Head Coach Connell Maynor Unveils His Vision for Alabama A&M Football

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Head Coach Connell Maynor was introduced to the Alabama A&M media, fans and administrators on Monday during a press conference where he unveiled his vision for the Bulldogs football program.

Quotables from Press Conference

President Dr. Andrew Hugine, Jr. 
Opening statement:
"Good morning. It is certainly always a good day to be a Bulldog and to be here in Bulldog Country. It is delightful to see all of you here and thank you for coming and sharing this very historic announcement this morning as we transition into another phase here at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University."
 
"Whatever we do here, takes the cooperative effort of many persons. We certainly want to thank our alumni for their support. Our faculty, our staff and other supporters. I certainly want to thank the committee and let me start first by thanking our Athletic Director Mr. Hicks. Thank you for the leadership that you provide to our athletic programs.
 
"Let me recognize our search committee for the wonderful job you did in hiring for the athletic program and in this case, our football program. We certainly want to thank Coach Towns for coming back to your alma mater and helping in making the selection."
 
"We are very pleased and happy about the choice that has been made and we look forward to great things here at Alabama A&M University as we transition in the year 2018. I do want to make two special appeals while I stand here as it relates to 2018."
 
"First appeal, let's make this a record year in the support of athletics at Alabama A&M University and we do that by purchasing season tickets. We want this to be an historic year in athletics."
 
"Secondly, as we bring on a new coach, we also want to be sure that we have another addition to the Louis Crews Stadium. That is our new marketing effort, sometimes referred to as the scoreboard or jumbotron. We are moving, but we are not moving fast enough. We want to be sure that when Coach Maynor shows up for the first game in the fall of 2018, that the jumbotron is in place. So if you have not contributed or if you've not made a commitment, what better time to do it than today."



Alabama A&M Director of Athletic Bryan Hicks 
Opening statement:
"The search is over and I want to thank the Committee for the work that they did. Coach Maynor is an outstanding coach and better human being. He is a leader of many and we found that he shared the vision that we had for Alabama A&M Athletics and our program as a whole. It is a good match and we are looking forward to the young men that he develops, the leadership that he brings to the program and obviously the victories as they come."
 
"We are going to win on the field and we are going to win off the field. That is his commitment."
 
Alabama A&M Head Coach Connell Maynor
Opening Statement:
"First of all, I would like to thank my personal Savior, Jesus Christ, with Him I can do all things and that is one reason that I am standing here today. That's one of the reasons that I've been married 22 short years to the same woman. I have a daughter that is 17 years old and she's going to North Carolina A&T next year and has a 1150 SAT and a 4.3 GPA."
 
"I want to thank Dr. Hugine for his support and his efforts in getting me hired and Mr. Hicks and the great job that he has done. Mr. Wims and his committee for doing a great job in bringing me to Alabama A&M, on "the hill" and I can't wait to run off of that hill come the first game."
 
"Like Dr. Hugine said, when I rub that bulldog, I want to look up at that big jumbo screen and see the team behind me. We have to get it done. We don't have any problems that money can't solve. If everybody buys in, we are going to turn this thing around and we are going to get it done fast."
 
"I want to get the community involved. Get out into the Boys and Girls Club and talk to the alumni and get opinions on what you think needs to be done and evaluate those, and I will do what is best for the football program. That's what I'm always going to do. What's best for the program at Alabama A&M. It's not about me or any individual. It's about this University."
 
On preparing the players to have a winners' mentality:
"It's going to start with discipline. We have to teach these guys how to win. We have to teach them how to be winners and that starts with commitment, effort, discipline, preparation and that's how you teach them how to be a winner. Once you do that, the wins and losses will take care of themselves. We are going to win on and off the football field. Off the field, it comes to walking across that stage and getting that piece of paper."
 
"We are going to teach these guys how to be fathers, leaders, role models and they will be held accountable with every single thing that they do."
 
On his philosophy and his role as a coach in achieving the necessary APR ratings:
"As it pertains to my philosophy, defensively we are going to be aggressive. We are going to play to the situation. If we are up, we are going to try to play a little bit softer. Run the pocket a little bit, and when we need to bring pressure, we are going to bring pressure."
 
"Offensively, we are going to play to our strengths. We aren't going to ask our kids to do anything that they can't do and we will have multiple sets that we will display to cater to the strengths of our team."

"APR wise, two years ago at Hampton university, we had the highest APR in the history of MEAC football. We will monitor study hall, check classes and I will be in direct dialogue with the academic advisor regarding those that are at risk, missing study hall and things of that nature. Like I said, they will be held accountable to everything that they do."

On the one factor that made you choose Alabama A&M: 
"It was Alabama. Football country. The fans and the alumni are very knowledgeable and they want to win and that's what I want to do. Our goals are going to be very simple. Individually, every day, every drill we do, you go full speed so you can get better as an individual and when you do that, we will get better as a football team."
 
"Win our next football game, win the SWAC, Win Black College National Championship, and if we get to the playoff, we are going to win the National Championship. I played for the National Championship before, so I know how to get there. We are going to get back and this time, we are going to win it."
 
On his plans on building the team:
"We are going to build it from the ground up, that's how you do it. However, you have to have a couple of transfers and JUCOs to fill in a couple of spots that you may not have or you may need to spot them into, especially coming this late."
 
"We may not be able to sign as many high school guys and young men as we want to. We will evaluate the film and try to have another recruiting weekend this weekend. Look at those guys, invite them and hopefully we can get them up here to see the campus and see what we are about."
 
If we can sign 8-10, that would be great and that would be 8-10 guys that we like and that we think fits our system and what we want to do with the bulldog mentality. Also, we will try to get a couple of transfers and JUCOs guys."

BULLDOGS Football Coaching Staff 2018

Connell Maynor, Head Coach

Duane Taylor, Offensive Coordinator

Mark DeBastiani, Defensive Coordinator

Brian Jenkins, Receivers/Special Teams Coach

Keith Wagner, Offensive Line

Travis Pearson, Outside Linebackers & Safeties

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Alexys Long scores career-high 29 points in NSU's ninth straight victory

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The Norfolk State women used a dominating fourth quarter Monday night to record their ninth straight victory.

The Spartans, trailing by three after three quarters, outscored Savanna State 29-6 in the fourth to remain unbeaten in the MEAC with a 78-58 victory at Tiger Arena.

Alexys Long scored a career-high 29 points for Norfolk State (11-5, 4-0). She made 8 of 11 field-goal attempts, including 5 of 11 from the 3-point line, and hit all eight free throws. Gabrielle Swinson (15 points), Yazmen Hannah (13) and Raven Russell (10) also scored in double digits. Russell also collected a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Spartans, who trailed by 15 in the second quarter, entered the final 10 minutes down 52-49. They pulled ahead on Swinson’s layup and after the Tigers (2-15, 0-6) briefly reclaimed the lead, took over for good on a 3-pointer by Long.

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New Alabama A&M football coach Connell Maynor in recruiting crunch, envisions quick turnaround

The search is over! Alabama A&M University welcomes a new Head Football Coach.
Welcome to "The Hill" Coach Maynor!
"It's time for A&M to win championships on and off the field." - Coach Connell Maynor#AAMU #AAMUFootball #WJABTV #AAMUFrontPage @AAMUFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/f08KRfhXhl

— WJAB-FM (@WJAB_FM) January 22, 2018

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The search for Alabama A&M's next football coach is over, but the hunt for recruits is just beginning.

New Bulldogs head man Connell Maynor faces an immediate challenge. National Signing Day is Feb. 7, giving he and his staff precious little time to put together a 2018 class.

Maynor, 49, a former head coach at Hampton and Winston-Salem State, said during an introductory press conference this morning that he hopes to sign eight to 10 high school players. The Bulldogs staff will evaluate film of recruits today and tomorrow. Maynor told parents of prospects this past weekend that he will let them know by Wednesday if offers from the previous staff still stand.

"We're going to try to do it from the ground up," Maynor said of signing prep standouts, "but you've got to have a couple of transfers to fit into spots that we may not have, especially coming this late, where we might not get to sign as many high school guys as we normally do."

Maynor has a career record of 65-31 in eight seasons. He resigned from Hampton after going 6-5 last season and 20-25 overall in four years. His best season came in 2012 at Winston-Salem State as the Rams went 14-1 and reached the Division II national championship game.

Alabama A&M went 4-7 last season and hasn't enjoyed a winning record since 2012. Maynor feels that the Bulldogs can improve quickly.

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Three Southern University alumni make NBA referee history

DENVER, Colorado -- Three NBA referees made league history Sunday night, all because of their connection to Southern University.

According to ESPN reporter Marc J. Spears, for the first time in the history of the National Basketball Association, three referees who graduated from the same school worked a game together.

Referees C. J. Washington, Bennie Adams, and Courtney Kirkland are all graduates of Southern University. On Sunday night, the trio worked their first NBA game together when the Pheonix Suns took on the Nuggets in Denver.

In addition to being former Jaguars, Washington and Adams are also Louisiana natives. Washington is from Baton Rouge, while Adams is from New Orleans. Kirkland, however, is from Flint, MI.

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Marc J. Spears‏Verified account @MarcJSpearsESPN

So here’s some positive referee news. For the first time three referees who graduated from the same school worked an NBA game together. C.J. Washington, Bennie Adams and Courtney Kirkland, graduates of Southern University, worked Suns at Nuggets on Sunday.

9:21 PM - 21 Jan 2018

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Rising star: Former Grambling State Tigers Track Star Darwin Price Jr. climbing boxing ranks at 13-0

HOUSTON, Texas -- Darwin Price Jr., known as “Pay The Price,” is ranked in the top 15 boxers in the United States.

The St. Louis native who now calls Houston home is unbeaten, with a perfect 13-0 record. Growing up, Price first got into boxing as a way to stay out of trouble.

“Growing up in certain neighborhoods, I got into some trouble hanging around the wrong people. It was just something I did to stay off the streets and stay focused,” Price said.

He then took a break from boxing to pursue a track career at Grambling State University where he was a seven-time MVP of the SWAC. Shortly after, the tragic death of his cousin Preston Freeman, who was also a boxer, prompted his return to the ring.

“He got gunned down inside a nightclub in St. Louis. So that made me come back and pursue my career in boxing to keep the legacy alive in the family,” Price said.

Now, Price trains at Nine Innovations, one of the top gyms in Houston, with trainer Dose Khan. Price explains that his workouts outside of the boxing ring are just as critical to his success.



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XU Andrieu wins on opening day, but Jaguars prevail twice

MOBILE, Alabama — Pierre Andrieu earned the lone tennis victory Saturday for Xavier University of Louisiana as the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets dropped dual matches to South Alabama.

The XULA men lost 6-1, and the women lost 7-0. It was first competition of 2018 for both XULA teams.

Andrieu, a sophomore and a returning letterman, defeated Collin Scheufler 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. XULA dropped three-set matches at the top two flights — Catalin Fifea lost 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 to Loic Cloes at No. 1, and Samir Chikhaoui lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Olivier Gingras.

In the women's dual, the closest matches were Yi Chen Pao's 6-1, 7-5 loss to Nikola Kohoutova at No. 4 singles amd Charlene Goreau and Manon Bonada's 6-3 loss to Yu Fujioka and Alina Zolotareva at No. 2 doubles.

It was the opener for the South Alabama men. The Jaguar women are 2-0.

South Alabama is a member of NCAA Division I, and XULA is a longtime NAIA power.

XULA's men will play dual matches at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. next Saturday at NCAA DI Louisiana-Lafayette. The following day (Jan. 28), both XULA teams will play their home opener at noon against city rival Loyola.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd -- Jake Gaither: Agile, Mobile, Hostile

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- There are those times in life when you experience something that you can relate to or are inspired by. The last time I had that kind of reaction was watching the movie Hidden Figures. While watching the movie for the first time I found myself reacting emotionally to what Katherine Johnson must have felt as the only black person notably desegregating a crowded room.

Yesterday I received a book in the mail, The Biography of Jake Gaither: Agile, Mobile, Hostile, by Roosevelt Wilson. I went to bed that night thinking I would read it the next day. I awoke around 3:00 AM and decided to watch Angelique Kerber beat Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open rather than go back to sleep. I unwrapped the book to peruse the pages and enjoyed it so much that I didn’t put it down until I had finished reading it hours later.

Jake Gaither knew who he was. He knew that he was just as good a coach as Bear Bryant, Eddie Robinson, or Ohio State’s Woody Hayes. He didn’t spend his life trying to ...

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Gold Rush win streak ends after late Dillard rally

NEW ORLEANS — Kristopher Allmon made two 3-pointers in the final 6 1/2 minutes Saturday, including a tiebreaking trey with 1:36 remaining, to rally Dillard to a 70-69 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at Dillard's Dent Hall.

The Bleu Devils (11-8, 2-2) trailed 58-53 after Jalen David's basket for XULA with 6:50 remaining, then scored on seven consecutive possessions — including five second-chance points — to snap the eight-game win streak of the Gold Rush (14-5, 3-1).

Allmon's final 3-pointer gave Dillard a 70-67 lead with 1:36 remaining. Elex Carter's tip-in with 49 seconds remaining made it 70-69, but teammate Virgil Davison missed a 2-pointer from the left side as time expired.

Neither team led by more than three points in the final 5:16.

Leading XULA were Davison with 19 points, including 5-of-8 3-pointers, Jeff Dixon with 17 points and six assists, Jalen David wirh 15 points and Carter with three blocked shots.

Joshua Simmons had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Quinton Jackson had 16 points and nine assists for Dillard. Allmon scored 13, and Jorori Coleman had 12.

All five Dillard starters — Allmon, Simmons, Jackson, Coleman and Patrick Thompson — played the entire second half. After trailing by 14 late in the first half and 32-24 at halftime, Dillard improved all three of its team shooting percentages in the second half. For the game the Bleu Devils outrebounded the Gold Rush 51-32.

"We didn't do a good job shooting free throws (6-of-14) and keeping Dillard off the offensive boards (17)," XULA coach Alfred Williams said. "I could talk about other factors, but those were the keys.
We had our chances."

Dillard outscored XULA 15-4 in second-chance points.

XULA led for more than 35 minutes. It never led again after Jackson's basket made it 65-64 at 3:13, but Carter tied the score twice thereafter — at 65 when he made 1-of-2 free throws at 2:56 and at 67 on a putback at 1:59. His basket followed four missed shots during that possession.

For the game XULA outshot Dillard 45 to 39.1 percent from the floor. The Bleu Devils made twice as many free throws, finishing at 12-of-24 after a 1-of-7 start. Both teams committed fewer than 10 turnovers, with XULA recording a season-low seven.

The victory was Dillard's fifth in a row against XULA and its longest win streak against its longtime GCAC and city rival since winning eight straight from 1998-2001. (XULA's longest streak in the series is 19.) The teams will meet again Feb. 17 — four days after Mardi Gras — at XULA's Convocation Center.

XULA dropped to second place in the GCAC, a half-game behind Talladega (13-6, 4-1), which won 59-45 at Edward Waters.

