Richmond, QB Kevin Johnson, eliminate North Carolina A&T from FCS field 39-10

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Kevin Johnson's unexpected 2016 debut was not flawless or flashy. It was remarkably effective, given the unusual circumstances, which is just what the University of Richmond needed in a pinch.

Johnson's poise and passing Saturday helped keep Richmond offensively balanced and upright in the FCS playoffs after one round. Behind Johnson, a sophomore who was redshirting before this game, and special-teams scores, the Spiders eliminated North Carolina A&T 39-10 before 3,281 at Robins Stadium.

Johnson passed for 315 yards and a touchdown and ran for 22 more yards and a touchdown in about three-and-a-half quarters. UR's Deontez Thompson gained 98 yards on 22 carries.

UR (9-3) advances to a Saturday second-round game at seventh-seeded North Dakota (9-2) at 6 p.m. (available on ESPN3). North Dakota earned a first-round bye as a top-eight seed.

Spider Dejon Brissett returned a first-quarter punt 92 yards for a touchdown and Griffin Trau converted four field goals (39, 33, 34, 28 yards), and now holds the school record for FGs in a season (21).

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Tuskegee Golden Tigers fall to North Greenville in second round of DII playoffs

TIGERVILLE, South Carolina -- The seventh-seeded Tuskegee University Golden Tigers have found a way to overcome deficits throughout the season, but the deficit they faced at the end of the first quarter in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs was too steep a hill to climb.

The Golden Tigers found themselves down by four scores after the first stanza to sixth-seeded North Greenville University, fought valiantly but came up short in the end 45-26 to end the season on the road.

North Greenville (9-4) jumped on top early when they kept the Tuskegee offense off the field for most of the first quarter, allowing the Golden Tigers just five plays from scrimmage en route to a 28-0 lead. The Crusaders scored on their first four drives of the game using a variety of different ways to get into the end zone and keep Tuskegee off balance.

Tuskegee (9-3) got on the board for the first time late in the first half and looked to have momentum on their side. After Osband Thompson stripped the ball away from a North Greenville ball carrier on the sideline, the Golden Tigers were set up at the North Greenville 46-yard line. They promptly went down the field in eight plays and used 3:27 on the clock, before Jerome Lewis punched it in from one-yard out to trim the deficit to 28-7 with 1:56 to play in the half.

However, North Greenville went right down the field and seized momentum back with a one-yard run to take a 35-7 lead into the locker room, and that's when things changed.

Tuskegee came out in the second half and scored on their first two possessions of the second half to trim the deficit to just two scores. The Golden Tigers took their opening possession of the half, promptly marching 75 yards in nine plays and using just 1:36 on the clock. The drive culminated when Kevin Lacey hit Javarrius Cheatham from eight yards out to trim the deficit to 35-13.

Quavon Taylor gave Tuskegee possession right back on the next play when he picked off a pass up the middle. The interception set Tuskegee up on the North Greenville 28-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage, Lacey hit a streaking Dekendrick Moncrief down the sideline for a touchdown with 10:24 to play in the third quarter. The score trimmed the deficit to 35-20 early in the quarter.

The score stayed that way until the Golden Tigers had a chance to trim the deficit even further in the fourth quarter. The Golden Tigers drove 56 yards to the North Greenville 12-yard line where they faced a fourth and three, before the North Greenville defense came up big with a stop forcing a turnover on downs.

North Greenville put the game out of reach with two fourth quarter touchdowns, before Desmond Reece scored his final touchdown of his Golden Tigers' career with 1:07 remaining in the game.

Lacey finished the day 22-of-36 with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. The senior finished with 276 yards through the air. He hit Cheatham nine times for 148 yards and a touchdown, while Reece finished with nine catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.

The offense finished the day with 353 yards of total offense, while North Greenville finished with 511 (most of that in the first quarter in which they totaled 227 yards). Thompson finished with 14 tackles in the game for Tuskegee, while Kalil Gray finished with 12. Carl Matthews had 10 and Quavon Taylor nine in the loss for the Golden Tigers.

Tuskegee finishes the year 9-3, and achieved the highest ranking ever in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) coaches poll at number five. They also qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and advanced to the at least the second round for the second consecutive year.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Snapchat/Twitter/Instagram @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

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TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Bayou Classic Battle of the Bands 2016 (FULL BATTLE)

Bayou Classic 2016, Southern vs. Grambling State: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know

NEW ORLEANS -- One of the nation's premier HBCU football showcases convenes for the 43rd time on Saturday, as Grambling State and Southern meet again in the Bayou Classic in New Orleans. Both teams have had their ups and downs in recent years, but they're having excellent seasons and this has the makings of a classic.

Grambling's only loss this season was its season opener on the road against Arizona, and they only lost that game, 31-21. Since then, they've won eight straight games, and have only given up more than 20 points once. Southern has two losses, but both came to FBS teams to start the season. They're also on an eight-game winning streak and are coming off beating Mississippi Valley State, 55-0, last week.

