TSU Tigers Roll Past Tennessee Wesleyan, 107-72, in Exhibition Game

BOX SCORE  |  PHOTO GALLERY

EXHIBITION GAME
Final Score: Tennessee State 107 - Tennessee Wesleyan 72
Venue: Gentry Center
Location: Nashville, Tenn. 
Attendance: 764

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- In an exhibition game to open the Brian “Penny” Collins era and unofficially kick off the 2018-19 season, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team dominated NAIA opponent Tennessee Wesleyan 107-72 at the Gentry Center on Wednesday night.

TSU led start to finish, leading by 26 in the first half and by as many as 39 points in the final 20 minutes.

Although Wednesday’s result will not officially count toward the Tigers’ win total, the offensive output with balanced scoring sets the tone for the rest of the season. The last time TSU reached 100-plus points in a regular season game was Dec. 15, 2013 in a 108-85 win over Fisk.  

Seven Tigers scored in double figures on the night led by 21 points from redshirt junior guard Donte Fitzpatrick Dorsey, who shot 8-of-10 from the floor. Junior forward Emmanuel Egbuta was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field with 14 points including a number of high-flying dunks. Redshirt junior guard Tripp Davispicked up a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for TSU.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• TSU Leaders
  • Points: Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey - 21
  • Rebounds: Tripp Davis - 10
  • Assists: A. Chaney/D. Fitzpatrick-Dorsey/K. McKnight - 4
• TSU shot 59.4 percent (41-of-69) from the floor.
• The Tigers forced Tennessee Wesleyan into 21 turnovers and scored 25 points off turnovers.
• TSU scored 54 points in the paint to the Bulldogs’ 10.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• TSU was able to turn defense into offense in the early going, turning six Tennessee Wesleyan turnovers into eight points on the other end. The Tigers’ lead stood at 21-8 with 12:30 left in the first half.
• TSU continued to shoot the ball well with Donte Fitzpatrick-Dorsey draining a pair of three-pointers to stretch the advantage to 34-13 with eight minutes to go in the opening half.
• The Tigers kept Tennessee Wesleyan under 20 points until the 3:46 mark of the first half.
• TSU led by as many as 26 points in the first half and carried a 49-33 advantage into the locker room.
• The Tigers blew the game open with a 15-5 run to open the second half featuring three highlight-reel dunks from Emmanuel Egbuta.
• The home side took its largest lead of the game at 98-59 on a jumper by Fitzpatrick-Dorsey with 4:27 left in the game.

 GAME NOTES

• Wednesday’s game was an exhibition game for both sides.

 UP NEXT

• TSU officially opens the season on Nov. 10 at Lipscomb.

QUOTESTSU HEAD COACH BRIAN “PENNY” COLLINS
(on facing Tennessee Wesleyan)
“First of all, I want to give nothing but credit to Ray Stone and his team, Tennessee Wesleyan. I think they’re going to be a really good team this year – a real force in the NAIA Division II level. I want to thank them for coming up here and getting us battle tested for the season.”

(thoughts on the game)
“Our guys tonight, I was really impressed with our pace. We’re still trying to get used to playing fast and taking care of the ball. We had a lot of silly turnovers. Our guys got a little relaxed too early in the game, but I was pleased with our pace. That’s the main thing. We’re trying to push the pace, we’re trying to play fast, and when you try and play fast, you turn over the ball a little bit more than you’d like. On the defensive end tonight, I just think our guys got a little tired and got relaxed just too much for my liking. Little things we think we can correct, that’s what we’ll do over the next 10 days getting ready for our opener.”

(on his first game at the helm for the Tigers)
“I’m not going to lie. All day long I was nervous, stomach butterflies, just worried about today’s game. I wanted our guys to go out and perform, and show the people here in Nashville that we were going to play an exciting brand of basketball – it’s going to be new, it’s going to be fun, and we want people to come to the games. I feel like anyone who came to the game tonight, they should’ve been entertained. I was very pleased with our students who came to the game tonight. I was so glad they came out. We just want them to keep coming back.”




TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Gold Nuggets blast Stillman 77-60 in season opener

NEW ORLEANS — NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana shared the wealth Wednesday and rolled to a 77-60 women's basketball victory against Stillman in the first game of the 2018-19 season.
     

Eleven Gold Nuggets scored, led by newcomerCaprice Taylor with 13 points and returning starter Gina Smith with 11. XULA newcomers accounted for 45 points and outshot the returnees 43 to 31 percent from the floor.
     

"We're going to be fine," 20th-year head coach Bo Browder said. "We did some good things. We did some things we need to correct. But I like this team. This team has a lot of potential. We've just got to keep working, stay focused and keep the injuries to a minimum."
     

XULA led 16-9 after one quarter, 41-22 at halftime and 61-38 through three quarters. The Gold Nuggets' largest lead was 66-38 when Taylor made a 3-pointer with 8:58 remaining.

BOX SCORE
     

Michala Fluellen had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Tigers, who also opened their season Wednesday.
     

Stillman outshot XULA 44.9 to 38.1 percent from the floor — 51.9 to 32.4 percent in the second half — but the Gold Nuggets were plus-14 in turnovers (9-23) and made 21-of-25 free throws to the Lady Tigers' 13-of-25. Smith made 7-of-8 free throws, and freshman Da'Jha Virgil was 4-of-4.
     

Virgil finished with nine points, and Mikayla Bates had seven points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals and no turnovers. Maya Trench had six assists.
     

It was the first time in seven years that XULA reached 75 points while committing fewer than 10 turnovers. A year ago XULA scored 45 points in its opener and 39 points in its home opener.
     

The Gold Nuggets will play host to Florida Memorial, Langston and LSU-Alexandria in the Xavier Classic Friday and Saturday. Friday's pairings will be Langston vs. LSUA at 4 p.m. and XULA vs. Florida Memorial at 6 p.m.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Le Guillou earns record-setting 7th GCAC weekly honor

NEW ORLEANS — Eva Le Guillou did something Tuesday that no Xavier University of Louisiana student-athlete has done previously. She's the first from XULA to win seven Gulf Coast Athletic Conference weekly awards in one season.
     
Le Guillou was chosen the GCAC's Setter of the Week in volleyball for Oct. 22-28 after producing 40 assists, four aces and six digs in victories against conference opponents Philander Smith and Talladega. A sophomore from Velizy-Villacoublay, France, Le Guillou climbed to No. 4 on the school's all-time season list with 836 assists. She served a match- and career-high-tying four aces against Talladega.
     
Le Guillou has since increased her season assist total to 870, which ranks third at XULA.
     
Seven from XULA won six GCAC weekly awards in a season: Anna Dalla Vecchia(2017) and Tiffany Phillips (2016) in volleyball, Justyce Riggs (2018) in women's track, Devinn Rolland (2013) in women's field, Nour Abbes (2014) in women's tennis and Christopher August (2016) and Kwame Jackson (2014) in men's cross country.
     
Le Guillou has 10 career GCAC weekly awards, one fewer than Phillips's program record of 11.
     
XULA and Tougaloo, both 12-0 in the GCAC, will meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at XULA's Convocation Center. Admission will be free for all. The winner will clinch a tie for the GCAC regular-season championship.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Three UDC Firebirds Earn East Coast Conference Women’s Tennis All-Conference Honors

WEST BABYLON, New York – Sophomore Simoné Pärn was named First Team All-Conference, and junior Marija Milic and freshman Joanna Skrzypczynska each earned Second Team All-Conference to represent the University of the District of Columbia for the East Coast Conference Women's Tennis All-Conference teams.

Pärn finished the regular season with overall records of 11-2 in singles play and 10-3 in doubles competition. In dual match No. 1 singles play, she earned a 10-1 mark, including a 6-1 record in ECC play. She teamed with Milic at No. 1 doubles all season, earning marks of 9-2 in dual matches and 5-2 vs. the ECC.

The Estonia native earned impressive singles and doubles wins in the Firebirds' early regular season meeting at Queens College on September 8th. That day, she defeated fellow ECC First Team honoree Reehan Rashad, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, and she and Milic defeated Rashad and another ECC First Teamer, Luisa Auffarth, 7-6 (6).

