TV: SEC Network: Auburn Women Back Home Sunday vs. Savannah State at 3 p.m. ET

2016-17 Auburn Women's Basketball - Game #9
Auburn Tigers (6-2) vs. Savannah State Lady Tigers (2-6)
Date/Time	Sunday, Dec. 11 | 2 p.m. CT
Location	Auburn, Ala. | Auburn Arena (9,121)
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Online | WBB Ticket Information & Options
TV	SEC Network + (Brad Law, Joe Ciampi) | Watch Live
Radio	WTGZ 93.9 FM (Andy Burcham, Brit Bowen) | Listen Live
Live Stats	GameTracker
Twitter	@AuburnWBB
Additional Info	Auburn Notes  | Savannah State Notes  | SEC Notes

AUBURN, Alabama -- After a nine-day break for final exams, the Auburn women's basketball team is back in action Sunday afternoon against Savannah State at Auburn Arena. Game time is set for 2 p.m. with the broadcast on SEC Network +.

Auburn (6-2) had played six games in 12 days leading up to exam week, but the Tigers are now set for the stretch run of non-conference play that sees Auburn play six more games in December leading up to the start of SEC play.

The Tigers' defense continues to be its strength as Auburn ranks among the nation's top teams in turnovers forced (2nd - 26.3), steals per game (3rd - 14.6) and turnover margin (5th - +9.6). All eight Auburn opponents have been held below their season scoring average, and five of those eight have been held at least 10 points below their normal total.

Senior Katie Frerking has been the Tigers' leader over the most recent stretch. In the last six games, she has posted three double-doubles and topped the 20-point margin two straight outings. In Auburn's last contest, she led the Tigers in scoring (22), rebounds (6), assists (4) and blocks (2) and also recorded two steals. Frerking is the SEC's steals leader with 3.4 per game, which ranks her 19th in the nation.

Savannah State (2-6) enters Sunday on a five-game skid, falling to Jacksonville State 67-54 in their last contest. The Lady Tigers' two victories this season came against Alabama State and Division II Columbia College.

This is the third straight year these teams have met. Auburn won both previous meetings, earning a 62-56 win at home in 2014 and leaving Savannah with a 62-40 victory last season.

Andy Burcham will have the radio broadcast on WTGZ 93.9 FM beginning at 1:45 p.m. CT. Fans can also listen live via TuneIn Radio or the above link to AuburnTigers.com. SEC Network + has the broadcast with Brad Law and Joe Ciampi calling the action; fans can watch online via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app on mobile devices.

Promotions

• Toys for Tots - Bring a new, unwrapped toy and receive one (1) free general admission ticket!
• Teddy Bear Toss - Bring a new, unwrapped teddy bear for the Teddy Bear Toss at halftime! The fan closest to the target will win a prize!

Auburn Quick Hitters

• This is the third meeting between Auburn and Savannah State
• Auburn won last year's meeting 62-40 in Savannah; also won in 2014 at home 62-56
• Auburn is 31-2 in home non-conference games under Terri Williams-Flournoy and 40-6 in all non-conference games at Auburn Arena
• Auburn is 17-2 all-time against members of the MEAC (1-0 this season; def. N.C. A&T 68-36 on Nov. 17)
• Auburn has held six of eight opponents at least 10 points below their season scoring average
• Five of Auburn's eight opponents have been held to a season-low scoring total
• In the initial NCAA RPI released this week, Auburn is ranked No. 12
• Auburn was ranked No. 23 in the Week 4 AP Top 25; it was the first ranking for Auburn since 2009
• The Tigers have received votes in every AP poll this season
• As of Dec. 7, Auburn ranks 2nd in the nation in turnovers forced (26.3/game), 3rd in the nation in steals (14.6/game), and 5th in turnover margin (+9.6)
• Auburn is 5-0 this season and 33-6 under Coach Flo when forcing 25+ turnovers; Auburn forced 38 vs. Troy, 27 at North Carolina A&T, 30 at East Carolina, 27 vs. Ball State, 30 vs. Marist
• Auburn forced 20 turnovers vs. Indiana but turned that into a season-high 33 points
• Auburn trailed Indiana by 17 points in the fourth quarter before mounting a comeback for a 71-67 win on Nov. 27
• Auburn's 32 fourth-quarter points vs. Indiana were the most in a single period since women's basketball went to a four-quarter game in 2015-16
• Brandy Montgomery scored 28 points in the comeback win over Indiana, including 16 in the fourth quarter and 10 straight over a 2-minute stretch to tie the game
• Montgomery is Auburn's scoring leader and ninth in the SEC through seven games with 16.1 points/game
• Katie Frerking leads Auburn in rebounds (8.5), assists (3.4) and steals (3.4) and is second in scoring (14.9)
• Frerking has double-doubles in three games this year; she had two in her career entering the season
• Frerking leads the SEC and ranks 19th in the nation with 3.4 steals per game
• Frerking had a career-high 7 steals in the win at N.C. A&T, then matched that with 7 vs. Indiana
• Auburn's 32-point win over North Carolina A&T was its largest margin of victory in a road game since Nov. 11, 2011 at Mercer (34 points; 77-43)

