Thursday, March 3, 2011

Shaw Defense Shuts Down Elizabeth City State 71-48

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Shaw defense shut the door on Elizabeth City State, holding them to only 13 points and 21 percent shooting in the first half on the way to a convincing 71-48 victory.

The Vikings (18-10) missed 13 of their first 15 shots and connected on only six field goals in the first half en route to a 71-48 defeat to Shaw University in the quarterfinals of the CIAA Tournament Thursday afternoon. Shaw shot 52% from the floor in the first half, including 12 points from Tony Smith (Jr., Greenville, NC).

Shaw's defense never allowed Elizabeth City State, the #3 seed out of the North, to get into an offensive groove. The Vikings were forced into taking nine three-pointers and were outrebounded 24-15 in the first half. They shot only one free throw in the stanza, while Shaw (20-8) went to the line 10 times.

Raheem Smith Perfect As Shaw Rolls Over Lincoln, 67-43

CHARLOTTE, NC - A perfect day from Raheem Smith led Shaw to a 67-43 victory over Lincoln (PA.) Wednesday in a CIAA men's basketball first-round game at Time Warner Cable Arena.

With the victory, the Bears - the No. 2 Southern Division seed - heads to the quarterfinal round to square off against the winner of the Saint Augustine's College-Elizabeth City State game Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Lincoln (PA) - the No. 7 Northern Division seed - ended its season at 4-23 with its second-lowest scoring output this season.

Smith, a 6-2 senior All-CIAA guard from Greenville, NC, scored 25 points by connecting on nine of nine shot attempts from the floor, including four for four from the three-point line. He also was three for three from the free-throw line and added nine rebounds for the Bears, who upped their record to 19-8 overall.

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Coppin State's Coach Fang Mitchell future unknown heading into regular-season finale

25 Years, 620 Victories, 10 MEAC Championships, 4 NCAA Tournaments and too
 many money games against the NCAA Top 25 to count -- provides
Ron "Fang" Mitchell with "Legendary Statue" in East Baltimore at Coppin State University
 and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.  No doubt, Coach Mitchell still has game!
Endings are usually bittersweet, often unwelcomed and sometimes contentious.

That might best describe the potential end of Ron "Fang" Mitchell's 25-year basketball stewardship at Coppin State University. If this is his farewell script, it will not be a good one for the man who built a dominating Division I program in West Baltimore in the 1990s, only to see it sputter and stall in the last decade.

Mitchell's departure this year is not certain. But his contract expires at the end of the season, the athletic director says he hasn't made a decision to retain -- or remove -- the coach, and Mitchell himself speaks only in cryptic phrases, if at all, about his job status.

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Howard Bison Lacrosse Cruises to Second Straight Win

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard Bison lacrosse team captured their second consecutive win after defeating Frostburg State, 12-8 in a game grounded on solid defense.

After melting seven minutes off the clock, junior Cheryse Cox positioned her sister and fellow teammate Desiree Cox to score the opening goal of the game. Three minutes later Cheryse garnered her first goal of the game on a free position shot.

Howard (2-3) concluded the first half leading FSU (1-3), 6-5.

Howard University Women's Lacrosse Team is the first LAX Team to be fielded
by any Historical Black College or University.  The Division I Bison Lacrosse are
members of the National Lacrosse Conference (NLC) and are coached by
 Coach Sarah Schermerhorn
(2011 Team Photo courtesy of Howard University Athletics)
Upon returning from halftime, Cynthia Smalls recorded a speedy goal with 29:35 on the clock. Several goals scored on free position shots allowed the Bison to push further to the forefront with a 10-6 lead. Howard maintained their lead for the remainder of the game and allowed their opponents a mere three scores in the second period.

Desiree led the Bison in scoring for the fifth consecutive game with four goals while Cheryse recorded three goals. The Cox sisters, together, have scored 30 of Howard’s 51 goals this season. Desiree also holds an impressive .800 shot-on-goal percentage.

Smalls and Courtland Lackey added to the win over Frostburg State with two goals apiece. Ashley Lawrence also scored a goal and defensively led the Bison with three caused turnovers. Currently, the Bison lead their opponents in caused turnovers, 46-44.

Bison goalie Amber Meeks held FSU to a .276 shooting percentage, recorded 15 saves and held their opponents to the fewest points allowed in a single game thus far into the 2010-11 season.

The Bison will look to extend their winning streak to three games on March 9 when they take on Wilmington (Del.) at 3 p.m. at Greene Stadium. Visit Howard-Bison.com for more updates on the Howard lacrosse team.