The quarterback play in this game should be excellent, as Southern's Austin Howard and Grambling's DeVante Kincade are first and second in the SWAC in both passing yards and touchdowns. Grambling's defense will also have to contend with Southern running back Lenard Tillery, who is averaging over 6.5 yards per carry and leads the conference in rushing by nearly 400 yards.

How to watch, stream and listen

TV: 5 p.m. ET, NBCSN

Radio: Grambling State | Southern

Online streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra

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Nuggets top Langston in 10th straight XULA Classic win

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, fueled by a slew of career highs, earned a 75-72 women's basketball victory Friday against Langston in the final game of the Xavier Classic.

The Gold Nuggets (6-5) were the only team to go 2-0 in the four-team, two-day event. It was XULA's 10th consecutive victory dating to 2011 in the Xavier Classic.

Terriel Ross led XULA with career highs of 18 points and three steals. Rosie Davis scored a career-high 16 points — she reached double figures for the first time and made 3-of-4 3-pointers — and point guards Maya Trench and Jordan Coleman combined for 14 assists and two turnovers. Trench had nine assists and Coleman five, both career bests, and Trench grabbed seven rebounds.

Trench passed to Ross for a basket with 7:30 remaining that put the Gold Nuggets ahead to stay, 60-58. Akia Frett missed a 3-pointer for Langston on the final possession.

XULA led 43-41 at halftime after the teams combined to shoot 56 percent from the floor. Both cooled off in the second half, however, and combined to shoot 31 percent.

Kelsee Singleton and Aliyah Bell scored 11 points apiece for XULA, Bell had six rebounds, and Essence Wells matched her career best of three steals.

Frett made 4-of-6 treys and scored a season-high 19 points for the Lady Lions (2-2), who were 1-1 in the event. Che'Ron Lewis had 15 points and eight rebounds, Ri'Kell McKnight had 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Reagan Widener had 10 points and seven assists — but she also committed eight turnovers.

For the game, Langston outshot XULA .43.9 to 42.9 percent from the floor and made nine 3-pointers to the Gold Nuggets' six. XULA made five more field goals than Langston and was plus-6 in turnovers.

"Not a bad effort," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "We knocked down some open shots. Our freshmen are starting to get more comfortable on offense and better understand out defensive philosophies. We go 2-0 in the Xavier Classic, and I'm excited about this team."

The victory was XULA's third in a row after a five-game losing streak.

In the other college matchup, LSU-Shreveport defeated Dillard 77-67. In a girls high school game, Ellender defeated East St. John 60-48.

XULA's next game will start at 5 p.m. Thursday at Louisiana-Lafayette of NCAA Division I.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Randle rallies Pilots past Dillard in Xavier Classic

NEW ORLEANS — Courtney Randle scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half Friday to help LSU-Shreveport rally for a 77-67 women's basketball victory against Dillard in the Xavier Classic.

The Pilots (2-6) scored 57 points after trailing Dillard 32-20 at halftime. Quiana Tucker's basket at 2:08 of the third quarter put LSUS ahead to stay, 41-40.

Johnesha Major's basket with 4:12 remaining gave LSUS its largest lead, 66-51.

LSUS had six double-figure scorers. Tucker had 14 points, Kourtney Powell 13, Bria Freeland 11, and Major and Chaterra Cage scored 10 apiece. Tucker grabbed a season-high-tying 14 rebounds — she reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game — and Major had eight assists. Randle had eight rebounds and three steals.

Shaelynn Moore scored 17 points, including four 3-pointers, and had three steals for Dillard (6-3). Alyssa Washington had 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

LSUS shot 76 percent from the floor in the second half — 19 baskets in 25 attempts — and for the game outshot the Lady Bleu Devils 53.7 to 43.3 percent. The Pilots had a 41-27 rebound advantage. After attempting zero free throws in the first half, the Pilots made 17-of-29 in the final two quarters. Dillard made 8-of-15 free throws, 3-of-8 in the second half.

Dillard's largest lead was 38-22 after a Moore 3-pointer at 7:48 of the third quarter. LSUS answered with a 17-0 run, including Cage's three consecutive baskets in 48 seconds.

LSUS was 1-1 in the Xavier Classic, and Dillard was 0-2. The Lady Bleu Devils have a three-game losing streak. LSUS snapped a four-game losing streak.

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

UDC's Head Coach Juan Dixon forges relationship with father he didn’t know existed

HEAD COACH JUAN DIXON
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
UDC FIREBIRDS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- On road trips with the Maryland men’s basketball team during his three seasons as a special assistant, Juan Dixon admired how coach Mark Turgeon involved his own family, and particularly his father Bob.

Dixon, 38, lost both of his parents to AIDS when he was a teenager. Phil and Juanita Dixon weren’t around to see the former Calvert Hall standout lead the Terps to their only national championship in 2002 — the year he was a consensus All-American and the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

They didn’t share in the ups and downs of his NBA career — a seven-year journey from Washington to Portland to Toronto to Detroit and back to Washington, with only one season as a starter.

