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NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Nour Abbes has been named Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's tennis for Feb. 16-22.
Abbes, a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah, won the award for the second consecutive week and the third time this season. Her nine career awards are a GCAC record in this sport.
Abbes defeated Soledad Calderon Arroyo of the University of New Orleans 7-5, 6-4 for Xavier's only point Saturday.
The NAIA's top-ranked singles player, Abbes will enter the weekend with an XU career singles record of 37-1. She is 20-1 this season and 7-0 this semester.
Xavier's women and men will play a pair of dual matches SSaturday at XU Tennis Center — 10 a.m. against Rhodes of NCAA Division III and 2 p.m. against GCAC member Tougaloo. The Gold Nuggets are 5-5 and ranked third in the NAIA, and the Gold Rush are 4-1 and ranked eighth.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Shaw’s Bears were in no mood to lose a third straight game to J.C. Smith.
The Bears were more aggressive, especially on the boards, in beating the Golden Bulls 76-54 in the second round of the CIAA tournament Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Shaw (13-15, sixth seed in the South Division) made only 42 percent of its shots but more than compensated by outrebounding J.C. Smith (14-14) 47-16, which resulted in a 20-6 disparity in second-chance points.
“I thought it was a typo,” Bears coach Cleo Hill Jr. said. “I think it’s a testament to (seniors Joe Reid and Koron Reed). They didn’t want to go home on Day 2.”
Reid and Reed imposed their will on J.C. Smith, scoring 16 and 15 points each while Reed grabbed 16 rebounds to match the Golden Bulls squad by himself.
“Whenever you can come into the city of Charlotte and play as well as we did against a Steve Joyner-coached team, you’ve done a lot,” Hill said. “He’s one of the best coaches in our league for all of this century and some of the last.”
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee State seniors combined to score 42 points and led the Lady Tigers past Morehead State, 75-74, on Wednesday night.
Chelsea Hudson (20 points), Rachel Allen (10), Briana Morrow (6) and LaTeasha Hill (6) were honored before their final home contest.
Hudson’s 20 led TSU (14-12, 11-4 OVC) while I'mani Davis netted 16 and Jayda Johnson poured in 10 to round out the double-digit scorers for Tennessee State.
While the Lady Tigers benefitted from a handful of scorers, the defense caused 18 turnovers and blocked five shots.
MSU was paced by Shay Steele who scored a game-high 23 points and grabbed a team-best 12 rebounds.
Hudson started quickly and had eight of her team’s first 12 points of the game. The rest of the Lady Tigers were a combined 2-of-10 from the field during the opening eight minutes and trailed, 18-12.
Allen and Hill quickly closed the gap by scoring seven straight points and the Lady Tigers found themselves up, 21-18 with 9:43 to go in the half.
The sides traded the lead until a three-pointer by Jemilah Leonard at the 3:54 mark gave TSU its biggest cushion up to that point at 32-28.
A jumper from Davis gave the Lady Tigers a six-point lead later in the half, but Morehead made a bucket with 31 seconds left in the first half and TSU went into the locker room up, 36-32.
TSU outshot the Eagles 42 to 35 percent and held a 23 to 19 advantage on the boards during the opening period.
Davis kicked off the second stanza by canning a pair of three-pointers to put her team up by eight, but MSU went on a 9-3 run from there to make the score 45-43 with four minutes gone in the half.
The Eagles continued their charge and took a one-point lead with a triple at the 12:47 mark. The hoop started a stretch that saw eight lead changes in just over three minutes.
The Lady Tigers were still down by one with 4:57 to play when Allen hit a shot from beyond the arc to go up, 72-70.
A powerful back-down move by Hudson ended with an easy layup to put TSU ahead by five, but a Morehead freebie and three-pointer made it 75-74 with 21.9 seconds remaining.
A missed Lady Tiger free throw gave MSU one final chance to pull out a win with one second left. MSU inbounded the ball underneath the goal, but the pass was too hot to handle and the final horn sounded without a shot attempt.
In a game that was virtually even across the board, TSU outshot MSU 43 to 42 percent to escape with a 75-74 win.
Tennessee State will close out the regular season at Belmont on Feb. 28. Tip-off for the cross-town rivalry is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Dannton Jackson has an impressive resume, but his greatest achievement is the impact he's had on his players off the court.
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (GCAConf.com) – There have been quite a number of accomplishments and achievements for Xavier University head coach Dannton Jackson in his 12-year tenure on Drexel Drive. Last season, Jackson became the Gold Rush's all-time winningest coach, surpassing current SUNO head coach and mentor Dale Valdery. This past week he tied LSU legend Dale Brown with his tenth 20-win season; good for second all-time among Louisiana basketball coaches. He has 12 consecutive winning seasons, a Xavier record, and has averaged more than 22 wins per season. He is a three-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and Jackson and former SUNO coach Earl Hill are the only coaches to lead their teams to three consecutive GCAC titles.