Box Score         HU Women's Lacrosse Roster

NEXT GAME: Wednesday, March 9, 3:00 PM, Greene Stadium, Howard University, Washington, D.C., Bison vs. Wilmington University Wildcats

By Tiffany White
Sports Information Assistant
Visit: Howard-Bison.com

B-CU playing, coaching legend Cy McClairen reflects on turning 80

Jack "Cy" McClairen is "The Living Legend" at Bethune-Cookman University.

He's done it all for the Wildcats and then some.

The Living Legend turned 80 Wednesday and he still looks like he could post up and put the ball in the basket like he did as a center for the Wildcats in the early 1950s. (That is, when teammate John Chaney -- yes, that John Chaney who is in the Basketball Hall of Fame -- wasn't shooting the ball.)

Whether it was scoring the Wildcats' only touchdown in Bethune-Cookman's first win over rival Florida A&M in 1952; becoming the first Wildcat to get drafted into the NFL in 1953; or driving a Lincoln Continental for college founder Mary McLeod Bethune and guests like First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the first female ambassador of India, Madame Pandit; McClairen has been a part of or witness to some of the biggest events in school history.

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Ketchum to leave WSSU, join Blount at Delaware State

Coach Mike Ketchum, DSU Defensive Coordinator
Soon after Kermit Blount was hired at Delaware State, he talked about "getting the band back together" when asked about who he might hire as his assistant coaches.

One of those band members, Mike Ketchum, who was the defensive-line coach last season at Winston-Salem State, has been hired by Blount to be defensive coordinator.

Ketchum, 55, said on Thursday that he informed the team in an afternoon meeting that he was leaving for Delaware State.

"I think the biggest thing is to be a coordinator again … and getting the chance to work with Coach Blount again," Ketchum said. "It was wonderful to work with Coach (Connell) Maynor for a year but as you get older, you want to try to do as many things as possible before you stop coaching."

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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

2011 CIAA Men's Tournament Championships: CIAA LIVE STREAM


Watch live streaming video from ciaa at livestream.com

March 2, 2011, CIAA Men's Basketball Tournament Schedule

Lincoln (Pa.) 43
Shaw University 67

Fayetteville State University 74
Virginia State University 58

Saint Augustine's College 51 
Elizabeth City State University 65

Chowan University 60
Johnson C. Smith University 67

Saint Paul's College
Livingstone College
@9 PM

FOR LIVE CIAA ACTION, CLICK HERE: theCIAA.com
SEE MORE CIAA ACTION, ARTICLES & NEWS, CLICK TITLE.

Quick Start Holds Up for No. 23 JCSU Women in 71-52 Quarterfinal win over Chowan

Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team advance to the semifinals of the 2011 CIAA Women's Basketball Tournament with an opening round 71-52 victory against Chowan University on Tuesday evening inside Time Warner Cable Arena. JCSU improves to 23-3 overall and play Bowie State University on Friday, March 4th at 3:00 p.m. in the TWC Arena.

Junior guard Terran Quattlebaum (Mitchellville, MD) was open on the wing. She got the pass, and didn't think twice. Quattlebaum let the 3-point shot fly and only drew net.

Eleven seconds into the game, the Johnson C. Smith Lady Golden Lions were ahead 3-0, and the rest of the game seemed almost as effortless as Quattlebaum's first jump shot as the Southern Division champion ran away from Chowan for the entire contest.

“I'm extremely proud of our team effort,” said Golden Bulls coach Vanessa Taylor, the CIAA Coach of the Year. “We just shot the ball extremely well in the first half.”

Chowan Falls to Johnson C. Smith in CIAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, NC – After five minutes of play, the Lady Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University held a 13-0 lead over Chowan in the second round of the CIAA Tournament. That early lead, paired with 16 first half turnovers, proved to be the difference in the game, as the Hawks could not mount another second half comeback in a 71-52 loss to the Lady Golden Bulls.

Chowan missed their first five shots and committed six turnovers in those opening five minutes, leading to the early deficit. Ransheda Jennings put Chowan on the board at the 14:54 mark with a layup to cut the JCSU lead to 13-2. At the 12:43 mark of the half, the Lady Golden Bulls held a 17-2 advantage. The Hawks, as they have done many times before, did not panic and mounted a furious comeback.

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NEXT GAME: 3 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE

Saint Augustine's Lady Falcons Rally For 70-68 Win Over ECSU!

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Saint Augustine's College advanced to the CIAA Tournament semifinals for the second time in three years Tuesday because the Lady Falcons never quit.