“I said to Coach Turgeon, ‘It’s awesome that you get the support that you do from your dad, traveling with the team, being there for you, no matter if things are going well or not,’” Dixon said.

“I told him, ‘I wish I could have had that with my own father.’ ” Dixon smiled. His eyes moistened.
“Now I do,” he said.  The Baltimore native learned in late August that Phil Dixon was not his biological father.

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Texas Southern Pulls Past Presbyterian College in Overtime

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Presbyterian College women’s basketball team and Texas Southern were tied at 58 after four quarters but the Tigers outscored the Blue Hose, 16-4, in overtime to claim the 74-62 victory on Friday night at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. PC falls to 0-5 on the year, while TSU improves to 4-1.

Player of the Game

Cortney Storey dropped 26 points, one shy of her career-high, on 9-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-6 from behind the arc. The five three-pointers ties her career-high, while the junior totaled a season-high four assists and four steals. The 26 points are the most by a PC player this season and the second straight game that a Blue Hose has reached at least 20 points.

Stat of the Game

PC shot a season-best 41.2 percent from the field in the game, making 21-of-51 shots, including going 10-of-22 from behind the three-point line. The Blue Hose have now hit 10 threes in back-to-back games, a first in the program’s Division I era. PC recorded at least 10 made three-pointers eight times last season but never in back-to-back games.

How It Happened

Texas Southern led 15-9 after the opening quarter but PC put together its best quarter of the game in second with a 20-8 advantage to get in front at the half, 29-23. The Blue Hose connected on 10-of-22 shots (45.5 percent) in the opening half of play, while holding the Tigers to just 7-of-28 shooting (25.0 percent), including 1-of-8 from three.

The third quarter was the most competitive with the Tigers edging the Blue Hose, 18-17, to cut PC’s lead to five points at 46-41 heading to the fourth. TSU was able to close the gap in the final quarter to send the game to overtime. PC nailed 6-of-7 three-point average in the second half of action but TSU would go 11-of-22 from the field and 12-of-18 from the free throw line even the score.

In overtime, the Tigers would take control, going 5-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, while PC made just 1-of-6 shots from the field and 2-of-2 from the line.

Notables

- Salina Virola scored in double figures for the second straight game, totaling 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go with four rebounds and two assists.

- It was PC’s first overtime game since February 24, 2015, when PC defeated Charleston Southern, 56-48, in North Charleston, S.C. The Blue Hose did not play an overtime contest at all last season.

Up Next

PC returns back to the states to take on East Carolina on Monday, November 28, at 7 p.m.  Texas Southern plays at New Orleans on November 30.

COURTESY PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: North Greenville vs. Tuskegee

TIGERVILLE, South Carolina -- North Greenville earned the right to move on to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs with a win over Florida Tech on Saturday. The Crusaders now turn their attention to round two and a matchup with the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University.

NORTH GREENVILLE IN THE PLAYOFFS The win over the Panthers on Saturday improved NGU’s playoff record to 3-1 all time and 2-1 in road playoff games. Saturday’s game against the Golden Tigers will be NGU’s second home playoff game after hosting the opening round in 2011 against Albany State, also of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-TIt’s not often that a football team lacking a conference affiliation earns a bid to the NCAA D-II Playoffs. Even more rare is two football teams claiming the independent tag in the field of 28. Even rarer than two independent teams in the field of 28 is two teams in the same region, but don’t tell that to North Greenville and UNC Pembroke. The Crusaders and Braves, both registered independents (at least until the 2018 season when NGU joins the Gulf South) earned the fifth and sixth seeds in this year’s tournament. The two squads also pulled off first round upsets of Gulf South opponents as the Braves downed Valdosta State while NGU knocked off Florida Tech.

MARCH MADNESS OR THE D-II FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS?Saturday afternoon resembled the first weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament with upsets all over the country. Five lower seeds were victorious in the opening weekend including all three lower seeds in Super Region Two. Also joining in on “Upset Saturday” was Colorado Mines who downed third seeded Southwest Baptist and Indiana PA with an upset win over the fourth seeded Fairmont State in Super Region One.

SURVIVE AND ADVANCETwo familiar opponents await NGU in round three of the playoffs should the Crusaders handle business against the Tigers this weekend. An NGU win over Tuskegee on Saturday would mean a re-match with North Alabama or UNC Pembroke, the first and fifth seeds in the region.

MAKING A NAMENGU redshirt freshman tailback Tracy Scott has quickly become one of NGU’s biggest offensive weapons, but a big game on Saturday would etch his name in North Greenville record books. Should Scott break the 100-yard barrier against the Tigers, he would set a new record for consecutive 100-yard performances with four, while also tying the record for most 100-yards games in a season.

Scott could also set a new record for rushing touchdowns in a season with three against Tuskegee. Should Scott find himself re-writing records on Saturday, the Crusaders should hopefully feel pretty good about their chances to advance to the third round.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN TIGERS North Greenville’s defense faces another tough task this week in the Tuskegee offense. The Golden Tigers are averaging just over 27-points per contest this season while stacking up 353-yards of offense. The Tigers rely heavily on a strong ground game, rushing for 1,598-yards this season on 469 carries compared to just 273 passing attempts. The Tigers have 17-touchdowns on the ground and 22 through the air this season while averaging 208 passing yards.

