Morehouse Tigers Slay Dragons to Reach 13th Win in Row

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Maroon Tigers jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back, as they racked up their thirteenth win in a row, beating the Lane College Dragons, 85-53.

It was the fourth win by 20-plus points, for the Tigers who are one win away from tying the 14-game win streak achieved in the 2012-13 season. That mark remains the longest win streak in school history.

Shooting 49 percent and out-rebounding the Dragons, 50-32, the Maroon Tigers cruised to their tenth straight home win, dating back to last season.

Martravious Little was the big scorer, for the Tigers, hitting 7 of 13 shots, from the field, and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, for 21 points. Little, picking up the slack for co-captain Tyrius Walker, matched his season high, in points.

Walker, who picked up two early fouls, sat most of the first half. He played 18 total minutes and finished with nine points and five rebounds.

With the big win, every Maroon Tiger, except Kairo Whitfield, played and scored at least two points.

Omar Alston, the best percentage shooter in the SIAC, was again perfect from the floor. Alston hit 4 of 4 from the field and 2 of 2 from the charity stripe, for 10 points. His game-high 12 rebounds gave him a fifth double-double on the season and he chipped in four assists and two steals.

Duby Maduegbunam matched Alston, with 10 points, and hauled in six rebounds.

James Walker came within a point of his first double-double, putting up nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Jordan Wallace chipped in eight points, hitting his only attempt – a three-pointer – and going 5 of 5 from the line.

The Maroon Tigers shot 90 percent from the free-throw line, hitting 18 of 20. It was their second best effort of the season, behind the 24 of 24 shots made in the season opener against Florida Tech.

Subbing for Tyrius Walker, Michael Olmert had his longest stint of the season, playing a team-high 27 minutes. The sophomore point guard posted three points and three rebounds, but had a game-high seven assists and two steals.

Junior transfer Tony Evans had one of his best games of the season. Evans played a season-high 16 minutes and contributed seven points and three rebounds.

Newcomer Keith Heard added four and two rebounds and Rodolzo Lewis, playing in only his second game as a Maroon Tiger chipped in two points, two assists and a rebound.

While the Tigers failed to reach the 86.6 points per game scoring average that has them atop the SIAC, it was enough to get past the Dragons, who also failed to reach their season average of 64 points per game.

Two Dragons posted double figures, led by Terrace Holt, with 15 points, and AiShontis Sanders, with 14 points. All-SIAC player Kendarius Ash was hampered by an injury and played only 15 minutes. He posted four points and four rebounds.

Despite the loss, the Dragons, now at 4-9; 3-6, remain the #1 team in the SIAC West Division.

BOX SCORE

With the win, the Maroon Tigers move to 8-0 in the conference, and have now defeated all the teams in the SIAC West. Morehouse sits at #2 in the East, behind Claflin, at 15-1; 8-0.

The Maroon Tigers are nationally ranked at #25 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll and are #5 in the South Region of the D2SIDA poll.

Morehouse will be off until Saturday, at 3 p.m., when they face the Fort Valley State Wildcats, in Fort Valley, GA.

The next home game is Saturday, January 20, when the East Division-leading Claflin University Panthers, visit Forbes Arena.

All Morehouse home games are free and open to the public and are web-streamed at http://www.themmtechno.com/mh.htm.

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Claflin men roll on past Tuskegee

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The Claflin University Panthers pushed their season winning streak to 15 games, rolling past Tuskegee University 73-51 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) contest Saturday at Tullis Arena.

Claflin is 16-1 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the SIAC.

Benjamin “Tre” Williams led the Panthers in scoring with 16 points followed by Austin Lawton with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Jaleel Charles scored nine points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds along with four blocked shots for Claflin, while Tondric Johnson also added nine points.

Williams and Johnson continued their hot shooting from three-point land, combining for seven. Williams had four and Johnson added three. The duo knocked down five apiece against Miles College last week.

The 51 points scored by Tuskegee tied a season low allowed by the Panthers defense. Claflin held Albany State University to the same margin in November, winning 68-51. Last season, Claflin held Tuskegee under the 50-point mark with a 49-48 decision in Tuskegee, Ala.

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Mitchell Ties While Stewart Breaks A&T School Record

Freshman Trevor Stewart broke the indoor
school record in the 400m with a time of 47.05.

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- North Carolina A&T indoor track and field teams returned from a month break and had positive performances at the Clemson University Orange & Purple Invite Saturday at the Clemson University Indoor Complex. Sophomore Jaylan Mitchell won the men’s 60 meters while freshman Trevor Stewart won the men’s 400m dash. In total, the Aggies combined for 36 top-10 finishes in their second meet of the season

“I am pleased with our performances as a team,” said N.C. A&T head coach Duane Ross. “We had a lot of depth in many events. It is tough coming off Christmas break and jumping right into a quality competition like this, but our teams handled it very well.”

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Four Players Reach Double Figures as Lincoln Lions Win for Eighth Time in Nine Games

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania -- The Lincoln university women's basketball team placed four players in double figures as they won for the eighth time in nine games, defeating St. Augustine's University 72-61 Saturday afternoon at Manuel Rivero Hall.

The win was also the Lions fourth straight as they improve to 9-4 overall and 4-1 in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) games. Lincoln also remains perfect at home with a 6-0 record. The Falcons fall to 4-10 overall and 1-4 in league play.

McKenzie Spencer (Richmond, Va./Henrico) came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points while grabbing a career-high seven rebounds. Shahra Madison (Chesapeke, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School (Chesapeke College)) recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points (5-7 FG) and 11 rebounds. Michelle Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md./Md. Academy of Tech & Health Science (N.C. A & T)) added 13 points and eight rebounds while Teira Pendleton (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytech) chipped in 11 points. Brianna Logan (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley (Siena)) led Lincoln with five assists.

Kaaliya Williams led the Falcons with 19 points and nine rebounds. Angela Caraballo added ten points.

Three ties and three lead changes highlighted the first quarter before the Lions took control, scoring the final six points of the period to take a 15-9 lead. Lincoln extended the run into the second quarter with an 11-6 flourish to take their biggest lead of the first half at 26-15 before settling in for a nine point lead at the break, 31-22.

The Lions still led by nine midway through the third quarter when they started to pull away, producing a 13-4 run over a three minute span to take their biggest lead of the game at 52-34. Shecquan Bailey (Salisbury, Md./Snow Hill (Baltimore City C.C.)) scored all seven of her points during this stretch and DeeDee Irwin (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) capped the run with a three-point goal from the baseline. Carabello then provided a spark for the Falcons in the final 2:10 of the quarter, scoring seven straight points as the Falcons cut the lead to 11, 52-41 by quarter's end.

Caraballo made it ten straight points with a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter and Nikiya Murphy added a jumper to pull the Falcons within six 52-46 just 54 seconds into the final period. Spencer and Fitzgerald then triggered a 9-0 Lincoln run with back-to-back three-balls to boost the Lions lead back to double figures at 61-46. The Falcons would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way and LU's Taylor King (Lorton, Va./Hayfield Secondary) closed out the Lions' scoring with five free throws in the final minute, giving the Lions the 11-point win.

Both teams struggled to make baskets with the Falcons holding a slight advantage 33.8% (23-68) to 33.3% (20-60). Both teams took 21 shots from beyond the arc with the Lions having the better showing, making nine three-pointers to SAU's four. Lincoln also had a huge advantage in the rebounding department, 62-35. LU's 62 rebounds are the most in game since grabbing 63 against Morgan State in 2013. Both teams also struggled with their ball control with the Lions committing 27 turnovers and the Falcons 20.

BOX SCORE

The women's basketball team returns to action on Monday, January 8, 2018 when the host Shaw University in a CIAA crossover contest. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m.

THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Lady Tigers Take First OVC Victory in 76-66 Win Over Tennessee Tech

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- FINAL BOX | RADIO CALLS

Final Box: Tennessee State 76 – Tennessee Tech 66

Records: TSU (3-10, 1-3 OVC) – Tennessee Tech (3-12, 0-4 OVC) 

Venue: Gentry Center

Location: Nashville, Tenn.

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team won its first conference game of the season with a, 76-66, victory over Tennessee Tech Saturday afternoon in the Gentry Center.

After pulling ahead early in the first period, Tennessee State (3-10, 1-3 OVC) led Tennessee Tech (3-12, 0-4 OVC) the remainder of the game, moving ahead by as much as 12.

Tia Wooten put up 26 points, leading the Lady Tiger offense, and took down 8 rebounds. Maxine Beard facilitated the offense with six assists, while Kaliya Griffin recorded three steals. Jaden Wrightsell also scored in double-digits with 12 points.

Tennessee Tech had four players score in double-digits led by Yaktavia Hickson's 14 points. Mackenzie Coleman (13), Jordan Brock (12), and Asia Harper (11) also notched double-figures for the Golden Eagles.

TSU outscored Tennessee Tech three-of-the-four periods, but the Golden Eagles beat Big Blue on the glass, out-rebounding the Lady Tigers 32-29.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• TSU Leaders
  • Points: Tia Wooten - 26
  • Rebounds: Tia Wooten – 8
  • Assists: Maxine Beard - 6
  • Steals: Kaliya Griffin - 3
• The Lady Tigers shot 100 percent from three-point range the entire first half.
• The Lady Tigers held the advantage in bench points, 19-7.
• The Lady Tigers shot 77.8 percent from the free-throw line.
• TSU was out rebounded, 31-29.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TSU ended the first period up by five after Kaliya Griffin shot 100 percent from the floor leading the Lady Tigers offense with 7 points.
• Jaden Wrightsell came up with six points in the second period to help Big Blue maintain a lead over the Golden Eagles by halftime.
• Tia Wooten showed up early in the second half producing two back-to-back steals resulting in the 10th TSU point off of a turnover.
• Tennessee Tech outscored the Lady Tigers 18-17 in the second.
• Late in the third, TSU went 8-0 over a span of two minutes.
• TSU created as much as a 12-point advantage in the third period – the largest in the game.
• With an eight-point deficit and only 1:15 on the clock, Tennessee Tech began to foul putting Tia Wooten and Taylor Roberts, two-of-the-three Lady Tigers ranked in the conference’s top 10 in free-throw percentage.

