Grambling has eyes on Houston, SWAC title

2016 BAYOU CLASSIC  REMAINS A WINNER WITH ATTENDANCE AT 67,845, the largest crowd for the annual classic since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and forced the move of the game to Houston.

NEW ORLEANS — Minutes after claiming a decisive victory on the Superdome turf, a few Grambling players held up the shiny Bayou Classic trophy and hoisted it in the air while coach Broderick Fobbs reached to the sky with the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division trophy.

The crowd erupted. Toward the front of the celebration, Grambling held the most important object — a sign indicating the Tigers were headed back to Houston for the 2016 SWAC championship.

Chants of "H-Town! H-Town! H-Town!'' filled the front of the stage. Ruston native Justin Miller danced to the beat of the repetitive words.

Grambling is coming for the title that Alcorn State hasn't relinquished in the past two years.

"Ever since they clinched their side, we said we need our remix," Grambling running back Martez Carter said following a 52-30 win over Southern on Saturday. "We sung this song before. We're just going to remix it a little bit and we're going to have a different ending to it."

Talk of returning to Houston is nothing new around the program. Ever since a 49-21 loss to Alcorn State in the 2015 title game, Grambling (9-1, 9-0) has vowed to finish business this time.

At just 5-5 on the year, Alcorn State, the two-time defending league champions, wrapped up the East division a few weeks ago to secure its spot in Houston.



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Alabama State Lady Hornets draw #11 Florida in NCAA Tournament

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The NCAA Division I women's volleyball selection show watch party brought cheers and a reflection on their accomplishments Sunday night on the campus of Alabama State University in the theater room of the student center as the Lady Hornets discovered their bracket fate.

The season will continue for Alabama State with a trip to Gainesville, Florida to take on the No. 11 Gators in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

ASU capped off their perfect conference regular season of 18-0 with a SWAC Championship triumph last Sunday in Jackson, Miss. after rallying back to defeat Texas Southern in four sets.

It extended their consecutive conference winning streak to 21 straight matches.

Now, Alabama State (24-8) will take on Florida (26-3) for the second time in three seasons in a NCAA Tournament match up on Friday, Dec. 2 at Florida for a 7 p.m. ET / 6 CT start in Gainesville.

It marks the Lady Hornets' third overall NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four seasons.

"She means a great ordeal to this team," said senior Jamie Coleman of head women's volleyball coach Penny Lucas-White.

"You're able to just go to her about any situation. She knows volleyball like no other so whatever she says is gold. She also acts like a mother figure for us and helps us come together as a team. Since I've been here, we've been nothing but been very successful."

Alabama State has won at least 20 games in each of the last four seasons.

"It's a surreal feeling," Coleman said.

"I don't really think that it's hit me yet. I do understand that we've been to four SWAC championship matches and won three of them and made three NCAA Tournament trips. I don't necessarily think that I understand the full magnitude of it, but I just know that it's great. To be a part of it, to succeed at that and come here to do what I set out to do, I'm just really excited for this weekend. It's something that will stick with me forever."

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Howard University Volleyball To Battle No. 3 Wisconsin In NCAA Tournament

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champion Howard University volleyball team will face No. 3 Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship, the NCAA announced on Sunday.

The Bison will battle Wisconsin (25-4) on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET in UW Field House. Wisconsin will be one of the host sites for the first and second rounds of the tournament. Washington State (21-11) will take on Marquette (23-8) on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. in UW Field House. The winners of Thursday's matches will face off for a berth to the NCAA Regional.

Howard enters the postseason with a 26-5 overall record, having finished a perfect 12-0 in MEAC play. The Bison earned an automatic bid into the tournament by defeating Florida A&M, 3-1, for their second straight MEAC Championship.

The Bison are poised to make their third overall and second consecutive appearance in the tournament. Thursday's matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Howard and Wisconsin.

Check back to www.HUBison.com throughout the week for more information and a preview of Thursday's match.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Women's college volleyball: Field for 2016 DI championship announced; Howard at Wisconsin, Alabama State at Florida

MEAC CHAMPIONS ROSTER
HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON
OVERALL SEASON RECORD: 26-5, MEAC 12-0

SWAC CHAMPIONS ROSTER
ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY HORNETS
OVERALL SEASON RECORD: 24-8, SWAC 18-0

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — The NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball committee announced on Sunday the 64-team field that will compete in the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. Thirty-two conferences were awarded an automatic qualification, while the remaining 32 positions were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket.