The Tigers finished the 2016 regular season 8-2 with a first round playoff upset to earn the ninth win. Tuskegee’s defense has been a source of strength for the Tigers as they made their push towards their 10th national championship. Opponents have found little success on the ground against the Golden Tigers, averaging just 113.1-yards per game and just 3.5-yards per carry. Even more impressive is the pass defense for the Tigers, which is holding opponents just 151.4-yards through the air and just eight touchdowns.

PLAYERS TO WATCHGant/Craig/Lacey: Kenny Grant, Jayjerien Craig, and Kevin Lacey has been a three-headed monster for the Golden Tigers this season as all three have turned in 400-yard seasons. The leader of the trio, Kenny Gant has run for 471-yards and two touchdowns while Craig has 460-yards and two scores. Lacey also has two touchdowns on the season and 405-yards.

Kevin Lacey: The do-it-all quarterback is third on the team in rushing, but he has also done some damage through the air. The senior signal caller has thrown for 1,956-yards this season and 17-touchdowns.

Desmond Reece: Desmond Reece is one of three receivers with the bulk of Lacey’s targets. Reece has 842-yards on 49-receptions this season with a team leading nine-touchdowns. Reece has also thrown six interceptions in 255-attempts this season.

Chetham/Gilbert: Javarrius Chetham and Leo Gilbert are second and third one the team in receptions. Chetham has reeled in 28-catches on the season with six touchdowns while Gilbert has 20-receptions and five touchdowns of his own.

Osband Thompson: The team’s leading tackler, Thompson has 123-stops on the season including 10 for a loss and 3.5-sacks.

Daryl George: A name NGU fans hope not to hear very much on Saturday, George leads the Golden Tigers with 7.5 sacks this season from his defensive line spot.

Jonah McCutcheon: McCutcheon is a guy that will have the attention of NGU quarterback Will Hunter and the offensive coaches alike. He is the team leader with three-interceptions The Golden Tigers have 12 picks on the season including two more from Darnell Hill and Eugene Leach.

COVERAGESaturday’s game against the Golden Tigers will be broadcast on the North Greenville Sports Network as well as on 95.5FM The Vibe; NGU’s student run radiobroadcast. Live Stats will also be provided. The links are provided below.

LIVE VIDEO (North Greenville Sports Network)

LIVE AUDIO (95.5FM THE VIBE)

LIVE STATISTICS

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for Saturday’s game will go on sale two-hours before the game and will be sold in the ticket booth in front of Younts Stadium Prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 

Spider Football Gameday Central - North Carolina A&T

RICHMOND, Virginia - A new season begins on Saturday, November 26 when the 2016 FCS Playoffs get underway.

The Richmond Spiders are just one of 10 teams that will be making an appearance in three straight FCS Playoffs when they host Aggies of North Carolina A&T, the #17-ranked team in the country.

Live audio for Saturday's game can be found on RichmondSpiders.com with Live Stats available on RichmondSpiders.com. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.

For complete gameday coverage of Richmond Spider football, be sure to scroll down for Gameday Central.

Who	No. 12 Richmond vs. No. 17 North Carolina A&T
When	Saturday, Nov. 26 - 2 PM ET
Where	Richmond, Va. | Weather | Parking Map
Venue	E. Claiborne Robins Stadium | Directions | Tickets
Radio	RichmondSpiders.com | ESPN 950 AM | WBBT 107.3 FM
Live TV/Video	ESPN3
Live Stats	RichmondSpiders.com
Game Notes	Richmond | N.C. A&T | CAA Press Box
Pregame Media	Coach Rocco Presser | Player Presser
SpiderTV	Selection Show Presser | Brian Brown Feature
Spider Voices	What I'm Thankful For
Social Media	Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Hashtags	#OneRichmond | #UnitedInRed | #CAAFB

QUICK SLANTS

- Richmond makes its third straight FCS Playoff appearance when they host North Carolina A&T out of the MEAC in the opening round of the 2016 postseason. It is the 11th all-time playoff appearances for the Spiders, seven of which have come in the past 12 years.

- Those seven playoff appearances in the past 12 years are the eighth-most nationally over that span.

- The Spiders are one of just 10 schools who have earned a berth in the past three FCS playoffs. Others include: Chattanooga, South Dakota State, Sam Houston STate, James Madison, Jacksonville State, Coastal Carolina, North Dakota State, Illinois State and New Hampshire.

- Richmond is one of just five schools that enter the 2016 postseason with a chance to notch a playoff win in each of the past three seasons. Joining Richmond in that group is Chattanooga, Sam Houston State, Illinois State and five-time defending champion North Dakota State.

- The Spiders return to Robins Stadium for their opening FCS playoff game, a place where Richmond is 32-11 (.744). During Coach Rocco’s five plus seasons, Richmond is 26-6 (.813) inside the friendly confines. This senior class for Richmond is 22-4 at home.