Down 13 points late and seemingly headed for defeat, the Lady Falcons staged a spectacular comeback to pull out a 70-68 victory over Elizabeth City State at Time Warner Cable Arena. The win avenged last year's first-round defeat to the Lady Vikings in the tournament. More importantly, the victory sends the Lady Falcons (19-10 overall) against arch nemesis Shaw in a 1 p.m. semifinal game Friday between the two Raleigh, N.C., schools.

It is a good thing the semifinals start later in the week because the Lady Falcons need a day or two to enjoy the win over the Lady Vikings, who led 63-50 with 7:08 left in the game. The game left the Lady Falcons exhausted but exhilarated. This was the second victory over ECSU this season.

That was a very tough game, ECSU played a very tough game,” Lady Falcon first-year head coach Rachel Bullard said. “We played very resilient at the end and I am very proud of the girls. They didn't give up on me.”

Boxscore

Saint Augustine's upsets Elizabeth City State

Mallard Creek High graduate Umeka Benson's free throw with 7.4 seconds left lifted St. Augustine's to a 70-68 win against North No.1 seed Elizabeth City State and a semifinal date against cross-town Raleigh rival Shaw.

Benson, the CIAA's rookie of the year, converted the second of two free throws after stealing a pass in the final seconds to push St. Augustine's (No. 4 South, 19-10) in front. She scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds. Three other Falcons scored double-digits, paced by Crystal McCaffity (6-of-13 from the field) and player-of-the-year Allison Sikes with 19 each. Le'Keisha White tossed in 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for St. Augustine's, which overcame a 35-28 halftime deficit.

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NEXT GAME: 1 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. SHAW UNIVERSITY
VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE

Jordan Lifts Bowie State Past Winston-Salem State and into CIAA Semifinals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Named the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, Bowie State junior Chanita Jordan (Philadelphia, PA, University City, North Carolina State) is known for blocking a multitude of shots.

But she changed this game on offense.

Jordan, who averages just 8.3 points per game, scored seven in a span of 50 seconds midway through the second half in Bowie State’s decisive run to lift the Lady Bulldogs past Winston-Salem State 63-56 on Tuesday evening and into the CIAA Tournament semifinals.

Jordan finished with just two rebounds, though she did record four blocked shots – more on those in a minute -- but the 6-foot-4 junior center led the No. 2 seed from the CIAA North with 15 points on six-of-13 shooting. Her seven points in less than a minute fueled a 13-3 Bowie State run that gave the Lady Bulldogs a 52-40 lead with 8:31 to go.

“I just had to make sure I had the right form,” said Jordan, “and fortunately, they went in today.” But don’t think for a moment that Jordan is thinking about changing her game.

When Winston-Salem State (17-11) managed to trim the deficit under 10 points with less than six minutes remaining, Jordan swatted away back-to-back shots from the Lady Rams’ Jazmine Wilson deep in the paint as the Lady Bulldogs (18-9) were able to stem the Winston-Salem State comeback attempt.

Lady Rams take Heartbreaking 63-56 Loss in CIAA Quarterfinals

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (17-11) gave it their all, but the team fell short in a heartbreaking 63-56 loss to the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs (18-9) in the quarterfinal round of the 2011 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) tournament, Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Rams played a great game, but could not overcome a big second half effort by the Lady Bulldogs.

"It was a hard fought ballgame for us. I really think we had a three-minute stretch during the second half where we really lost the ballgame," WSSU head women's basketball coach Stephen Joyner, Jr. said. "I think outside of that three-minute stretch, we actually played pretty even with them and actually had them in the ballgame that we wanted. But nevertheless, we didn't finish out what we came here to do and Bowie [State] moves on."

Box Score | Photo Gallery

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NEXT GAME: 3 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. Johnson C. Smith University
VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE

Shaw Shows No Fatigue As They Down Virginia State

CHARLOTTE, NC - After playing less than 24 hours earlier, Shaw showed no signs of fatigue in a 72-53 CIAA Tournament women's quarterfinal victory over Virginia State Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Demaria Liles, a 6-1 forward, produced a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Lady Bears (19-11), who scored 34 points off 31 VSU turnovers for the win. Jackie Sanders, a 6-3 forward, came off the bench to score 12 points while Kyria Buford and Brittney Spencer added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Bears, the No. 2 Southern Division seed.

The Lady Bears advance to Friday's semifinal where they will play the Saint Augustine's College-Elizabeth City State winner at 1 p.m.

VSU LADY TROJANS ELIMINATED FROM CIAA TOURNAMENT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After playing less than 24 hours earlier, Shaw showed no signs of fatigue in a 72-53 CIAA Tournament women's quarterfinal victory over Virginia State Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Demaria Liles, a 6-1 forward, produced a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Lady Bears (19-11), who scored 34 points off 31 VSU turnovers for the win. Jackie Sanders, a 6-3 forward, came off the bench to score 12 points while Kyria Buford and Brittney Spencer added 11 and 10 points, respectively for the Lady Bears, the No. 2 Southern Division seed. The Lady Bears advance to Friday's semifinal where they will play the Saint Augustine's College-Elizabeth City State winner at 1 p.m.