Her only dual match singles loss came at the hands of this year's ECC Player and Rookie of the Year, Barbara Quagliardi of New York Institute of Technology. Quagliardi bested Pärn, 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 on October 19th; however, Pärn would hand Quagliardi her only Division II singles loss of the season, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, when the two met again in the ECC semifinals on Saturday, October 27th.

Milic, a junior transfer from Oakland University, had a very impressive Fall 2018 in her first season as a Firebird. She finished the regular season with overall records of 9-4 in singles play and 10-3 in doubles competition. In dual match No. 2 singles play, she earned an 8-3 mark, including a 5-2 record in ECC play. She teamed with Pärn at No. 1 doubles all season, earning marks of 9-2 in dual matches and 5-2 vs. the ECC.

Skrzypczynska had a remarkable rookie season for the Firebirds. Riding a nine-match singles win streak into the Firebirds' ECC semifinal match vs. NYIT, the Poland native finished the regular season 11-2 overall in both singles and doubles play. In dual matches at No. 3 singles, she was 10-1, including a 6-1 mark vs. the ECC. At doubles, she teamed with sophomore Anastasiia Danylova at No. 2 for a record of 9-1 (also went 1-0 at No. 2 doubles teaming with junior Estefania Castrillon) in dual matches, and individually, she was 6-1 vs. the ECC in doubles play.

These three ECC All-Conference honorees helped the Firebirds finish the regular season 9-2 and earn a No. 3 seed in the ECC Championship Tournament. There, UDC nearly knocked off the eventual champion, NYIT, in the semifinal round, but bowed out in a 4-3 defeat.

The Firebirds will resume dual match play in the spring as they look to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Florida Prep School CEO Goes on Profanity-Laced Tirade, Threatens Basketball Player

Listen: Mike Woodbury, Head Coach at The Nations Christian Academy said to a player when he told him he would be transferring!

PORT SAINT LUCIE, Florida -- Mike Woodbury, the owner of a Florida private school The Nation Christian Academy, admitted to a profanity-laced tirade in which he threatened to send one of his players, Marvens Petion, back home to Haiti, and also called himself the “dirtiest, baddest motherf—– in this program.”

“Just get out of my face,” Woodbury said at the start of the more than three-minute audio clip that was posted on YouTube. “Take your broke asses – I’ll say it again – your broke asses back to the garage. I don’t want to hear from you. The bottom line … get the f— out. Just walk the f— out. I don’t give a shit. I control transcripts. I control where you go next. It could be back to Haiti, motherf—–. That’s how easy it is for me.”

“Now I control everything,” he later said in the audio. “I just want you to really know that. I’m going to f— you in your ass next time you’re out of line. I’m going to take everything from you. I’m going to end everything you’ve ever had.”

“I did that,” Woodbury told Stadium early Wednesday morning. “I own that 100 percent.”

CONTINUE READING 

NOTE: International Student Marvens Petion told Stadium that he is enrolled at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, Florida and has been recruited by mid-major Division I programs McNeese State and Louisiana Tech.

North Carolina A&T State Talk Homecoming

Coppin State Volleyball Sweeps Fairleigh Dickinson on the Road with Well-Balanced Attack

TEANECK, New Jersey – Coppin State's volleyball team used a well-balanced attack and defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University, 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-22) on Wednesday night at the Rothman Center.
 
The Basics

• Final Score: Coppin State 3, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
• Records: Coppin State 9-19 / Fairleigh Dickinson 2-24
• Location: Teaneck, N.J. / Rothman Center
• Series History: Fairleigh Dickinson Leads, 4-1

BOX SCORE

How It Happened

First Set

• CSU led from start to finish as it hit an impressive .333 for the set to take the opener, 25-22.
• The Eagles quickly doubled up FDU as it took a 6-3 lead with a pair of blocks and a kill by Lauryn Harrell.
• With Miajavon Coleman leading the charge with four kills, CSU increased its lead to as many as 21-13, but the Knights continued to fight and cut the deficit to 24-22.
• Coppin finally put FDU away with a kill by Sydney Hicks.

Second Set

• Coppin continued it's hot-hitting with another .333, winning the set 25-18.
• Once again, the Eagles never trailed but the frame did not see an advantage larger than four points until Coppin ran away with it.
• Following an FDU kill to make it an 18-17 lead in favor of CSU, a Knights error followed by three-straight blocks by Jordan Celestine gave Coppin a 22-17 edge. 
• Celestine added another kill and a pair of Knights errors gave the Eagles the second set.

Third Set

• The decider was back-and-forth early on as both teams held leads of two points.
• With FDU leading, 12-10, Coppin scored five-straight with Coleman starting and capping off the run with kills, giving the Eagles a 15-12 advantage.
• A couple of kills by Celestine helped the Navy & Gold increase the lead to four points at 19-15.
• The Knights were awarded two controversial points late in the frame to keep it close but Coleman finished FDU off with a kill to make it 25-22.

Inside the Numbers

• The Eagles hit .253 for the match as Brianna Lang quarterbacked a well-balanced offense with 32 assists.
• Miajavon Coleman led Coppin with ten kills and 11 digs for a double-double.  Coleman had just two errors and hit .258.
• Asia Stennis also had nine kills and eight digs while Christa Johnson hit an errorless .533 with eight kills to go with four blocks.
• Jordan Celestine had a team-high six blocks (one solo) along with six kills.
• Lauryn Harrell contributed on both sides of the ball as well with four kills and three blocks.
• DeMia Goddard was credited with a season-high six digs.

Who's Next?

• Coppin State will be back in Baltimore when it travels to face MEAC rival Morgan State on Sunday, November 4 at 3 pm.

COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Magic City Classic to stay in Birmingham through 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Magic City Classic is remaining in Birmingham and at Legion Field for the time being.

Mayor Randall Woodfin, Alabama A&M University President Dr. Andrew Hugine, Alabama State University President Dr. Quentin Ross and Harold Mitchell, chairman of Birmingham Parks and Recreation, signed a four-year agreement to keep the Magic City Classic in Birmingham through 2022.

The new contract calls for an increase in direct payments to both A&M and Alabama State, as under the current contract, both schools receive $212,500 directly from the city of Birmingham. That amount will rise in each year of the contract, hitting $400,000 by 2022.

The contract will also require the game will be played at Legion Field for all four years, which is notable since the new downtown stadium at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex is expected to open in 2021.

The Birmingham City Council approved the contracts at an earlier council meeting.

Below is the amount each school will receive each year.

2018: $212,500 (final year of current contract)
2019: $325,000
2020 $350,000
2021: $375,000
2022: $400,000

CONTINUE READING

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JeffCo Commission to consider $30M commitment for stadium project

NOTE: The new Birmingham open-air stadium (BJCC) will seat 45,000 and up to 55,000 for special events.  The 2018 Magic City Classic attendance was 65,906 in 2018 and 61,221 in 2017.

Bethune-Cookman 'Cats Win SSU Tiger Fall Invite Trophy

POOLER, Georgia – In the final event of the 2018 fall season, the Bethune-Cookman Men's Golf team captured the Savannah State Tiger Fall Invitational at Crosswinds Golf Course in Pooler, Georgia. The event took place October 28-30, and was hosted by Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member institution Savannah State.

Bethune-Cookman (297-292-306=895, +31) used five golfers in the event for scoring, including the first event of the year for Darragh Crawford.

Sophomore Jake Lane (74-73-72=219, +3) finished the tournament in second place after lowering his scores each day. He would finish just two strokes off a share of the title.

Dante Davis (74-73-76=223, +7), a senior from Brandon, Florida, grabbed a top five finish as he finished fourth overall after firing a final round 4-over par 76. He was second on the Maroon and Gold for scoring.

Tiger Fall Invite Final Results (PDF)

Timothius Tamardi (74-73-78=225, +9) garnered a top 10 finish, as he finished in sixth place. He claimed his best round on the second day with a 1-over 73.

Also finishing in the top 10 was junior Christian Hovstadius (77-73-80=230, +14) as he shot a second round 1-over 73 for one of his best rounds of the fall season.

The final golfer for the Wildcats was senior Darragh Crawford (75-78-82=235, +19) playing in his first event of the 2018-19 campaign. He would take a 15th place finish overall on the final leaderboard.

Florida A&M (301-305-302=908, +44) was in second place, followed by host Savannah State (312-312-308=932, +68) in third. It was the Tigers' Zach Otto (72-72-73=217, +1) taking home the individual medalist award for the tournament.

Bethune-Cookman Men's Golf is back in action when the spring season opens up February 16-17 at the Invite at Savannah Harbor hosted by The College of William & Mary.

Follow Bethune-Cookman Golf on Twitter (@BCUGolf) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Texas College Lady Steers Win In Season Opener

TYLER, Texas --  In their season opener vs SUNO the lady Steers put together some strong stretches of defense while clicking on offense shooting 50% from the field and 5 of 9 from deep ending the first quarter 27 to 13. In the second quarter they would not let up putting up 21 points while only allowing 14 bringing the score to 48-27 at halftime.

After the half TC would allow the Knights to get back into the game by playing sloppy turning the ball over 10 times in the quarter.

Texas College would ultimately held on to the lead to go on and win their season opener 78-70. 

TOP PERFORMANCES

• Tameal Jones (SR/Tyler, TX) led the team in scoring with 25 points on 58% shooting from the field 50% from the 3pt line, she also grabbed nine rebounds.
• Paris Townsend (SR/Waxahachie, TX) was second in scoring pouring in 22 points of her own, with 44% from the field and 57% shooting from the 3pt line. She also grabbed 10 rebounds and had 9 steals, one steal away from a triple double.
• Kiara Williams (SO/Humble, TX) added 12 points shooting 60% from the field, with 2 of 3 of her shots made were from downtown.
• Jazmyne Hicks (FR/Tyler, TX) had a nice stat line scoring only 4 points but led the team with six assist and 12 rebounds.

 

UP NEXT

They will travel to Waxahachie, TX to play in the SAGU Classic and will face No.10 ranked Oklahoma City University beginning at 6:00PM Fri, Nov. 9, 2018.

TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Lincoln Closes Non-League Slate at No. 8 Tarleton State

Complete Game Notes

Game 10: Lincoln (3-6) at #8 Tarleton State (8-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 3 - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium (Capacity): Tarleton Memorial Stadium (7,000)
Tickets: Available at Site
Streaming - https://tarletonsports.com/watch/?Live=1112&type=Live
Audiocast - https://tarletonsports.com/watch/?Live=1111&type=Live
Live Stats - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=220978
Series - First Meeting

THE KICKOFF  
The Lincoln football team ends its non-conference schedule by beginning a new rivalry when the Blue Tigers play Tarleton State on Saturday (Nov. 3). Kickoff in Stephenville, Texas is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT as LU also plays its final road game of 2018.

Lincoln is 1-2 in non-GLVC games this year and 3-6 on the season after falling to Missouri S&T, 45-7, on Saturday night (Oct. 27). LU's non-league win was an out-of-state victory over Lane in Memphis, Tenn. at the beginning of the season, and Lincoln will try to pick up another victory away from the Show Me State this weekend.

Tarleton State is 8-0 on the season after pulling out a 35-34 overtime win at Midwestern State this past weekend. The Texans are currently ranked No. 8 in the American Football Coaches Association's NCAA Division II rankings, and own a 4-0 mark in home games in 2018.

QUICK HITS  
- This will be the first-ever meeting between Lincoln and Tarleton State.

- Tarleton State is one of two first-time opponent on the Blue Tigers' 2018 schedule. Lincoln previously hosted Wisconsin-Oshkosh, falling 17-7 on Sept. 15.

- A victory over the Texans would give Lincoln multiple true road wins in a season since 2005, when the Blue Tigers beat both Central State and Edward Waters.

- This is Lincoln's first trip to the Longhorn State since 2010, when the Blue Tigers played Prairie View A&M in Prairie View, Texas. LU dropped that game, 45-12.

- Lincoln's last game against a team from Texas was in 2014, when the LU beat Texas College, 62-6, at home.

- With the Blue Tigers beating Lane at the start of the 2018 season, Lincoln is seeking multiple non-conference wins in a season for the first time since beating both Haskell and Southern Virginia during the 2007 season.

- Lincoln will try to end the non-conference portion of its schedule with a win for the first time since 2016, when LU beat Lane in its final non-league contest.

- Tarleton State, ranked No. 8 in the country, is the second ranked opponent LU faces on its 2018 schedule, joining Indianapolis, which was rated No. 22 back on Sept. 29.

- The Blue Tigers enter Saturday with an all-time record of 256-458-24.

- Steven Smith is in his second season as the head coach of the Blue Tigers and has a career record of 4-15.

- Lincoln is in its fifth season as a member of the GLVC. LU was in the MIAA for 23 years, including three-straight from 2011-13, for football before making the switch in 2014. The GLVC is the fifth different conference in which the Blue Tigers have been a member, joining the Midwest Athletic Association, the Great Lakes Football Conference, the Central States Football League and the MIAA.

- This is the 88th season of Lincoln football. The Blue Tigers first fielded a team in 1920 and played every year until 1943, when Lincoln took a year off due to World War II. LU then played each season from 1944-1989. The football program was disbanded at that point, but was brought back in 2000.

BLUE TIGERS TO WATCH

OFFENSE - Henry Ogala has been very efficient as Lincoln's starting quarterback, completing 124 passes for 1,504 yards and nine touchdowns. Blake Tibbs caught 42 of those passes and leads LU with 743 yards while Justin Korakakos and Ezekiel Langeach have two touchdown receptions. On the ground, Kimbo Ferguson leads LU with 457 yards while Hosea Franklin is next with 216. Terry Hunter, meanwhile, has rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns. 

DEFENSE - The Lincoln defense was outstanding in LU's opening win, forcing three turnovers while holding Lane to just 123 yards of total offense. The Blue Tigers made three sacks and five tackles for loss, and broke up five passes with a pair of picks. 

Saint Durassaint leads LU with 72 tackles, and has compiled 5.0 tackles for loss, a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception. Isaiah Gray leads Lincoln with 9.0 tackles for loss, while Amani Nelson has made 63 tackles and Victor Williams, who has seven quarterback hurries, is next with 54. Nelson and Williams have combined for 8.5 TFL.

Joseph Madrigal has one of Lincoln's interceptions, as he picked off a late fourth quarter pass by Lane to help the Blue Tigers seal the season-opening win. Quan Mason has been a force as a pass-rusher, notching three sacks and seven hurries. JaJuan Chambers, meanwhile, has provided 29 tackles and five hurries while Chavon Gross has made 34 tackles, including 4.5 for loss.

SPECIAL TEAMS - Fernando Ramirez made his Blue Tiger debut a memorable one, scoring LU's first points of the game on a 44-yard field goal to give Lincoln a first quarter lead over Lane that it would never relinquish. Ramirez, who has six field goals on the year, has converted on 16 of his 17 point-after tries, and also kicked a 47-yard FG that is the seocnd-longest in the GLVC this season.

Wolky Belancourt is Lincoln's holder as well as its punter, and he is averaging 35.5 yards with a long of 50 this season.Brenton Wrigley is Lincoln's long-snapper, and Hasan Muhammad-Rogers is the GLVC leader in kick returns with an average of 23.4 yards per return.

TARLETON STATE AT A GLANCE
Tarleton State boasts one of the top scoring offenses in NCAA Division II, averaging 45.8 points per game with 50 total touchdowns. Quarterback Ben Holmes holds an excellent QB rating of 178.54 and has completed 61.6-percent of his passes for 1,774 yards and 20 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions. The ground game has been particularly potent, however, as the Texans have gained 2,558 yards running the ball, averaging 5.6 yards per carry with 25 scores.

Twelve of those rushing touchdowns belong to Xavier Turner, who leads the Texans with 800 yards on 122 attempts. Four TSU players are averaging more than five yards per carry, with Daniel McCants gaining 732 yards on 103 attempts with five scores. In the passing game, the Texans are led by Zimari Manning, who has nine TD grabs and 643 yards on 32 catches.

EJ Speed lives up to his last name on defense, tallying 10.0 tackles for loss, four sacks, 57 total tackles, five hurries and two forced fumbles. Jai Edwards leads TSU with 61 tackles, and Ronnell Wilson has 57 while Prince Robinson has 44, including five for a loss. As a team, Tarleton State has generated 70 quarterback hurries, 20 sacks, 69 TFL, 12 interceptions and six fumble recoveries.

Joanly Martinez has yet to miss a field goal, going 8-8 with a long of 36 yards, and Ron Reid averages 40.8 yards punting with a long of 57. On kickoffs, Reid averages 58.9 yards with 15 touchbacks.

THE COACHES 
Steven Smith was named the 22nd head coach of the Blue Tigers last December after a successful four-year run as the offensive coordinator of Albany State. Smith, who has also coached at Tennessee State, Delta State and Virginia State, helped Albany State go undefeated in league play in three of his four seasons. Smith's teams have made for NCAA Division II playoff appearances and he has coached 21 all-conference honorees and eight All-Americans. Smith additionally has coached with six NFL teams, most recently serving as an assistant under Romeo Crennel with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012.

Todd Whitten has had three separate tenures with TSU and is the winningest coach in Tarleton State history. In eight years with the Texans, Whitten has compiled 64 wins and is a four-time Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year.

HISTORIC WIN: Lincoln posted one of its most significant wins in recent memory on Oct. 20 at William Jewell. It was the first road league victory ever for LU as a member of the GLVC; it was the first road win for Lincoln against a team from the state of Missouri since 1983; and it was LU's first road conference win since 1975.

DON'T PICK AGAINST US:  Henry Ogala has started every game at quarterback and has done a terrific job of taking care of the football, with his efficiency rating of 132.2 rating as one of the best in the GLVC. Ogala's main strength has been in his pass selection, as Ogala has attempted 207 passes but has thrown only three interceptions. As a team, LU is tied for sixth in Division II for fewest picks thrown in 2018.

THE RUNDOWN:  Lincoln had four rushing TDs against Southwest Baptist, with Kimbo Ferguson running for two of those scores. Ferguson, son of former MMA fighter Kimbo Slice, has gained 457 yards this season with a 3.9 average per carry. Both of those numbers lead the team this year, with LU averaging 111.2 yards per contest.

SHUTDOWN DEFENSE:  The Blue Tigers have one of the top defenses in the GLVC, ranking third in the conference by allowing an average of 343.7 yards per game. That total also ranks 56th in NCAA Division II. Teams have struggled to pass against Lincoln, as LU is fourth in the league and 55th in the nation with just 193.7 yards allowed per contest.

FIRST DEFENSE:  LU has particularly excelled in the first quarter of games, as the Blue Tigers have shut out opponents four times in the opening stanza this season. In eight of Lincoln's nine games, the Blue Tigers have allowed seven points or fewer in the first quarter and have either led or been tied at the end of the first period six times.

NATIONALLY RANKED:  Lincoln's defense also has been sharp in the red zone, ranking fourth in the GLVC and 62nd in the country with a success rate of 75.0-percent. LU also ranks 74th nationally in scoring defense (24.8) as the Blue Tigers have held six opponents to 20 points or fewer. Finally, LU is 49th in DII with 155 first downs allowed.

INDIVIDUAL STARS:  Blake Tibbs is second in the GLVC in receiving yards (742) and yards per game (82.4), and ranks 37th and 41st, respectively, in Division II in those stats. Henry Ogala ranks 88th in the county in yards per completion (12.2), and Hasan Muhammad-Rogers is 45th in the country in combined kick return yardage (478). On defense, Saint Durassaint is seventh in the GLVC with 8.1 tackles per contest.

BALL CONTROL:  Lincoln's offense was good at controlling the clock last year, as LU led in time of possession in six of its 10 games, finishing 21st in DII with 32:08 minutes of possession per game. That trend has continued in 2018, as Lincoln leads the GLVC and is ranked 17th in NCAA Division II in time of possession at 33:05.

PASSING GRADE:  Henry Ogala has been particularly efficient as Lincoln starter, compiling a total efficiency rating of 132.3. In addition to owning the GLVC's fourth-best efficiency rating, Ogala, who also has completed 59.9-percent of his passes, rates 44th nationally in that stat and 62nd in DII in passing efficiency. Lincoln is high in both stats in the NCAA team rankings as well, at 40th nationally in completion percentage and 69th in team passing efficiency.