2016 DI Women's Volleyball Championship: Interactive Bracket | Printable Bracket

The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and placed within four regions. The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, the defending national champion, earned the top seed followed by No. 2 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Madison and No. 4 University of Texas at Austin.

Per the established bracketing principles the top 16 seeds were provided the opportunity to host. Additionally, team pairings were determined by geographic proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during the first- and second-rounds.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 led all leagues with eight teams selected from their conferences to compete in the championship tournament. The Big 12 Conference was third with six programs advancing to the tournament. Pennsylvania State University and Stanford University are the only two teams that have earned berths to all 36 championship tournaments. Three programs are making their first appearances in the tournament: University of North Dakota, Boise State University and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

During the previous 35 years of the championship 10 schools have won a national title, eight of which earned a place in this year’s bracket.

Previous winners competing in the field are: UCLA (1984, 1990, 91, 2011), University of Hawaii, Manoa (1982, 83, 87), Nebraska (1995, 2000, 06, 15), University of Southern California (1981, 2002, 03), Stanford (1992, 94, 96, 97, 2001, 04), Penn State (1999, 2007, 08, 09, 10, 13, 14), Texas (1988, 2012) and University of Washington (2005).

First- and second-round matches will be played December 1-3 at 16 campus sites. Teams winning both matches will move on to regional play December 9 and 10. Regionals for the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced after play concludes, on December 3. At each site, four teams will compete in single-elimination regional semifinal competition. All regional semifinal matches will be shown on ESPN3. Regional final matches will air on ESPNU.

The regional winners will advance to the national semifinals and championship final co-hosted by the Ohio State University and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on December 15 and 17. Both national semifinal matches as well as the championship match will be broadcast by ESPN2.

COURTESY NCAA MEDIA RELATIONS

Home Sweet Home: Georgetown Men’s basketball picks off Howard Bison in return to Verizon Center

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Georgetown men’s basketball team (3-4, Big East) defeated Howard (0-5, MEAC), 85-72, on Sunday afternoon. While the Hoyas led from the tip to the final buzzer and the Bison never threatened, Georgetown’s cushion was earned early on, as they had built a 16-0 lead by the under-16 timeout, and then were outscored 72-69 in the subsequent 36 minutes. Graduate guard Rodney Pryor led the Hoyas with 26 points as well as 6 rebounds. Redshirt junior guard James Miller carried Howard with 30 points. This was the closest game of the season for a Howard team with a KenPom ranking of 308th amongst Division I schools.

Georgetown invested fully in the press in the early minutes, and it payed dividends, yielding three early steals sparking the early lead. Junior guard L. J. Peak had four steals on the game to compliment his 14 points. Peak also limited himself to three personal fouls, an area in which he chronically struggles, despite starting for the Hoyas. However, after building a lead as large as 17, Georgetown began to struggle. Learning from their initial miscues, Howard began breaking Georgetown’s pressure, and midway through the second half, the lead was back to single digits.

“We knew they were going to press us, but not having [senior]point guard [James Daniel III] on the floor, we kinda had to learn on the fly,” said Howard Head Coach Kevin Nickelberry. Daniel, who averaged over 27 points a game last season, is out indefinitely with a sprained ankle.

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PVAMU Women's Basketball Grabs First Road Victory; Hands Marshall Thundering Herd First Loss

PVAMU ROSTER

EDINBURG, Texas -- The Prairie View women's basketball team closed out the final day of the Feast on the Border Tournament with a 78-68 win over Marshall

Alexus Parker paced another impressive game as she scored a season and team-high of 25 points, including three three-pointers and making 8-of-10 at the free-throw line. Teammate Tori Carter posted 24 points, four assists and two steals, and Dominique Newman made her first start scoring 14 points.

The Thundering Herd (4-1) took control of the game early creating a 7-0 run lead, but eventually PVAMU got on the board after back-to-back free throws made by Parker at the 6:25 mark. Marshall continued on their spree to advance its lead to 13 points, however, the Lady Panthers would not relent and cut the lead to six on back-to-back buckets starting off with a jumper by Parker and PV forcing a turnover to allow Newman to place a three-pointer. Carter's bucket closed out the quarter with the Lady Panthers trailing by six, 20-14.

Prairie View A&M continued the momentum from the first quarter into the second, resulting in a 10-0 run. PV only allowed seven second-quarter points as Marshall led only 27-26 at halftime.

After the half, the Lady Panthers came out determined battling back taking their first lead of the game. Neither team allowed the other to relinquish the lead keeping it close throughout the third quarter. La'Sha Haynes free throws knotted the game for a sixth time at 41, before Prairie View A&M ended the quarter with a 46-45 lead over the Herd.

