Sunday, February 1, 2015

Norfolk State comes back to defeat Hampton U. 63-60

NORFOLK, Virginia --Hampton University again put itself in position to win, and again late game details haunted the Pirates.

Norfolk State stars Jeff Short and RaShid Gaston made critical plays in the final minutes to carry the Spartans to a 63-60 win Saturday at jam-packed Echols Hall in a typically fierce matchup between the rivals.

“We’re snake-bitten right now, but we’ll get through it,” HU coach Ed Joyner Jr., said. “We’ve got the month of February. We’re going to get better and we’ll be OK.”

The Pirates (8-13, 4-5 MEAC) dropped their fifth consecutive conference game, their longest losing streak since Jan. 1999.

“Everybody hurts,” Pirates’ guard Deron Powers said, “but I think we’re still pushing toward our goal at the end of the year, and that’s to win the MEAC championship, and that’s not over.”

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SC State Bulldogs hold off DSU Hornets 78-74 in MEAC Play

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State Bulldogs avenged its early season loss with a, 78-74, victory over Delaware State Saturday (Jan. 31) at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

"It was a great win tonight and I would like to thank the fans and all loyal Bulldog supporters for coming out tonight," said SC State head coach Murray Garvin. "Anytime you play a good team like Delaware State, one of the better teams in the conference it's going to be a dog fight.


The Bulldogs had four players in double figures with freshman guard Edward Stephensleading the way with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and four assist. Sophomore guard Greg Mortimer tossed in 13, while junior forward Darryl Palmer fell one rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Freshman forward Tashombe Riley added 10 points and four rebounds in the victory. SC State controlled the boards majority of the game out-rebounding Delaware State 44-39, while shooting 12-of-24 (50%) from the free-throw line.

All-MEAC forward Kendall Gray finished with the games only double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while senior guard Amere May tossed in 22 and guard Kendall Williams added 20 in the loss.

SC State led Delaware State by as many as 14, 56-42, late in the second-half before the Hornets sparked a 15-4 run off three-pointers by May, Williams and senior forward Tyshawn Bell to cut the lead to three, 60-53 with 5:10 remaining.

A dunk by Gray with 0:17 seconds remaining pulled the Hornets within two, 76-74, but free-throws were the deciding factor down the stretch with Riley connecting on a pair from the charity stripe to seal the 78-74 victory.

"Our guys are finally having fun and playing Bulldog basketball, so things are finally turning around for us and it feels good to be 6-3 in league play at this point," said Garvin.

SC State returns to action on Wednesday (Feb. 4) against St. Andrews College in a non-conference matchup at Smith –Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
 
For more information on South Carolina State University basketball, please call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060, or visit the official Bulldogs website.


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WSSU turns back Livingstone 89-80

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State got a little revenge on Livingstone with a hard-fought 89-80 win at Joel Coliseum on Saturday night.

The Rams lost to the Blue Bears in last year’s CIAA championship game, but balanced scoring and better defense in the second half put them over the top.

“We talked about getting revenge all week,” guard Kerry Campbell of the Rams said. “This was a big win for us and we turned it up in the second half. Our defense was a lot better and that was a big key.”

Another key was the play of Donta Harper, who scored 20 points in 26 minutes. Harper, an undersized center at about 6-5, used his quickness to go right at the Blue Bears — and for one stretch in the second half, Harper couldn’t be stopped.

“I was just taking what the defense gave me and found some openings,” said Harper, who was 7 of 15 from the field. “We needed a win like this in the division because they were in first place.”



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Letters: Beating the drum for HBCUs

DENNIS RICHARDSON JR.
Contact Dennis Richmond at 
dennisrichondjr@gmail.com
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- My name is Dennis Richmond Jr. and I am a 19-year-old African Diaspora Studies major with a minor in mass communications matriculating at Claflin University in Orangeburg. I am a native of Yonkers, New York, and a 2013 graduate of Riverside High School.

As one of my mentors, Professor Patricia Koger of South Carolina, would say: I am “beating the drum” for college education across the Lower Hudson Valley and Harlem. The Journal Newspaper mentioned me as did Jet in its magazine as I am executing an initiative about HBCUs. The initiative is important since many New York residents in Westchester do not know about Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

I received a call from Dr. George Cooper, executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs. I will be working with the White House during this effort. I have also raised the funds to create a short documentary about the HBCU experience and I am beginning a web series to discuss the modern-day college experience with hundreds of students on the campuses of Claflin University and South Carolina State University.

I started down this path because I know that in Westchester County, many students do not know about HBCUs, as the schools are not a part of the Northern experience. The atmosphere in New York tolls the bells for SUNYs, CUNYs and community colleges, where as in the Southern areas of the United States, there are more than 100 HBCUs. Unfortunately, since the 1980s, many HBCUs have been closing their doors and are continuing to do so. Students are not applying to attend HBCUs due to lack of interest and receiving a misguidance that most are party schools.

