XU Nuggets beat Big East team, place second in Florida meet

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Xavier University of Louisiana got top-10 finishes from Zahri Jackson and Catherine Fakler and placed second out of 12 women's teams Saturday in the ASICS Embry-Riddle Classic cross country meet.
    
It's the Gold Nuggets' highest finish in a meet of 10 or more schools since November 2003. Jackson broke 20 minutes for 5,000 meters for the fourth time at Xavier, placing sixth in 19:53.23. Fakler was 10th in 20:15.88. Xavier scored 70 points — NAIA No. 20 Embry-Riddle won with 47 — and the Gold Nuggets beat all three NCAA Division I opponents, including Seton Hall of the Big East Conference.
    
Xavier's men placed fifth out of 13 teams and fourth out of 12 collegiate teams. Senior Matt Pieri led the Gold Rush, running 8,000 meters in 27:49.81 to finish seventh. It was Pieri's 15th career top-10. Kwame Jackson, Zahri's older brother, was 10th in 28:26.71.
    
Both Gold Nuggets freshmen ran 5K season bests — Briana Simms placed 13th in 20:23.06, and Hannah Finnegan was 29th in 21:19.12. Hali Yarmush was 14th in 20:24.22, Donyé Coleman was 50th in 22:25.13, and Paige Rochelle was 79th in 25:20.23.
    
On the Gold Nuggets' all-time 5K list, Jackson's time ranks 11th, Fakler's 17th and Simms' 21st.
    
David Holobowicz placed 25th for the XU men in 29:38.51. Aaron Yarmush was 50th in 31:25.60, Emmanuel Detiege was 61st in 32:19.28 and Charles Shaw was 74th in 32:59.77.
    
Embry-Riddle's 15th-ranked men won that team title by 47 points over runner-up Seton Hall. The Eagles' Evans Kirwa, the reigning NAIA National Runner of the Week, won the race by more than a minute — 25:25.02 to teammate Vincent Bett's 26:30.57 — and earned his second victory of the season. Embry-Riddle's Ellie Staker won the women's race in 18:43.12.
    
Xavier will not race this weekend. The Rush and Nuggets will compete next Oct. 5 in the Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitational at Clinton, Miss.

Results:  Men    Women

 
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Brown wins opener, but rough start for XU in UNO tourney

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Amber Brown rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory Friday against McNeese State's Lara Pujol in the Big Easy Tennis Classic at the University of New Orleans.
    

It was the lone XU victory on a day when two seeded Gold Rush players and two seeded Gold Nuggets lost their opening matches. Three XU singles players began their collegiate careers with losses.
    

"Our focus today was to just compete and get the first-match jitters out of the way," said 10th-year XU coach Alan Green. "We will be fine."
    

Brown, the Nuggets' No. 3 women's singles player this past season, came back against the Cowgirls' No. 2 player of a year ago. The victory occurred in the round of 16 in the second flight.
    

"I'm looking for good things from Amber Brown this season," Green said of the junior from Decatur, Ga., who five months ago won three consecutive singles matches to help the Gold Nuggets win an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament and receive an automatic bid to nationals.
    

Jennifer Dien of Southern Illinois eliminated Brown in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).
    

The only other XU player to win a set was junior Amir Rahbar, who lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to UNO's Vinay Kamineni in the round of 16 in the second flight of men's singles.
    

In other XU matches:
    

•  Nikita Soifer, seeded fourth in the men's singles first flight, lost his collegiate debut 6-2, 6-1 to UNO's Abdelrahman Zaki.
    

•  Second-seeded Viktor Svoboda lost 6-4, 6-1 to South Alabama's Blake Gregor in the quarterfinals of the men's singles second flight.
    

•  Kourtney Howell, a second-team NAIA All-American this past season, lost 6-3, 6-2 to Troy's Lyubov Gorleeve in the round of 16 of the women's singles first flight. Howell was seeded fourth. Freshman teammate Brion Flowers lost 6-0, 6-0 to Troy's Karoline Grymel in the quarterfinals.
    

•  The Gold Nuggets were 0-4 in the women's singles third flight. Nicole DeLoach, seeded sixth, lost 6-0, 6-0 to Troy's Anja Cosovic. Jordyn Goody lost 6-2, 7-5 to Lamar's Kanda Borgononi. Vashni Balleste lost 6-3, 6-1 to Cosovic in Balleste's collegiate debut. And Olivia West, a sophomore transfer from Centenary (La.), lost her XU debut in a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) decision against Nicholls State's Emma Pitre.
    

•  The Gold Nuggets lost twice in the women's doubles round of 32. Troy's Cosovic and Brooke Durden defeated Howell and Flowers 8-1, and Anita Lee and Ariadna Cairo Baza of Southern Illinois beat West and Goody 8-1.
    

The tournament will continue Saturday and conclude Sunday at UNO's University Tennis Center. Many of the XU men and women will play consolation matches.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Offense, Big Plays Power Chowan over Shaw

DURHAM, North Carolina  -  The Chowan University football team picked up their first CIAA win of the 2012 season after a 49-35 victory over Shaw University on Saturday afternoon. Chowan improves to 2-2 on the season, and Shaw falls to 1-3.

The Hawk's offense was dominate on Saturday, fueled by Cameron Stover's 220 passing yards in the contest.  He connected with six different receivers, while completing 17-28 pass attempts. Tim Hanson was unstoppable in the win, rushing for 195 yards and three touchdowns.

The Shaw Bears struck first in the game with a 30 yard field goal with 13:47 remaining in the first quarter.  The Hawks quickly answered back after JR Williams caught a 51 yard pass from Cameron Stover to make the score 6-3.  The point after attempt from Alex Noboa was good, allowing the Hawks to take a 7-3 lead with 7:15 left in the first quarter.

Shaw tacked on another three points with 4:41 remaining in the quarter off a 20 yard field goal by George Mulumba to make the score 7-6.

The start of the second quarter was a little shaky, after Stover's pass for Damian Ellis was intercepted by Shaw's Darnell Evans.  The Hawks fought back, with Brandon Whitaker snagging James Stallons' pass to get the ball back for the Hawks.    Tim Hanson's seven yard rush gave the Hawks the 13-6 lead.  The ten yard touchdown drive took just two plays and was completed in 34 seconds.  Noboa once again made good on the point after attempt.

The Hawks defense continued to hold down the Bears, forcing Shaw to settle for another field goal.  Mulumba kicked a 33 yard field goal, his third of the half, with 8:30 left in the half to inch the score to 14-9.

The Hawks fumbled just seven seconds later, allowing the Bears to take over possession.  Shaw took advantage of the miscue and James Stallons connected with Ta'Juan Brown for a 41 yard touchdown pass.  The point after attempt from Mulumba was good, giving the Bears a 16-14 lead.

The Bears threatened again as Darius Moffett intercepted a pass from Ryan Nolan (who took over for Stover) on the 28 yard line with 6:55 left in the half.  Chowan quickly answered back as Chris Morris intercepted a screen pass and took over deep in Shaw territory.  Ryan Nolan ran for three yards to score for Chowan with 5:30 on the clock.  Noboa made good on the field goal attempt giving the Hawks a 21-16 edge over Shaw.

The Bears answered back on the next possession after Stallons threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Marcus Hinson and a good point after attempt from Mulumba.  The Shaw defense prevented Chowan from scoring, maintaining a 23-21 point lead heading into halftime.

The Hawks turned on the offense after halftime.  Just a minute and a half into the third quarter, Chowan's David Fulton picked Stallon's pass and ran for a 58 yard touchdown to open up the half.  Noboa made good on the point after attempt allowing Chowan to take a 28-23 lead.

  With a drive starting at 8:35 in the third quarter Stover through a 16 yard pass to Antjuan Randall for a first down.  Tim Hanson rushed for the next three plays for a total of 16 yards, leading to a five yard rush by Ryan Nolan and a 19 yard rush again from Hanson to score the touchdown for Chowan.  Noboa made good on the point after attempt giving Chowan a 35-23 lead.

On the next possession, Shaw's Marquise Grizzle ran for 33 yards to give Shaw the first down.  Stallons' then threw a 51 yard pass to Deangelo Ruffin, allowing Marquise Grizzle to rush for four yards, scoring a touchdown for the Bears.  With 4:38 on the clock, and the score 35-29 in favor of the Hawks, Chowan's Aeon Blake came up with the big play blocking Mulumba's point after attempt.

Chowan failed to score in their next possession, turning the ball back over to the Bears.  With seconds left in the third quarter, Stallons threw a 42 yard touchdown pass to Marucs Hickson to tie the game 35-35.  With Shaw in the driver's seat to take the lead, Stephen Guelff missed the point after attempt, and the game would remain tied going into the fourth quarter.

JR Williams returned Mulumba's kickoff for 15 yards setting up the Hawks for a series of big plays.  Williams caught a 14 yard pass from Stover to get the first down for Chowan.  Hanson followed up the play with a 68 yard rush leading to a touchdown to give CU a 41-35 lead.  Noboa's consistency shown through making good on the point after attempt to make the score 42-35.

The Hawks' weren't satisfied with the seven point lead.  With 6:23 remaining in the game, Antjuan Randall started the Hawks' drive with a 13 yard rush to get the first down.  Hanson rushed for five yards leading to an eight yard pass from Stover to Damian Ellis.  Stover connected with Elliot Smalls for a 13 yard touchdown pass.  Noboa made good on the point after attempt giving Chowan a 49-35 lead with 3:16 left to play.

The defense was able to keep Shaw off the board for the remainder of the game.  Chris Morris, Devahn Murphy, and David Fulton led the defense on Saturday collecting six tackles each.  Morris and Fulton each had an interception in the win, along with James and Brandon Whitaker.  The defense also collected four sacks in the victory.

With the win the Hawks also move to 2-3 in the five year series against Shaw.  Chowan returns home to take on the Fayetteville State University Broncos on Saturday September 29^th.  Kick-off is set for 6:00 v  pm.

Alabama A&M football: STILL GROOVING

HOUSTON, Texas - Deaunte Mason was the quarterback on the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason team. He has certainly played like it over the last two games.

A week after accounting for six touchdowns in a 42-30 win over Prairie View, Mason accounted for five more Saturday as Alabama A&M dominated Texas Southern in a 42-13 victory at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Mason completed 17-of-24 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three more as the Bulldogs improved to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. The 4-0 start is A&M's best since 1966.

"It was a great team effort today," said Mason, who has completed 39-of-53 passes for 510 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in his last two games. "I want to give it up to my coaches and my teammates for making it easy for me."

Texas Southern fell to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in league play with its third straight loss.

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SAINT AUGUSTINE'S CRUISES TO IMPRESSIVE 38-22 VICTORY OVER BOWIE STATE

DURHAM, N.C. – Saint Augustine's University jumped out to a 29-0 lead at halftime, and cruised to an impressive 38-22 CIAA football victory over Bowie State on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, at Durham County Stadium.

The Falcons improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the CIAA in a contest between league contenders. The Bulldogs dropped to 3-1 and 0-1 in their first loss of the season.

Teddy Bacote led the Falcons with 21 for 36 passing for 317 yards and two touchdowns. Jermaine Jones caught four passes for 120 yards and one score, and Tyron Laughinghouse had six receptions for 79 yards and one touchdown. Laughinghouse also returned a kick return for a touchdown. Brian Richards grabbed six passes for 87 yards, and Roderick Davenport scored two rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, the Falcons were led by the duo of Dante Devouse and Chaz Robinson with each player collecting five tackles. Javarous Faulk finished with 2.5 sacks, and Bryan Jones and Derrick Manning each picked off a pass.

For Bowie State, Tyrae Reid completed 11 of 26 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Khari Lee caught five passes for 110 yards and a score and Douglas McNeil, III had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Bekwele Amadi of the Bulldogs led both teams with 11 tackles.

The contest was expected to be close between two top CIAA teams, but the Falcons jumped on the Bulldogs from the outset. They scored on their first two possessions for a 14-0 lead and never looked back.

The Falcons couldn't have asked for a better start. Bacote found Jermaine Jones on the first play of the game for a long pass inside the Bulldogs territory. Jones finished the drive with a 30-yard catch from Bacote to give the Falcons the early lead. Michael Lima kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Falcons lead.

The Falcons struck again on their next possession. Roderick Davenport capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Lima kicked the point after to stretch the margin to 14-0.

The Bulldogs started to gain some momentum in the second quarter, but missed an opportunity to score early on a failed 36-yard field goal attempt. On the following possession, the Bulldogs were in Falcons' territory, but they turned the ball over on downs.

The Falcons attacked immediately. Richards broke out of the arms of two tacklers for a 22-yard reception in Bowie territory. A couple of plays later, Richards caught a 20-yard pass from Bacote at the Bulldogs' 5. Laughinghouse finished off the drive with a leaping five-yard grab over a defender for the Falcons' third touchdown of the half. Richards scored on a fake field goal attempt for the two-point conversion to give the Falcons a 22-0 lead.

The Falcons weren't through yet. Bryan Jones intercepted a pass to give the Falcons possession with a little over two minutes in the first half. A 23-yard pass from Bacote to Richards put the Falcons in scoring position at the Bulldogs' 29. A 25-yard pass from Bacote to Laughinghouse put the ball at the two. Davenport ended the drive with a short run for his second touchdown of the game. Lima kicked the extra point for a commanding 29-0 lead which the Falcons took into halftime.

The Bulldogs began the third quarter with a scoring drive of their own. A pass interference penalty on the Falcons gave the Bulldogs great field position which they capitalized on. Phillip Quarrie scored from two yards out, and Mario Diaz-Aviles kicked the extra point to cut the Falcons lead to 29-7.

Just when the Bulldogs were gaining momentum, Laughinghouse returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to midfield. A personal foul penalty on the Bulldogs but the ball on their side of the field, but Reggie Uwandi intercepted Bacote to save a Falcon score.

The Bulldogs attacked immediately with a 41-yard pass from Reid to McNeil to put the ball inside Falcon 20. The drive turned up empty, however, when the Bulldogs missed a 38-yard field goal.

The Bulldogs didn't give up, however. Reid threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Lee on the first play of the fourth quarter. Diaz-Aviles made the extra point to slice the Falcons lead to 29-14. But in the blink of an eye, Laughinghouse returned the kickoff 93 yards for a score to break the Bulldogs' backs. Lima connected on the extra point for a 36-14 lead.

The Falcons padded their lead to 38-14 on the Bulldogs' next possession when the ball sailed over the punter's head out of the end zone.

The Bulldogs also recorded a safety in the fourth quarter when the ball sailed over Alexander Tucker's head on fourth down. Tucker kicked the ball out of the end zone, which gave the Bulldogs two points and cut the Falcons lead to 38-16. The Bulldogs finished the scoring on Reid's six-yard pass to McNeil late in the game.

The next opponent for Bowie State doesn't get easier with the defending CIAA and NCAA Region champions of Winston-Salem State coming to town for a 1 pm contest next Saturday (9/29) in Bulldogs Stadium.

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

How about that? Southern defeats Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi — Dawson Odums left his postgame news conference, turned left toward his locker room and nearly ran straight into Jackson State coach Rick Comegy.

Comegy offered a smile, a handshake and congratulations.

“You got them going,” Comegy said.

In his first game as Southern’s interim head coach, Odums led the Jaguars to a 28-21 win in front of 20,713 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, snapping a three-game losing streak against the Tigers and reviving a team that had looked lifeless nine days before.

Chalk it up to whatever you want — a stunning loss to Mississippi Valley State, the dismissal of head coach Stump Mitchell, a refocusing effort in practice, quarterbacks coach Chad Germany calling the plays — but Southern (1-2, 1-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is back on the right track.

That much was clear with 30 seconds remaining, when Southern was able to let the clock run out and escape from a tense fourth quarter. With the outcome sealed, Odums’ players dumped water on him in celebration, and the contingent of Jaguars fans — which included Mitchell, who watched the game from the stands — enjoyed a cathartic release that was sure to last long into the Mississippi night.

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Wallace, J.C. Smith start quickly in CIAA play

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -  Johnson C. Smith won its second straight game with a 28-21 victory against Virginia State at McGirt Field in the CIAA opener for both teams.

J.C. Smith (2-2, 1-0) racked up 471 yards on offense and sophomore quarterback Keahn Wallace passed for three touchdowns and ran for another.

“It’s a big game. Playing in the CIAA now is going to be a challenge, a dogfight,” Golden Bulls coach Steve Aycock said. “Our week’s preparation leads over to good play on the weekend, so we’re excited about it. We (can) rip off these next few and give ourselves a chance.”

Smith gave itself chances early on its first three possessions to take a commanding lead. Wallace opened with a 1-yard touchdown run on the Golden Bulls’ first drive, followed by scoring passes of 5 yards to Chris Patterson and a 33 to Matthew Jeffries for a 21-0 first quarter lead.

“(Offensive coordinator) Steve Shipp put in great predicaments and gave me great calls to excel,” said Wallace, who connected on 31 of 43 passes for 338 yards.  “All we did was take advantage. If we someone we like, we’re checking (to a different play). All we did was keep ourselves going.”

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