Newman opened up the fourth quarter with her fourth three of the contest to extend the lead at 49-45. After a brief Marshall run to give them their final lead at 56-54 with just over five minutes to play, the Lady Panthers took control for good with a 9-0 run.

The Lady Panthers return to action Tuesday, November 29th at Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Preview: Texas Southern vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana – The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball team returns from the Thanksgiving break on Sunday when it plays host to Texas Southern at Blackham Coliseum.

Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. Live video streaming will be available on RaginCajuns.com with the game being broadcast in the Lafayette area on KHXT 107.9 FM and ESPN 1420-AM, with fans also able to hear the game worldwide on the Radio Pup app.

The game against Texas Southern (4-1) marks the final regular-season contest for Louisiana in its former home before moving back to the newly refurbished Cajundome on Thursday against Nicholls. Louisiana, which has worn retro uniforms during its games at Blackham Coliseum, will be auctioning off the uniforms after the game. The Ragin' Cajuns will honor several of its former players and coaches before the game, including the late Beryl Shipley, who was recently inducted into the UL Athletics Hall of Fame.

Louisiana (3-2) earned its first non-conference road victory since defeating Louisiana Tech in 2013 as it cruised to an 82-70 win at James Madison on Wednesday. Frank Bartley and Jay Wright combined for 55 points as the Ragin' Cajuns shot 57 percent from the floor and pulled away from a 39-31 lead at halftime.

Bartley, who is second in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring, leads Louisiana with a 19.2 average with Bryce Washington ranked 10th in the league in scoring (14.4) while leading the SBC in rebounds (11.4). Jay Wright averages 13.0 points per game for the Ragin' Cajuns with freshman Justin Miller averaging 10.8.

TSU (4-1), off to its best start under head coach Mike Davis, defeated James Madison, 67-56, last Monday behind a balanced scoring attack of three players in double figures. Dulani Robinson led all scorers with 17 points and seven assists against the Dukes with Zach Lofton contributing 16 points and Derrick Griffin racked up recording a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

GAME 6: Louisiana (3-2) vs. Texas Southern (4-1)
November 27, 2016 | 4 p.m. CST | Lafayette, La. | Blackham Coliseum (5,000)
TV: None
Radio: KHXT 107.9 FM / ESPN 1420 AM | Talent: Jay Walker (PBP)
Video: RaginCajuns.com
Live Stats: RaginCajuns.com
Twitter Updates: @RaginCajunsMBB; @ULRaginCajuns
Series: Texas Southern leads, 1-0
In Lafayette: 0-0 | In Houston: Texas Southern leads, 1-0

THE COACHES
LOUISIANA
Head Coach: Bob Marlin (Mississippi State, 1981)
Career Record: 458-260 (24th season), Record at UL: 110-94 (7th season)

TEXAS SOUTHERN
Head Coach: Mike Davis (Thomas Edison St., 2000)
Career Record: 317-210 (17th season), Record at TSU: 80-58 (5th season)

STORY LINES
• Louisiana plays its final regular-season game today at Blackham Coliseum – its former home from 1950-84 before moving to the Cajundome.

• The game will pit two of the nation's top offensive rebounders in Louisiana's Bryce Washington (8th, 4.8) and Texas Southern's Derrick Griffin (4th, 4.8).

• Louisiana looks to extend its win streak to four games after opening the season with losses at Minnesota and Montana State.

• A win would mark the first time in school history the Ragin' Cajuns would have won four straight games during the month of November.

• A win would give Louisiana a 4-2 record in the month of November, one win shy of the 2013-14 squad that started 5-2 in the opening month and would reach the NCAA Championships.

QUICK HITS
• Louisiana is ranked nationally in the top-20 in turnovers forced (10th, 19.2), steals per game (15th, 9.8), offensive rebounds per game (16th, 15.0), is 22nd in turnover margin (+5.2) and is 24th in scoring offense (87.8).

• Bryce Washington is ranked eighth nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.8), 11th in rebounds per game (11.4), 13th in double-doubles (3) and 20th in total rebounds (57).

• Jay Wright (16th, 2.6) and Frank Bartley (32nd, 2.4) are ranked in the top 50 nationally in steals per game.

THE SERIES
• The meeting between Louisiana and Texas Southern is the second between the schools with TSU claiming a 74-71 overtime victory over the Ragin' Cajuns on Nov. 16, 2012 in Houston.FAYTET

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS