HOUSTON — For the second straight year, Grambling swept its way through the Southwestern Athletic Conference, bringing its regular-season conference winning streak to 18 games.
Broderick Fobbs was named coach of the year for the third straight year, and the Tigers landed 14 players on the all-conference team, including the offensive and defensive players of the year.
Despite all of the regular-season accolades, there is still one big piece of hardware missing from Grambling’s recent list of accomplishments: the SWAC championship, which the Tigers haven’t won since 2011.
Grambling will get the opportunity to put that exclamation point on a dominant season at 3 p.m. Saturday when the Tigers take on Alcorn State in a rematch of last year’s SWAC title game at NRG Stadium.
“Eighteen straight wins sound good, but we are chasing the ring right now,” Grambling all-SWAC offensive lineman Justin Miller said Friday. "We were undefeated in the conference last year and lost in the championship game. So we have to stay humble and just go out and do what we do.”
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Friday, December 2, 2016
ESPN3: SIU Men's Basketball hosts Texas Southern on Saturday at 5 p.m. EST
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| SIU ATHLETIC |
This contest marks the eighth-straight road game for the Tigers. Texas Southern plays its first 16 games on the road this season — the longest streak in the nation. The Tigers won't play at home until they host Grambling State on Jan. 14. TSU is coached by Mike Davis, who coached two games against the Salukis while he was the head coach at Indiana (2000-06). He led the Hoosiers to an 85-63 win over SIU in Bloomington, Indiana on Dec. 2, 2000. The following year, Southern pulled off the upset at home, topping the No. 24-ranked Hoosiers, 72-60, in a sold-out game on Dec. 1, 2001. Indiana advanced to the national title game that season, while the Bruce Weber-coached Salukis went to the Sweet 16.
The leading scorer for Texas Southern is junior G Zach Lofton (20.3 points). Saluki fans might remember him from his sophomore season at Illinois State in 2013-14. He averaged 11.3 points for the Redbirds and scored 18 points in the game versus SIU in Normal, Illinois, and 11 points in the game in Carbondale.
Texas Southern has played a lot of road games so far. What do you see out them coming into this game?
I think there are several story lines here. You have Mike Davis, an extremely respected coach with over 300 wins. You've got a guy that has won the league in the SWAC and gone on to the NCAA Tournament. You have possibly the best offensive rebounder that you're going to see all year round in [Derrick] Griffin. You've got a kid named [Zach] Lofton that's very familiar with playing in this building that used to be at Illinois State and is shooting the ball anywhere from 17 to 18 times a game. Then you have a 7-foot, athletic, Marvin Jones that plays on the perimeter that we recruited out of Highland Community College. We're very familiar, not only with this program, but how good they are and they're certainly the most athletic bunch that we've played to date. That includes everybody.
Arizona was able to score in transition against them, that's been a big part of your offense. How do you control the tempo?
I think the only way we can run is if we get stops. We don't run unless we can stop somebody. If somebody scores on us we're not going to run, but Arizona is a little different than us. They've got two 7-footers and one of them went 5-for-6 from three. I do think that you've seen this ball club culminate in the last three games defensively. If we can continue to do what we do defensively I think we have a chance to have a good basketball team. I still believe we can shoot the basketball. We're last right now in the Missouri Valley Conference in three point shooting but I don't think we're a last-place team. I think we have the capabilities of being a top-tier team shooting the three.
Was improving the interior presence a point of emphasis in recruiting this year?
I think for us the interior deal was, yes. We have to have somebody that can alter or block shots inside. We haven't had that since I've been here. We've had height, but they couldn't block shots nor could they finish shots. We think that Thik Bol is that guy. We know he's missed some lobs here and he's had some trouble handling passes, but when you go back and you look at it on film, you find out that in most cases the passes weren't great or it was given to him in a position where it would be difficult for him to have a positive outcome.
Lofton and Dulani Robinson lead the team for Texas Southern. They'll take a lot of shots from outside of the 3-point line. How is that similar challenge to Murray State?
I think the thing with Lofton and Stark is very similar. Lofton is going to shoot the ball every time he touches it. He shoots 17 to 18 shots a game. Our leading shot taker is seven times a game. They've got a guy shooting 11 more times than our leading shooter. The other thing with Robinson is that he has great depth. This is a senior. It is not his first rodeo. He gets it. He's a really good player. He goes downhill. He knows what to do. He's a phenomenal passer. You've got Jones and Griffin coming off of those ball screen and he just throws it up. They've got two Thik Bols. Griffin was recruited to be a wide receiver for Johnny Manziel when he was a quarterback at Texas A&M. This kid is a big-time athlete. He's a big-time player. There's a reason he was player of the year as a freshman and was picked as the preseason player of the year. That's pretty impressive.