But for Dannton Jackson, his legacy won't be defined by what goes on between the lines, but rather by the lives he impacts beyond them.
Before his death last year, Coach Jackson had the opportunity to spend some time with the legendary Don Meyer. Meyer, who won more than 900 games in his storied career gave Jackson a piece of advice that he has tried to keep as a cornerstone of his philosophy.
"Coach Meyer told me that 'you have to love teaching more than you love winning'", said Jackson. "I believe that our program is bigger than wins and losses. There is a 'Xavier Way' that speaks to the mission of the university and to the integrity of this basketball program. We're here because of that mission and because of a legacy that we want to continue. I believe we're developing servant leaders and more than anything I look at the people who come through our program and what they do in their lives after they leave."
Dannton Jackson has Xavier in his DNA, almost literally. His parents met on the campus, his father a standout athlete and his uncle wore the black and gold as well. His staff is filled with former players, another extension of his Xavier f
amily.
ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference released it's bracket and pairings for the 2015 SIAC Men and Women's Basketball Tournament.
The tournament is set to take place from March 2-7 inside Bill Harris Arena at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.
For the men's top seeds, eastern division champions Paine College, and western division winners, Stillman College, earned the top spots and with with #2E Morehouse College earned a first round bye. The number two seed with the best record earns the first round bye.
For the women's bracket, eastern division winners Benedict College and western division champions, Kentucky State University, enter as the number one seeds with number two seeded LeMoyne-Owen College and Albany State University collecting a first-round bye.
The opening session of the event begins with the women's bracket at 1 p.m.CT on Monday day when No. 4W Lane College faces No. 5E Claflin and No. 4E Fort Valley State takes on No. 5W Miles College at 5:30 p.m. CT.
The men's portion of the bracket follows the women's games respectively. No. 4E Benedict College will meet #5W Kentucky State at 3:15 p.m. CT before #4W LeMoyne-Owen faces #5E Clark Atlanta University.
Tuesday's schedule consist of five games and is set to begin at 12 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday quarterfinal rounds, and Friday's semifinals, will begin at 1 p.m. CT. Both championship games will be held on Saturday, March 7, with the women's final at 4 p.m. CT followed by the men's championship slated for 7 p.m.
For ticket information, log on to www.thesiac.com, or follow the SIAC on Twiiter, Instagram, and Facebook @thesiac.
The complete tournament brackets are attached with the tournament schedule listed below.
2015 SIAC Women's Basketball Championship Schedule Monday, March 2 - Opening Round 1:00 PM Game 1 - #4W Lane vs. #5E Claflin 5:30 PM Game 3 - #4E Fort Valley State vs. #5W Miles
Tuesday, March 3 - Opening Round 2:15 PM Game 6 - #3E Paine vs. #6W Tuskegee 6:45 PM Game 8 - #3W Stillman vs. #6E Clark Atlanta
Wednesday, March 4 - Quarterfinals 1:00 PM Game 10 - #1E Benedict vs. Winner of Game 1 5:30 PM Game 12 - #1W Kentucky State vs. Winner of Game 3
Thursday, March 5 - Quaterfinals 1:00 PM Game 14 - #2W LeMoyne Owen vs. Winner of Game 6 5:30 PM Game 16 - #2E Albany State vs. Winner of Game 8
Friday, March 6 - Semifinals 1:00 PM Game 18 - Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 14 5:30 PM Game 20 - Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 16
Saturday, March 7 - Championship 4:00 PM Game 22 - Winner of Game 18 vs. Winner of Game 20
2015 SIAC Men's Basketball Championship Schedule Monday, March 2 - Opening Round 3:15 PM Game 2 - #4E Benedict vs. #5W Kentucky State 7:45 PM Game 4 - #4W LeMoyne Owen vs. #5E Clark Atlanta
Tuesday, March 3 - Opening Round 12:00 PM Game 5 - #3E Claflin vs. #6W Miles 4:30 PM Game 7 - #3W Tuskegee vs. #6E Albany State 9:00 PM Game 9 - #2W Lane vs. #7E Fort Valley State
Wednesday, March 4 - Quarterfinals 3:15 PM Game 11 - #1E Paine vs. Winner of Game 4 7:45 PM Game 13 - #1W Stillman vs. Winner of Game 2
Thursday, March 5 - Quaterfinals 3:15 PM Game 15 - Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 9 7:45 PM Game 17 - #2E Morehouse vs. Winner of Game 7
Friday, March 6 - Semifinals 3:15 PM Game 19 - Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 15 7:45 PM Game 21 - Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 17
Saturday, March 7 - Championship 7:00 PM Game 23 - Winner of Game 19 vs. Winner of Game 21 COURTESY SIAC MEDIA RELATIONS
AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Paine coach Jimmy Link is quick to let his players know everything in regards to postseason play.
The Lions are the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season champions, but Link knows the team still has to keep winning if it wants to make the NCAA Division II Tournament.
“I tell them everything. They know the region deal. I let them know every game is crucial,” Link said. “We have to win our respect by winning. We can’t lose. I’m pleased with the way my guys have responded.”
Paine closes the regular season tonight when it plays host to Morehouse at 7 at the HEAL Complex. The Maroon Tigers are one of two SIAC teams to defeat the Lions in February, rallying from a 10-point deficit in the final 3:27 for a one-point victory.
Paine (21-5 overall, 16-2 SIAC) needs a win over Morehouse for several reasons. The Lions are trying to go 10-0 at home this season against league foes.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Livingstone College Lady Blue Bears hung on for a 50-43 win against Johnson C. Smith University on Wednesday evening to advance to the CIAA semifinal game. The Lady Blue Bears will take on The Lincoln University on Friday in Time Warner Cable Arena. Tip-off is slated for1:00pm on Friday. Livingstone advances with an 8-19 overall record while the Golden Bulls end their season with a 20-8 mark on the year.
PHOTO GALLERY Cierra York drained 10 points in the win for Livingstone while grabbing eight rebounds (eight defensive). Wende Foster hauled in 10 rebounds (three offensive, seven defensive) for the Lady Blue Bears. Ashley Porter paced the Golden Bulls with 12 points and 10 rebounds (three offensive, seven defensive) in the setback.
Livingstone head coach Anita Howard commented, "We knew tonight was going to be one of those 'grudge' matches coming in. I knew Coach Joyner would have his team prepared. Johnson C. Smith is a team that is a good match up for us. It was an ugly win, but we will take it…I challenged the team to want it more than them."
Johnson C. Smith head coach Stephen Joyner Jr. noted, "I'm extremely proud of this program and where we are right now. We are in the third year of building a program that is going to be highly competitive in Division II. I thought our team gave a great effort tonight."
Amber Curtis drained a three-pointer for Livingstone at the 17:04 mark in the contest. Back-to-back buckets by Jones pushed Johnson C. Smith ahead 4-3 by the first media timeout of the game. Aliya Grinage answered with a layup for Livingstone before Larryqua Hall's jumper restored the narrow advantage to Johnson C. Smith.
Trailing 6-5, Alexis Fowler completed a three-point play for Livingstone and restored the lead to the Lady Blue Bears. Amena Brent's layup knotted the score 8-8 at the 12:56 mark. Ashley Porter's basket for the Golden Bulls with 12:14 on the clock led to a 6-0 run for Johnson C. Smith, leaving the Lady Blue Bears trailing 14-8.
Livingstone battled back to cut the deficit to two points (14-12) after two sets of made free throws by Precious Robertsand York. Hall netted two free throws at the 6:41 mark to extend the Golden Bulls' lead to 16-12 but York answered back on the Lady Blue Bears' next possession to keep Livingstone within striking distance.
Livingstone's Aliyah Grinage capitalized on two free throw opportunities to tie the score with 4:37 left in the first half. Johnson C. Smith responded with back-to-back three-pointers, one by Asha Jordan and one by Anika Jones to pull away 22-16 with 3:34 on the clock.
Lakendra Wilkerson's free throw for Johnson C. Smith with 2:23 remaining before halftime gave the Golden Bulls a 24-17 lead. The seven point advantage was the largest of the half for either team. Five free throws by three different Lady Blue Bears cut Livingstone's deficit to two points by the end of the first half.
Johnson C. Smith shot 27% from the floor in the first half while holding Livingstone to a shooting percentage of 16%. The Lady Blue Bears scored 13 of their 22 points in the first half off of free throws.
The second half was much like the first with each team vying for control of the momentum. Both teams exchanged baskets at the start of the second half. The Golden Bulls clung to a 27-24 lead at the 16:30 mark in the first half and used two free throws by Porter resulting in a 29-24 advantage by the first media time out of the half.
A jumper by York followed by Labrea Walker's three-pointer iced the contest 29-29 with 13:31 on the clock. Livingstone overcame a tied score four times from that point forward before securing a four point lead (41-37) at the 4:56 mark thanks to Precious Roberts' layup. Kaylah Gholson's basket followed by Anika Jones' free throw left the Golden Bulls trailing by a mere point with 3:22 on the clock. Curtis' jumper pushed the Lady Blue Bears ahead 43-40 on Livingstone's next possession.
Wende Foster tacked on a layup and York's free throw for Livingstone with 1:07 left to play gave the Lady Blue Bears a 46-40 advantage. Down but not out, Johnson C. Smith answered back with a three-pointer by Shanequa Phifer to shift the momentum back to the Golden Bulls with 45 seconds on the clock. A Johnson C. Smith foul resulted in two free throw opportunities for York. She capitalized on both attempts to extend Livingstone's advantage to 48-43. Walker added two made free throws to put the game out of reach, 50-43, resulting in the win for the Lady Blue Bears.
Cierra York received the MVP award of the game for the Lady Blue Bears, presented by Food Lion.
XULAATHLETICS
