NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana maintained Tuesday its position, 35th, in the fourth NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll of the season.
Unlike the previous poll two weeks ago, the Gold Nuggets share the spot with Montana Tech. Both teams received three points. Freed-Hardeman is No. 1 for the third consecutive poll. The next poll will be announced Jan. 31.
XULA is 11-6 overall and 2-0 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Gold Nuggets have won a season-high five straight and eight of their last nine games. Next for XULA will be a 3 p.m. Saturday GCAC game against Edward Waters (15-4, 3-1) at XULA's Convocation Center.
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 15)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Freed-Hardeman (9) 17-0 250 1
2 Lewis-Clark State (1) 19-0 242 2
3 Westmont 16-1 233 3
4 Lindsey Wilson 17-0 227 4
5 Vanguard 16-1 218 6
6 Shawnee State 19-1 206 10
7 Oklahoma City 14-1 201 8
8 Campbellsville 17-3 193 7
9 Lyon 13-2 190 9
10 Baker 13-3 178 14
11 Montana State-Northern 14-3 171 11
12 Columbia (Mo.) 14-3 164 12
13 Central Methodist 14-2 156 16
14 Cumberland 13-4 140 15
15 Benedictine (Kan.) 11-5 135 19
16 MidAmerica Nazarene 10-5 133 5
17 Bethel (Tenn.) 11-7 108 21
18 Our Lady of the Lake 12-6 106 22
19 Wayland Baptist 13-2 104 RV
20 The Master's 12-4 99 17
21 Biola 13-4 82 RV
22 Pikeville 13-6 79 23
23 John Brown 11-6 73 18
24 Lindenwood-Belleville 12-5 66 24
25 Montana Western 14-3 63 RV
Dropped from previous rankings: No. 13 Great Falls, No. 20 Loyola (N.O.), No. 25 Carroll (Mont.)
Others receiving votes: Loyola (N.O.) 60, Martin Methodist 28, Carroll (Mont.) 27, Great Falls 14, LSU-Shreveport 12, Talladega 9, William Penn 8, Harris-Stowe 7, William Woods 7, XULA 3, Montana Tech 3
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Friday, January 20, 2017
Thursday, January 19, 2017
NSU Spartans to Host William and Mary Football in 2017
The Tribe will kick off coach Jimmye Laycock's 37th season with a visit to the University of Virginia on Sept. 2. They will play five home games at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, including an Oct. 21 Homecoming date against 2016 CAA Football and national champion James Madison. The Tribe will wrap up the regular season in the Capital Cup at Richmond on Nov. 18.
William & Mary is coming off a 5-6 season, including 3-5 in the CAA.
2017 William & Mary Schedule
Sept. 2, at Virginia
Sept. 9, at Norfolk State
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Norfolk State Football to Face FCS National Champion James Madison in 2017
NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Dukes’ 2017 schedule features six games in Bridgeforth Stadium, including its first meeting in two decades with East Tennessee State University (Sept. 9) and its first in program history against Norfolk State (Sept. 16).After a 12-year absence, football returned to ETSU in 2015. The Buccaneers went 5-6 in 2016. Norfolk State went 4-7 and 3-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
In-state rival Richmond will also be one of four teams that finished in the CAA’s top 5 in 2016 that will be coming to Bridgeforth in 2017. Three of those four earned FCS playoff berths, including New Hampshire, which JMU beat in the second round and will host for homecoming on Oct. 28.
“We’ll treat our schedule the same way we do every year. Our goal is to win the CAA championship and we’re going to take it one game at a time,” Houston said. “You have to focus on the game right in front of you, so for us, the only game that matters is ECU.”
2017 JMU football schedule
Sept. 2 at East Carolina
Sept. 9 ETSU
Sept. 16 NORFOLK STATE
Sept. 23 MAINE *
Sept. 30 at Delaware *
Oct. 14 VILLANOVA *
Oct. 21 at William & Mary *
Oct. 28 NEW HAMPSHIRE *
Nov. 4 at Rhode Island *
Nov. 11 RICHMOND *
Nov. 18 at Elon *
BOLD CAPS – indicates home game
* – indicates CAA game
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Miami set to open 2017 season against Bethune-Cookman
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- The Hurricanes don't know yet what their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule will look like this season, but they know now who they'll face in their non-conference 2017 opener.For the second time in three seasons, Miami is set to open against Bethune-Cookman, Hurricanes athletic director Blake James confirmed. The game is set for Sept. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium.
It will mark the first time the programs have played since the Hurricanes opened the 2015 season with a 45-0 win over the Wildcats. The two have met three times entering this season's matchup, with Miami winning all three games and outscoring Bethune-Cookman 128-14.
Along with hosting Bethune-Cookman, Miami is set to host two more non-conference games at Hard Rock Stadium with Notre Dame previously announced to visit on Nov. 11 and Toledo set to visit on Sept. 23, according to the website FSBSchedules.com.
The Hurricanes' fourth non-conference game is set to be at Arkansas State.
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FAMU Legend Bob Hayes To Be Honored By NFL At Super Bowl LI
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| FAMU legendary coach Jake Gaither with "Bullet Bob" Hayes - Tallahassee, FL State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory |
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Robert “Bullet Bob” Hayes, undoubtedly the greatest male student-athlete produced by the legendary athletic program at Florida A&M University (FAMU), will be among the 29 historically Black college and university (HBCU) gridiron greats honored in February by the National Football League (NFL) during the Super Bowl LI festivities in Houston, Texas.
In December 2016, the NFL joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia to kick off an enhanced partnership initiative titled, “Strength of HBCUs: Impacting Pro Football Since 1948.” The goal of the partnership is to honor the history and impact of HBCUs and their players and increase career opportunities for students and athletic administrators at these institutions.
VIDEO:
The NFL announced that its celebration of the influence of HBCUs and their players will continue at this year’s Super Bowl, where it will honor the 29 Pro Football Hall of Fame players who attended HBCUs, culminating with an on-field, pregame ceremony featuring the Hall of Famers at NRG Stadium on Sunday, February 5, 2017.
Hayes was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in July 2009, seven years after his death in September of 2002, at the age of 59. The legendary two-sport Rattler was credited by many with revolutionizing the game of professional football with his world-class sprinter’s speed. In addition to a successful career with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and a stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Hayes was an Olympic gold medalist, and earned the nicknames, “Bullet Bob” and “World’s Fastest Human.”
VIDEO:
FAMU’s Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., expressed the University’s appreciation for the NFL’s commitment to HBCUs, and for the unique way it will honor one of the institution’s most beloved sons.
“I commend the NFL for honoring Bob Hayes along with the other well-deserving HBCU greats,” Robinson said. “I look forward to representing FAMU and Rattler sports at one of the world’s most widely viewed athletic events.”
He added, “The University has worked with the NFL on several previous occasions, including our Marching ‘100’s’ performance at Super Bowl XLI with the late music legend, Prince. We look forward to a growing and fruitful relationship with one of the most influential brands in the world.”
In a recent statement, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said, “the HBCU influence on the NFL goes beyond the evolution of the game and reaches deep into the very fabric of football.”
“Our partnership with the HBCUs is an important initiative which celebrates the tremendous legacy fostered by these institutions that continue to contribute a standard of excellence and character for our game,” Vincent said.
Bob Hayes Jr., will attend the event to witness his father’s recognition.
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
Monday, January 16, 2017
Donika Sutton Named TSU Volleyball Head Coach
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| HEAD COACH DONIKA SUTTON TSU VOLLEYBALL |
Sutton brings more than eight years of Division I coaching experience to the new role and will become the program’s seventh head coach. She has been an assistant coach at Tennessee State for the past three seasons and previously served on the staff at South Carolina State University.
“Coach Sutton is a passionate, knowledgeable and driven volleyball coach who has experience as a head coach. She has established relationships with our players and knows our program well. We are excited to have Coach Sutton lead our program into the future.”
As an assistant at TSU, Sutton coached three All-OVC first-team selections, the OVC Defensive Player of the Year, an OVC All-Tournament team member and two OVC All-Newcomer selections. Away from the court, two student-athletes achieved OVC Academic Medals of Honor and six players made OVC Honor Roll.
“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. I would like to thank President Glover, AD Teresa Phillips, the administration, and the team,” Sutton said, “They have shown confidence in me to lead this program into the future. I am excited and thankful for the support the players showed during this process. Tennessee State is a wonderful institution and this program has a tradition of excelling. More importantly, Tiger volleyball is all about family and that will continue to be the foundation for the program to grow moving forward.”
Before joining the staff at TSU, Sutton served as the head coach at South Carolina State for two seasons. While at the helm of the program, Sutton led the Bulldogs to their first winning season in seven years in 2011. Sutton coached the MEAC Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. She had four All-MEAC selections in two years. During her tenure, the Bulldogs had 10 All-MEAC academic team honorees and South Carolina State led the NCAA in service aces per set in 2011.
Prior to taking over as head coach at South Carolina State, Sutton served as the assistant coach from 2009-2010, helping the Lady Bulldogs capture their second Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2010.
Sutton began her collegiate playing career at Southwest Missouri State University-West Plains where she competed for one season. During that season she was a member of the Region 16 championship team. That team also competed in the National Junior College Championships. Sutton went on to have a standout career as a middle-hitter at Alcorn State. In her first season (2003) she was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Newcomer-of-the-Year and Second Team All-SWAC.
In her final season (2004) she was named First Team All-SWAC and to the SWAC All-Tournament Team. In that same season she was the recipient of her team's Most Outstanding Blocking Award and was named the team’s captain.
Sutton graduated from Alcorn State University in 2005 where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in pre-law.
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
TSU Seeks Brutal Schedule in Hope of Boosting NCAA Chances
HOUSTON, Texas -- It’s not so much that TSU destroyed Grambling State 76-55 on Saturday night. It’s not so much that Texas Southern is now a perfect 4-0 in SWAC conference play, or even so much that the Tigers have won four straight games. Instead, it’s about this. TSU played its 17th game of the season Saturday night. And it was TSU’s first home game.TSU is now 8-9, but don’t be fooled by that record because TSU has played a difficult ridiculously difficult non-conference schedule that has included facing No. 1 Baylor, No. 14 Louisville, No. 16 Arizona and No. 22 Cincinnati (all rankings as of Sunday). The schedule has also included games against 14-3 TCU and 12-6 Rice.
Playing all of these non-conference games on the road has become a common occurrence since Mike Davis took over the program five seasons ago. Davis realizes his team should always compete for the SWAC title, and that winning the SWAC tournament means an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. But Davis wants more for his team than just that automatic bid because that usually means getting stuck with a No. 16 seed or a play-in game.
So Davis takes his team on the road. He schedules difficult games. And he does with one goal in mind, raising his team’s RPI as high as it can get before the team gets into conference play.
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