- Today marks the first-ever meeting between the Aggies and Spiders. This season, the two teams have one common opponent, Norfolk State. Richmond beat NSU, 34-0 on Sept. 10, while North Carolina A&T toppled NSU, 35-0 on Oct. 6.

- This marks the second time in three seasons that the Spiders have faced an opponent out of the MEAC in the opening round of the playoffs. Richmond battled its way past a tough Morgan State squad in 2014, defeating the Bears, 46-24.

- All time, the Spiders are 5-0 against MEAC schools with three wins over Hampton (2005, 2014, 2015) and single victories over Morgan State (2014) and Norfolk State (2016).

- Richmond enters the postseason facing some adversity with All-American QB candidate Kyle Lauletta suffering a torn ACL in the regular season finale at William & Mary. It was the Spiders’ fourth ACL injury of the year and 18th player season-ending injury that Richmond has suffered. (More details available on page 4 of the notes)

- In his five seasons at Richmond, the Spiders have shown bounce back ability under Head Coach Danny Rocco. Richmond is 13-7 following losses under the current regime. Entering today, the Spiders have won four straight games following losses.

- Richmond boasted the second-most all-league accolades with 12 Spiders earning All-CAA accolades. First team members include WR Brian Brown, K Griffin Trau, OL Thomas Evans, DT Winston Craig and LB Omar Howard. (Full list available on page 4 of the notes)

- With his 144-yard performance against William & Mary in the regular season finale, Deontez Thompson set the freshman record for 100-yard performances with his fifth of the year, breaking Uly Scott’s record of four set in 1991.

COURTESY RICHMOND ATHLETICS

Finishing factors facing S.C. State in final game

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough recognizes that there are a few factors encouraging his Bulldogs to finish the season with a win on Saturday at home against Bethune-Cookman.

A final Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win for the 11 seniors on the team is one factor.

Finishing the campaign with back-to-back conference wins is something else to factor into the equation.

But with young players who have aspirations of playing professional football, along with a 55-year-old who just played his way into the NCAA history books a week ago, there are other factors to consider.

“We have pro scouts around pretty much every day,” Pough said. “Then, after the pro scouts, you get this deal here with ESPN cameras at our practice this week; so there’s always something to give you a little bit of inspiration to go out and do your very best.”

A win won’t make it a winning season for the Bulldogs. But it would make it a winning season in MEAC play. S.C. State comes in with a 4-6 overall record, but a 4-3 record in MEAC competition. The Wildcats, meanwhile, come in with a 4-5 overall record and a 4-3 record in MEAC play.

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El Campo receiver commits to Texas Southern

EL CAMPO, Texas -- El Campo senior Wesley Arrambide didn't get a lot of opportunities to catch the ball.

But Arrambide made every reception count.

He caught 20 passes for 401 yards and five touchdowns while helping to lead the Ricebirds to the District 12-4A, Division I championship and into the area playoffs before they finished the season with an 11-1 record.

Arrambide's ability to make the most of his chances led to an offer from Texas Southern University.

Arrambide announced a commitment on Thanksgiving to attend the Houston school next season.

"One thing I loved about Texas Southern is that they've always had faith in my abilities," Arrambide said. "Me coming from El Campo, is hard to be recruited as a receiver and my recruiting coach (Dallas Blalock) has always been here for me, supporting my every decision."

Arrambide also led the district in punt returns with a 20.2-yard average and one touchdown

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Second-half push lifts Mississippi Valley State past Northwestern State Lady Demons

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana -- The Northwestern State women's basketball team overcame a slow start Friday night to take a halftime lead against Mississippi Valley State.

The Lady Demons were unable, however, to repeat that in the second half.

A third-quarter surge from the visiting Delta Devilettes allowed them to overcome a six-point halftime deficit and hand Northwestern State its first home loss of the season, 68-64.

"You've got to give Valley credit," first-year head coach Jordan Dupuy said. "They did some things that shook us. They changed their defenses. Full-court, half-court, they even played a box-and-one, which we hadn't seen. They chased Beatrice (Attura) everywhere. We made her a screener, which ended up working. We just didn't finish around the rim."

Northwestern State (3-2) fell behind by eight points midway through the first quarter before turning in its best statistical defensive quarter of the young season.

NSU did not allow Mississippi Valley State (2-2) to connect on a field goal in 10 second-quarter attempts, limiting the Delta Devilettes to just two Christina Reed free throws in that time.

Sparked by that defense, the Lady Demons carried a lead into the half for the fourth time in five games this season.

While the Lady Demons held the Delta Devilettes to 30.4 percent shooting in the opening half, Mississippi Valley State used the free throw line to start its comeback.

The Delta Devilettes connected on 10 of 11 free throws in the third quarter and 21 of 26 second-half tries from the line.

In a game that saw 57 combined fouls and 54 total free throws, Valley's proficiency at the line was a difference maker, allowing it to answer every Northwestern State second-half push.