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TSU beats Alabama State, moves atop SWAC

HOUSTON, Texas -- Madarious Gibbs scored 24 points, and Texas Southern beat Alabama State 80-65 on Saturday at H&PE Arena.

The win pulls TSU (10-11) into a tie with Alabama State (11-6) atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference at 7-1.

TSU ran off eight straight points midway through the first half - four on a pair of Malcolm Riley layups - and led 41-34 at the break.

The Tigers pushed the lead over 20 on Riley's trey with 9:29 left and cruised to the win.

Gibbs was 10-of-20 from the field with five assists. Riley finished with 17 points and eight boards, and Chris Thomas had 10 points. TSU shot 55 percent and was 10-of-18 beyond the arc.

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Gold Nuggets suffer a rare loss to Dillard, 53-42


NEW ORLEANS -- Alena Evans' 12 points and six rebounds Saturday led Dillard to a 53-42 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at DU's Dent Hall.

The Gold Nuggets (12-11, 5-2 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) lost to the Lady Bleu Devils (12-8, 4-2) for the first time in 13 meetings.

Evans scored in double figures for the 13th consecutive game. Ciara Morgan had 11 points and six rebounds for Dillard, and Keylantra Taylor had 10 points and three steals.

Alesha Smith led Xavier with nine points. Donyeah Mayfield grabbed 10 rebounds and reached double figures for the fourth time this season.

Dillard led for the final 37:51. The Lady Bleu Devils led 25-15 at halftime and twice held 16-point leads in the second half.

Kelsey Joseph's basket with 3:12 remaining cut Dillard's deficit to 40-34, but Dillard clinched the victory by scoring 12 of the next 14 points. Kaylynn Walker's two free throws capped the run and gave the Lady Bleu Devils a 52-36 advantage in the final minute.

Xavier scored its fewest ever against Dillard and its fewest points overall since a 38-37 victory against William Carey in the GCAC Tournament quarterfinals on Feb. 28, 2007, at The Barn.

Xavier leads the series with its longtime city rival 62-20 and won 21 of the past 23 meetings. The teams will play again at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

Next for the Gold Nuggets will be a 5:30 p.m. Monday game against GCAC opponent Edward Waters at the Convocation Center. It's the opener of a three-game home stand.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director 
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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Rush beat Dillard, clinch 15th straight winning season


NEW ORLEANS -- Sydney Coleman scored 15 points Saturday, and Morris Wright's drawn charge, defensive rebound and two free throws in the closing seconds helped NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana secure a 54-49 men's basketball victory against Dillard.

The Gold Rush (17-6, 6-1 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) extended its season-best win streak to six games. Xavier clinched a 15th consecutive winning season, which extended a school record.

Xavier beat its longtime city rival for the 11th consecutive time at Dillard's Dent Hall -- the streak began in 2002 -- and beat the Bleu Devils (3-18, 1-5) for the 21st time in 24 meetings during Dannton Jackson's 12 seasons as XU's head coach.

"It was a hard-fought game by both teams for 40 minutes," said Jackson, who is 266-113 with the Gold Rush. "We kept our composure in an emotional atmosphere and got some key stops at the end."

Dillard erased most of a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes and twice had a chance to tie with 3-pointers in the final minute. But Wright drew a charge against JaCarre Crockett with 31 seconds remaining, passed to Coleman on the next possession for Xavier's final field goal, then grabbed a rebound and made two free throws after Houston Chatman missed a 3-pointer for Dillard with Xavier leading 52-49.

Wright had 14 points, made two of Xavier's four 3-pointers and produced a career-high-tying five steals.

Jarrain Jenkins scored 13 points and Kristopher Allmon 10 for Dillard, which has lost 32 of its last 35 games.

Jarvis Thibodeaux's 3-point play with 19:08 remaining put Xavier ahead to stay, 29-26. Before that there were five ties and four lead changes. Xavier led 26-24 at halftime.

The Gold Rush outshot the Bleu Devils 58.8 to 32.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 29-22. Xavier committed 10 turnovers, its fewest in the last 22 games of the series.

Xavier leads the series 81-48. The teams will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

Xavier began its streak of winning seasons in 1999-2000, when Jackson was an assistant to Dale Valdery. Earlier in the week, Xavier extended its streak of consecutive non-losing seasons to 24.

"It's all about the guys who play the game," Jackson said of XU's continued success. "They've weathered different storms, established chemistry. Day in and day out they do the hard work. It's about them. It's about team. They've faced adversity many times, and their success is a monument to their toughness and their will."

Next for the Gold Rush will be a 7:30 p.m. Monday game against GCAC opponent Edward Waters at the Convocation Center. It's the opener of a three-game home stand.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/