Last Time Out

>> Senior Katie Frerking scored a season-high 22 points, but No. 23 Auburn could not overcome foul trouble and a big rebounding deficit Thursday night in a 71-66 loss at Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
>> The Tigers had three players -- two key rebounders -- foul out and saw an early rebounding advantage turned into a big deficit by the end of the game. Despite that, the Tigers rallied to take a five-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but could not hang on.
>> Frerking's 22 points led all scorers as the Tigers shot 37 percent (23-of-62) from the field. Auburn hit a season-high eight 3-pointers, three of them from Brandy Montgomery, who finished with 11 points. Janiah McKay added 15, and Emari Jones finished with a season-high eight. Auburn also had its best free-throw shooting night of the season, hitting 12-of-14 attempts (85.7%).
>> K-State was 47 percent from the floor, led by a 16-point night from Kindred Wesemann. The Wildcats pulled down 39 rebounds to Auburn's 25, and the much taller Wildcats scored 32 points in the paint to Auburn's 22.

Noteworthy

AUBURN-SAVANNAH STATE SERIES
>> This is the third meeting between Auburn and Savannah State in women's basketball, all in the last three seasons.
>> Auburn won the previous two meetings, winning 62-57 in Auburn in 2014 and 62-40 in Savannah last season.

SCOUTING SAVANNAH STATE
>> Savannah State is 2-6 on the season and enters Sunday's game on a five-game skid. The Lady Tigers lost to Jacksonville State 67-54 in their last game.SSU's two wins came against Columbia College and Alabama State.
>> The Lady Tigers average 54.4 points per game and shoot 32.6% from the field. SSU averages 40.5 rebounds per game 
>> SSU is led by Lauren Moss, a graduate transfer from Georgia State, who averages 13.5 points per game. Jeremica Edwards is SSU's leading rebounder with 8.1/game. 
>> Senior guard Kenyatta Hendrix is the school's all-time leading 3-point shooter with 157 made 3s in her career. She is 14-of-58 from long-range this season.
>> Savannah State finished 10-18 last season, 7-9 in the MEAC. All five starters returned from last year's squad.

LAST MEETING: AUBURN 62, SSU 40 (11/22/15)
>> Brandy Montgomery scored 16 points, and Auburn forced Savannah State into 25 turnovers en route to a 62-40 victory at Tiger Arena.
>> Auburn shot 42.9 percent from the floor and dominated the boards, out-rebounding Savannah State 38-24. Turnovers were the name of the game, however, as the teams combined to turn the ball over 47 times on the day.
>> Senior Tra'Cee Tanner scored 12 points. Tanner also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to go along with two assists, two blocks and a steal. 
>> Auburn never trailed in the game, although a cold spell early in the third quarter allowed Savannah State to pull back within as few as 12 points. But SSU would get no closer, and a flurry in the fourth quarter helped Auburn pull away for the 24-point win.

SCOUTING AUBURN
>> Auburn is 6-2 to open the 2016-17 season. The Tigers' only blemishes on the schedule are a 56-52 loss to then-No. 19 West Virginia in the Savannah Invitational championship game, and a 71-66 loss at Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
>> Senior Brandy Montgomery is the Tigers' leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game. She averaged 14.0 points per game as a junior and was named to the preseason All-SEC Second Team by the league's coaches. She scored a season-high 28 points - 16 in the fourth quarter - to lead Auburn's comeback from a 17-point deficit against Indiana on Nov. 27.
>> Senior Katie Frerking leads the SEC and ranks 19th in the nation in steals with 3.4 per game through eight games. Frerking has posted three double-doubles this season and leads the team with 8.5 rebounds/game, which ranks seventh in the SEC.
>> Junior forward Jessica Jones has been a force defensively for the Tigers, posting a career-high four blocks twice already this year and pulling down a career-high 9 rebounds vs. Marist. She also had five steals in the opener vs. Troy.
>> Sophomore point guard Janiah McKay and junior forward Jazmine Jones are the Tigers' other two returning starters. McKay played in all 33 games last year, starting 19, and averaged 9.2 points and 2.3 assists per game. She scored a career-high 24 points to lead Auburn to an NCAA first-round win over St. John's. Jones started all 33 games as a sophomore and had one of the best shooting percentages on the team, shooting 51.5% from the floor.
>> Pressure defense remains a staple of Coach Flo's strategy as the Tigers forced an average of 20.0 turnovers per game in her first four seasons. Auburn is averaging 26.3 opponent turnovers through eight games (1st in SEC; 2nd in nation) and has forced 27 or more in five of eight contests.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

>> Auburn is holding opponents to 53.1 points per game, ranking 22nd nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers are also near the top of the nation in turnovers forced (2nd - 26.3) and steals per game (3rd - 14.6).

>> Auburn has held every opponent thus far under their season average, and six of eight were held 10 or more points below their average.

ALBURN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: SEC Network: Florida Galors Play North Carolina A&T in Neutral Site Game at 3 p.m. ET

Florida and North Carolina A&T meet for the first time.

• Live Scoring
• UF Notes
• Streaming Video
• Audio

PANAMA CITY, Florida – Florida travels 225 miles West to play North Carolina A&T at Billy Harrison Field House on the campus of Gulf Coast State College on Sun., Dec. 11
 
First-Time Florida Foes

• North Carolina A&T is one of five teams on UF's schedule that the Gators will play for the first time.
• The other first-time foes: Chattanooga, Northwestern, Wofford and Southeastern Louisiana.

 
A Glance at the Aggies

• Dana Brown leads NCAT in scoring (14.3 ppg), with the bulk of her scoring coming behind the arc. The redshirt-senior guard is hitting 37.1 percent (26-70) from beyond the arc, with 26 of her 30 made fields goals coming from deep. She also connected on 70 percent (14-20) from the line.
• Four different Aggies have been the team's leading scorer in a game this year.
• Only two of the team's seven games have come at home.
• NCAT played Auburn at home on Nov. 17 and dropped the 68-36 decision. The Gators open their SEC season against Auburn on January 1.
• In his four previous seasons coaching at his alma mater, head coach Tarrell Robinson has guided the Aggies to three postseason appearances, including last year's NCAA Tournament berth after winning the MEAC Tournament title.

 
Gator Watch

• Ronni Williams, Florida's lone four-year senior, runs the floor like a guard and has been seen on numerous occasions snaring a defensive rebound, dribbling the length of the court and sinking the layup.
• Williams, who has been UF's leading scorer each of the last two years, is averaging 15.9 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds.
• She has three double-doubles this year; 16 in her career.

 
What Just Happened

• Florida enters Sunday's game having lost its last two games, with both coming against nationally-ranked opponents. The Gators dropped a six-point decision at No. 24 Arizona State on Dec. 4 and a 25-point loss at No. 7 Florida State on Thu., Dec. 8.
• North Carolina A&T has had 11 days to work on reversing its current five-game skid. Four of those five games have come on the road and included games against Auburn and West Virginia, as well as a five-point setback to Marist.

 
Notes from Florida's Last Game

• #7 Florida State 83, #23/25 Florida 58 (Dec. 8 in Tallahassee, Fla.)
• Florida battled down a double-digit deficit to six points before No. 7 Florida State ripped off a 34-15 run in final 13 minutes for an 83-58 win.
• This was the first time in the 73-game series that both instate rivals entered the game nationally ranked and for the first seven minutes and late into the 2nd quarter it definitely took shape as such.
• FSU used a 10-0 run near the end of the first quarter and held a 22-15 lead.
• Florida battled back in the second quarter and cut its deficit to five on several occasions, the last coming with 1:10 left in the first half after Haley Lorenzentook a feed from Eleanna Christinaki and the Gators were within 34-29.
• The Seminoles mounted another push to end this frame and scored the final five points and took a 39-29 halftime lead.

 
(Gator) Tale of the Tape
Florida

• Points Per Game: 73.0
• Scoring Defense: 62.1
• Scoring Margin: +10.9
• Rebounding Margin: +6.8
• FG%: 47.3%
• 3FG%: 27.3%
• FT%: 64.4%

Gator Leaders

• Scoring: Christinaki, 17.6
• Rebounding: Williams, 8.1
• Assists: Anderson, 4.6

 
North Carolina A&T

• Points Per Game: 57.6
• Scoring Defense: 69.7
• Scoring Margin: -12.1
• Rebounding Margin: -1.6
• FG%: 32.5%
• 3FG%: 28.4%
• FT%: 62.6%

Aggie Leaders

• Scoring: Brown, 14.3
• Rebounding: Tyler, 5.3
• Assists: Kilpatrick, 3.3

 
What's Next?