GAME NOTES

• TSU won its first conference game of the season versus Tennessee Tech
• The 76-66 victory is the first OVC win for Head Coach Jessica Kern
• Tennessee Tech leads the series 54-13
• Tia Wooten has scored in double digits in all 13 games this season, and 20+ points in 9-of-13 games.
• Jaden Wrightsell scored in double figures for the second time this year
• TSU led at halftime for just the third time this season
• The Lady Tigers are 3-0 this year when leading at the half
• The first quarter lead was the first for the Lady Tigers since Dec. 15 versus Lipscomb

QUOTES

Head Coach Jessica Kern

I’m very impressed with the way the girls came out today. Our theme for this game was bend but don’t break and I think we showed that tonight. There were times when we’d get (the lead) up to ten, then it would get down to two. Then we’d fluctuate back and forth but no one player threw in the towel.

- Overall thoughts on the game

Our Midwest kids are really excited because they’ve got a lot of people coming to support them. We know its going to be a dog fight from here on out. The reality is, we like our chances in conference play. Our goal obviously is to be in Evansville. We want to keep swinging. I don’t think 1-3 is indicative of who we are and what we’ve done but its nice we’re healthy. For the first time all year long, we’re healthy and we want to keep it going. So stealing some on the road is always great.

- On the next two road games

UP NEXT

• TSU heads to Illinois for a series of games beginning Thursday, Jan. 11 agasint Eastern Illinois at 8:30 p.m., followed by SIU Edwardsville Saturday Jan. 13 at 2 p.m.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATION

Alabama State wins second consecutive contest

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State claimed their second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory Saturday night, with a 63-46 victory over Mississippi Valley State University at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

Alabama State (2-13, 2-1 SWAC) was able to pull away late due to a team-effort of hitting boards and not allowing any easy baskets for the Delta Devils. The Hornets won the rebounding battle, 57-48, and blocked nine shots on the night – both season highs for the program.

Branden Johnson was one point away from notching his second consecutive double-double with nine points and a career-high 15 rebounds (13 on the defensive end), and blocked a pair of shots. Fellow post player Fausto Pichardo recorded a career 14 rebounds (13 on the defensive end), with three assists and three blocked shots.

Reginald Gee led Alabama State with 16 points, six rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots on the night. Rodney Simeon added 12 off the bench, while Jacoby Ross scored 11 and dished out a pair of assists.

The Hornets shot 40.4 (21-of-52) percent from the floor and just 17.9 (5-of-28) from beyond the arc, while shooting 64 (16-of-25) percent from the free throw line.

Meanwhile, Jordan Evans led Mississippi Valley State (0-15, 0-2 SWAC) with 16 points, while the Delta Devils shot 22.2 (16-of-72) percent from the floor and 21.4 (3-of-14) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 55 (11-of-20) percent from the free thr
ow line.

Alabama State returns to action Monday at 6 pm against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with the game being carried on the Hornet Sports Network.

BOX SCORE

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University men's basketball, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateMBB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Jackson State tops Alcorn 60-55, moves to 3-0 in SWAC

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State remained unbeaten in SWAC contests Saturday, defeating Alcorn State 60-55 in Lorman.

The Tigers (6-10, 3-0 SWAC) got 15 points from forward Mo Rivers, who scored in double figures for the second game in a row. Treshawn Bolden had 10 points with seven boards, Jesse Love added 10 points and Paris Collins scored nine with a team-high nine rebounds.

JSU shot 39.3 percent from the floor, making 22 of 56 shots, but they only made five of their 24 attempted 3-point baskets.

But coach Wayne Brent's squad again played well defensively. They forced 14 Alcorn turnovers, helped win the rebounding battle 36-34 and held Alcorn to a 39.1 shooting percentage (18-46).

Alcorn State (4-12, 0-3 SWAC) got 38 points out of its bench, but shot nearly half of its 46 shots from beyond the three-point arc and only made 5 out of 20.

CONTINUE READING

Southern holds off late Grambling surge to secure first SWAC win of season

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern's first conference win was important for a number of reasons.

Primarily, Saturday marked the Jaguars' first win against a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. Their 80-69 defeat Saturday of Grambling, the school's archrival, made it that much sweeter.

Inside the comfort of their own home, coupled with the largest crowd they’ve had all season, the Jaguars’ 11-point win against the Tigers added to Southern's 5-0 home record.

"It definitely was a good one for us," Southern first-year coach Morris Scott said.

Saturday was also a bounce-back day for Southern (5-11, 1-2 SWAC), which dropped consecutive road losses at Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M to begin SWAC play.

"Well the win is pretty important for us," sophomore guard Jamar Sandifer said. "We just tried to come out as strong as possible coming off the road trip, going down 0-2."

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Make it 2 straight SWAC wins for UAPB after 69-62 road victory over Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff won its second straight game with a 69-62 road victory over Alabama A&M in Southwestern Athletic Conference play at Elmore Gymnasium. Shooting guard Martaveous McKnight had a sensational game and filled up the stat sheet as he finished with a game-high 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and buried 3-of-5 from downtown. He also nailed 6-of-9 free throws and finished with six boards, five steals and two assists while teammate Travon Harper finished with 19 points, six rebounds, two blocks and hit 9-of-11 from the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs shot 50 percent from the field in the first half but trailed 38-35 thanks to 16 free throw attempts by the Golden Lions (2-14, 2-0 SWAC). In the second half, UAPB clamped down on the defensive end and held Alabama A&M (1-15, 1-2 SWAC) to just seven made field goals. UAPB produced 13 steals on the evening, outrebounded the Bulldogs 33-25 and forced 21 A&M turnovers.

Charles Jackson had a solid output finished with 8 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 31 minutes of action while Trent Steen chipped in with four points,four rebounds, three blocks and one steal in 21 minutes.

UAPB returns to action on Monday, January 9 as it travels to Montgomery, Ala. to face Alabama State. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

William’s Double-Double Leads Morgan State Past FAMU

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Last season it took the Lady Bears 29 games until they picked up their ninth and final victory of the season. A year later Morgan State has earned win No. 9 in just 15 games, as the Lady Bears held off visiting Florida A&M, 61-56 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House.

With the win Morgan State improved to 9-6 overall on the season and 2-0 in MEAC play. It's Morgan State's first 2-0 MEAC start since 2010-11, when that squad also started out 2-0 and began 5-1 in their first six conference games. The Lady Bears also improved to 7-0 at home on the season.

Tykyrah Williams led Morgan State with a game-high 18 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to help Morgan State end a three-game losing skid to the Rattlers. Lexus Spears fell shy of a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds. Braennan Farrar tallied 13 points and added a game-high six assists and had a team-high four steals. Farrar's four steals, gave her 210 for her career and moved her past Monique Liddell (208 steals from 1996-00) for fourth-place all-time at Morgan State.

Florida A&M (3-12, 1-1 MEAC) was led by Florence Ouattara, who scored 16 of her team-high 18 points in the first half. Dy'Manee Royal finished with nine points and pulled down a team-leading 11 rebounds.

Morgan State, which never trailed in the game, had built a 31-18 lead, following back-to-back baskets by Farrar with 5:50 left in the second quarter.

That's when the visiting Rattlers went on a 15-4 spurt to close out the half and pull within, 35-33 at the intermission. Ouattara led FAMU during its run, scoring 12 of the team's 15 points. Ouattara knocked down two straight three-pointers to cut the Morgan State lead to 33-32 with 43 seconds remaining in the half.

Janessa Fauntroy scored on a basket to put the hosts up by three (35-32) with 10 seconds left, but FAMU's Dawn Smith would get fouled on a three-point attempt with .5 seconds remaining. Fortunately for Morgan State, Smith would only make the third attempt, as the Lady Bears took a 35-33 lead into the lockerroom.

The Lady Bears opened up the third quarter scoring the first seven points in the midst of a 13-2 spurt to take a 48-35 lead. The guests would not go away and closed out the quarter on a 7-1 run to pull within 49-42.

A three-pointer by Farrar to start the fourth quarter put the Lady Bears ahead by 10 points (52-42) with 8:56 left in the contest. The Rattlers would get within four points three times with the last coming at 60-56 with 39 seconds left in the game. But that would be as close as FAMU would get.

The Lady Bears shot 22-of-62 (35 percent) for the game, while FAMU connected on 19-of-55 (34 percent) from the floor. Morgan State hit 12 of their 19 free throw attempts, while the Rattlers shot 15-of-28 (53 percent) from the line.

Both teams forced 21 turnovers out of the other and totaled 10 steals. The Lady Bears held a 45-38 rebounding advantage over the Rattlers.

Morgan State will conclude its three-game homestand on Monday, Jan. 8, when they take on the Savannah State. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House. Savannah State (2-10, 0-1 MEAC) was a 66-57 loser at Coppin State on Saturday.

BOX SCORE

Hampton Pirates Fourth Quarter Flurry Leads To Win at UMES

COACH SIX EARNS SCHOOL RECORD 184th WIN

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- For the second consecutive game, the Hampton University women's basketball team erased a fourth-quarter deficit, kicking off Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play for the final time with a 70-65 victory at Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday.

With the win, Head Coach David Six collected the 184th victory of his nine-year career, the highest win total in program history, passing James Sweat who won 183 games.

Down four early in the fourth quarter, freshman LaShayla Wright-Ponder hit from the low blocks, breaking through the UMES zone and after a steal by Monnazjea Finney-Smith, Ashley Bates got a look along the baseline behind the Lady Hawk zone. She was fouled, and hit one to bring Hampton (4-9, 1-0 MEAC) within a point.
Bates worked the baseline through much of the game against the zone defense, scoring 13 points on the afternoon, one of four Lady Pirates to finish in double figures.

K'lynn Willis' free throw a moment later tied the game and she came up with a steal in the full-court press, converting a clean breakaway layup to give the Hampton a 49-47 lead with 7:35 left – the Lady Pirates' first lead since holding a 13-12 edge late in the first quarter.

Willis finished with a season-high 16 points in the game – 12 of which came in the fourth quarter – while dishing out four assists.

BOX SCORE

The Lady Hawks (3-11, 0-2 MEAC) cut into the lead and had their deficit down to one point four times over the next three minutes, but the Lady Pirates pushed their edge back to five on a pair of Wright-Ponder free throws with 2:38 left on the clock and the stifling Hampton defense forced a traveling call against Keyera Eaton which resulted in another chance from the free-throw line for Hampton where Willis hit both pushing the lead to 64-57 – matching the largest lead of the afternoon for Hampton.

The Lady Hawks had one push left, with a three-pointer from Ra'Jean Martin on the left wing, cutting their deficit to 65-62 with 1:25 left, but the Lady Pirates sealed the victory with a free throw from Willis and a drive and dish from the junior, setting up Wright-Ponder for an easy bucket, before another two free throws from Willis to seal the win.

The final bucket for Wright-Ponder capped a 17-point afternoon, which marked a career high, playing in only the fourth game of her career.

Hampton locked up the win from the free-throw line, connecting on 77 percent (14-of-18) of its tries from the charity stripe in the final 10 minutes, and making just over 71 percent for the game.

Jephany Brown scored 10 points while Finney-Smith finished with nine points and three steals. Allina Starr dished out eight assists in the victory.

The Lady Pirates will head to Howard University for their next MEAC contest, originally slated for Monday, the game has been postponed to Tuesday, January 9 and will tipoff at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on Hampton University women's basketball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATION

Bethune-Cookman Rallies From 15 Down To Beat Howard In O.Tl

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ashanti Hunt posted a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double and Emily Williams scored all her 13 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as Bethune-Cookman rallied for a 59-55 overtime victory over Howard in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Saturday at Trinity Washington University.

Howard (4-11 overall, 0-2 MEAC) led 47-32 with 9:02 remaining, but Williams scored 11 of the 19 Lady Wildcats' fourth quarter point as they forced overtime with a Chasimmie Brown layup that made it 51-51 with 31 seconds remaining.

Hunt, Angel Golden and Brown scored the first six points of overtime to give Bethune-Cookman a 57-51 lead. Howard closed to 57-55 on two Sarah Edmond free throws with 22 seconds left, but Williams iced the game with two free throws with 16 seconds left.

Hunt, a Washington, D.C. product, also had five assists and five steals as the Lady Wildcats (10-4, 2-0) extended their MEAC regular season winning streak to 12 and their MEAC road winning streak to 11.

BOX SCORE

Brown had 13 points and eight rebounds, while Golden scored 12.

Edmond led Howard with 24.

Bethune-Cookman travels to Maryland-Eastern Shore Monday.

HEAD COACH VANESSA BLAIR-LEWIS

"Any way you get the win is big. For our team to fight back and get the win after not having the best first three quarters makes it even more special."

"Seeing veterans refuse to lose was huge."

"We started out tough with all our point guards in foul trouble. It was tough to get into a rhythm and our post players never found a stroke.Emily came and settled the team down."

"Leadership is what makes you a veteran. Ashanti and Emily showed it."

"We have to change so we're not in this position. Hats off to Howard --They played hard and believed they could win and we gave them every reason to believe that."

Ashanti Hunt

"If Emily doesn't have that fourth quarter, we lose. She came out with a spark and that energy was contagious. We had to catch on."

"I had to put a team on my back and Emily came in and did the same. We have to cut down on the turnovers."
Emily Williams

"I didn't want to lose. Getting into a rhythm reminded me that I got this and I had to keep shooting."

"The game's never over. We have to keep fighting from beginning to end."

NOTES
1. This was B-CU's first OT win since a 66-60 2OT decision at North Carolina Central on 2/8/14
2. The Lady Wildcats forced 29 Howard turnovers -- a season-high for an opponent -- but also committed 25, their second highest total of the year
3. Williams was 3-5 from the field and 3-3 from the line; She single-handedly cut Howard's 47-32 lead to 47-43.
4. This was Hunt's third double-double of the season. Her 5 steals were a season high.
5. Hunt had a huge following in her hometown. How many? "A lot," she said.
6. Brown reached double figures for the first time in five games.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Rattlers Schoolfield among trailblazers in FSU football

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Kent Schoolfield returned to Tallahassee for a few days in early 1976.

On a whim, he stopped at Florida State and introduced himself to Seminoles’ new football coach Bobby Bowden.

“Coach didn’t know me from paint on the wall,” Schoolfield said.

Schoolfield, a former standout receiver at Florida A&M in the late 1960s, was coaching at Miami Central following his college and NFL careers.

Wanting to coach at the collegiate level, Schoolfield had mailed 100 resumes to programs nationally.

In Tallahassee to drop off his girlfriend/future wife at FAMU, where she was a student, Schoolfield made a last-minute detour to FSU with his resume.

“Coach Bowden had about 10 million resumes on his desk,” Schoolfield said.

CONTINUE READING

Tennessee State Falls to Tennessee Tech in Overtime, 87-81

BOX SCORE  |  RADIO CALLS

Final Score: Tennessee State 81 - Tennessee Tech 87 (OVERTIME)
Records: TSU (6-9, 1-3 OVC) – Tennessee Tech (11-6, 3-1 OVC)
Venue: Gentry Center
Location: Nashville, Tenn. 
Attendance: 1,127

NASHVILLE --- In a back-and-forth game, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team suffered an 87-81 overtime loss to Tennessee Tech on Saturday at the Gentry Center in Ohio Valley Conference play.

Christian Mekowulu and Delano Spencer scored 20 points apiece for the Tigers (6-9, 1-3 OVC) with Darreon Reddick adding 17.

TSU trailed by 13 points in the second half before storming all the way back and had the lead with 15 seconds to play in regulation. A corner three from TTU’s Shaq Calhoun with 12.1 seconds left forced overtime with the scored tied at 73-73.

The Golden Eagles (11-6, 3-1 OVC) outscored TSU, 14-8, in overtime.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• TSU LEADERS
  • Points – Christian Mekowulu, Delano Spencer - 20
  • Rebounds – Ken’Darrius Hamilton, Delano Spencer, Darreon Reddick - 7
  • Assists – Armani Chaney- 5
  • Blocks – Christian Mekowulu- 5
• TSU was 0-for-2 from the free throw line in the first half, finished 17-of-23 in regulation, shooting 81 percent in the second half.
• There were nine ties and nine lead changes in the game.
• Delano Spencer scored in double digits for the 13th time this season, 24th time in his career.
• Christian Mekowulu reached double digit points for the 22nd time, eighth this season.
• Darreon Reddick scored in double figures for the fifth time this year and 35th of his career.
• Mekowulu recorded a career high five blocked shots.
• TSU outscored TTU in the paint by a 28-22 margin.

 HOW IT HAPPENED

• TSU scored the first nine points of the game with Ken’Darrius Hamilton picking up a three and a dunk in the first four minutes.
• Throughout the first half, Tennessee Tech cut the TSU lead down to one on three occasions, but the Tigers were able to maintain the lead.
• TSU took its largest lead of the first half on a three from Jalen Duke with 3:35 showing on the first half clock to put the score at 31-22 in favor of the home side. The Golden Eagles were able to cut TSU’s lead to 33-30 at halftime.
• Tennessee Tech took its first lead of the game on a three from Curtis Phillips Jr. 1:30 into the second half for a 38-35 edge.
• The Golden Eagles’ advantage grew to 13 points at 68-43 with 12:04 remaining.
• TSU clawed its way back into the game and leveled the score with nine points in a row including a three and layup from Delano Spencer. The Tigers regained the lead on a Mekowulu layup with 7:30 to play for a 61-59 edge.
• At the final media timeout with 2:50 showing on the clock, TSU held a 66-65 advantage.
• Down one, Reddick made two free throws with 1:07 left for a 71-70 lead.
• Reddick made two more free throws with 31.5 seconds left in regulation for a 73-70 lead.
• TTU’s tied the score on a corner three pointer from Calhoun with 12.6 seconds left tied the score at 73-73. The Golden Eagles came up with a stop on TSU’s final possession in regulation to force overtime.

GAME NOTES

• TSU is now 32-33 in the all-time series versus Tennessee Tech.
• The Tigers held the Golden Eagles without a field goal for 8:02 in the first half.
• TSU played its fourth overtime game of the season.

QUOTES

HEAD COACH DANA FORD

“We have to do a better job of closing out these games. Countless games that have either come down to overtime or the last shot, and for whatever reason, we’re coming up on the wrong side of them. A lot of the credit goes to Tennessee Tech. I thought they came in the first thirty minutes of the game and really took it to us from a mentally standpoint. I guess you could say that I didn’t have the guys ready enough from a mentality standpoint, even though we haven’t changed anything that we’ve done. Man, we’ve just got to play a complete 40 minutes and pay attention to details coming down the stretch.”
- Overview of the game

“We became the aggressor. It’s pretty simple. We played harder. We wanted it more, and for guys that have stretches throughout the game when that’s the case, we have to say we want it more. We’ve got to grow up. We’ve got to grow up from that and do a better job. I’ve got to coach them and do a better job. We’ve got to be more consistent with our execution, our mentality and our attention to detail.”
- On the second-half comeback

They’re all big games, and they’re all going to be close games. We’ve got to pay more attention to detail, and we’re going to have to continue to practice it like we have ever since the middle of October. How to close out games, and close games and have an understanding of what league play is all about. Hopefully, we will start to see the fruit of our labor more consistently.”
-On upcoming road games

UP NEXT

• TSU heads to Charleston, Ill. to take on Eastern Illinois on Thursday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m.
• The game is scheduled to air on national TV on CBS Sports Network and on the radio on 102.1 The Ville.

North Dakota State Wins Sixth FCS Championship 17-13 Over James Madison

FRISCO, Texas -- No. 2 seed North Dakota State won its sixth FCS national championship in seven years with a 17-13 victory over top-seeded defending champion James Madison on Saturday, Jan. 6, before a sellout crowd of 19,090 at Toyota Stadium.

It was North Dakota State's 14th football national championship since 1965 and tied the FCS record of six national titles held by Georgia Southern. The Bison finished their season 14-1 overall.

Junior quarterback Easton Stick, named the game's Most Outstanding Player, completed 13 of 22 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown in his first championship game start after leading the Bison through the semifinals with eight straight wins as a freshman in 2015.

NDSU running back Bruce Anderson rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown, and Lance Dunn rushed 13 times for 50 yards in his return to the Bison lineup after missing seven games with a hip injury.


Final Statistics (PDF)
NDSU Postgame Quotes
JMU Postgame Quotes

North Dakota State's defense forced three turnovers and held James Madison (14-1) to a season-low 241 yards. Defensive tackle Nate Tanguay had an interception, cornerback Marquise Bridges made his third interception of the playoffs near to stop a JMU drive inside the 5, and cornerback Josh Hayes forced a fumble recovered by linebacker Jabril Cox.

Sophomore defensive end Derrek Tuszka had two sacks and six total tackles for NDSU, and safety Robbie Grimsley added six stops to lead the Bison.

NDSU forced a three-and-out on the game's opening possession and the Bison marched 66 yards in 11 plays on their first offensive series capped by Anderson's 3-yard touchdown run.

Wide receiver Darrius Shepherd caught his first only touchdown pass of the season in the second quarter on a 50-yard strike from Stick that gave NDSU a 14-3. Cam Pedersen added a 32-yard field goal to make it 17-3 late in the second quarter.

Ethan Ratke's second of two field goals pulled JMU within 17-6 at halftime, and the Dukes scored the game's final points on a 1-yard Marcus Marshall touchdown run with 9:26 left in the third quarter.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Texas Southern claim third straight win with 100-94 victory over PVAMU

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern Tigers claimed their third consecutive victory at home in front of an energetic crowd as they defeated rival Prairie View A&M by a score of 100-94 at the HPE Arena.

Five Tigers scored in double figures with the backcourt of Demontrae Jefferson (23 points) and Derrick Bruce (22 points) combining for 45 points.

Jefferson picked up more than half his points from the free throw line by making 12-of-18 from the charity stripe while Bruce was hot from 3-point range, making 6-of-12 from downtown.

Marquis Salmon registered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds and added three blocks while Donte Clark scored 14 and Lamont Walker added 12 for Texas Southern.

Texas Southern's win snapped the Panthers three-game winning streak as Prairie View A&M was led by Gary Blackston's 24 points and six reboun
ds while Zachary Hamilton added 18 points.

TSU will get set to continue league play as they travel to face Jackson State this upcoming weekend (Jan. 20).

BOX SCORE

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATION

TSU Track and Field Set to Host Ed Temple Classic on Sunday

ED TEMPLE CLASSIC
Sunday, Jan. 7
9 a.m. Field Events  |  11 a.m. Track Events
Gentry Center  |  Nashville, Tennessee

LIVE RESULTS  |  MEET INFORMATION

STARTING LINE: In the lone home meet of the season, the Tennessee State men’s and women’s track and field teams will host the Ed Temple Classic on Sunday, Jan. 7 at Wilma Rudolph Indoor Track inside the Gentry Center. The meet is named after the late Ed Temple, who guided the Tigerbelles for four decades. Temple, who passed away in September of 2016, served as the Head Coach of the U.S. women’s track and field team at the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. 

THE FIELD: TSU, Middle Tennessee, Austin Peay, Jackson State, Alabama A&M

LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee State opened the 2017-18 indoor season with a number of strong performances at the Vanderbilt Opener on Dec. 2. R’Lazon Brumfield won the triple jump and took third in the long jump in his first collegiate meet. On the track, Jemarruse Amos secured second in the 60m hurdles with Isaiah Olige (60m hurdles) and James Faison (60m) taking third in their respective events for the Flying Tigers.

The Tigerbelles shined in the field events at the Vanderbilt Opener. Senior Cyra Beard won the high jump and secured second in the triple jump. Freshman Mikayla Thompson posted the top distance in the shot put, reaching 14.68m (48’2”).

IN THE NATION: TSU freshman R’Lazon Brumfield currently ranks fourth in the nation in the triple jump with his distance of 15.31m (50’2.75”) at the Vanderbilt Opener. Senior James Faison’s 400m time of 48.07 from the Vanderbilt Opener is the sixth-best in the country, while freshman Thomas Mosley is 17th in the 800m after clocking in at 1:54.80 in the opening meet. For the Tigerbelles, senior Cyra Beard is in the top 20 nationally in the triple jump (12th) and high jump (18th) from her performance at the Vanderbilt Opener.

LOCAL EVENTS: The Ed Temple Classic is the second of six meets for TSU in the state of Tennessee this season. The schedule includes three indoor meets and three outdoor meets in the state.

UP NEXT: TSU heads to Birmingham, Ala. to compete in the Blazer Invitational (Jan. 12) and the Vulcan Invitational (Jan. 13). Both events will take place at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

First Coast Battle of the Bands & MLK Celebration in Jacksonville, Florida -- Jan.13, 2018

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- First Coast Battle of the Bands welcomes six of the nations top college marching bands to Jacksonville to include Florida A&M University Marching 100, Bethune Cookman University Marching Wildcats, South Carolina State University Marching 101, Talladega College Marching Tornadoes, Tuskegee University Crimson Pipers and Edward Waters College Triple Threat. Also participating in this event are local high school marching bands from Raines H.S., Ribault H.S., Lee H.S. and many more; plus national entertainment.

This is a all age family event and kids 5 and under are FREE.

Where: Hodges Stadium University of North Florida
Time: Gates Open at 12:00 Noon; ShowTime Starts at 1:00 PM Sharp!
MORE Information: www.JaxBattleofTheBands.com

Discount Tickets available until 1/1/18  --GET TICKETS

Eight Superior HBCU Bands “March On” to the 16th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Jan. 27, 2018

ATLANTA, Georgia– A record number of votes helped select a dynamic lineup of blue-chip marching bands from our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to perform at the 16th Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) Invitational Showcase on January 27, 2018. The annual event is the culmination of the HBOB program, and provides a national platform to highlight a key element in the HBCU community and campus life – the marching band.

The invitational showcase will feature extraordinary musicianship, sport and choreography from eight superior ranked HBCU marching bands and dance squads who are ready to electrify the city of Atlanta in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

On a return visit to Atlanta to put on another extraordinary original show is the 2017 Celebration Bowl/HBCU National Football Champions' band -- the North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine and Golden Delight, the gold standard for all marching bands. 

With a mix of six HBOB veteran bands and two newcomers, the eight bands slated to perform at the 2018 HBOB Invitational Showcase include:

• Alabama A&M University, Marching Maroon & White Band (Southwestern Athletic Conference) – fifth appearance
• Alabama State University, Mighty Marching Hornets (Southwestern Athletic Conference) – sixth appearance
• Bethune-Cookman University, Marching Wildcats (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) – 13th appearance
• Hampton University, The Marching Force (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) – first appearance
• Miles College, Purple Marching Machine (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) – first appearance
• North Carolina A&T State University, Blue & Gold Marching Machine (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) – sixth appearance
• Prairie View A&M University, Marching Storm (Southwestern Athletic Conference) – eighth appearance
• Tennessee State University, Aristocrat of Bands (Ohio Valley Athletic Conference) – eighth appearance

Honda invited all HBCU marching bands to participate in this year’s program. Of the 39 bands that elected to participate, the “final eight” bands were selected through a voting process that incorporates input from online fans, band directors, HBCU school presidents and representatives from American Honda. In addition to a $20,000 grant from Honda to support their music education program, each of the final eight bands will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Invitational Showcase.

“The Honda Battle of the Bands exists to celebrate, support and recognize the excellence of HBCU marching bands by shedding a public light on a hallmark of HBCU culture,” said Steve Morikawa, Vice President, Corporate Relations & Social Responsibility for American Honda. “The Invitational Showcase is a chance for thousands of talented young musicians to show off their teamwork and dedication with highly anticipated performances in front of a captive community of supporters. Honda is proud to continue to support the HBCU community.”



In addition to performances by the final eight bands, Honda will honor one special nominee with the fourth annual HBCU Power of Dreams Award. Students, alumni and fans are invited to nominate extraordinary individuals taking action and moving their HBCU communities forward. Nominations can be submitted online at hondabattleofthebands.com/power-of-dreams through October 31.

Group and individual tickets to the HBOB Invitational Showcase start at just $10 and are available for purchase now on the official website. Fans can follow the final eight bands’ road to the Invitational Showcase on official HBOB social media channels and join the conversation using #HBOB:

Facebook – Facebook.com/HondaBattleoftheBands
Twitter – @The_Honda / Twitter.com/The_Honda
Instagram – @The_Honda / Instagram.com/the_honda

About Honda
Honda seeks to be a company that society wants to exist, creating products and technologies that improve the lives of people while minimizing the environmental impacts of its products and business operations to ensure a sustainable future for society. Honda is also committed to making positive contributions to the communities where we do business, to socially responsible business practice and to the promotion of diversity in our workforce. From our involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to our support of pediatric brain tumor research, and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where we live and work.

VSU Women’s Basketball Stave Off Rams, 89-66

ETTRICK, Virginia – Senior Alexis Smith recorded 27 points to lead Virginia State to a 89-66 victory over the Rams of Winston-Salem State University (5-8, 0-4 CIAA) this evening at the VSU Multipurpose Center. The win snapped a one-game win streak for the Rams.

Senior Keyana Brown chipped in a game-high 18 points and two blocks, while junior Chrisanna Green recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds on the night for VSU as they remain undefeated. Mia Fitts finished the contest with 14 points respectively.

Tiana Edwards paced Winston-Salem State in scoring with 17 points, while Kandace Tate each added 16.

After a fast start for the Rams, the Trojans (13-0, 3-0 CIAA) ended the game with an 89-66 victory in their 2018 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association home opener. With the victory, VSU improves to 13-0 for the first time in school history.

Both teams traded baskets over the first quarter, with the Rams collecting its first ten points from in the opening minutes. The Trojans tied the game at 7:45 with a 3-pointer by Alexis Smith. The game was tied 12-all with 7:33 left in the quarter. The Trojans then secured the lead for the remainder of the quarter. After holding the Rams to 6-for-6 shooting from the floor, VSU used the remaining minutes to end of the quarter to take an 33-12 lead.

Virginia State's full-court press proved to have an effect in the early stages of the second quarter, as Winston-Salem State committed 11 turnovers in the quarter. Despite an attempt by the Rams to cut the lead (52-29), WSSU added 17 points in the second. Tate finished the half with six points to lead the Rams, and Brown recorded 14 points and one steal for the Trojans as VSU secured a 52-29 lead at the intermission.

The teams continued to fight down the stretch, as the Trojans continued to add points on the board to close out the quarter, taking a 75-49 lead over the Rams. After going into the fourth quarter leading, the Trojans added 14 points to collect a 89-66 victory. Despite a rally by the Rams they ended the quarter with 17 points.

Keyana Brown and Dajour Strothers added four points each in the quarter for VSU. With 1:32 remaining, Strothers converted on a layup to put the Trojans ahead by 27 points.

While Virginia State held the overall edge in rebounding (37), Winston-Salem State was able to come away with a 23-22 advantage on the defensive glass, and scored 32 of their points in the paint. The Trojans did hold the Rams to 44 percent shooting for the game, with Brown recorded two blocks to help anchor the defense.

BOX SCORE

Up Next: Virginia State University will host Livingstone College at 2pm at the VSU Multipurpose Center tomorrow.

For the most up-to-date information on VSU women's basketball, please visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY TROJANS SPORTS INFORMATION