Next for the Gold Rush will be a fifth consecutive GCAC road game at 7:30 p.m. Monday against Philander Smith (7-8, 2-2) at Little Rock, Ark. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday against city rival Loyola.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Difficult first quarter dooms Nuggets at Dillard

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana fell behind by double digits in the first quarter Saturday and never caught up in a 63-53 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball loss at city rival Dillard.

Taylor Jacob had career highs of 12 points and three made 3-pointers for the Gold Nuggets (7-9, 0-4), and she became the first XULA freshman in nine years to lead the Nuggets in scoring against the Lady Bleu Devils (14-3, 3-1). Mikayla Bates and Gina Smith scored 10 points apiece for XULA, and Smith grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds in her first double-double of the season and the second of her career.

XULA trailed 19-6 through one quarter after going 2-of-18 from the floor. The Gold Nuggets outscored Dillard, ranked 21st in the NAIA, in each of the next two quarters and got as close as 37-35 in the 26th minute. But Dillard led 43-38 by the end of the quarter, then opened the fourth with a 9-2 run. XULA never drew closer than six points in the final seven minutes.

Shaelynn Moore scored 15 points and Alyssa Washington 12 for Dillard, and Alexia McDonald and Jaiylan Brown added 10 apiece. Brown, a reserve freshman guard, scored all her points in the third quarter, including 3-of-3 3-pointers.

Dillard outshot XULA 42.9 to 27.9 percent from the floor. The Gold Nuggets outrebounded Dillard 43-40 and was plus-5 in turnovers, committing 11 and gaining 16.

The Gold Nuggets will board a bus early Sunday for
their fifth consecutive GCAC road game — 5:30 p.m. Monday against Philander Smith in Little Rock, Ark.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Five in a row: Southern's women blitz Alabama State's zone defense to extend winning streak

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- From Saturday’s opening tip in Southern’s 66-58 win against Alabama State, the Hornets shrunk into a 2-3 zone to dictate Southern's scoring opportunities.

The Hornets' plan was to limit layups and force the Jaguars to put it up from outside.

Southern, which was shooting 24.9 percent from 3-point territory going into the game, overcame the zone to improve to 7-9 and 6-1 against the Southwestern Athletic Conference while winning its season-high fifth straight game.

When it couldn't penetrate, Southern’s offense connected on 5 of 17 3-point tries. When it could, the Jaguars piled on 28 points in the paint, a third of their offensive production.

“The zone,” Southern star forward Briana Green said, “that’s something we’ve kind of been struggling with all season. I don’t think we did exceptionally well against the zone. I think we can (do) better.”

Alabama State (4-13, 2-4) sat in the compacted zone throughout Saturday, enticing long-distance shots and removing near-the-rim looks, which Southern prefers.

“We weren’t solid against the zone,” coach Sandy Pugh said. “We weren’t getting the ball to the high post. We weren’t very effective. I thought we were standing, very tentative against the zone.”

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Claflin falls to Morehouse in SIAC East showdown

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Claflin University men’s basketball team saw their 16-game winning streak ended Saturday at the hands of Morehouse College, falling 86-75 in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) East Division basketball contest.

The loss, Claflin’s first since losing to the University Montevallo 61-52 in the second game of the season, dropped the Panthers to 17-2 on the season. The road defeat also knocked Claflin out of a first-place tie in the division with Morehouse and Clarke Atlanta University at 10-1. Clark Atlanta defeated Benedict Saturday to remain undefeated.

Morehouse remains perfect on the season with the win, improving to 16-0 and 11-0 in the SIAC.

The Panthers will wrap up their two-game road trip Monday (Jan. 22) against Clark Atlanta at the L.S. Epps Gymnasium. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. and will follow the women’s game, which starts at 6 p.m.

Austin Lawton and Benjamin “Tre” Williams led Claflin in the losing effort with 14 points each. Lawton also had four rebounds and three blocked shots before fouling out in the second half.

Jaleel Charles, who had 10 points in the first half for the Panthers, finished the game with 12 points. Charles played only 14 minutes in the game as the result of four fouls.

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Golden's 24 Lifts Bethune-Cookman To 68-60 Win At DSU

DOVER, Delaware -- Angel Golden scored 15 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter as Bethune-Cookman downed Delaware State 68-60 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Saturday afternoon.

The junior from Tampa scored all but two of the Lady Wildcats' final 17 points as they remained unbeaten in league play (13-4 overall, 5-0 MEAC) while registering their 15th consecutive regular season conference game dating back to last season and 12th road league dating back to 2015.

Chasimmie Brown scored 13 of her 16 points in the second half, and Emily Williams finished with 14 points and six assists for Bethune-Cookman, who overcame shooting just 13.3 from the field in the first quarter and trailed by as many as seven in the second.

Bethune-Cookman took a 45-44 lead on Brown's lay-up with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter and pushed it to 47-44 on a Golden jumper with 26 seconds left.

Delaware State (2-17,1-5) closed to 47-46, but Brown and Golden combined for all nine points on a 9-0 run that gave the Lady Wildcats a 56-46 lead with 6:57 remaining . A Golden three-pointer made it 59-49 a minute later.