How do they use him?
He's shooting about 80% inside the paint. What he does is he gets the rebound. When the shot goes up he will get it. He's a lot like Dennis Rodman. He's one of those guys that if anyone misses around the basket he goes and gets it. This will be one of our bigger challenges that we've faced all year.
Do you know Mike Davis personally?
I don't know Mike. I've followed his career. I certainly remember when he took Indiana to the National Championship. I'm extremely impressed with Mike and what he has done. I'm even more impressed with what he's done this year taking 16-straight road games. Their first home game is January 14th. That's an unbelievable challenge and you don't see him ever whining in the paper or in his game notes about it. I'm really impressed with Mike Davis.
How did this game come about?
The game came about when we had the mess up with the tournament we had. One of the byproducts was they helped us get Texas Southern in here. It certainly wouldn't be an opponent that we would go out and schedule because I know how good they are often. There are no more easy games. Every game will go down to the wire from here on out. I think every team we play will have a winning record except with the exception of one team. Every team we play from here on out is really good. We have no more games that our fans show up or our players will think, 'eh, we can just show up and play.' There are no more of those.
You said Armon Fletcher has worked on his three point shot a lot this summer. How much has that helped his confidence.
I think you've seen that even when he's not making shots he still has the confidence to go ahead and shoot the basketball. He can shoot much better than he has been and right now he's sitting at the 43 or 44 percent mark. I believe he's an even better shooter than that. I think its helped him a tremendous amount. Armon is his own biggest challenge. Armon has an opportunity to be paid to play one day. He's got the body. He's got the athleticism. He needs to have the want more, but I think that will happen with a little more maturation. Armon is a young player. I do think you'll see he will make great improvement as it goes on.
What is Rudy Stradniek's role right now?
I think right now what people are missing is that he has 10 offensive rebounds. Sean O'Brien and Thik Bol have 13 a piece. And they're playing twice the minutes that Rudy is. He's got 10 offensive rebounds in half of the minutes. We've asked Rudy to rebound for us. He's a different type of player. He understands how to screen and slip and get open and pick and pop. If he keeps rebounding that gives us that guy that backs up Thik when he is in foul trouble or fatigued. For us right now, that's a big key. Who will be the backup center? I think since SIUE, you've seen a great bit of confidence in Rudy.s
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Alcorn Eyes Three-Peat in SWAC Championship Against Grambling State
Alcorn Game Notes
HOUSTON, Texas – On a quest to win its third consecutive SWAC Championship, the Alcorn State University football program will play Grambling State in the title game for the second year in a row at 3 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium.
The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Eric Clemons on play-by-play, Jay Walker as analyst and Sherree Burress on the sidelines. It can also be heard on 91.7 WPRL FM with play-by-play voice Charles Edmond on the call.
Alcorn (5-5, 5-4 SWAC) is playing for its 16th conference championship in program history. The Braves are in a similar situation as last season as they are going up against a Grambling State (10-1, 9-0 SWAC) squad that enters the game unbeaten against SWAC competition.
In last year's championship, the Braves beat the Tigers 49-21. Junior quarterback Lenorris Footman recorded four touchdowns including three in the air and one on the ground.
Footman's status for this year's contest will be a game-time decision as he's been nursing a hand injury. Freshman quarterback Noah Johnson has played in nine games this year and has posted 11 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns.
The Braves feature one of the premier ground attacks in the country. They average 217.8 rushing yards per game which ranks second in the SWAC and 18th in FCS. Junior De'Lance Turner leads the team with 61.8 rushing yards per game. He's coming off a career-high 129 rushing yards against Jackson State.
Thursday morning Alcorn earned six SWAC All-Conference honors. Seniors Darien Anderson and Eric Foster were named to the All-Conference First-Team on defense. Senior Detonio Dade and junior Timothy Gardner took All-Conference Second-Team nods on the offensive line, and senior Michael Hurns and junior Michael Brooks were selected to the All-Conference Second-Team defense. Click here to view the release.
Grambling won every SWAC game this year by at least 20 points. Its only blemish on the record came in a non-conference affair at Arizona on Sept. 10 when the Tigers jumped out to a 21-3 lead at half but fell 31-21. The Tigers led the conference in both total offense (507.6 ypg) and total defense (323.6 ypg).
Junior quarterback Devante Kincade, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in total offense with 290.4 yards per game and has thrown for 28 touchdowns. His favorite target is senior Chad Williams who has caught 10 touchdown passes and averages a league-leading 119.1 receiving yards per game.
NOTES
- The Braves are trying to three-peat for the second time in school history after previously doing it from 1968-70.