• Following the game, the Gators will take a nine-day break from competition and turn their attention exclusively to the classroom, where final exams are being held December 10, 12-16.
• Commencement is Dec. 16-17 and will be held in the newly renovated Exactech Arena at the O'Connell Center. It's the first event in the building that's also the game day home of Gator Basketball!
• The Gators return to the court on Dec. 20 and 21 to compete in the Florida Sunshine Classic in Winter Park, Fla. Florida plays Indiana on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. and then Florida A&M on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

 
Final Four in Florida

• Including Sunday's game against North Carolina A&T, Florida has just three more games remaining of its season-opening 12-game road trip.
• At least the last four games of this adventure all will be played within the state of Florida.

 
Half Way Home

• The Gator's Nov. 30 game against Wofford was Florida's sixth of a season-opening 12-game road trip due to the $64.5 million renovations being done to Exactech Arena at the O'Connell Center.
• The Gator's first home game of the season will be on Dec. 28 against Southeastern Louisiana.

 
Game Day Information

• Who: #23/25 Florida (6-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. North Carolina A&T (1-6)
• When: Sun., Dec. 11 * 3 pm ET/2 pm CT
• Where: Billy Harrison Field House * Panama City, Florida
• Facility Notes: played at Gulf Coast State College (5230 West Highway 98, Panama City, FL)

 
Game Notes

• Florida [direct link]
• N.C. A&T – do not post online

 
Game Coverage & More!

• Radio: LIVE on ESPN Gainesville 98.1FM/850AM with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis
• Internet Audio: LIVE thru FloridaGators.com (FREE) [direct link]
• Television: none
• Streaming Video: SEC Network + with Adam Schick & Brittany Davis [direct link]
• Internet Scoring: Sidearm stats [direct link]

 
Opening Tip

• Sunday's game is a special Play 4Kay celebration and both teams will help raise awareness by wearing PINK uniforms for the game.
• Gulf Coast State College will be donating all monies collected at the gate from the game to the Kay Yow Foundation.
• Sunday's game is the first meeting between the Gators and Aggies.
• N.C. A&T has not played since a road loss at Appalachian State on Nov. 30 - 11 days ago. UF has played four games during that span.
• Sunday's game is Florida's 10th on the road this season, as the Gators are nearing the end of their 12-game season-opening road trip due to the $64.5 million renovations to its home arena.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: PAC12 Network: Oregon State men's basketball hosts 3-point-happy Savannah State at 6 p.m. ET

Savannah State at Oregon State

Time: 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET

Where: Gill Coliseum

On air: Pac-12 Network; Radio on Beaver Sports Radio Network (stream here)

Projected starters:

Savannah State (2-8)

11 - Joshua Floyd, 6-4, 195, Jr. | 8.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.9 apg

12 - Casey Wells, 6-3, 180, Sr. | 9.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.7 apg

4 - Troyce Manassa, 6-4, 215, Sr. | 12.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg

30 - Jahir Cabeza, 6-5, 190, Jr. | 8.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg

34 - Maricus Glenn, 6-10, 235, Jr. | 1.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 8.5 mpg

Oregon State (3-6)

0 - JaQuori McLaughlin, 6-4, 185, Fr. | 10.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg

1 - Stephen Thompson Jr., 6-4, 175, So. | 14.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg

24 - Kendal Manuel, 6-4, 180, R-Fr. | 6.6 ppg, 1.3 apg, 50.0 3P%

14 - Matt Dahlen, 6-6, 200, Jr. | 2.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 13.0 mpg

12 - Drew Eubanks, 6-10, 240, So. | 13.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.9 bpg

Line: Oregon State by 18 1/2

Previous meetings: None.

Opponent notes: Savannah State is a historically black university in Savannah, Georgia. ... Horace Broadnax, a former point guard at Georgetown, is in his 12th season as Savannah State's head coach. He is 145- 203 at the school and 187-292 overall including a stint at Bethune-Cookman. ... The Tigers went 16-16 last season and finished fifth in the MEAC. They qualified for the CIT and lost in the first round. ... Coaches and sports information directors picked Savannah State to finish 11th in the 13-team conference this season.

CONTINUE READING

Second Half Surge Helps Jackson State Get Past Drake 68-63

DES MOINES, Iowa  –  Yettra Specks and Paris Collins combined for 27 second half points to lead the Jackson State men’s basketball team to a 68-63 win over the Drake Bulldogs Saturday evening at the Knapp Center. With the win JSU improves to 3-6 and Drake falls to 1-8.

With 44 seconds left in the game Specks drained a long three to give JSU a 65-60 advantage. He knocked down three free throws in the final moments of the game to give JSU its first winning streak of the season.