NaJai Pollard (28 points, 13 rebounds) brought Delaware State to 61-59 with 1:46 remaining, but Golden sank a three-pointer and two free throws to keep the Hornets at bay.

Briana Hardee had six points and five rebounds for the Lady Wildcats, while Lyndsey Edwards led the team with six rebounds.

Bethune-Cookman travels to Norfolk State next Saturday.

HEAD COACH VANESSA BLAIR-LEWIS

"In the second half, we finally woke up. We could have had that performance the whole game. We had the shots the whole game, we had another one of those slow starts that bother the coaching staff."

"If we have two halves like we did from Chas and Angel, we're in a much better position."

Chasimmie Brown

"I had to give myself a pep talk. I j
ust woke up"

Angel Golden

"Fourth quarter, I was trying to make every shot. You just have to keep shooting,"

NOTES: Golden was 3-3 from 3FG and 4-5 overall in the fourth quarter…Brown started the game 1-6 from the field, but was 4-7 in the second half….The Lady Wildcats were 14-20 from the FT line in the second compared to DSU's 6-11…This was Golden's fifth career 20-point game.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton Lady Pirates Cruise at Savannah State 81-53

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- After a run of fourth-quarter comebacks the Hampton Lady Pirates made sure none was needed on Saturday.

Senior Monnazjea Finney-Smith scored a team-high 19 points and set a school record with 13 steals as Hampton raced out to a 20-6 first quarter lead en route to an 81-53 win at Tiger Arena.

Finney-Smith broke the record of 11 that was shared by LaShondra Dixon-Gordon in 2003 and Karen Drewry in 1988. Hampton recorded 30 steals in the game whic equals the second most in a game by a NCAA Division I team this season.

Hampton scored the first nine points of the game as a Mikayla Sayle layup put them up 9-0 with 6:35 left in the first. The Lady Pirates closed the quarter scoring the last seven with a layup by Mahaley Holit giving Hampton a 20-6 lead after one.

The Lady Pirates recorded 37 points off turnovers and matched a season-high in points with the 81. They defeated San Jose State 81-73 in the Pacific Thanksgiving Tournament.

Finney-Smith broke the steals record with consecutive swipes early in the fourth quarter. Her 13th set up a triple by Holit with 6:40 left that gave Hampton a 69-40 advantage.

Ashley Bates had 16 points, while Mikayla Sayle recorded season highs in points (13) and rebounds (9), while K'lynn Willis was a stat-sheet stuffer with 10 points, six rebounds and season highs in assists and steals (7).

Hampton (7-9., 3-0) now goes to Orangeburg, SC to tangle with South Carolina State on Monday night at 5:30 pm.

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.

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HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

NSU Overcomes Late S.C. State Surge, Prevails 71-67

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina – Norfolk State women's basketball survived an upset scare at the hands of South Carolina State on Saturday and ultimately escaped with the 71-67 victory at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

Norfolk State (10-5, 3-0 MEAC) reached the 10-win plateau in only 15 games, which matches both the 2001-02 and 1999-00 teams for the quickest pace to double-digit wins in the program's Division-I era.

The Spartans won their first three MEAC games for the second-straight season, as last year's squad opened conference play 4-0.

NSU led by 10 after the first quarter and was up 19 early in the second quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs (6-11, 1-4 MEAC) refused to be buried and briefly led midway through the fourth quarter.



Down 15, 50-35, with 3:58 left in the third quarter, S.C. State went on an extended 21-5 run to take its lone lead of the game at 56-55 with 4:48 remaining in the fourth.

Bryesha Blair and Kyesha Lewis keyed the Lady Bulldogs run, scoring a combined 15 points in that span. Blair netted the first eight points in the fourth quarter for S.C. State, and Lewis laid it in to give her team the lead in the fourth quarter.

NSU broke the run with five-straight points, but Blair promptly cut the deficit to a single point on a 3-pointer at the 3:31 mark. Following two free throws by Raven Russell, S.C. State once again drew to within one, 62-61, but the Spartans responded with a 7-0 run to regain control of the game.

Russell's steady hand at the charity stripe was a major factor in the run as the junior guard made four-straight free throws at the 1:45 mark to make the score 69-61. For the game, Russell was a perfect 12-of-12 from the line as she becomes the first Spartan to not miss a free throw on eight or more attempts since Jordan Strode went 12-of-12 last season at Longwood.

The Millbrook, Alabama native joins three other players for the sixth-most free throws made by a Spartan in a single game and finished the game with 16 points and a season-high eight rebounds.

SCSU never relented and trimmed the lead to 69-67 in the final minute, but it proved too little and too late as Blair turned the ball over with less than five seconds remaining to seal the game.

Blair shared the game high in points (20) with Kayla Roberts. Roberts matched a career high with four 3-pointers while shooting 50 percent from the field (7-14) with seven rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.

NSU built a 22-11 lead after one period with a tenacious defensive effort. The Lady Bulldogs made just one field goal on 11 attempts (9.1 percent) and turned the ball over six times.

As was the case for the entire game, S.C. State stayed afloat at the charity stripe and made nine of 13 attempts in the first period. For the game, the Lady Bulldogs attempted 10 more free throws than the Spartans and made seven more. Norfolk State shot a season-best 81.8 percent (18-22) from the line, while SCSU shot 78.1 percent.