- Alcorn is looking to become the first team from the SWAC East Division to win three consecutive championships since the title game started in 1999.
- The Braves went undefeated against its SWAC East Division opponents for the second straight year. They've won eight straight games against division foes.
- Alcorn enters the SWAC Championship game on back-to-back regular season wins. It dominated Mississippi Valley State 61-7 and then shutout Jackson State in the second half for a 36-15 victory on Senior Day.
- The Braves have rushed for at least 155 yards in nine of their 10 games this season, including at No. 20 Arkansas. They've run for at least 255 yards in all of their last four games.
- Alcorn ranks top-10 in FCS and first in the SWAC in sacks allowed, only giving up 0.90 per game. On the flip side, the Braves rank 11th in FCS in total sacks, led by senior linebacker Darien Anderson who ranks fourth in the nation individually with 1.00 per outing.
- Anderson is on the Buck Buchanan Watch List which is awarded to the best defensive player in FCS. He's one of seven players on the list. In addition to his sacks, Anderson is also 14th in FCS in tackles for a loss (1.7).
- In the regular season meeting against Grambling this year, Anderson turned in a monster performance which included 12 tackles and a career-high four sacks. As a result, he went on to win Hero of the Week by HERO Sports.
- Alcorn is 5-0 this season when it holds the opposition to under 30 points.
- The Braves have come through with big defensive special teams plays all year. They've blocked five kicks which is the second-most in FCS. Turner has blocked two of them, while freshman Solomon Muhammad returned one back for a touchdown in the regular season finale against Jackson State.
- Alcorn's 54-pont margin of victory over the Delta Devils was its most lopsided victory since Oct. 5, 2013 when it beat Warner 57-0. It was Alcorn's largest win over a Division I opponent since Oct. 11, 2003 when it topped Prairie View A&M 66-0. Johnson had a historic day, setting a school record with eight total touchdowns which was one shy of tying the all-time FCS record. He threw for seven scores and ran for one. As a result, Johnson was named SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, College Sports Madness SWAC Offensive Player of the Week and College Football Performance FCS Performer of the Week.
- Senior linebacker Michael Hurns ranks 12th in the SWAC with 6.2 tackles per outing. He recorded a career-high 12 tackles against Alabama State in the SWAC opener. Hurns was named Student Government Association Senior Class President and took his seat in office Aug. 22. He will hold his SGA position for the entire 2016-17 fiscal year.
- Alcorn moved up a spot to No. 7 in this week's BOXTOROW HBCU Top-10 Rankings. The Braves, who have been ranked in the poll each week this year, have been as high as No. 2 this season.
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Wiley Wildcats: Pena, Hernandez, Duran Named NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes
MARSHALL, Texas -- The Wiley College men's soccer team won several accolades for their performance on the field. Three players were rewarded for their success in the classroom by being named NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes.
Luis Pena-Marquez, Jesus Hernandez (SR/Juarez, Mexico) and Efrain Duran (SR/La Joya, Texas) met the requirements. Athletes must be at least a junior and hold a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5. Pena, a junior biology major, holds a 4.0 GPA this semester and had a career GPA of 3.8. Hernandez, a senior physical education major, has a 3.8 GPA this semester and an overall 3.7 GPA. Duran is a senior physical education major. He has a 3.5 GPA this semester and an overall GPA of 3.6.
All three athletes were inducted into the Wiley College Wildcat 3.0 Club this fall.
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Lincoln Men Ready for the Show Me State Classic
Game #8: Harris Stowe (2-5*) vs. Lincoln (5-2)
Date: Saturday, December 3, 2016
Time: 3:00 p.m. CST
Site: Hyland Arena (3,000) in St. Charles, Mo.
Tickets: General Admission - $10
Live Stats: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/lincoln/
* - Harris Stowe Plays on Dec. 1
THE TIP OFF: The Blue Tigers will be back at a neutral site this Saturday (Dec. 3) as the Lincoln men's basketball team plays Harris Stowe at 3:00 p.m. CST. The game will be played at Hyland Arena on Lindenwood University's campus in St. Charles, Mo., and will be LU's final non-conference test before the Blue Tigers open MIAA play at home next week. The game will be part of the Show Me State Classic, with Lincoln's women's team playing the Hornets beforehand at 1:00 p.m. CST. For both games of the double-header, Lincoln will be the home team.
FAST BREAKS
- This will be the 21st meeting between Harris Stowe and Lincoln, the only two HBCUs in Missouri, in a series that dates back to 1980. The Blue Tigers have a 19-1 lead in the series, with Harris Stowe's lone win coming in the inaugural Show Me State Classic last season.
- Lincoln is 3-0 in neutral site contests this season and has a 5-1 record in such games over the past two years. The lone loss came in the quarterfinals of the MIAA tourney in Kansas City last year.
- Lincoln is 5-2 on the season, marking its third-best start to a campaign through seven games. LU started the 1984-85 season 7-0 and went 6-1 to open the 2000-01 campaign.
- This marks the first 5-2 start to a season for Lincoln since 1981-82.
PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS: Jaylon Smith is one of the best all-around players in the MIAA, averaging 25.0 points and 8.9 rebounds with three double-doubles on the year. Anthony Virdure is averaging 19.9 points and 3.9 assists while Richie Lewisand Maurice Mason are each averaging 8.6 points.
HEAD COACH JOHN MOSELEY: In his third year as the head coach of Lincoln, Moseley is the first coach to take LU to the postseason since 1986-87. Last season, Moseley led Lincoln to its first winning campaign since 2001-02 and its most league wins since 1980-81. Moseley has coached three All-MIAA honorees, including a second team selection in Anthony Virdure.
LAST TIME OUT: Every player who dressed for Lincoln scored at least two points and grabbed at least two rebounds as the Blue Tigers rolled to a 105-55 win over Robert Morris-Springfield this past Tuesday (Nov. 29). Anthony Virdure led LU with 18 points and seven assists while Jaylon Smith scored 17. Maurice Mason dropped six dimes and scored 12 points. Darrius Spencerand Tacourrus Mattox each added 11 points while Chase Morfeld provided 10 points.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS: Jalen Fletcher has a team-best 20.8 scoring average and leads the Hornets in rebounding with 7.3 per contest. Also atop the scoring chart for HSSU are Michael Gregg (10.5 ppg.) and Tyrone Alston (10.3), with Malik Wineglass next at nine points per night. Julian Clarkson leads Harris Stowe in both steals (14) and assists (29).
HSSU HEAD COACH BRION DUNLAP: An 18-year coaching veteran, Dunlap is in his first year as the head coach of the Hornets. Before coming to Harris Stowe, Dunlap spent five seasons as an assistant at Holy Cross, helping the Crusaders win their first postseason game since 2005. He also has coached at Mount St. Mary's and at the high school level.
MR. SMITH: Jaylon Smith has been dominant through the non-conference schedule, as he leads LU with 25.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Smith currently ranks among the top-10 in the MIAA in seven categories, including first in scoring and third in rebounding. Smith additionally ranks fourth in steals (2.0) and third in defensive rebounds (6.7).
ANT-MAN: LU has another dominant scorer in Anthony Virdure, an all-conference second team honoree last season who is averaging 19.6 points per night. Virdure has reached double figures in six of Lincoln's seven games and has reached the 20-point plateau four times.
SCORE!: Scoring has not been a problem for LU, which is third in the MIAA with 84.4 points per contest this year. Lincoln's +13 scoring margin is the third-best in the league, and has been aided by some hot shooting; the Blue Tigers are second in field goal percentage (.497).
HOT ROD: Rod Ollison got the season off to a very hot start, making all four of his shots against Mary before going 8-for-9 from the floor against Minnesota-Crookston. Ollison leads the team with a .677 field goal percentage and is fifth among the Blue Tigers with 6.3 points per game.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Lincoln created a dominant home court advantage last season, as the Blue Tigers went 12-2 in Jason Gym. That total included beating Emporia State in the first round of the MIAA tournament as well as a win over No. 25 Northwest Missouri.
BALL CONTROL: Lincoln excelled in taking care of the ball last year, as LU entered the post season ranked 17th in Division II in turnover margin (+3.5). Lincoln also was 30th nationally in fewest turnovers per game (11.2) and 74th in DII in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2). The Blue Tigers have been just as good this year, winning the turnover margin in six of their first seven games.
ON THE REBOUND: Jaylon Smith, who averaged just 4.2 rebounds last year, leads the Blue Tigers with 8.9 rebounds per night this season. Smith grabbed at least nine boards in each of the first six games and has posted a double-double in three of LU's seven contests. Smith currently ranks 48th in NCAA Division II in total rebounds (62) and 53rd in the country in defensive rebounds (6.7).
NATIONAL LEADER: In addition to his rebound totals, Jaylon Smith is currently seventh in Division II in points per game (25.0), second in total field goals made (67) and eighth in total three-pointers made (26). Smith additionally ranks seventh in total points (175), 21st in double-doubles (three) and 20th in treys made per game (3.7).
BAND OF THIEVES: Lincoln once again is one of the best teams in creating turnovers in the country, as LU ranks first in the MIAA and 34th nationally with 9.3 steals per game. Lincoln's 65 total steals are the 23rd-most in NCAA Division II. Richie Lewis, who led the MIAA in steals last year, is 14th nationally with 17 total takeaways.
D-D-D-DEFENSE: A big factor in Lincoln's 5-2 start has been its play defensively. The Blue Tigers have held all seven opponents to under .500 shooting, and have had a better field goal percentage in all but one contest. Lincoln, which is fourth in the MIAA in field goal defense (.413), has also out-rebounded its opponent five times.
BLUE DECEMBER: Lincoln is heading into the 12th month of the year hoping for a repeat of 2015. Last year, LU went 5-1 during December, including beating Northwest Missouri, which was nationally ranked. As a result of Lincoln's stellar play, the 2015-16 Blue Tigers were named the HERO Sports Division II Team of the Month.
RESERVATIONS: You can reserve your seats for all of Lincoln's home games today! Reserved seats cost $100 and include admission to all of LU's regular season home games. To purchase your seats, visit www.lincolnu.edu/basketball-tickets.
GEAR UP FOR THE GAME: Lincoln fans can get everything they need for the game at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store for LU athletics. Everything from jerseys to office supplies can be found on the site, with a portion of all sales going to benefit Lincoln athletics.
NEXT UP: Lincoln opens MIAA play at home on Thursday (Dec. 8) as LU hosts Missouri Southern for a 7:30 p.m. CST contest.
Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
2016-17 Lincoln Women's Basketball Media Guide Now Online!
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri -- The 2016-17 Lincoln University Women's Basketball Media Guide is now available online. This 64-page publication features player bios, statistics and photos as well as game-by-game results and an expanded MIAA section. This guide also includes an all-time roster as well as Lincoln's career records. The publication additionally contains all-time series records, photos of Blue Tigers past and present and much, much more. All information within this guide is accurate as of Dec. 1, 2016.
Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
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Started from the bottom: GSU seniors eye SWAC title
GRAMBLING — Sometime this weekend, Justin Miller, Chad Williams and the rest of Grambling's senior class will walk out on NRG Field in Houston, take a deep breath and visualize their career path.They started from the bottom. Now they're at the top. Saturday night, they hope the top includes the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship trophy the Tigers have chased for years.
"We stayed grounded through it all," Grambling wide receiver Chad Williams said. "It's just like now the tables have turned. Everyone looks at you like the little brother you used to pick on, but now we're looking at everybody like we're going to pick on you guys for a change."
To say Grambling was picked on in 2013 would be a nice way of putting it.
Seniors like Williams, Miller, Jestin Kelly, Verlan Hunter, Trey Goins and Trent Scott, to name a few, were either freshmen or redshirt freshman during a season most wanted to forget.
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Southern Jaguars prepare to face Florida A&M Dec. 3
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern men’s basketball looks to secure its first road victory this weekend when they travel seven hours down Interstate 10 to square off with the Florida A&M Rattler in Tallahassee, Fla. Saturday.Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Central Time/4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
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For Associate Head Coach Morris Scott, Saturday's clash between two schools known as perennial rivals in football serves as a homecoming on the hardwood.
“It’s always good to go back home to play a game against your Alma Mater” said Scott, who has been with the SU coaching staff since 2011.
Scott was a star point guard for the Rattlers from 1997-2001 and was known as a defensive pick-pocket averaging over three steals a game throughout his career, which still ranks second in the MEAC in steals with 253.
During his career with the Rattlers, Scott was known as a multi-talented floor general that possessed great hands, quickness on both ends of the floor with tremendous court awareness and knowledge of the game. Fast forward 16 years later, Scott is teaching, mentoring and coaching young men at Southern University who remind him of himself during his days on the hardwood.
For five years, he has worked hard preparing the Jaguars to face a different challenge offensively and defensively every time they hit the court. After being apart of two SWAC tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament Appearances, Scott was blessed to travel to Croatia with Global Sports Organization as Head Coach on a 10-day basketball goodwill tour.
“It was a great experience, being able to take (Trelun Banks and Jared Sam) along with a group of guys taught me a lot."
Through five games, senior forward Prudhomme is the Southwestern Athletic Conference scoring and three-point leader and is coming off a career game knocking down eight 3-point baskets and scoring 37.
“Our guards did a good job attacking the basket giving me good looks to be able to knock down some shots.” said Prudhomme. Jared Sam also recorded his first double-double of the season while Tre’Lun Banks dished out a season high 11 assists.
The Jaguars return to the state of Louisiana to take on the Green Wave of Tulane, Wednesday, December 7th at 7 p.m. before returning home to the F.G. Clark Activity Center to host Loyola-New Orleans on Saturday and Ecclesia College on Sunday.
Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 3 p.m.
Fans are urged to keep current with the Men's Basketball program by following the Jaguars on Twitter at @JaguarHoops.
For more information on Southern University Athletics log on to Gojagsports.com for the latest news, scores, and updates. Fans can also access the latest information on SU Athletics through social media by following @SoutherUsports on Twitter and Instagram or liking the Facebook page at Facebook.com/Southern Jaguars.
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Xavier's Temple earns Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete for 2016
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana volleyball continued its streak of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes when Kaelan Temple was named to the 2016 team Friday.
Temple — a junior biology major and outside hitter/defensive specialist and a graduate of Houston's Lamar High School — is the sixth Gold Nugget in this sport to earn this honor. It's the fourth straight year and the fifth time in seven years that XULA volleyball has one-or-more honorees.
Temple is one of 481 — a 12-percent increase from 2015 — from 153 schools to receive the Daktronics-NAIA award this season.
Student-athletes are nominated by their institution, must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status to qualify for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete. All-time at XULA, 17 student-athletes in eight sports have earned this award a collective 31 times.
This is the fourth volleyball-related academic honor for Temple, who is a two-time member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Honor Roll and was a second-team Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar a year ago.
The Gold Nuggets were 16-17 this year, and for the sixth consecutive season they won GCAC regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship. Temple this season produced 17 kills, nine aces and 123 digs in 23 matches.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Ross nets 18 again, but XULA Nuggets lose to DI opponent
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| #21 TERRIEL ROSS #10 ALIYAH BELL |
Terriel Ross notched a career-high 18 points for the second consecutive game, but she was the only double-figure scorer for the Gold Nuggets (6-6), an NAIA member. The Ragin' Cajuns (3-2) of NCAA Division I had four in double figures, led by Gabby Alexander with 15 points and Jaylyn Gordon with 14.
XULA shot a season-best 43.4 percent from the floor — 51.4 percent in the final three quarters — but was minus-12 in rebounds, minus-14 in personal fouls and minus-6 in turnovers. The Cajuns shot 44.4 percent from the floor and made 21-of-30 free throws to XULA's 7-of-10. The Nuggets did not attempt a free throw in the fourth quarter.
Ross made 9-of-13 from the floor in 24 minutes. Teammates Essence Wells and Aliyah Bell scored nine points apiece, and Bell led the Nuggets with seven rebounds.
Alexander grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Simone Fields had 12 points and Troi Swain 10 for the Cajuns, and both grabbed seven rebounds.
Gordon made back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first quarter to help the Cajuns take a 21-11 lead at the end of the period. XULA and UL Lafayette scored the same amount of points during the next two quarters before the Cajuns pulled away with a 21-12 fourth quarter. Their biggest lead was 20.
A Ross layup with 6:17 remaining cut XULA's deficit to 59-51, but the Cajuns closed the game with a 15-4 run.
The Cajuns never trailed and grabbed the lead for good in the sixth minute after ties at 6 and 8.
The Gold Nuggets will take semester exams Dec. 7-14, then return to the court Dec. 15 against Concordia (Ala.) in a 1 p.m. game at XULA's Convocation Center.
BOX SCORE
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Texas Southern University Mourns the Passing of Tigers Legend, Coach Audrey Ford
HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern University family mourns the loss of former Alumnus, Coach, and Student-Athlete Audrey Ford.Ford was a legendary TSU student-athlete who was the school's first athlete to letter in three sports: football, basketball and baseball, for three consecutive years 1950, 1951 and 1952.
When Ford arrived on the Texas Southern University campus in 1950, the football fortunes of the Houston-based school changed dramatically under the tutelage of Coach Alexander Durley.
Ford was TSU's first football player to win All-American honors twice (1952 and 1955) and the only quarterback to lead the Tigers to a national championship, after an undefeated 1952 season.
He was also the first, and only TSU quarterback to pass for 21 touchdowns in a single season (1951 and 1952), and he set the bar for most career passing touchdowns (65), and is tied for single game record in touchdown passes (5).
For his football prowess Ford was inducted into the TSU Football Hall of Fame (2010) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame (1992).
In addition to his impressive football accolades Ford served as TSU's first Volleyball Head Coach (1985-1993) and led the Lady Tigers to five Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991).
The legacy of Audrey Ford remains at Texas Southern University where past, present and future student-athletes have been and will be measured. Coach Ford represented TSU with pride, dignity, and honor and for that the Texas Southern University Community will forever be grateful.
Ford's services will be held in Texas City on Saturday, December 3rd at 11:00 am. Please see below for more details.
Viewing from 9:00 am -11:00 am. The funeral services will begin at 11:00 am following the visitation. Pastor Michael Porter, Sr. officiating. The interment will follow at Houston Memorial Gardens, Pearland, Texas. Johnson Funeral Home - Houston, Texas
Greater Barbours Chapel Baptist Church
7420 FM 1765
Texas City, Texas 77591
Phone: (409) 935-1100.