Collins finished with 16 points on 6-13 shooting from the field and Specks scored 15 points. Javeres Brent and Derek Roscoe came off the bench to score in double-figures. Brent knocked down three three-point shots en route to scoring 12 points and Roscoe had 10. Janarius Middleton added five points, but had a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Tigers trailed 31-29 at halftime, but outscored the Bulldogs 39-32 in the second half. The Tigers shot 34% from the field, but held Drake to 27% shooting. JSU hit nine threes while Drake knocked down five. Second chance points (17-6) and bench scoring (24-13) helped JSU pick up its first road win of the season.

JSU looks to extend its winning streak to three games when the Tigers host Blue Mountain College at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center on Dec. 15. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. JSU will make its final road swing of the non-conference portion of its schedule when the Tigers travel to Ft. Hood, Texas to play Baylor on Dec. 17 before traveling to Pittsburgh, Pa. to face Duquesne on Dec. 19.

BOX SCORE

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Howard Runs Away With 95-62 Win Over Mount St. Mary’s

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard women's basketball team cruised to a 95-62 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Saturday afternoon in its home opener in Burr Gymnasium.

With the win, the Bison improve to 2-6 and the Mount falls to 2-7.

Senior Sydni Johnson just missed out on a double-double with a season-high 21 points and nine rebounds. She went 7-of-14 from the floor, including four three-pointers.

Redshirt senior Te'Shya Heslip added 18 points, eight assists and five steals while classmate Jasmine Hill was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line on her way to 15 points.

Junior Tajzhane Dopson and freshman Imani Bryant tallied nine points apiece. Bryant also had her third consecutive game with double-digit rebounds (11). Off the bench, rookie Sarah Edmond notched eight points and was 3-for-3 on the day with a pair from long range.

As a team, the Bison shot a season-best 55 percent (33-60) from the field and 50 percent (11-22) from beyond the arc. Howard connected on 18-of-25 at the charity stripe for a 72 percent clip.

The Bison outscored the Mount in the paint, 40-20, and earned 28 points off of the visitor's turnovers.

Howard (2-6) came out of the gate on a mission, outscoring the Mount by a 30-13 margin in the opening quarter. Both teams struggled to find their footing in the beginning of the second period, with HU only putting up three points in the first four minutes. Luckily, the Bison got back on the right track to take a 44-26 lead into the break.

The Mount (2-7) put up a tough fight in the third quarter after going on a 14-8 run to pull the score to 53-40. Heslip stole the ball and dished it to Hill, who made the layup and drew the foul for a three-point play to halt the Mount's momentum. Johnson connected from downtown and earned the put back to push the advantage to 67-41.

Edmond and Johnson orchestrated 10 points for the Bison on a pair from long range and two layups to go ahead 79-51 in the final quarter. With 1:45 left on the clock, Howard took its largest lead of the game, 94-60, on a layup by freshman Asia McCants. HU outscored the Mount by a 27-18 margin in the fourth for the final tally, 95-62.

The Bison are back on the road to take on NJIT on Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE

HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

UAPB Defeats Philander Smith, 88-65 for First Win

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Women's Basketball Team picked up their first win of the season with Lady Lions defeating Philander Smith College, 88-65 here Saturday afternoon at the H.O. Clemmons Arena.

UAPB (1-6) had three Lady Lions to finish in double figures with Niya Head scoring a team high 25 points. Shawntayla Taylor scored 12 points and pulled down 15 rebounds and Ajia Richardson added 10.

PSC (6-4) had two Lady Panthers to score in double-figures with Terralyn Dominick scoring a team high 25 points and dishing out seven assists, while Amesha Hamlet-Brown added 14 points and pulled down 15 rebounds for a double-double on the night.

UAPB jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the first quarter on a Head jumper with 7:19 remaining in the quarter.

PSC regained the lead with a 9-0 run to take a 12-7 lead, capped off by a Honcea Thornton with 2:19 remaining.

The Lady Lions closed out the quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 15-12 lead into the second quarter of play.

UAPB extended their in the second quarter to 20-12 on a three-point play by Erin Boothe with 7:49 to go before the half.

The Lady Panthers regained the lead with an 18-4 run to take a 30-24 lead on a Terralyn free throw with 2:09 remaining in the half.

UAPB closed out the half with a 5-1 run to cut PSC's lead to 31-29 heading into the break.

In the third quarter, UAPB used an 18-7 run to take a 47-37 lead on a Head three pointer with 3:14 to go. The Lady Lions then extended their lead to 51-39 on a Head free throw with 1:23 to left to play in the quarter.

The Lady Lions outscored the Lady Panthers, 32-23 in the fourth quarter for the 88-65 win.

UAPB finished the contest shooting 40.0 percent (32-of-80), where PSC shot 30.3 percent (20-of-66). The Lady Lions held the rebounding margins over the Lady Panthers, 60-46.