After Valley opened a nine-point lead with 2:31 to play, Attura started NSU's comeback attempt, hitting a 3-pointer and knocking down a pair of free throws to get NSU to within two possessions.

Attura pulled NSU within three with 22 seconds left by hitting three free throws, but Kristy Parker knocked down the first of two free throws with 18 seconds to play to seal the victory.

"They shot the ball extremely well from the free-throw line," Dupuy said. "They shot the ball extremely well from 3. We didn't identify their shooters. We knew (Reed) was going to be one who can knock it down, and we didn't find her late.

"Like I told the team in the locker room, it's the little things that make teams great, not the big things. We've got to get better at those little things."
Attura finished with a game-high 25 points, two shy of her career high. Freshman Victoria Miller grabbed 16 rebounds, helping offset a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double from Valley's Ashley Beals.

Miller's 16 rebounds were the most by a Northwestern State player since Trudy Armstead grabbed 18 against Central Arkansas on Feb. 1, 2012.

Reed paced Valley with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and four assists, the last of which set up a Kenya Arnold jumper that pushed Valley's lead to 61-52 with 2:31 to play.

Cheyenne Brown added 15 points in 19 minutes for NSU.

"(Miller) gave us extra opportunities by crashing hard," Dupuy said. "Her effort is tremendous. We're going to continue to work on her skill-set. She works hard every single day. She's very athletic, very strong. She's the hardest worker in the weight room. Sixteen rebounds off the bench is tremendous. The next step is to get her to finish in the paint, and she finished a couple in the second half and knocked down some free throws. She was definitely a bright spot."

After finishing a stretch of four games in seven days, the Lady Demons will return to action Wednesday at Memphis. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. inside Elma Neal Roane Fieldhouse.

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NORTHWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Bayou Classic to decide SWAC West

NEW ORLEANS -- BCSP No. 3 North Carolina Central prevailed over rival and BCSP No. 1 North Carolina A&T 42-21 Saturday in a North Carolina showdown to claim the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference championship and that league’s berth in the 2nd annual Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17 at the Atlanta Georgia Dome.

There’s another spicy rivalry game on tap this week as the attention shifts to New Orleans and the 43rd annual Bayou Classic between Louisiana rivals, the new BCSP No. 1 Grambling State (8-1, 8-0 SWAC West) and BCSP No. 4 Southern (8-2, 8-0 W), for that league’s West Division title. The game will be carried live Saturday on the NBC Sports Network beginning at 4 p.m. The winner of the showdown will face East Division champ Alcorn State next week (Dec. 3) in the SWAC Championship Game for a chance to meet N. C. Central in the Dec. 17 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.

The SWAC West usually comes down to this season-ending classic in New Orleans and this year is no different. Both teams are 8-0 and undefeated and relatively unchallenged in conference play. All eight of Grambling and head coach Broderick Fobbs’s SWAC wins have been by at least 21 points. Southern had two league wins by single-digits, 28-24 over Jackson State and 41-33 over Alcorn State. The rest have been blowouts. But the teams could not be any closer matched than this year, particularly in conference stats.



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Nuggets dig a Trench, and LSU-Shreveport falls in it

NEW ORLEANS — Maya Trench scored a career-high 21 points Thursday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 69-61 women's basketball victory against LSU-Shreveport in the Xavier Classic.
     
Trench, a 5-foot-2 freshman point guard, tied a career high with eight assists, and she had six rebounds and one turnover in 34 minutes. She is the first XULA player this season to reach 20 points in a game.
  
Mikayla Bates scored a career-high-tying 10 points for the Gold Nuggets (5-5), and Angelle Simon had career highs of nine points and five rebounds. Aliyah Bell grabbed 10 rebounds and reached double figures for the second time this season.
     
Kourtney Pennywell had 17 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and two blocked shots for the Lady Pilots (1-6). Courtney Randle and Chaterra Cage scored 11 points apiece, Quiana Tucker grabbed 12 rebounds, and Bria Freeland had a career-high nine assists.
     
After a halftime tie at 28, XULA went ahead to stay, 34-33, on Jordan Coleman's basket at 7:03 of the third quarter. The Gold Nuggets led 51-42 by the end of the period and took their biggest lead, 56-42, on a Trench 3-pointer with 7:28 remaining. The trey was Trench's third of the game, also a career best.
     
XULA outshot LSUS 38.2 to 32.4 percent from the floor. The Gold Nuggets made eight 3-pointers for the second consecutive game.
     
XULA has won two straight after losing five in a row. It was the fourth consecutive loss for LSUS, whose only win this season was at home Nov. 12 against XULA.
     
Langston defeated Dillard 67-66 in the opening game of the event. On Friday, Dillard will play LSUS at 1 p.m., and XULA will play Langston at 5 p.m. A girls high school game between East St. John and Ellender will tip off at 3 p.m.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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McWright's late basket lifts Langston over Dillard

NEW ORLEANS — Ri'Kell McWright's basket with nine seconds remaining Thursday lifted Langston to a 67-66 women's basketball victory against Dillard in the opening game of the Xavier Classic.

