed by 17 points in both halves — and a 75-67 victory against two-time defending champion and then-fourth ranked Talladega at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
    
Lewis-Clark State is ranked fourth.
    
The GCAC has three teams at nationals for the third consecutive year and the 10th time in 15 seasons. Talladega, which dropped to No. 6 nationally, is in the tournament for the third consecutive year. Dillard qualified for the first time since 2003, but the Bleu Devils fell out of the top 25 despite an 84-71 victory Sunday at Xavier in the GCAC Tournament final.
    
Second-round games will be played March 18, followed by quarterfinals March 19, semifinals March 21 and the championship game March 22. The Xavier-LC winner will play Freed-Hardeman or Our Lady of the Lake at 9:45 p.m. March 18.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through March 8)   Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Georgetown (Ky.) (8) 28-3 219 2 2 LSU-Alexandria (1) 28-3 211 1 3 Biola 29-3 206 3 4 Lewis-Clark State 28-4 196 6 5 Pikeville 25-5 188 5 6 Talladega 23-5 180 4 7 Columbia (Mo.) 28-5 176 9 8 Hope International 26-5 175 7 9 William Penn 27-6 162 10 10 Texas Wesleyan 24-7 154 8 11 Langston 25-6 151 13 12 MidAmerica Nazarene 25-8 141 tie-11 13 Freed-Hardeman 25-7 138 tie-11 14 Mid-America Christian 23-9 125 14 15 Peru State 22-10 113 16 16 Arizona Christian 22-8 108 15 17 William Carey 20-11 103 17 18 Our Lady of the Lake 20-8 99 18 19 Carroll (Mont.) 21-9 95 20 20 Park 20-9 92 19 21 Cumberlands 22-11 78 21 22 Montana Western 19-12 56 23 23 Campbellsville 22-10 54 RV 24 Oklahoma City 15-10 52 22 25 Westmont 21-10 45 RV        Dropped from rankings:  No. 24 William Jessup, No. 25 Dillard        Others receiving votes:  Dillard 43, LSU-Shreveport 35, William Jessup 31, Xavier 26, Southwestern Assemblies of God 22, Dalton State 13, William Woods 3, Avila 3 Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

XU Nuggets to play Campbellsville in national 1st round

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will lead off the 2016 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship in a rematch with Campbellsville.
    
The Gold Nuggets (22-11) will play the Tigers (25-7) at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16 to lead off the 32-team event. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence, Mo., is the tournament site for the second straight year. The NAIA announced Wednesday the tournament field and pairings.
    
Xavier and Campbellsville will meet for the third consecutive season. The Lady Tigers defeated Xavier 59-55 in the 2014 second round of nationals at Frankfort, Ky., and 74-62 in the Bethel Chamber of Commerce Shootout at McKenzie, Tenn., to open the 2014-15 season.
    
Xavier is one of four teams seeded seventh. Campbellsville is a No. 2 seed.
    
Xavier climbed to 25th in the coaches poll returned to the top 25 for the first time in five weeks. Campbellsville is ranked eighth and was preseason No. 1.
    
The Gold Nuggets earned an automatic bid to nationals by defeating Talladega 75-68 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game Sunday. This is the 19th time in the last 22 seasons that the Gold Nuggets qualified for nationals. They did not qualify a year ago.
    
Talladega remained at 15th in the coaches poll and will play Lindsey Wilson in the opening round at 4:30 p.m. March 17
    
Second-round games will be played March 18, followed by quarterfinals March 19, semifinals March 21 and the championship game March 22. The Xavier-Campbellsville winner will play The Master's or Loyola at 9 a.m. March 18.

PDF Bracket
 

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through March 8) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Our Lady of the Lake (9) 29-2 219 1 2 Westmont 28-3 212 2 3 Lyon 29-3 205 4 4 Bethel (Tenn.) 26-6 194 3 5 Shawnee State 28-5 190 8 6 Vanguard 24-6 180 tie-6 7 The Master's 24-5 173 5 8 Campbellsville 25-7 170 tie-6 9 MidAmerica Nazarene 27-5 168 9 10 Freed-Hardeman 26-7 157 10 11 Wayland Baptist 25-4 153 12 12 Columbia (Mo.) 27-5 140 11 13 Lewis-Clark State 25-6 139 14 14 Central Methodist 26-4 131 13 15 Talladega 23-5 119 15 16 Montana State-Northern 23-8 112 16 17 Oklahoma City 20-8 104 17 18 Lindsey Wilson 26-6 99 18 19 Benedictine (Kan.) 26-6 94 19 20 Great Falls 22-10 88 21 21 Carroll (Mont.) 22-8 82 20 22 Baker 24-8 67 24 23 Pikeville 23-8 63 22 24 Loyola 23-7 62 25 25 Xavier 22-11 50 RV      Dropped from rankings:  No. 23 Langston      Others receiving votes:  Martin Methodist 43, Langston 32, Auburn Montgomery 22, Cumberland 20, LSU-Shreveport 18, Huston-Tillotson 11, Harris-Stowe 4 Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

Former Peninsula District, Hampton University track star Yvette Lewis to compete for Panama in the Olympics

HAMPTON, Virginia – Yvette Lewis turns 31 on Wednesday and says she's ready to retire. That makes sense when you consider her profe
ssion is track and field, and that she's sprinted, jumped and hurdled since her early teens like few other women in state history.

"I'm tired," she said. "It's time to let my body rest and do what I'm going to do for a career."

Before she does, she'll compete for one more summer, finishing with a flourish in the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. Lewis, a former star at Denbigh and Menchville high schools and Hampton University, will compete in the 100-meter hurdles for Panama.

Lewis, who missed twice by a whisker of competing for the United States in World Championships, hurdled for Panama in the worlds held in Beijing, China this past summer. She was eligible then and now to race for Panama because her mother, Lorna, is Panamanian and because ...

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Back-To-Back: Hampton Pirates Win MEAC Tournament Title

 

NORFOLK, Virginia -- In winning the MEAC Tournament title last season, the Pirates surprised quite a few people.

No such surprise this season, but the result was much the same. Hampton, the top seed and regular season champion, won its second straight MEAC Tournament crown Saturday afternoon with an 81-69 win over South Carolina State at Norfolk Scope Arena.

The Pirates also locked up the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

It was Hampton's sixth MEAC Tournament crown overall and third under head coach Edward Joyner, Jr. This also marked the first time the Pirates won back-to-back tournament titles since 2001-02.

"It's rare that I'm kind of lost for words," Joyner said, "but to do what they did, to put the university and the alumni in this situation… hats off to the guys."

Brian Darden led four Pirates in double figures with 22 points, hitting four 3-pointers for the second straight game and going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Reginald Johnson, Jr. – who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player – added 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

Jervon Pressley came off the bench to score 14 points (going 6-for-6 from the free throw line) and grab a team-high nine boards, and Quinton Chievous – who was named to the All-Tournament Team – had 13 points and seven rebounds.

"(Pressley) just took over in the end," Chievous said. "He was the key to the game. He was a straight monster today."

The Pirates (21-10) shot just over 46 percent from the floor – including a 50 percent clip in the first half – and made nearly 82 percent of its free throws (27-33). Hampton also led on the glass (39-28) and second-chance points (10-7).

Though Hampton jumped out to an early lead, S.C. State – likely riding a wave of momentum following its semifinal win over Norfolk State on Friday – used an 11-2 run to take a 26-19 lead at the 8:47 mark after Eric Eaves drained a jumper.

Hampton then scored 15 of the next 22 points, taking a 34-33 lead after a pair of Lawrence Cooks free throws with 1:48 left in the half. But a 6-2 Bulldogs spurt gave them a 39-36 lead after a Luka Radovic layup with 14 seconds left.

Darden hit a three with 10 seconds left to send the game into a 39-39 halftime deadlock.

Johnson had 11 points at the break, while Darden had 10.

"One thing that helped us today, and really this season, is that we won it last year," Johnson said. "We got that taste in our mouths and we didn't want any other taste, so we couldn't imagine leaving here not the champion."

The Bulldogs led by as many as nine on two separate occasions early in the second half, before Hampton went on a 13-2 run – taking a 57-55 lead on a Johnson jumper with 9:40 to play. Over that span, the game featured five ties and three lead changes.

In fact, Darryl Palmer tied the game at 65-65 with an alley-oop dunk with 5:25 remaining. But Dionte Adams hit two free throws 31 seconds later to give Hampton back the lead, 67-65, before Tashombe Riley hit a jumper with 4:06 left to tie the game at 67-67.

But the Bulldogs only managed one field goal after that, and the Pirates ended the game on a 14-2 run. Chievous broke the deadlock with a layup, and the Pirates hit each of their last six free throws to ice the game and the championship.

S.C. State shot just over 45 percent from the floor for the game, but only hit four of its 21 3-pointers and nine of its 14 free throws.

Eaves scored a game-high 25 points to lead the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (19-14).