The Lady Bears were coming off a first-round victory Monday against Lincoln (Pa.) which started at 7 p.m. Despite beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday, the Lady Bears had enough energy to dispatch the Lady Trojans. In the only meeting against VSU this season, the Lady Bears came up short 74-68 in overtime on Jan. 8. This time, the Lady Bears led mostly the entire way mainly because of Liles, a 6-1 forward, and Sanders, a 6-3 forward.

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NEXT GAME: 1 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. SAINT AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE
VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE

Desiree Cox Scores Winning Goal in HU Overtime Thriller

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senior Desiree Cox lifted the Howard women’s lacrosse team to their first win of the season with the game-winning in an overtime thriller against the Marywood University Pacers. Cox’s six goals helped push the Bison to their 15-14 win.

The Bison flew to an early 5-0 lead over the Pacers before eventually allowing four unanswered goals. Howard would regain control and never let up their lead and ensued to score four additional quick goals in the second half.

Howard Bison Midfielder Desiree Cox
In the later part of the second period, however, Marywood’s Kimberly Commisso took advantage of a free position shot and inched Marywood within a goal of Howard’s 11-10 lead. Cox immediately responded with a goal to push Howard back up, 12-10.

A critical point in the final minutes of the game came when freshman Imani McLeary sacked her second yellow card, allowing Marywood another free position attempt. Marywood’s Taylor McKeown took advantage of the opportunity and successfully tied the game at 12 goals a piece with 7:12 left on the clock.

Junior Cheryse Cox garnered a free position shot of her own immediately following Marywood’s score and broke the tie to bring Howard up 13-12. Another Marywood score would bring the game back to a tie. Marywood would attempt to take the game with less than 30 seconds left in regulation, but HU’s goalie Amber Meeks garnered a crucial save in the net to send the match into overtime. Meeks would go on to finish the game with 12 saves.

Commisso jumpstarted the first overtime period with a goal, giving Marywood their first lead of the game. Desiree would have an opportunity to tie the game with a free position shot with time expired, but missed. She would rebound, however, to claim her fifth goal of the game off an assist from Cheryse. Cheryse led the Bison with two assists on the day.

Desiree would be granted another pair of chances after scoring what would have been the game-winning goal, however the point was taken away as a result of a Marywood foul. With less than a minute remaining, Desiree was allowed another free position shot, where she nailed the goal that afforded the Bison their first win of the season.

Desiree scored a season-high six goals in the game and led the Bison with 15 shots. Cheryse chimed in with thee goals on 12 total shots, while Courtland Lackey added two goals on three shots. Chastity Dailey, Ashley Lawrence, and Cynithia Smalls finished the game with a goal a piece to assist Howard in it’s highest scoring game thus far into the season.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
Howard University
Visit: howard-bison.com

Division I Howard Nips Pacers in Overtime, 15-14

Washington, D.C. – Desiree Cox scored with just 23 seconds to play in the second overtime period to lift Division I Howard University to a 15-14 win over Marywood University in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Tuesday afternoon. The victory lifts the Bison's record to 2-3 on the young season while the Pacers finish their season-opening Spring Break trip with a 1-1 mark.

Howard built a 5-0 lead over the first 12:43 of Wednesday's contest before Marywood rattled off four consecutive goals to close the half and trail by a slim, 5-4 margin at the intermission. Allie Sodl started the Pacers' run with an unassisted tally at the 15:36 mark of the first half and Diana D'Achille scored just over three minutes later. Taylor McKeown netted the final two goals of the half for the Pacers.

The Bison opened the second half with a 4-0 run to reclaim a five-goal cushion at 9-4 when Courtland Lackey scored unassisted with 22:16 left on the clock. Marywood's Kimberly Commisso countered just 13 seconds later and D'Achille and McKeown followed with goals of their own to make the score 9-7 with 19:58 to play. Liz Fowler assisted on McKeown's third goal of the game to record the first point of her collegiate career.

Box Score

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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

2011 CIAA Tournament Championships: CIAA LIVE STREAM


Watch live streaming video from ciaa at livestream.com

March 1, 2011 CIAA Women's Basketball Evening Schedule 

Virginia State University 53
Shaw University 72

Winston-Salem State University 56
Bowie State University 63

Saint Augustine's College 70
Elizabeth City State University 68

Chowan University 52.
Johnson C. Smith University 71

@Time Warner Cable Arena - Charlotte, NC CIAA Tournament - Quarterfinal


FOR LIVE CIAA ACTION, CLICK HERE: theCIAA.com

SEE MORE CIAA ACTION, ARTICLES & NEWS, CLICK TITLE.

No Tears for Hampton's Jerica Jenkins in Fight With Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Hampton, VA - When doctors told Hampton point guard Jerica Jenkins that she had cancer, she cried for a long time that April day.

It's an understandable reaction, even more so for a high school freshman, which she was at the time of the diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

That day ended, and, so too did Jenkins' tears, as it's coming up on seven years since that day, and she hasn't wasted any water on her cancer.

"I was shocked," said Jenkins, a 5-foot-4 junior from Lancaster, Tex. "I didn't believe it. I was 14. I was like, 'There's no way I have cancer.' I just couldn't believe it. I cried right then. Then, I realized that I had to deal with it and move on."

LADY PIRATES TO CLOSE OUT SEASON AT HOWARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team will close out the regular season at Burr Gymnasium on Thursday, when the Lady Pirates take on Howard at 6 p.m.

The Lady Pirates (21-6, 14-1 MEAC), in their second season under head coach David Six, won their ninth straight game on Saturday, beating Delaware State 77-64 at Memorial Hall. Junior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) led the Lady Pirates with 16 points, while sophomore forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) added 15 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas) added 13 points and 10 assists for her fourth double-double of the season.

Howard (13-16, 9-6 MEAC) had its three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with a 53-50 loss at Maryland Eastern Shore. Sophomore forward Saadia Doyle led the Lady Bison with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore guard Tamoria Holmes added 12 points and sophomore guard Cheyenne Curley-Payne scored 10 points in the loss.

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NSU Spartans zone out, can't solve Coppin State's defense

CSU Eagles Coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell
NORFOLK - The Norfolk State Spartans were a bit put off when their league's preseason rankings predicted they would finish sixth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Now they are a bit put off by the fact that the prediction was correct. Playing lethargically throughout and pinned in by their opponent's well-played zone defense, the Spartans fell 76-69 to Coppin State on Monday night at Echols Hall.

Coupled with fifth-place North Carolina A&T's win at Morgan State, Monday's loss means the Spartans (9-19, 7-8) can finish no higher than sixth, and could finish seventh.

Coleman's Career-High 20 Points Leads Coppin State Over Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Va. – Freshman Kyra Coleman scored a career-high 20 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds as Coppin State snapped a two-game losing streak with a 64-50 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Norfolk State on Monday in Echols Hall.

Coleman sparked a second-half rally by the Eagles as she scored 16 of her 20 points after halftime helping Coppin State to overcome a four-point deficit at the intermission. She finished the game 8-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.

Coppin State (11-16, 8-7 MEAC) shot 53.3 percent from the floor in the second half, while limiting Norfolk State to just 29.7 percent shooting. The Eagles shot just 22.2 percent in the first half and trailed 24-20 at halftime.

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ASU men's basketball defeats hot Texas Southern in SWAC play

ASU Hornets Coach Lewis Jackson
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama State University men's basketball team defeated the red-hot Texas Southern 60-48 Monday night in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, extending the Hornets' winning streak to seven.

The Hornets shot 49 percent from the field and held Texas Southern to just 32 percent shooting. Senior Tramayne Moorer led ASU with 14 points, followed by Kenderek Washington's 12 points and Ivory White's 10. ASU also outrebounded TSU 34-27.

Alabama State Lady Hornets Drop Texas Southern

Montgomery, Ala. – The Alabama State (7-20, 4-12) Women's basketball team ended a four game losing streak by defeating Texas Southern (5-22, 3-13). The final from the Dunn-Oliver Acadome was 61-41. The win gives the Lady Hornets a much needed boost in order to solidify the 8th and final seed for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament next week.

ASU led 22-17 at halftime holding TSU to under 30 percent shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the Lady Hornets shot 45 percent for the game.

Defense was the difference in the contest. In fact, ASU led 53-37 with three minutes to play. They also forced 29 TSU turnovers. “I feel like if we can continue to play like we did tonight and finish the season strong, we can make some strides leading into post season play”. Head coach Freda Freeman-Jackson said.

Tanika Jackson, who played her final game as a Lady Hornets on the home floor led all scorers with 20 points 14 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assist.

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CIAA Tournament: WSSU women rip Saint Paul's

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Winston-Salem State women opened the CIAA Tournament with a convincing 66-33 victory over Saint Paul's on Monday night at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Rams (17-10) took an early lead and never let up. The Tigers (3-23) lost to the Rams for the third time this season.

In earlier first-round games: Chowan, playing in its first CIAA Tournament game, defeated Livingstone 56-52; Saint Augustine's defeated Virginia Union 69-53; Virginia State upended 2010 champion Fayetteville State 65-44; and Shaw rolled to a 95-63 win against Lincoln (Pa.).

Lady Rams Cruise in 66-33 Win Over Saint Paul's at CIAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, NC - Judging by the numbers at the half, the Winston-Salem State Lady Rams seemed vulnerable in the opening round of the CIAA Tournament on Monday night. Except for one thing: the Lady Rams had Jasmine Newkirk.

Newkirk scored 14 of her game-high 15 points in the first half to lead Winston-Salem State to comfortable edge at the half as the Lady Rams took care of St. Paul's 66-33 to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The victory sets up a heavyweight matchup in the next round when the CIAA South's third-seeded Lady Rams (17-10) will face Bowie State (17-9), the number 2 seed from the CIAA North, which received a first-round bye. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

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CIAA Tournament: Lincoln women fall in first CIAA tourney game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sharay Dubose scored 27 points -- her second highest total of the year — but it wasn't enough as Shaw spoiled Lincolns' debut in the CIAA conference tourney, turning back the Lady Lions by a score of 95-63.

The Bears (18-11) came into the tourney as the number two seed in the South Division, while the Lions (3-24) were the seventh seed.

Lincoln came out of the gate strong, paced by the hot hand of DeJuana Mosley, who scored eight of Lincoln's first 13 points, and the Lady Lions either led or were tied for the lead for the first ten minutes of the game.

Shaw Offensive Firepower Rolls Over Lincoln 95-63
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The inside trio of Demaria Liles, Kyra Buford and Aslea Williams combined to score over half of Shaw's points in a 95-63 first-round women's basketball win over Lincoln (Pa.) Monday in the first day of the CIAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena.

"It felt good to get our feet wet and get that first win," Shaw Head Coach Jacques Curtis said.

Liles, a 6-1 senior forward, led the Lady Bears (18-11 overall) with 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting and snatched 12 rebounds for her fifth straight double-double for the Lady Bears. 
Buford, a 6-1 senior forward, added 20 points and Williams, a 6-1 junior center, added 15 points for the Lady Bears, the No. 2 seed in the Southern Division. The Lady Bears square off against No. 3 Northern Division seed Virginia State Tuesday in a CIAA quarterfinal game at 3 p.m.

2011 CIAA Women's Basketball Tournament Scoreboard

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CIAA Tournament: Lady Trojans, led by Taylor, pick up 65-44 win in CIAA Tournament's opening round

CHARLOTTE, NC - There will be a new CIAA Women's champion. Fayetteville State, the defending CIAA Tournament champion, was defeated 65-44 by Virginia State in the opening round of the 2011 CIAA Tournament on Monday.

The Lady Trojans (18-8), led by All-CIAA selection Rhon'Neshia Taylor's 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, got a measure of redemption by knocking off the Lady Broncos, who had beaten the Lady Trojans in the semifinals of the tournament a year ago. And this one wasn't close.

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WATCH LIVE ACTION FROM THE CIAA TOURNAMENT - CLICK HERE
Women's Basketball: Wedensday, Mar. 1st at 3pm, Virginia State vs. Shaw

CIAA Tournament: McCaffity steps up for Saint Augustine's Falcons

Falcons 6-2 Freshman F/C Umeka Benson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Saint Augustine's College has relied on seniors Allison Sikes and Le'Kiesha White all season, but it was another senior who helped the Falcons win their first-round game in the CIAA women's basketball tournament Monday afternoon.

Crystal McCaffity scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the 3-point line, in a 69-53 victory over Virginia Union at Time Warner Cable Arena. Freshman forward Umeka Benson, the CIAA rookie of the year, added 13 points and 13 rebounds. Benson, who came off the bench, was named Food Lion MVP of the game.

The victory sends the Lady Falcons (18-10 overall), the No. 4 Southern Division seed, to Tuesday's quarterfinal round. They face Elizabeth City State, the top Northern Division seed, at 7 p.m. The Lady Falcons defeated the Lady Vikings in their only matchup 69-64 on Jan. 20 in Elizabeth City, N.C.

Saint Augustine’s College beats Virginia Union in CIAA first round

Senior guard Crystal McCaffity from Havelock, NC led the Lady Falcons of Saint Augustine’s College over Virginia Union University 69-53 in the first round of the CIAA Tournament. McCaffity scored 14 points to lead the Lady Falcons.

Saint Augustine’s College maintained control of the game and only trailed once to Virginia Union University in the game. The Lady Falcons led at halftime 32-20.

Charlotte native and CIAA Rookie of the Year, Umeka Benson added 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Falcons in their victory. Her efforts won Benson the Food Lion MVP of the Game honor.

Photo Gallery: 2011 CIAA Basketball: Opening Day 

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CIAA Tournament: Chowan gets first-ever CIAA tournament win‎

Chowan wrote a new chapter in its women's basketball history at the CIAA tournament.

The Hawks recovered from a 19-point deficit to beat Livingstone 56-53 in a first-round game at Time Warner Cable Arena, the program's first tournament win since joining the CIAA last year. Chowan (15-12) didn't panic after falling behind, calling on previous experience to climb ahead.

"For us it was another challenge on the road," Hawks coach Pat Mashuda said. "We were in this situation earlier this year playing Bowie at home when we were down 20 with four minutes to play and came back to win that game. Having this experience from before, unfortunately then but fortunately as well, helped us today."

Photo Gallery: 2011 CIAA Basketball: Opening Day 

Livingstone College Women Out of CIAA Tournament

Livingstone’s women’s basketball team ended its season with a 56-53 loss against Chowan in the first round of the CIAA Tournament on Monday afternoon in Charlotte.

Livingstone held Chowan to 10 points in the first 15 minutes and led 33-14 late in the first half. Livingstone still led by 13 points at halftime, but a cold-shooting second half doomed the Blue Bears (16-10).

Chowan (15-12) advanced to play Johnson C. Smith tonight. Talaya Lynch led the Hawks with 17 points.

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Claflin begins SIAC tourney play Wednesday

ATLANTA - The road to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship will start Wednesday with play-in games in Atlanta for the Claflin men's and women's basketball teams.

After finishing the regular season with two straight wins, the seventh-seed Panthers (11-15) will face 10th-seed Fort Valley State (8-20) at 2 p.m. in L.S. Epps Gymnasium on the campus of Clark-Atlanta University. The Claflin men swept the season series with the Wildcats and the winner will face second-seed Stillman College at 2 p.m Thursday in the same gymnasium.

Within proximity of Clark-Atlanta, the 11th-seed Claflin women (8-18) will look to shake off a season-ending six-game losing streak when they open play in Frank L. Forbes Arena at Morehouse College against sixth-seed Tuskegee University (15-11).

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Morgan State Bears Releases 2011 Football Schedule

BALTIMORE, MD. – Morgan State University released their schedule on Monday and it features two straight road games to open the year and five home contests.

Morgan State, who went 4-7 in 2010 in coach Donald Hill-Eley's 9th season, open 2011 at Towson on Sept. 3. The Bears' nonconference schedule also includes a road game at Bowling Green State on Sept. 10 and a home contest against Robert Morris on Sept. 17.

The Bears begin Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play against Howard in the Annual Whitney Young Classic on Sept. 24. The game will be played at Giants Stadium, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.

Morgan State hosts North Carolina A&T, Savannah State (Homecoming), Norfolk State and Hampton at home, while traveling to North Carolina Central and the reigning MEAC champs of Bethune-Cookman.

Full schedule:
Sept. 3 ----- at Towson
Sept. 10 --- at Bowling Green State
Sept. 17 --- Robert Morris
Sept. 24 --- vs. Howard* (Whitney Young Classic, Giants Stadium)
Oct. 1 ------- North Carolina A&T*
Oct. 8 ------- Savannah State* (MSU Homecoming)
Oct. 15 ----- at North Carolina Central*
Oct. 29 ----- at Delaware State*
Nov. 5 ------ at Bethune-Cookman*
Nov. 12 ---- Norfolk State*
Nov. 19 ---- Hampton*

* Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Game

By MSU Media Relations
Visit: MorganStateBears.com

Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeats Jackson State 62-56

UAPB Coach George Ivory
Savalace Townsend scored 21 points and Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeated Jackson State 62-56 on Monday night.

Townsend's layup with 3:55 left gave the Golden Lions (7-22, 7-10 SWAC) the lead for good at 51-50. He scored 16 of his 21 points after halftime, when Pine Bluff trailed 29-24. Allen Smith had 13 points and Terrell Kennedy 12 for Pine Bluff.

Jenirro Bush led Jackson State (15-13, 11-5) with 16 points and Grant Maxey scored 12. The Tigers shot 32 percent from the field while the Golden Lions made 40 percent of their shots.

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B-CU wins MEAC

DAYTONA BEACH -- At halftime, Bethune-Cookman coach Clifford Reed knew his team had already clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's regular-season championship for the first time in the Wildcats' undistinguished 32-year history in Division I basketball.

He made sure to keep the information to himself. Not that it would have mattered. The Wildcats were more intent on winning their sixth straight game, a 73-60 victory over North Carolina Central on Monday night at the Ocean Center than taking a breath to recognize history.

"When we came here, we set out to play in the NCAA Tournament and dance in March," said C.J. Reed, the coach's son, who scored a game-high 23 points Monday. "That was our goal, not just to win the regular-season title."

Bethune-Cookman beats NC Central 73-60, wins MEAC

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – C.J. Reed scored 23 points and Stanley Elliott added 16 to carry Bethune-Cookman past North Carolina Central 73-60 on Monday night.

The Wildcats (19-11) learned at halftime that they had wrapped up their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season title since joining the league in 1980-81, by virtue of Morgan State's 68-60 loss to North Carolina A&T.

LADY EAGLES BASKETBALL FALLS IN OVERTIME BATTLE TO BETHUNE-COOKMAN, 66-60

DAYTON BEACH, Fla. - The Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central hit the Daytona Beach, Fla., hardwood looking to obtain its first road win of the 2010-11 campaign on Monday, Feb. 28. But Bethune-Cookman rejected the idea of a home loss, defeating NCCU 66-60 in an overtime battle.

The mighty maroon appeared to have the contest sealed, until the Lady Wildcats chiseled away at a first-half 13-point lead and tied the contest at the 8:58 mark of the second-half.

B-CU’s Jasmine Elum opened the final 20 minutes of play with a three-point shot, bringing the opening half lead to a single-digit margin. Sarah Bolden followed with a two-pointer, nailing the first five-points of half.

The two teams went point-for-point heading down the final stretch of the game, until junior Blaire Houston hit the charity stripe with four seconds left on the clock. With two shots in the palm of her hand, Houston sinked the first shot for the tie and missed the second shot for a score of 53-53, sending the contest into overtime.

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North Carolina A&T Beats Morgan State In MEAC Conference Matchup

Greensboro, N.C. - Thomas Coleman scored 21 points and Marc Hill sank six free throws in the final minute as North Carolina A&T beat Morgan State 68-60 Monday night.

The victory by the Aggies (15-15, 9-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) ended a three-year reign by the Bears (15-12, 10-5) as conference regular-season champions, giving Bethune-Cookman the No. 1 tournament seed.

North Carolina A&T led 46-34, in the second half, but after Morgan State cut it to six points, 60-54, Hill missed two free throws for the Aggies. A 3-pointer by the Bears' Aric Brooks made it 60-57 with 1:39 left.

Coleman has A&T cooking

GREENSBORO — Before stepping onto the Corbett Center floor for the last time, Thomas Coleman sat an extra minute at his locker. As the N.C. A&T center paused to reflect, soon the only two people who remained were the senior and the coach who recruited him.

Coleman finally broke the silence. "He said, 'Coach, I remember you sitting at my kitchen table,' " A&T coach Jerry Eaves said, referencing Coleman's recruitment. "We both just kind of looked at each other and laughed."

Aggies Lose Battle For No. 2

GREENSBORO - No matter what problem the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team presented to Morgan State Monday evening, the Bears had the same two solutions throughout. Morgan State frustrated the Aggies with efficiency from the free throw line and 3-point arc. As a result, the Bears won the battle for the No. 2 seed in the MEAC Tournament with a 74-69 win at Corbett Sports Center.

The Bears hit 11 3-pointers and made 23 of 25 free throws. Erin Hawkins led the way with 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Brittany Dodson added 15 points on 9-for-10 shooting at the line.

In her final game at Corbett Sports Center, senior Jaleesa Sams finished with 23 points and six rebounds.

"Morgan State did what they're supposed to do, they hit 3-pointers and hit free throws," said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "They executed brilliantly tonight."

The Aggies trailed by as many as 14 in the second half. But a Sams 3-pointer tied the game at 56 with 4:20 remaining. The Bears responded by going on a 9-2 run that included a 6-for-6 stretch at the free throw line and a 3-point shot by Brittany Noel that gave the Bears a 65-58 lead with 1:26 to play.

N.C. A&T got the lead down to three points four times within the last 40 seconds of the game. But the Bears converted 7 of 8 free throws to put the Aggies away.

The Bears (16-12, 10-5) secured the No. 2 seed with the win. The loss for the Aggies (14-13, 9-6) was costly. They slip into a third-place tie with Howard. The two teams split this season, but Howard owns the tiebreaker over the Aggies because its margin of victory was greater. Therefore, the Aggies need a Howard loss to secure the third seed.

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