McWright, a senior guard, did not start but had game highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Lions (2-1).

After McWright's score, the Lady Bleu Devils (6-2) missed a pair of shots, including a Shaelynn Moore 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Reagan Widener scored 21 points for Langston, and Akia Frett had 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Moore had 20 points and four steals for Dillard. Adriiana Jackson scored 14 points, Keona Favis had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Alyssa Washington scored 10.

The teams were tied at 33 at halftime after Langston led 17-6 late in the first period. Dillard led by five twice in the third quarter and took its final lead on Moore's 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining.

Langston outshot Dillard 51.9 to 37.5 percent from the floor. Dillard was plus-12 in turnovers, committing 14 and gaining 26. The loss was the Lady Bleu Devils' second in a row after six straight victories to open the season.

On Friday, Dillard will play LSU-Shreveport at 1 p.m., and Xavier University of Louisiana will play Langston at 5 p.m. A girls high school game between East St. John and Ellender will tip off at 3 p.m. XULA defeated LSUS 69-61 in the second game Thursday.

Date: 11/24/2016 Arena: Convocation Center
Time: 5:01 pm City, State: New Orleans, LA

VISITOR: Langston (2-1)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
NO PLAYER P FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OFF DEF TOT PF TP A TO BK S MIN
22 Dickerson, Kaylyn F 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 5 5 3 5 0 2 2 1 15:15
34 Lewis, Che'Ron F 3 4 0 0 1 2 1 4 5 3 7 1 5 1 1 27:28
1 Frett, Akia G 5 10 0 3 0 1 1 5 6 4 10 7 8 0 1 40:00
5 Climpson, Destiny G 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 20:38
32 Widener, Reagan G 9 15 2 3 1 2 0 4 4 0 21 3 4 0 1 38:49
3 McWright, Ri'Kell 9 15 1 1 4 6 3 9 12 3 23 2 5 1 1 33:23
10 Brox, Calynne 0 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 8:00
21 Betts, Kennady 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 4:23
24 Strong, Alexandra 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 5:57
30 Anderson, Nyesha 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 6:07
TEAM REBOUNDS 0 0 0 0
Team Totals 28 54 3 13 8 15 6 31 37 17 67 14 26 4 5 200

Total FG% - 1st: 15/29 0.517 2nd: 13/25 0.520 Game: 0.519 Deadball
3-PT FG% - 1st: 2/9 0.222 2nd: 1/4 0.250 Game: 0.231 Rebounds
Total FT% - 1st: 1/4 0.250 2nd: 7/11 0.636 Game: 0.533 (4,6)

HOME: Dillard (6-2)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
NO PLAYER P FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OFF DEF TOT PF TP A TO BK S MIN
45 Favis, Keona F 5 12 0 0 3 5 5 4 9 4 13 1 1 0 1 31:39
1 Lumar, Shantrell G 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 3 0 0 1 22:25
3 Moore, Shaelynn G 8 21 3 12 1 2 2 0 2 2 20 2 4 0 4 31:46
11 Jackson, Adriiana G 6 10 1 2 1 2 1 3 4 0 14 3 2 0 1 32:53
32 Washington, Alyssa G 4 9 2 3 0 0 1 4 5 3 10 4 2 0 0 30:23
4 McDonald, Alexia 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 12:01
00 Verrett, Chelsea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1:52
23 Norris, Daizha 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 9:52
31 Taylor, Lauren 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 6:51
34 Ephrom, Destiny 2 6 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 2 5 0 1 0 0 10:09
35 Collins, Makeedah 1 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 2 2 2 0 0 1 10:09
TEAM REBOUNDS 1 1 2 0
Team Totals 27 72 6 20 6 12 11 22 33 19 66 17 14 0 9 200

Total FG% - 1st: 13/34 0.382 2nd: 14/38 0.368 Game: 0.375 Deadball
3-PT FG% - 1st: 3/10 0.300 2nd: 3/10 0.300 Game: 0.300 Rebounds
Total FT% - 1st: 4/8 0.500 2nd: 2/4 0.500 Game: 0.500 (3,1)

Technical Fouls: LU (0)
: DU (0)

OFFICIALS : Sterling Higgins Jake Regal Robert Brown
ATTENDANCE : 378

SCORE BY PERIODS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th TOTAL
Langston 19 14 20 14 67
Dillard 11 22 17 16 66

Last FG: Langston 4th-00:09, Dillard 4th-01:08
Largest lead: Langston by 11 1st-01:22, Dillard by 5 3rd-07:02
Score tied: 5 times, Lead changed: 10 times

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Southern, Grambling prepared for 43rd annual Bayou Classic

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Bragging rights are always on the line whenever the Bayou Classic comes around, but there will be much more than that at stake when Southern takes on Grambling at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Saturday.

In the 43rd edition of the Bayou Classic, both teams come in with 21 victories in the all-time series and 8-0 records against Southwestern Athletic Conference competition in 2016.