BOX SCORE

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS GOLDEN LIONS ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln Names Steven Smith Head Football Coach

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Steven A. Smith, an 18-year veteran with experience in both the college and professional levels, has been named the next head coach of the Lincoln football team. Smith's hiring was announced at a press conference on Tuesday morning (Dec. 6).

Smith joins the Blue Tigers after a successful four-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Albany State. Under Smith's direction, the Golden Rams have gone undefeated in league play in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in three of the past four seasons and have consistently fielded one of the conference's top offenses.

Smith, who has four NCAA Division II playoff appearances on his coaching resume, has spent nine total years as a college assistant with stops at Tennessee State, Delta State and Virginia State. In seven of those nine seasons, his teams played for a conference championship, winning four. During his time at the college level, Smith has coached 21 all-conference players, eight All-Americans, four conference players of the year and a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to NCAA Division II's most outstanding football player. Additionally, Smith has coached five players who have gone on to play in the National Football League, including two who were draft picks.

Besides having tremendous success at the college level, Smith has also spent eight years in the professional ranks, including serving as an assistant under Romeo Crennel with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. Smith most recently was an assistant offensive line coach with the Green Bay Packers during their 2014 offseason training activities, and he has also coached with the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. In 2005, Smith served as the running backs coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europe, and in 2006, Smith was the offensive line coach of the Rhein Fire. Eight of the 10 offensive linemen he coached in 2006 ended up being signed to NFL squads, making Smith the only position coach during the history of NFL Europe to have that many players signed in a single year.

Smith also worked in the Arena Football League as the Detroit Fury's offensive and defensive line coach in 2003-04 and started his coaching career at Southside Prep High School in Chicago. Smith was a college fullback for both Langston (1994) and Southern Illinois (1995-98), and graduated from SIU with a bachelor of science in pre-med. Smith also studied medicine at Northern Illinois before transitioning into coaching full time.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Lawing resigns after 4 seasons as XU Gold Nuggets' coach

NEW ORLEANS — Hannah Lawing, head coach of women's volleyball at Xavier University of Louisiana, has resigned after four seasons to pursue non-coaching opportunities.

Lawing was 81-39 (.675) as coach of the Gold Nuggets, winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships four times apiece and qualifying for four NAIA National Championship tournaments. Lawing was GCAC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016.

Against GCAC opponents, Lawing was 48-2 (.960) in the regular season and 9-0 in tournaments.

"Many thanks to coach Lawing for her work and her success with our program," said Jason Horn, XULA director of athletics & recreation. "Our volleyball program is on a solid foundation that we can continue to build upon to gain national recognition and contend for championships. Best wishes to coach Lawing in her future endeavors."



The Gold Nuggets broke the XULA season record for digs per set every year during Lawing's tenure. This season XULA averaged 18.62 digs per set, a nearly 10-percent increase from 2015. Lawing's program earned NAIA Scholar-Team awards in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Lawing joined the XULA staff as an assistant coach in 2012 and succeeded Christabell Hamilton following that season.

XULA will conduct a national search to find a new head coach.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Virginia State Trojans Welcomes Coach Wilbert Johnson

ETTRICK, Virgnia -- The Virginia State University Athletics Department would like to welcome new Head Cross Country/ Track and Field Coach, Wilbert Johnson, to the Trojan Family.

"I feel wonderful being a new addition to VSU Athletic," said Johnson. "The opportunity was there and I sought it, so I think it will be a wonderful year. Since I know some of the student-athletes personally, it has been a very smooth process."

Johnson comes to VSU with a wealth of knowledge after coming off of several great seasons at Virginia Union University.

In his 7 seasons at VUU, Johnson made history by collecting 3 consecutive men's cross country champions. Along with securing numerous top 3 finishes on both the men's and women's side in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field; Johnson guided countless student-athletes to the All-Conference and All-American list. In 2015, Johnson made VUU history to have the first female to be a NCAA Division II National Champion after she dominated the 60M indoor dash.

His dedication to the sport earned him 3 consecutive CIAA Coach of the Year honors.

Being known to combine the talents of old and new student-athletes as well as develop methods to have a successful season, Johnson is on a quest to move the Trojans in the right directions.

"I look to bring additional pride to the cross country/ track and field programs as well as update the sprints and distance corps," expressed Johnson. "Hopefully bringing in additional student-athletes from other schools will help us move forward."

Prior to his time at VUU, Johnson was the Assistant Track & Field Coach at Florida A&M in Tallahassee, FL. During Johnson's tenure at FAMU, he coached and assisted the men's team to several MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships. He also coached countless regional and national qualifiers.