Norfolk State scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter for its largest lead of the game, 32-13, with 7:17 left in the half. Gabrielle Swinson scored four of her 11 points during the run, and Alexys Long and Armani Franklin both made a trey.

Following a long ball by the Lady Bulldogs, Alexis Sparkman hit from long range to push the lead back to 19 with 4:45 on the clock. From there, S.C. State closed out the half on a 10-2 run and trailed 37-26 at the break.

After missing their three attempts in the first quarter, the Lady Bulldogs shot 3-of-4 from 3-point range in the second and finished the game 8-of-16 from deep. Norfolk State shot 9-of-20 (45 percent) from beyond the arc.

NSU won the rebounding battle 36-30 behind a career-high 10 boards by De'Janaire Deas. Esther Udonsi led SCSU with six rebounds.

The two teams combined for 45 turnovers with the Spartans giving the ball away 24 times. NSU scored 32 points off turnovers while the Lady Bulldogs netted 29 off Spartan giveaways.

Norfolk State recorded more blocks than its opponent for the 13th time in 15 games, 6-3. Deas led the Spartans with two rejections.

NSU completes its southward swing on Monday against Savannah State at 6 p.m.

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BCU matches best MEAC start ever at 5-0

DOVER, Delaware -- Brandon Tabb scorched Delaware State with 27 points, and Isaiah Bailey nearly matched him with 23 as Bethune-Cookman University took an 86-78 decision Saturday at Memorial Hall. The Wildcats (11-9) earned their sixth straight victory and matched a program-best 5-0 start in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.

Despite a 42-29 lead at the break, the hosts rallied back and tied the game at 50 on a Joe Lewis lay-in at 11:50.

BCU would not be denied of its fourth consecutive road win as the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run capped off by Malik Maitland's jumper at 8:05.



A 9-0 Hornet (2-19, 0-6) run cut the lead to a basket on a Lewis field goal at 5:50, but the Wildcats came back with seven straight points in 49 seconds to hold a 68-59 advantage. Over the remainder of the game, Bailey made all six of his free throw attempts and Tabb sank his four to lead BCU to the 86-78 victory.

Shawntrez Davis joined the duo in double-figures with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Maitland poured in 10 points.

BCU assisted on 14 of 24 made field goals with Tabb and Bailey each dishing out four, and shot 49% from the field and was 9-24 from beyond-the-arc. The Wildcats also sank 29 of their 35 free throws.

Tabb and Jeff Altidort each connected from three and BCU grabbed a 6-0 lead to open the game. BCU eventually extended its lead to nine as Tabb sank a three and converted an and-one for a 27-18 edge with 7:25 remaining in the opening half. A Bailey to Davis alley-pop capped the scoring with 1:29 to go as BCU held a 42-29 lead at intermission. The Wildcats shot 52% in the half on 13-25 shooting and held DSU to 12-33 from the floor.

The Wildcats continue MEAC action on the road with a Jan. 27 contest at Norfolk State.

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Teamwork Leads Undefeated A&T Over UMES

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – North Carolina A&T has had trouble beating Maryland Eastern Shore lately. Therefore, North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Tarrell Robinson decided not to piecemeal the Aggies attack Saturday afternoon.

Instead, he sent Aggies at the MDES Hawks in waves, subbing in five at time throughout the game. As a result, the Aggies had 10 different players score in a 57-45 win at Hytche Center. The win snapped the Aggies four-game losing streak to the Hawks. The Aggies last win over the Hawks came at the Hytche Center, a 73-63 win on Feb. 1, 2014. In Saturday’s win, senior Kala Green and sophomore Cinia McCray led the group scoring with nine points apiece. Sophomore Le’on Hill was the top rebounder with 11, and sophomore Shantell Bostick dished out six assists. Hill played the most minutes, 28, while McCray played the fewest (14).

N.C. A&T (9-7) has now won five straight and they sit atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings at 4-0 with Bethune-Cookman in what looks like it is going to be an entertaining race with two other teams – Hampton and Norfolk – still undefeated in the conference at 3-0.

“I’m proud of this team, I’m proud of this win and I’m glad we’re still undefeated in conference play,” said Robinson, who saw the Aggies improve to 4-0 in the MEAC for the first time in his six-year tenure. “It has been a while since we have been able to get a win over Eastern Shore. It was a hurdle we needed to get over.”

In beating MDES, the Aggies not only shared the offensive responsibilities, but they also swarmed the Hawks (4-14, 1-5 MEAC) defensively. The Aggies made it tough on MDES all night, holding the Hawks to 24.2 percent shooting. Offensive rebounding helped the Hawks stay in the game as they outscored the Aggies 15-3 in second chance points, but the Aggies would finally start making the Hawks pay for their misses in the third quarter.

Robinson used some of his quicker players such as sophomores C’Coriea Foy, Mikaya Wilson, Chrishyanah Alston and Bostick to take advantage of the MDES long misses. Robinson said he knew the Hawks would try to shoot their way back into the game from the perimeter. He told his team the long misses would be their opportunity to get out and run. They listened.

Wilson started the fun out on the break with a layup on a pass from senior Kayla Green. Wilson was fouled on the play and converted the free throw for the 3-point play to give the Aggies a 31-25 lead with 4:49 to play in the third quarter. The Aggies went running again when Green found senior Quenswayla Story open for a short jump shot and a 34-26 Aggies lead. N.C. A&T went ahead by double figures for the first time in the game as Bostick grabbed a defensive rebound and raced down the floor to set up Alston who then set up Foy for a layup and a 38-28 lead with 2:18 to go in the third.

Alston finished off the quarter by scoring on back-to-back baskets to give the Aggies a 44-33 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Aggies shot 50 percent in the third. In the fourth, MDES’ Martha Thompson got the Aggies lead under 10 for the final time in the game as she followed her own miss to get the Hawks to within nine at 44-35 with 8 ½ minutes remaining in the game. But the Aggies turned to their two seniors to put the Hawks away.

Green took a pass from McCrary and didn’t hesitate to put an open shot from three that explosively went through the net for a 47-35 Aggies lead. Another Story jumper gave the Aggies their biggest lead of the game, 14, at 49-35 with 6:50 to play.

“It’s real important that we’re able to get contributions from so many people, especially at this point in the season,” said Robinson. “I knew we had back-to-back games coming up, and I looked at how we performed against Morgan State with some of our young women playing heavy minutes last Saturday. As a result, we turned around and came out flat against Coppin State on Monday. I wanted to spread out the minutes a little more to make sure everyone got important minutes. I think that helped us win tonight.”

Jordyn Smith led the Hawks with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Aggies will try to pick up another road win as they travel to Washington, D.C., to face the Howard Bison (7-11, 3-2 MEAC) Monday night at 5:30.

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Edmead's Steal Keeps A&T Undefeated In MEAC Play

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- North Carolina A&T is getting an education on playing in and winning close games, and thus far the Aggies are getting very high marks.

In their latest drama-filled, suspenseful thriller, the Aggies got a big 3-pointer from junior Femi Olujobi and critical steal from junior Aaren Edmead to down Maryland Eastern Shore 66-64 at Hytche Center Saturday evening. The win improves the Aggies to 12-8 overall and 5-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Aggies are now tied for first with Bethune-Cookman.

Olujobi led the Aggies with 17 points and six rebounds, while Edmead finished with 14 points and five assists. Senior Davaris McGowens scored in double figures for the seventh straight time as he ended the evening with 11 points and nine rebounds.

“I commend these young men because they never stop fighting,” said N.C. A&T coach Jay Joyner. “It took grit tonight because when you are sitting where we are sitting right now, everybody is going to be coming for you with their best shot every night. We can’t afford to take any nights off, so we’ll take this one and move on to the next challenge.”

In one season, the Aggies went from the team everyone wants to play to the team everyone wants to play for two very different reasons. A year ago this time, the Aggies were winless in the conference which provided opponents an incentive to want to play the Aggies. This season, the Aggies are undefeated in the league, providing teams with an incentive to want to be the first team to knock off N.C. A&T. The Aggies have a two-point over Morgan State, a 3-point win over Norfolk State and Saturday’s two-point over MDES.

“We keep finding different ways to win ballgames and that tells me these young men think they’re supposed to win. That’s a good thing for us right now,” said Joyner. “To know we know how to win tight games down the stretch is huge when talk about what it takes to win in March. Right now, we just have to go back to work and get better.”

N.C. A&T and MDES did engage in a back-and-forth game that featured 11 ties and 10 lead changes. After Hawks guard Logan McIntosh ripped down a rebound and sprinted down court to score in transition to give the Hawks a 54-49 lead with 8 ½ minutes remaining in the game, the Aggies and the Hawks traded big shot for big shot almost until the buzzer sounded. After McIntosh’s layup, Edmead started the fun with a 3-pointer to cut the Hawks’ lead to two. Edmead then intercepted a Miryne Thomas pass and took it down the floor for an easy layup to tie the game at 54 with 7:41 to play. On the Aggies next possession, Edmead found McGowens lurking wide open on the baseline and whipped a pass inside to him for an easy layup.

Hawks guard Ahmad Frost responded with a 3-pointer to help the Hawks regain the lead at 57-56 before fifth-year senior Denzel Keyes responded to that shot with his first 3-point make of the night to put the Aggies ahead with five minutes to play. MDES scored the next three points to recapture the lead, but Keyes, who is 6-for-11 from 3-point range in his last two games, connected on another 3-pointer to put the Aggies in front 62-60 with four minutes to play. MDES tied the game again as McIntosh waited patiently for a cutting Tyler Jones to enter the lane. McIntosh found the cutting big man for an easy layup to tie the game at 62 with 3:40 to play.

Ninety seconds later, with the shot clock running down, Olujobi spotted up for a 3-pointer near the Aggies bench and scored to give the Aggies the lead back with a little more than two minutes remaining.

“I believe in their ability to hit big shots because we have a very talented team,” said Joyner. “I think I have done a better job this year of giving the players the freedom to take those shots. We just want them to know we believe in them because ultimately, they are the ones out there playing the game. Femi’s three was huge. Keyes hit some big shots for us. I’m glad guys are confident enough to take those shots in the clutch.”