The Pirates will learn their NCAA Tournament destination on Sunday, when the bracket is unveiled live on CBS at 6 p.m. EST. A viewing party is scheduled for 5 p.m. in the student center ballroom; it will be free and open to the public.

"Man, don't ask me (about seeding)," Joyner said. "Wherever they send us, we'll go. If you've got someone I can call, outside of Jesus, I'll call them."

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

 

BOX SCORE

 

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Alabama State edges Southern women for SWAC title and NCAA berth; Jaguars will play in WNIT

HOUSTON, Texas — The Alabama State and Southern women were about as even as two teams could be.

The Lady Hornets beat the Jaguars by one point in overtime in January, and the Jaguars won by two points in the rematch in February.

They both finished 14-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season, ASU getting the No. 1 seed and Southern the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament.

When the teams met again in the SWAC tournament championship game Saturday afternoon in the Toyota Center, it was more of the same.

In the end, it was ASU holding off Southern 55-51 to win the conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. The Jaguars (19-11) will play in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, their first postseason berth since 2011.

 

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FAMU Trustees Approve Athletics Five-Year Financial Plan

Bragg Memorial Stadium
Florida A&M University Campus

 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU Athletics Director Milton Overton submitted the department's Five-Year Financial Plan. He outlined to the Board of Trustees how he plans to get the athletics department out of the deficit of $7,624,114.

Overton told trustees during the board meeting Thursday that he's trying to build a championship football team.

To do that, he says they have to start with the foundation, and the repairs of what he called the financial pillar.

Overton said, "No matter who comes in, no matter who the coach is, you have to make sure that those coaches and those student athletes have what they need to be successful. That's just a fact."

Overton says revenues are projected to increase by nearly 44 percent.

Key components of that increase include an increase in Football Game Guarantees, from $685,000 in the current year to $2.6 million in 2020-2021; increase in licensing revenues from $100,000 to $500,000; an increase in Athletics donations from $500,000 to $1 million; and growth in advertising revenue over six years from $200,000 to $1.2 million.

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XU's weekend tennis, track canceled due to weather

NEW ORLEANS — Heavy rain and the threat of more has prompted Xavier University of Louisiana to cancel Saturday competition in men's and women's tennis and men's and women's track and field.

In tennis, XU was to compete in Jackson, Miss., against Tougaloo and Jackson State. Those dual matches will not be rescheduled.

 

In track and field, Xavier will not travel to Lake Charles, La., for the McNeese Cowboy Relays. Coach Joseph Moses said he replaced that meet with an April 1 trip to Clinton, Miss., for the Mississippi College Twilight Invitational.

 

Next for XU tennis will be a trip to south Florida for duals against St. Thomas, Keiser and ASA Miami March 22-24. Track and field will compete March 18-19 in the Rhodes Invitational at Memphis, Tennessee.

 

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Briana Green takes over as Southern beats Texas Southern to reach SWAC title game

HOUSTON, Texas — The Southern women were clinging to a two-point lead early in the fourth quarter of a game in which field goals were occurring with less and less frequency.

Then Briana Green made a patented drive to the basket and Britney Washington swished a trademark 3-pointer.

Suddenly, the Jaguars had a seven-point lead, and Green added eight more points down the stretch as second-seeded Southern held off third-seeded Texas Southern 62-54 in the semifinals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament Friday afternoon in the Toyota Center.



Southern (19-10, 16-4 SWAC) will play the winner of Friday night’s semifinal between No. 1 Alabama State and No. 4 Grambling in the championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday. The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Tigers, losing to the Jaguars for the second time in nine days, finished 19-11, 15-5.

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Early surge lifts Southern men into SWAC final

HOUSTON. Texas — March Madness is officially under way at the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

Fourth-seeded Southern roared to a 24-point first-half lead, watched top-seeded Texas Southern storm back to grab the lead early in the second half, then regrouped for an 81-73 victory in the semifinals Friday night in the Toyota Center.

The Jaguars, 21-12 and 13-7 in the SWAC, will meet third-seeded Jackson State, which defeated No. 7 Mississippi Valley State 74-68, in the championship game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU, WXOK-AM, 1460). The winner will advance to the NCAA tournament.

Last season, Southern advanced to the title game, where it lost to Texas Southern, but that team was ineligible for the NCAA tournament.

“It’s not over yet,” senior guard Christopher Hyder said. “Last year, we got to the final and we lost. We’ve got to continue to do what we did today and play as hard as we can again tomorrow.”



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