Johnson reached back to his high school alma mater, Blanch Ely High School in Pompano Beach, FL, to build a powerhouse program for 10 years prior to his collegiate coaching career.

Although born in Sanford, NC, Johnson was raised in Pompano Beach, FL. He is a Florida Memorial University graduate and a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

The VSU Trojans are eager for the upcoming seasons that Coach Johnson will be leading.

"I am very pleased to have Coach Johnson to join our staff and he will do a fantastic job," said Athletic Director Peggy Davis. "His work ethic is unbelievable and his professional and leadership guidance for the student-athletes is impeccable."

The Trojans began their indoor track and field season on December 4 at the CNU Holiday Invite in Newport News, VA. VSU will return to action on January 7, 2017 for the Father Diamond Invite in Fairfax, VA.

For more information on Coach Wilbert Johnson and the VSU track and field programs, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

ESPN3: Chicago State Women's Basketball vs. Loyola-Chicago at 1 pm ET

Chicago State (0-8) at Loyola (0-8)
Date	Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016
Time	12 p.m.
Location	Gentile Arena - Chicago, Ill.
Video	ESPN3
Radio	N/A
Live Stats	http://statb.us/b/150062
Social Media	@ramblerwbball (Twitter)

Loyola Game Notes

OPENING TIP – Chicago State women's basketball makes a trip to Rogers Park on the city's north side on Saturday afternoon to battle rival Loyola in an city showdown that will be broadcast live on ESPN3 beginning at 12 p.m.

SCOUTING CSU – CSU is looking for its first victory of the season after dropping its first eight contests after falling last Sunday at Northwestern by a score of 75-42 as sophomore guard/forward Kaylee Allen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) led all scorers in the contest with 16 points and added eight rebounds. Leading the Green and White is sophomore forward/center Sh'Toya Sanders (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne), who is averaging 16 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots per game to go along with five double-doubles. Allen is second on the team with averages of 14 points and 1.6 steals a game while dishing out a team-leading 3.1 assists per contest and is shooting a team-high 83 percent from the free throw line. Junior guard Destiny Harris(Crete, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) is grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game and redshirt junior guard Jessica Cerda (Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood) is third in scoring at 6.3 points a game.

SCOUTING LUC – Like CSU, Loyola is searching for its first win of 2016-17 as it enters Saturday's contest with an 0-8 season record following an 81-43 road defeat at No. 14 Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday that concluded a five-game road swing. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Williams leads the Ramblers with averages of 9.9 points, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game in addition to shooting 39 percent from three-point range. Junior guard/forward Katie Salmon is grabbing a team-leading 4.9 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team in scoring with 8.9 points a game, and freshman guard/forward Kiana Coomber is producing a scoring average of 8.1 points per contest.

SERIES HISTORY – Loyola leads the all-time series with Chicago State by an 11-3 margin and it has been victorious in the last five meetings. The Ramblers won the last contest between the two teams by a score of 77-63 at the Jones Convocation Center on Dec. 31, 2013. CSU has three players score in double figures in the contest with Layne Murphy (Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Central) recording a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

WAC LEADER...PART ONE – Sanders ranks first in several statistical categories in the WAC as she leads the league in total rebounds, blocked shots and defensive rebounds (6.3 dprg). The Fort Wayne, Ind., native also ranks second in offensive rebounds (3.6 orpg) and third in scoring.

UP NEXT – CSU closes out its road swing on Wednesday, Dec. 14 as it heads to Wisconsin to battle Horizon League foe Milwaukee at the Klotsche Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with a start time of 7 p.m.

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

ESPN3: Edward Waters to Face North Florida at 1 pm ET

JACKSONVILLE, Florida --  After spending the last five contest away from its home court, the North Florida women's basketball team comes back to UNF Arena to host Edward Waters on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game is presented by Waychoff's Air Conditioning.

GAME DAY CENTRAL
WHAT: Edward Waters at North Florida
WHERE: UNF Arena (5800)
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10 - 1 PM (ET)
THE SERIES: UNF leads 11-0 // H: 11-0 | A: 0-0 | N: 0-0
LAST MEETING: UNF last met the TIgers in 2014 and escaped with a 62-57 win. 

FOLLOWING THE ACTION
TV/WEB: ESPN3 (Watch ESPN app)
LIVESTATS: SIDEARM Stats
TWITTER: @OspreyWBB

ABOUT NORTH FLORIDA (5-4 / 0-0 ASUN)
Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Game Notes

ABOUT EDWARD WATERS (9-4)
Roster | Schedule | Statistics

LAST TIME OUT...
- North Florida dropped a 78-52 decision at NC State... The Ospreys recorded season-high 27 turnovers leading to 29 points for the Pack... Sierra Shepherd led the team in scoring for the second straight game as she recorded 13 points... Claire Ioannidis and Simone Brownjoined her in double figures.
- Edward Waters took him a 71-62 victory against Keiser University on Dec. 7 and is currently on a four-game win streak...The Tigers host Florida Memorial on Friday.