Frost kept the Hawks alive, however. After a great defensive effort by the Aggies in which they forced MDES into a bad shot, Frost snuck in for the offensive rebound and scored on the put back to bring the Hawks to within one. Edmead’s 3-pointer on the Aggies next possession went long with 19 seconds remaining give the Hawks a chance to win the game in the late seconds. But quick hands from Edmead forced a McIntosh turnover which led to Edmead making one out of two free throws to seal the win for N.C. A&T.

“I think tonight was great for Aaren Edmead’s confidence,” said Joyner. “He came up huge tonight, and he made the defensive stop we needed to win the game. I’m glad Aaren is figuring out how to score and facilitate for our team.”

McIntosh had 11 assists for MDES and Jones finished with 18 points. The Aggies travel to Washington, D.C., to face a Howard to team that is coming off an upset win over N.C. Central Saturday. The tip is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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Savannah State holds off Hamptonm 103-101

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- In a game featuring two, teams on the verge of leaving the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, both squads tallied a combined 204 points and had five players score at least 20 points.

Alante Fenner's layup with 21 seconds left gave Savannah State a 100-99 lead and a pair of free throws by Zach Sellers increased it to 102-99 with 11 seconds remaining.

After Hampton's MaliqueTrent-Street made two free throws to get the Pirates within 102-101, SSU's Javaris Jenkins sealed the win with a free throw with six seconds left to give the Tigers a 103-101 win.

It was the first time SSU defeated Hampton since an 86-83 win on January 24, 2015. The series between Savannah State and Hampton dates back to the 1973-74 season.

Hampton (6-12, 1-2 MEAC) will be leaving the MEAC after this season while Savannah State will leave the conference following the 2018-19 season.

The Tiger Arena crowd of 2,219 saw Savannah State lead by one point at the half but the Pirates started the second period with a 17-3 run to go ahead 65-52 with 16:58 left in the game.

The Tigers chipped away at their deficit and found themselves down by eight with 10:44 showing. That led to Jenkins kick-starting a 17-2 run with a 3-pointer where five different players scored.

The SSU spurt gave them a 84-77 edge with 7:38 remaining.

Two free throws by senior Khallen Pinckett with 4:40 remaining pushed the Tigers lead to 93-83 but Hampton strung together a 16-5 rally of their own to grab a 99-98 lead with 50 seconds left.

Savannah State (7-13, 4-1 MEAC) led 49-48 at intermission. The first half featured six ties and eight lead changes.

A 3-pointer by Dexter McClanahan gave SSU their largest lead of the night at 37-22 with 6:30 left but Hampton used a 19-4 run to tie the game at 41 with 2:34 remaining.

Savannah State had three players to score at least 20 points. McClanahan had 25 points, Fenner added 22 and Jenkins had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sellers chipped in 13 points.

The Tigers shot 42.3 percent from the floor, made 30.3 percent of their 3-point shots and shot 73 percent from the free throw line.

Hampton's Jermaine Marrow led all scorers with 29 points while Tren
t-Steet added 28.

The Pirates, who won the rebounding battle, 46 to 40, shot 52.6 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from beyond the arc and 61.0 percent from the free throw line.

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'Get the job done': Southern withstands late Alabama State punch to earn third SWAC win

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern can’t escape games like these.

These contests decided by one point, sometimes two, between the Jaguars and whichever Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent they face that night.

In Southern’s 63-61 win Saturday against Alabama State, the Jaguars avoided a crushing home loss in a game in which they never trailed.

Southern was taken to overtime by Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State in its previous two games.

These games — too close for Southern’s comfort — won’t go away.

“Knowing it's going to be tough, we've just got to keep grinding it out," said Eddie Reese, Southern's leading scorer with 14 points.

Forward Jared Sam added nine points, a quiet night by his lofty standards.

With 3.2 seconds to go, Alabama State guard Reginald Gee, who finished with a game-high 20 points, buried a 3-pointer multiple feet behind the perimeter arc, chipping Southern’s lead to 62-61.

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TSU's Clark leads the way with career high 41 points versus MVSU

HOUSTON, Texas -- Donte' Clark (pictured above) scored a career high 41 points on 16-of-26 shooting including 7-of-12 from 3-point range and grabbed eight rebounds as the Texas Southern Tigers overcame a four-point deficit at halftime to top Mississippi Valley State 91-77 at the HPE Arena.

After trailing at the break Texas Southern responded with a big second half, outscoring MVSU 49-31 in the games' final stanza.

Trayvon Reed added a double-double with 15 points and a season high 17 rebounds and Brian Carey served as the floor general with 10 assists.

"I was happy with the intensity and sense of urgency that we played with in the second half," said TSU head coach Mike Davis. "We did a good job of sharing the basketball and we got back to playing fundamentally sound on the defensive end of the floor which was a key for us being able to get things turned around in the second half after we got out to a slow start."

The Tigers improved their league mark to 4-2 as they get set to host the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions who have undoubtedly been the surprise team of the conference so far this season as they enter Monday's game with an undefeated record in SWAC play (6-0).

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