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Alcorn, Grambling clash for SWAC football title
HOUSTON, Texas -- Grambling stands in the way of Alcorn State winning a third straight SWAC football championship.
The Braves (5-5) and Tigers (9-1) collide in the SWAC title game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Houston’s NRG Stadium. ESPNU will televise the matchup. A berth in the Dec. 17 Celebration Bowl awaits the winner.
“We're real excited about playing for another SWAC Championship,” Braves coach Fred McNair said. “It's a good matchup. We're getting better. We've got to put our kids in position to make plays, especially when the game's close.”
Grambling hammered Alcorn 43-18 on Sept. 24 at Eddie Robinson Stadium, en-route to an unbeaten 9-0 SWAC slate. Braves quarterback Lenorris Footman was injured against the Tigers. Grambling, which boasts a top-five FCS scoring defense, also held Alcorn to a season-low 168 yards rushing.
“We left some stuff out on the table against Grambling,” McNair said. “We made some critical mistakes. We just have to not make those mistakes. I think we’ve got a lot better since that first game.”
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The Braves (5-5) and Tigers (9-1) collide in the SWAC title game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Houston’s NRG Stadium. ESPNU will televise the matchup. A berth in the Dec. 17 Celebration Bowl awaits the winner.
“We're real excited about playing for another SWAC Championship,” Braves coach Fred McNair said. “It's a good matchup. We're getting better. We've got to put our kids in position to make plays, especially when the game's close.”
Grambling hammered Alcorn 43-18 on Sept. 24 at Eddie Robinson Stadium, en-route to an unbeaten 9-0 SWAC slate. Braves quarterback Lenorris Footman was injured against the Tigers. Grambling, which boasts a top-five FCS scoring defense, also held Alcorn to a season-low 168 yards rushing.
“We left some stuff out on the table against Grambling,” McNair said. “We made some critical mistakes. We just have to not make those mistakes. I think we’ve got a lot better since that first game.”
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Morgan State Women’s Basketball To Meet Dayton For First Time On Friday
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (1-5) enters the contest on a four-game losing, following a 62-43 loss on Wednesday afternoon at Marshall. Braennan Farrar scored a team-high 14 points and had a game-high three assists and Tykyrah Williams added 11 points, grabbed a team-best six rebounds and had a game-high four steals for the Lady Bears. Morgan State shot just 27.8 percent (15-of-54) for the game, including 2-of-17 (11.8 percent) from three-point range. The Thundering Herd finished the game shooting 18-of-40 45 percent) from the floor and knocked down 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Morgan State forced 17 turnovers out of Marshall and had 10 steals. The Lady Bears held a 15-7 advantage in points off turnovers and outscored the taller Thundering Herd, 20-16 in the paint. Marshall would outrebound Morgan State, 39-29.
A LOOK AT THE FLYERS: Dayton (2-4) has dropped its last three games, including back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech (81-68) and Creighton (56-53), while competing in the Junkanoo Jam in Bimini Islands, Bahamas (Nov. 25-26). Jayla Scaife came off the bench and score a team-best 15 points, while Saicha Grant-Allen scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the loss to Creighton. Dayton has four players scoring in double figures with Jenna Burdette leading the way with 10.5 points per game. Scaife (10.4), Kelley Austria (10.3) and Lauren Cannatelli (10.2) are all averaging 10-plus points per game. Alex Harris leads the team with 10 blocks and 7.7 rebounds per outing and JaVonna Layfield is averaging 6.5 boards.
MSU VS. DAYTON: This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Morgan State Notes | Dayton Notes |
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears will return to Baltimore to take on rival the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at RAC Arena.
FARRAR NAMED TO PLAZA LIGHTS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Braennan Farrar was named to the Plaza Lights All-Tournament team (Nov. 25-26). Farrar scored a combined 41 points, had five rebounds, six steals and four assists in two games. She finished with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting and added three steals and an assist against host University of Missouri-Kansas City (11/26).
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Morgan has forced 128 opponent turnovers in six games, with 75 of them coming by way of steals. In the win against Washington Adventist, the Lady Bears forced a season-high 31 turnovers, a season-high 21 of them were steals. Morgan State converted those turnovers into a season-best 33 points.
DAVIS BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN: It took interim head coach Edward Davis just two games to earn his first victory as the coach of Morgan State, when the Lady Bears defeated Washington Adventist (11/17). The win marked the first for Davis since he recorded a 55-53 victory over South Carolina State in the season finale on March 1, 2012, in his final season as the head coach at Delaware State.
SHOW ME STATE HOMECOMING: The Lady Bears' Missouri trip last week marked the homecoming of two Lady Bear junior guards and St. Louis natives, Braennan Farrar (Clyde C. Miller Career Academy) and Tayler Williams (Metro Academic & Classical Academy). It also marked the return to the Show Me State for two of Morgan State's coaching staff. Associate head coach Wanika Owsley played collegiately for Southeast Missouri State, while assistant coach, Brittany Dodson, who is a native of St. Louis and played at Metro Academic & Classical Academy.
BACK ON THE SIDELINE: Morgan State interim head coach Edward Davis, returns to the sideline for the 2016-17 campaign as the head man, after spending the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the Lady Bears. Davis, who last served as a head coach in 2012 to conclude 12 season's at the helm of Delaware State, currently is in his 21st season and has a career record of 350-241.
PUTTING THE CLAMPS DOWN: The Lady Bears' defense held the visiting Shock of Washington Adventist (11/17) to just three points in the second quarter and nine for the entire first half. The three points scored by WAU were the lowest points output in a quarter by a Morgan State opponent since the NCAA went to the quarter system in the women's game. The nine total points in the first half, were the lowest since Morgan State held rival Coppin State to 13 first half points on Dec. 14, 2010.
STILL UNBEATEN: The Lady Bears entered the season with a perfect record against just one of this season's opponents in Washington Adventist. Morgan State remained unbeaten against the Shock, improving to 3-0, following a 79-28 victory in its home opener (Nov. 17). Last season the Lady Bears defeated WAU, 74-36 in the home and season opener on Nov. 15, 2015 in Baltimore.
MORGAN PICKED FIFTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish fifth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason poll, as voted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Last year, the Lady Bears were picked to finish ninth, but put together an 13-17 overall mark and finished 10-6 in the MEAC to finish fifth.
FARRAR NAMED TO PRESEASON MEAC SECOND TEAM: MSU junior guard Braennan Farrar was named to the Preseason All-MEAC second team. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Farrar was second on the team in scoring (13.7), while leading the Lady Bears in assists (98), steals (63), three-pointers made (46), while shooting a team-best .794 (104-131) from the free throw line. This is the second consecutive preseason second-team All-MEAC honor for Farrar, who last season was named to the 2015-16 All-MEAC second team at the conclusion of the season.
OWSLEY NAMED ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH: Wanika Owsley was promoted to associate head coach this October by interim head coach Ed Davis. Owsley, who is in her second stint at Morgan State, enters her sixth season overall with the Lady Bears' program. Owsley had previously spent the 2009-10 season at Morgan State, where she helped the Lady Bears to a 17-13 and then school-best third-place regular season finish in the MEAC. She returned to Morgan State. during the 2012-13 campaign after spending two seasons as an assistant coach on the Mississippi State women's staff. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Owsley earned a degree in computer science from Southeast Missouri State, where she helped the Redhawks to a 46-16 overall record and their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance during her senior season.
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears fell to 11-29 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following its 65-50 road loss to Mount St. Mary's (11/15/16). Morgan State at one point had lost 23 straight season openers, prior to winning three straight from 2006-08. Last season the Lady Bears opened up the season at home and defeated Washington Adventist by a score of 74-36 (11/15/15).
GRAHAM RETURNS AS ASSISTANT COACH: Morgan State interim head coach Ed Davis completed his coaching staff with the hiring of Donchez Graham as an assistant coach. Graham is no stranger to Morgan State, as this will be his second stint with the Lady Bears and fifth season overall. Graham returns to Morgan after spending the past two year (2014-16) as the head basketball trainer at Project Rising and the head coach of Team Adidas Shooting Stars. He also had stints as assistant coach at both West Virginia University and the University of Charleston. During his first stint at Morgan State (2005-09), Graham helped the Lady Bears to 53 victories in four seasons, while reaching the 2007 MEAC title game in his second season and the 2008 WNIT, the program's first postseason invitation on the Division I level, in his third season.
REMATCH: The Lady Bears have four rematch games this season against non-conference opponents from the 2015-16 schedule. Those opponents are Washington Adventist, Missouri-Kansas City, University of Maryland Baltimore County and Brown. Last season Morgan State went 1-3 against those opponents with its lone win coming over Washington Adventist.
TOURNAMENT EXPOSURE: Six of Morgan's 2016-17 opponents reached postseason play last season. Two opponents reached the 2016 Women's NCAA Tournament (Robert Morris and defending MEAC Tournament champion, North Carolina A&T). Three competed in the 2016 Women's National Invitational Tournament (Saint Louis, Marshall and MEAC foe Bethune-Cookman), while one (UMBC) took part in the Women's Basketball Invitational.
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