NOTABLE
- Today is the first game at UNF Arena since November 20 when UNF took down FAU in double overtime.
- The Ospreys 5-4 mark is the best through nine games in Division I history.
- It is the second time that UNF and Edward Waters have played on December 10. UNF beat the Tigers on this date in 1994. 
- For the second straight season, UNF opened its season with a win. 
- Senior Claire Ioannidis recorded her 10th career 20+ point game as she went 7-for-10 from long range against Nicholls State (Nov. 26).
-The last time the two teams met in 2014, North Florida snuck out a five-point win. 
-The Ospreys return 84% of their scoring from 2015-16.
- UNF is 1-3 on December 10th. UNF last played on this date in 2012 and lost to Savannah State. Its lone win is actually against Edward Waters in 1994, 96-57.
- The Ospreys have made at least one 3-pointer in 41 consecutive games dating back to 2/25/15 when FGCU held them without a longball (0-8).
- Claire Ioannidis (14.9), Tesh Hanson (12.8) and Sierra Shepherd (10.1) are one of only three teammates to average 10.0 or more points per game this season so far in the ASUN. 
- In three home games this season, North Florida is undefeated and is scoring 89.7 PPG compared to 50.0 in road games. UNF connects on 47.9 percent of field goals on their home court.

AN OSPREY WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD...
- Be the 328th win in program history
- Be the Ospreys fourth straight win at home
- Be the 12th straight win against Edward Waters
- Be the 6th non-conference victory of UNF

UP NEXT
- The Ospreys stay at home to host Morehead State on Tuesday, Dec. 13 before taking to the road to wrap the contests before the holidays. UNF travels to Bethune-Cookman on December 15 and follows it up with a road trip over to No. 7 Florida State on Monday, Dec. 19.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: FOX Sports: TSU Tigers Ready for Road Test at NC State, 4 pm ET

TENNESSEE STATE (7-1)
at NC STATE (6-2) 
Saturday, Dec. 10  |  4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
Reynolds Coliseum  |  Raleigh, N.C.

TV:  RSN/ACC Network Extra - Bob Rathbun (pxp) and Mike Gminski (Analysis) on the call
VIDEO STREAM: ACC Network Extra / WatchESPN

LIVE STATS: SidearmStats.com
GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE  
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter - @TSU_Tigers |  Instagram - @TSUTigers  |  #BigBlueRising

OPENING TIP: The Tennessee State men’s basketball team travels to Raleigh, N.C. to take on NC State on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Tigers are 7-1 for the first time since making the jump to the NCAA Division I level prior to the 1977-78 season.

HOW TO WATCH: Saturday’s game will stream live on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN app. The game can also be seen on FOX Sports South/FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Sun, FOX Sports Midwest Plus/FOX Sports Indiana Plus, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, YES, NESN, ROOT Sports Pittsburgh, SportsTime Ohio, FOX Sports Detroit, FOX Sports North, FOX Sports Wisconsin, FOX Sports Southwest Plus, FOX Sports Arizona, FOX Sports San Diego, FOX Sports Prime Ticket, ROOT Sports Rocky Mtn and ROOT Sports Northwest. 

LAST TIME OUT: Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) hit the game-winning jumper with 8.4 seconds left in a 72-71 win at Lipscomb on Dec. 3. Six TSU players scored in double figures highlighted by double-doubles from McCall (10 p, 11 r), Wayne Martin (16 p, 12 r) and Jordan Reed (11 p, 14 r).

ABOUT NC STATE: Selected sixth in the ACC Preseason Poll, NC State is 6-2 on the season. Dennis Smith, Jr., a freshman named to the Preseason All-ACC team, leads the Wolfpack offense with 18.3 points and 4.9 assists per game. Four NC State players are averaging 13.0 points or more per game. The Wolfpack is coming off a 77-73 win over Boston University on Dec. 3 to bounce back from a road loss at Illinois.

TSU VS. THE ACC: TSU has gone 0-14 versus teams that currently make up the ACC. Included in the record is five games versus Louisville and one versus Virginia Tech prior to joining the ACC.

IN THE NATION: For the second week in a row, TSU is ranked 17th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, which was released on Dec. 5. In the AP Top 25 Poll, the Tigers received votes in the Nov. 21 and Nov. 28 polls.

UP NEXT: TSU hosts Alabama State at the Gentry Center on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. as the second game of a basketball doubleheader. TSU’s women’s team will host Fisk at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday to kick off the doubleheader.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS