First-place NCCU Eagles have full attention of MEAC foes

DURHAM, North Carolina — The target on N.C. Central’s back got bigger Monday night.

NCCU’s home win over Morgan State landed the Eagles in first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Last season, NCCU coach LeVelle Moton, who once played for the Eagles, talked about his alma mater being the school that all the other historically black colleges and universities love to beat. For whatever reason, everybody just wants a piece of NCCU, Moton said.

Once the hunters, the Eagles have assumed the role of the hunted, particularly now as they sit atop the MEAC.

“Every night is going to be a fight,” NCCU senior Jeremy Ingram said. “Everyone gives us their best shot, so every night we’ve got to come out with the same intensity as we did with Morgan. Whether it’s the top team or the bottom team, we’ve got to come out with the same fire.”

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Florida A&M Spring Homecoming 2014

Rattlers aim to contain Williams

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Not for one moment would coach Clemon Johnson or his FAMU basketball players pretend that they have the solution to contain South Carolina State’s center Hezekiah Williams.

Sure, the Rattlers beat the Bulldogs and Williams a week ago in Orangeburg, but not before he used all of his 6-foot-11, 225-pound frame to power to a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds.

For that reason, Williams is one of the biggest concerns for the Rattlers heading into tonight’s game at the Lawson Center.

“We have to push him and bump him away from the basketball because once he catches the basketball we could only stand there and watch him take the shot,” Johnson said.

Williams is averaging 5.9 rebounds per game. He has 118 on the season, with 74 of those coming on the defensive end. His counterpart Trey Kellum is averaging 6.4 rebounds per game for the Rattlers.

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FAMU Excited About Renovated Track

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Wayne Angel couldn’t help acting like a child showing off a new toy recently to a visitor at Pete Griffin Track.

The FAMU men’s track & field coach began talking about the new surface. Then, he began talking about the new lane guards, modernized steeplechase pit, remodeled restrooms and the 8-foot fence that encloses it all.

Angel went on to talk about how he sees good things for his current team and the future of the program.

“Perspective recruits look at the resources that you have,” he said. “Now that we have a really good track, it’s a good thing to have.”

Darlene Moore, coach of the women’s team, was just as ecstatic over the renovations that took a year to complete.

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TSU's National Signing Day Celebration Set for Wednesday

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State football team will hold its annual Signing Day Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. in the Indoor Football Facility.

The event coincides with the 24-hour period that high school recruits can agree to commit to a school by faxing a National Letter of Intent.

 

Video footage of all of the new Tigers will be shown and head coach Rod Reed will provide insight into what each player brings to the program.

 

TSU’s recruiting class has been rated No.1 among HBCUs by BOXTOROW for two straight years.

 

TSUTigers.com will have a live updates all day Wednesday here and via our social media pages on Twitter - @TSU_Tigers and Facebook.com/TSU_Tigers.

 

Admission to Wednesday’s festivities is free open to the public and the media. Light refreshments will be served.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU Women's Tennis falls 6-1 to ULM in home opener

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Junior Camara Davis scored Southern's lone point in singles play as the Lady Jaguars fell 6-1 to UL Monroe in the 2014 home opener at the SU University Courts Thursday afternoon.

In a rescheduled match that was postponed early in the week due to inclement weather through much of south Louisiana, Davis defeated Sthefani Rodriguez in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 and recorded her first win of the season.

Southern began the match dropping the doubles point when Gabrielle Moore and Danesha Moore fell 6-0 to Petra Horakova and Medy Blankvoort prior to Kendall Bunch and Laura Syori lost 6-1 to Sophie Rufyikiri and Angela Tejedor.

In singles play, Morgan Taylor fell 6-1, 6-2 to Sandy Lochu in No. 4 singles match. ULM clinched the No. 2 and No. 3 singles point after Sophie Rufyikiri ousted Gabrielle Moore 6-2, 6-2 and Petra Horakova defeated Darnesha Moore 6-3, 6-2.

ULM added to its point total winning the No. 1 and No. 5 singles point after Laura Syori fell to Medy Blankvoort  6-0, 7-5 and Kendell Bunch lost to Angela Tejedor 6-3, 6-4 prior to Davis' srtaight set win.

Southern will return to the SU University courts to host UL Lafayette Wednesday, Feb. 5. First serve is set for 2 p.m.

Southern Women's Tennis 2014
ULM vs Southern U. Lady Jaguars (Jan 30, 2014)

ULM 6, Southern U. Lady Jaguars 1
Jan 30, 2014 at Baton Rouge, La. (SU University Courts) 

Singles competition

1. Blankvoort, Medy (ULM) def. Syori, Laura (SUBR) 6-0, 7-5

2. Rufyikiri, Sophie (ULM) def. Moore, Gabrielle (SUBR) 6-2, 6-2

3. Horakova, Petra (ULM) def. Moore, Darnesha (SUBR) 6-3, 6-2

4. Lochu, Sandy (ULM) def. Taylor, Morgan (SUBR) 6-1, 6-2

5. Tejedor, Angela (ULM) def. Bunch, Kendall (SUBR) 6-3, 6-4

6. Davis, Camara (SUBR) def. Rodriguez, Sthefani (ULM) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Blankvoort, Medy/Horakova, Petra (ULM) def. Moore, Gabrielle/Moore, Darnesha (SUBR) 6-0

2. Rufyikiri, Sophie/Tejedor, Angela (ULM) def. Bunch, Kendall/Syori, Laura (SUBR) 6-1

3. Taylor, Morgan/Davis, Camara (SUBR) vs. Rodriguez, Sthefani/Lochu, Sandy (ULM) unfinished

Match Notes

ULM 1-0

Southern U. Lady Jaguars 0-2 COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern's Annual National Signing Day event set for Feb. 5

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- February 5^th, 2014 marks National Signing Day and the Jaguar Nation is encouraged to come celebrate the next generation of Jaguars with Head Coach Dawson Odums and staff.

The Blue & Gold Century Club and the S.U Quarterback Club will host the Southern University Annual Football Recruiting Celebration in the Royal Cotillion Ballroom in the Smith-Brown Memorial Union on the Baton Rouge campus.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program is set to start at 7 p.m. After the unveiling of the 2014 recruiting class, fans are welcomed to meet and greet with Head Coach Dawson Odums and enjoy a light meal.

Donations of $20 are welcomed and to reserve a table for 10 is $300.  Tickets may be purchased from any club member of the Blue and Gold Century Club and S.U. Quarterback Club.

The Jaguars are coming off an exceptional 2013 season.

After demolishing long time rival Grambling State University in the 40^th annual Bayou Classic 40-17, the Jaguars traveled to Houston and defeated the Jackson State Tigers 34-27 in a down-to-the-wire, double overtime matchup for the 2014 SWAC Championship.

The Jaguars, in their first full season under Odums, finished 7-2 in conference and held an overall record of 9-4.

There will be a viewing of both, the Bayou Classic and the Toyota SWAC Championship trophies at the celebration and fans will be allowed to take pictures.



Courtesy Briana Brownlee, Southern University Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant

Nicholls beats Gold Rush 6-3; Montrel wins twice for XU

THIBODAUX, Louisiana -- Xavier University of Louisiana, ranked sixth in the NAIA, opened the dual-match portion of its men's tennis season with a 6-3 loss to NCAA Division I's Nicholls State on Friday.

Sophomore Kyle Montrel won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush. He and Nikita Soifer defeated Kiernan Cronin and Evan Karatzas 8-6 at No. 1 doubles, then Montrel beat Partha Adovelly 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.

Montrel, an NAIA All-American in doubles last season, has won 10 of his last 11 singles matches and 10 of his last 11 doubles matches. Soifer, XU's other returning All-American, has won 20 of his last 22 in doubles.

Xavier's other victory came at No. 6 singles, where newcomer Vincenzo Ciccone trailed 5-0 in the first set but defeated Kiernan Cronin 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

"I was encouraged by what I saw," 11th-year XU coach Alan Green said. "Everybody got to play, and all the guys fought hard. I liked the fight in our team. Nicholls State is tons better than the team we faced two years ago, but I think we're better, too."

Nico Mertens, Lukas Clemens and Bernard Wezeman won in doubles and singles for Nicholls State (1-1). Mertens and Adovelly rallied from a 5-4 deficit to beat Tushar Mandlekar and Jordan Harrell 8-5 at No. 3 doubles.

It was the first of seven Gold Rush matches this season against NCAA Division I opponents. Xavier was 4-2 against NCAA D-Is last year.

Both Xavier teams will play city rival Loyola at 2 p.m. next Friday at the XU Tennis Center. It will be the first dual of the semester for the Gold Nuggets, who are ranked third in the NAIA.

 Results

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