The winner of the game will take the lead in the Bayou Classic's all-time series and advance to next week's SWAC Conference championship game against two-time defending conference champion Alcorn State.

"It's gonna be a great contest, I wouldn't have it any other way," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said during the SWAC's weekly teleconference. "Two teams from the state of Louisiana, two teams that are undefeated in conference and two teams that have really good talent. I'm looking forward to it."

That talent with both teams begins with the play on the offensive side of the ball.

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Grambling ready for 'dog and pony show' at Bayou Classic

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Broderick Fobbs likes to refer to the annual Bayou Classic as a dog and pony show.

This year's version happens to be one of the biggest in recent memory.

Grambling and Southern meet Saturday in New Orleans for all the marbles. The Tigers and Jaguars are undefeated in conference play for the first time in a Bayou Classic, and the winner will be crowed as the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division championship.

Fobbs, Grambling's third-year coach who has played and coached in several Bayou Classic's, wants his players to stay in character. Defensive coordinator Everett Todd only hopes to be less nervous than the past two years.

"It's a big-time game. It's always that way," Todd said. "There's always a bit of butterflies on the stomach because it is important and you want to be successful and you want to do good things and you want to play. Anybody in their right mind who walks into any game has a little bit of that, then particularly one you have an opportunity to have the championship on the line."

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Jeff Mills: Playoffs feel like consolation prize for N.C. A&T in Celebration Bowl era

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Once upon a time, two short years ago, this was the ultimate goal.

N.C. A&T would start the season on a quest to get to the FCS playoffs and compete in a 24-team football tournament to win a national title.

The Aggies made it. They’re back in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. No. 17 A&T (9-2) will play at No. 12 Richmond (8-3) at 2 p.m. today in the first round of the NCAA Division I Football Championships.

It’s the Aggies fifth appearance in the FCS playoffs and their first at-large berth.

What: First-round game of NCAA Division I Football Championships

Who: No. 17 N.C. A&T (9-2) at No. 12 Richmond (8-3)

When: 2 p.m. today

Where: Robins Stadium (8,700), Richmond, Va.

Broadcast: ESPN3, WCOG-93.7, WCOG-1320

And yet, somehow it feels like getting socks for Christmas. You appreciate the gift, but it’s not what you really wanted.

That’s because a funny thing happened in 2014 when ESPN negotiated the deal for a made-for-TV postseason game matching the champions of the MEAC and SWAC.

The Celebration Bowl became a priority. It’s the priority in black college football.

“Our goal going into this season was definitely the Celebration Bowl,” A&T coach Rod Broadway said. “But this is not a bad consolation prize. It’s a great honor for this team at this time.”



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Everything you need to know for Coastal Carolina vs. Hampton

CONWAY, South Carolina

Series record
Coastal Carolina 1-0

Last meeting
CCU 50, Hampton 17, on Sept. 21, 2013

Coastal Carolina
Strength: Running game, defense
Weakness: Injuries at quarterback and offensive line

Hampton
Strength: Defense
Weakness: Running game

Key matchup
Coastal Carolina’s offense against Hampton’s defense: Down to its seventh quarterback, CCU turns to graduate senior and former Chants baseball player Tyler Chadwick as he gets his first career start under center in his last game ever. Meanwhile, Coastal Carolina has relied on its rushing attack most of the season and likely will again Saturday, giving the Pirates a tough matchup.

Players to watch
Coastal Carolina
Senior running back De’Angelo Henderson: The All-American has one game left in his career and plans to leave it all on the field. He has recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him out for three games, but has now played two games since then. He is the program’s all-time leading rusher and will look to tack on quite a few more yards to his name Saturday.

Senior linebacker Alex Scearce: He is now on the list for the FCS Buck Buchanan Award, given to the NCAA Division I-AA’s best defensive player. He led the team in tackles last season and is the leader again this season.

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Savannah State has another chance to achieve more goals on Saturday

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Goals for a 3-6 team in the season finale?

Savannah State first-year coach Erik Raeburn didn’t have to look hard for reasons to be excited about today’s game with visiting Morgan State.

“Geez, if you’re a senior and you don’t want your career to end on a positive note, if that doesn’t motivate you, there’s nothing I can do for you,” Raeburn said.

“As a team, we have a chance to go undefeated at home for the first time in a long time. If we win, we’d be .500 in the MEAC so we’d avoid having a losing season in the MEAC for the first time ever.

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The Series: Morgan leads the series, 8-0.

“Winning would carry some momentum into our offseason workouts. It would carry momentum into our recruiting. It’d be a great thing for our program.”

So the seemingly meaningless 1 p.m. tilt at T.A. Wright Stadium — a makeup of an Oct. 8 game postponed because of Hurricane Matthew — comes with program-enhancing implications.

After losing to South Carolina State 32-0 a week ago, the Tigers (3-6, 3-4 MEAC) can’t get to a .500 record for the first time since 1998. But considering SSU hasn’t had more than one win a year during the last six seasons, every chance of victory should come with eager anticipation.

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