ANY TEAM, ANYWHERE: Lincoln has one of the most diverse schedules in the country, as the Blue Tigers have already played teams from NCAA Division I (Missouri State), Division II (Lane) and Division III (Wisconsin-Oshkosh). Lincoln also has had success in a variety of different locations, as LU is the only GLVC program with wins at home (vs. Southwest Baptist), at a neutral site (Lane) and in a true road game (at William Jewell).

ON THE AIR:  Blue Tiger football is back on KJLU, as six of Lincoln's 11 games will be broadcast this season. All four of Lincoln's home contests, as well as the road games at Truman State on Oct. 13 and Missouri S&T on Oct. 27, will air on 88.9 FM in Jefferson City.

GEAR UP FOR THE GAME:  LU fans can get everything they need for the game at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store for LU athletics. Everything from jerseys to office supplies can be found on the site, with a portion of all sales going to benefit Lincoln athletics.

UP NEXT:  The Blue Tigers conclude the 2018 season at home next Saturday (Nov. 10) as LU hosts McKendree for Senior Day at 12:00 p.m. CT.

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

B-CU Women's Golf Finishes Fall Season Victorious

POOLER, Georgia – The Bethune-Cookman Women's Golf Team completed the 2018 fall campaign with a victory at the SSU Tiger Fall Invitational on Tuesday evening. The three-day event was hosted by Savannah State at Crosswinds Golf Course in Pooler, Georgia.

Bethune-Cookman (296-296-306=898, +34) took the first three spots on the final leaderboard en route to the women's team title.


BCU senior Yudika Rodriguez (68-70-77=215, -1) claimed her first under-par tournament performance of the season, garnering the individual medalist award with a 1-under par final scorecard.

Just behind Rodriguez in the scoring was Plymouth, England freshman Caitlin Evans-Brand (74-74-75=223, +7), earning her highest tournament finish of her young Maroon and Gold career in Daytona Beach.

2018 SSU Tiger Fall Invitational Final Results (PDF)

Sumie Francois (76-73-78=227, +11), a sophomore transfer from Vancouver, British Columbia, finished third overall in the field after firing a second-round 1-over 73 during Monday's second round.

Junior golfer Isabela Miravite (79-79-76=234, +18) was sixth on the final tournament leaderboard, as the Markina City, Philippines native lowered her scorecard in Tuesday's championship round, firing a 4-over 76 on the day.

Rounding out the scoring for the Wildcats was Svedala, Sweden freshman Isabell Friberg (78-79-78=235, +19) as she finished seventh in the field. It was also her highest finish of the fall season with the Maroon and Gold.

North Carolina A&T took second place as a team, while Hampton was third. The Aggies' duo of Christyn Carr (78-74-80=228, +12) and Madison Harriman (78-74-79=231, +15) rounded out the top five individual performers.

The Wildcats are back in action after the winter break as BCU opens the spring season in 2019 with a trip to the Edwin Watts/Kiawah Island Classic in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The event takes place February 24-26, 2019, and is hosted by the College of Charleston.

Follow Bethune-Cookman Golf on Twitter (@BCUGolf) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram I@BCUathletics), Snapchat (@BCUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BCUathletics).

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

McBride Named MEAC Volleyball Rookie Of The Week For A Fifth Time

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Morgan State freshman volleyball player Zoe McBride was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Week as announced by the conference office today. It is the second straight and fifth total MEAC weekly honor for McBride, who also earned the honor for three consecutive weeks in September (3, 10, 17), as well as last week (October 22).

McBride recorded a double-double in both of the Lady Bears' matches over the weekend, averaging 4.7 points per set in the process. The Ridgefield, Wash. native began the weekend with a 15-kill, 15-dig four-ace, three-block performance against Howard (10/26). McBride then hit .286 against Norfolk State, finishing with 11 kills and 12 digs. It was the eighth double-double this season for McBride.

The Lady Bears return to the court on Sunday, Nov. 4, when they close out their home slate against crosstown rival Coppin State. The contest will also be Senior Day for four Lady Bears. First serve is at 3 p.m. at Hill Field House.

Morgan State (12-12, 4-3 MEAC) currently sits in third in the MEAC Northern Division standings, while Coppin State (8-9, 3-4 MEAC) is in fourth.

 By: Kevin C. Paige, MSU Athletic Communication
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONSns