UH, TSU negotiating football game in 2018

PHOTO COURTESY: TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HOUSTON, Texas -- The University of Houston and Texas Southern are in talks to play a non-conference football game in 2018.

UH vice president for intercollegiate athletics Hunter Yurachek and TSU athletic director Dr. Charles McClelland have been in discussions for several months about the game, which would be held at TDECU Stadium. The payout to TSU would be part of the compensation package for UH's men's and women's basketball teams playing some home games next season on the TSU campus while renovations are underway on what will become the Fertitta Center.

While not finalized, the current plan is for the UH men to play most of its non-conference schedule at TSU's H&PE Arena — site of Wednesday night's NIT opener against Akron — and the majority of its American Athletic Conference schedule at Toyota Center. The UH women would play their entire home schedule at TSU.

Yurachek said TSU has been "very accommodating" in sharing its facility and meeting on the football field would be a "win-win situation."

The two schools are separated by just a few blocks but have only met once in football, a 59-6 win by UH in 2007.

"It'd be great for TSU, " Yurachek said. "It'd be great for the University of Houston to keep that money in the city and allow TSU and Houston to create a one-year rivalry, per se.

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Rush, Nuggets defeat ranked STU teams on the road

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida
— St. Patrick's Day was a good time for Alan Green

Green, the Xavier University of Louisiana tennis coach, watched his teams win 17-of-18 matches Friday against St. Thomas (Fla.) in matchups of ranked NAIA teams. Green's second-ra.nked men beat the 19th-ranked Bobcats 8-1, and his 10th-ranked women won 9-0 against the 22nd-ranked Bobcats.

It was the third time this season that both XULA teams won on the same day on the road against ranked opponents. For the season, the Gold Rush (7-3) and Gold Nuggets (5-6) have four victories apiece against ranked teams.

Karan Salwan, Catalin Fifea and Tushar Mandlekar won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush. Salwan and Fifea both extended their singles win streaks to five matches. Salwan clinched the dual with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Rasmus Lindstrom.

Double winners for the Gold Nuggets were Lacee Ancar, Emma Kranendonk, Charlene Goreau, Lyndsey Clark and Yi Chen Pao. Clark and Pao, paired for the first time in doubles, beat Alexandria Curry and Katalina Pineda 8-0, and Clark blanked Curry 8-0 in singles. Ancar clinched the dual with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 victory against Ksenia Slavina.

The Gold Nuggets' doubles teams won 24-of-25 games. Ancar and Kranendonk — who moved into the national doubles rankings Wednesday at No. 12 — beat Victoria Slavina and Ksenia Slavina 8-0. Goreau defeated Cassandra Lemieux 6-0, 6-0 at the top singles flight.

Next for XULA will be a 1 p.m. Wednesday men's dual against Ouachita Baptist at XULA Tennis Center. OBU is ranked 37th in NCAA Division II. Next for the Gold Nuggets will be an April 1 visit to NAIA No. 12 LSU-Alexandria.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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North Carolina ends TSU's run at the NCAA Tournament

GREENVILLE, South Carolina – Texas Southern gave top-seeded North Carolina an initial wake up call, leading 10-8 in the early minutes of the game, before it was all Tar Heels from there as UNC went on pair of big runs and extended the lead to 25 by halftime before winning 103-64.

North Carolina's Justin Jackson made 5-of-6 from 3-point range in the opening half as UNC eventually went on to defeat No. 16 Texas Southern 103-64 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The Tigers (23-12), winners of three of the previous four SWAC Championships under head coach Mike Davis, came out energized as Kevin Scott made a lay in, and followed it up with a 3-pointer.

Demontrae Jefferson came up with a steal and a dunk by Marvin Jones on a feed from Zach Lofton gave TSU a 7-6 lead.

UNC's Kennedy Meeks made a bucket to give the Tar Heels the lead back, but Scott answered with a 3-pointer for TSU.

Jumpers by Jackson and Isaiah Hicks gave UNC (28-7) the lead for good at 12-10 with 15:49 remaining the first half.

Scott made 6-of-14 field goals and scored a team-high 19 points with five rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Jefferson scored 13 points while Jones finished with six points, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

Jackson had 21 points and seven rebounds while Hicks added 17 points and six rebounds for the Tar Heels, who will advance to play Arkansas in the second round on Sunday.

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NCCU Eagles Fall to UC Davis in NCAA Tournament Thriller

DAYTON, Ohio. – North Carolina Central University went right down to the wire with UC Davis, but the Aggies were able to hold off the Eagles, 67-63 at UD Arena on Wednesday, March 15.

NCCU finishes the season with a 25-9 mark, and the second-most wins in a season with head coach LeVelle Moton. 25 wins also stands as the third-most wins in a season in program history.

The first half of the contest was very even, with both teams having an almost equal time in the lead. NCCU (25-9) led for 7:19 minutes, UC Davis (23-12) had the advantage of 8:56 minutes, and the score was level for 3:45 of the first 20.

The Eagles rode a strong effort from Dajuan Graf (Charlotte, N.C.) into the half as he nailed a big triple to put NCCU ahead 34-31 at the intermission. Kyle Benton (Long Beach, Calif.) was a big inside presence against the Aggies with nine points and four rebounds.

UC Davis took over in the second half as they started the period on a 21-9 run over the first nine minutes, boosted by the team shooting 70 percent from the floor during that stretch. The Eagles fired back with a run of their own, and that set up a game that sizzled right down to the wire.

Rashaun Madison (Norfolk, Va.) and Graf hit a pair of big treys down the stretch, and the Eagles had a few looks to either tie or take the lead within the final two minutes. However, the Aggies were able to outlast the Eagles and make a few free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.

Benton finished with 13 points and a joint game-high 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year, and seventh of his career. Graf tallied a team-high 15 points, and Cole put in 13 points and five boards with three assists. Pablo Rivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) was the fourth Eagle in double-digits with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Of note, Cole passed John Bishop (1980-81, 625) for the second-most points in a single-season with 636.

UC Davis was led by Chima Moneke (Canberra, Australia) who had a double-double with a game-high 18 points and 12 rebounds, followed by Brynton Lemar (San Diego, Calif.) with 15 points and five rebounds. Lawrence White (Burbank, Calif.) picked up 14 points with four boards and four assists.

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Virginia Union Lady Panthers to Face Columbus State in Elite 8

RICHMOND, Virginia -- The Virginia Union University women's basketball team, champions of the NCAA Atlantic Region, will face Columbus State University at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21, in the first round of the Elite Eight in Columbus, Ohio.

VUU will enter the Elite Eight as the #6 seed while Columbus State will enter as the #3 seed.

Ashland University was named the #1 seed followed by California Baptist University as the #2 seed.

Columbus State won the NCAA Southeast Region by defeating Lincoln Memorial University 86-75 on Monday, March 13.

The Cougars are 31-1 on the season while VUU enters the Elite Eight at 26-4. Columbus State is led in scoring by Alexis Carter, who averages 16.6 points per game.

VUU, however, is led in scoring by Atlantic Region MVP Lady Walker. Walker averages 14.4 points and 11.2 rebounds for the Lady Panthers. In the Atlantic Region Championship Game Walker scored a season-high 32 points.

This will mark the second straight appearance for the Lady Panthers in the Elite Eight.

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VUU Lady Walker Earns All-Region Honors

LADY WALKER

CALIFORNIA, Pennsylvania -- Virginia Union University's Lady Walker has been named to the 2016-17 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) First Team All-Atlantic Region Women's Basketball Team, the CCA announced Tuesday, March 14.

VUU's Brittany Jackson was named Second-Team All-Region.

Walker, the 2017 NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament MVP, averages 14.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and ranks eighth in the country in offensive rebounding (4.4). She scored 32 points and collected 10 rebounds in guiding the Panthers to the Atlantic Region Championship on Monday, March 13.

The five-person All-Atlantic Region First Team features all four Conference Players of the Year from the region: Glenn (PSAC West), Glenville State's Paris McLeod (MEC), Virginia Union's Lady Walker (CIAA) and Shippensburg's senior forward Stephanie Knauer (PSAC East). Glenn is joined on the First Team by her teammate, junior forward Seairra Barrett.

All five all-region selectees will now be eligible for the All-American Team, to be announced at a later date.

Five players were selected to the CCA All-Atlantic Region Women's Basketball Second Team: Slippery Rock senior guard Lexi Carpenter, Mercyhurst senior guard Angela Heintz, Virginia Union junior guard Brittany Jackson, Notre Dame (Ohio) senior forward Kelsey Miller and Chowan senior forward Jordan Payne. Heintz is one of three Division II players this season with two triple-doubles.

The Division II CCA encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

2016-17 CCA All-Atlantic Region Women's Basketball Teams

FIRST TEAM
Seairra Barrett, California (Pa.)
Miki Glenn, California (Pa.)
Stephanie Knauer, Shippensburg
Paris McLeod, Glenville State
Lady Walker, Virginia Union

SECOND TEAM
Lexi Carpenter, Slippery Rock
Angela Heintz, Mercyhurst
Brittany Jackson, Virginia Union
Kelsey Miller, Notre Dame (Ohio)
Jordan Payne, Chowan

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Miki Glenn, California (Pa.)

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Virginia Union Lady Panthers Punch Ticket To Elite Eight

CALIFORNIA, Pennsylvania — Lady Walker dominated the paint, and Virginia Union defeated host and top-seeded California (Pa.) 85-69 on Monday, March 13, to punch their ticket to a second straight NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Walker, the CIAA player and defensive player of the year, scored a game-high 32 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. She pulled down 10 rebounds and added two steals.

Ashley Smith chipped in 15 points for the Panthers. Alexis Johnson had 12 rebounds and four blocks to go with her 9 points.

Virginia Union, the No. 3 seed in the region, led by three after the first quarter and started the second quarter on a 12-2 run. It led by 11 at halftime and started the third quarter on an 11-4 run, cruising to a second consecutive region title.

Walker, who also had 10 rebounds, dominated play inside when Virginia Union had the ball. She scored 20 of her 32 points in the first 2½ quarters as the Panthers forged a 20-point lead.

California got off to a lousy start, missing its first seven shots. The Vulcans fell behind 13-6 before getting a spark from Cooper, who played in only two regular-season games but scored in double figures in each of the first two regional games. Cooper's basket started a 6-0 run that pulled Cal to within 13-12.

"We wanted to take the wind out of their sails early," said Virginia Union coach AnnMarie Gilbert. "We knew they were playing with different pieces and without their floor general at point guard."

The teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter, which, at times, was played at an NBA-like pace. Virginia Union led 19-16 after one quarter.

The Panthers led 23-18 before going on an 8-0 run with Walker scoring six points. Virginia Union led by as many as 14 points late in the second quarter and took a 37-26 lead into halftime.

Virginia Union had a whopping 68-38 edge in points in the paint. The Panthers attempted only one three-pointer.

"We knew California's emphasis is in the paint. That was our focus on defense," Gilbert said. "We wanted them to shoot from outside and I don't think they ever figured out the zone. We kept sagging deeper and deeper. I got made whenever we stepped out past the foul line on defense."

Cal shot only 27 percent in the first half but the Vulcans were able to stay within striking distance by grabbing 12 offensive rebounds and using an attacking half-court trap to force 14 Virginia Union turnovers.

Virginia Union dominated the third quarter, making 10 of 16 shots to take a 63-42 lead into the final 10 minutes.

The Panthers shot 54.7 percent from the field and held the Vulcans to 35.3 percent.

The Panthers are scheduled to play their Elite Eight game on Tuesday, March 21, in Columbus, Ohio.

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