Thursday, December 31, 2015

Denver Broncos add rookie guard Robert Myers (Tennessee State) to 53-man roster

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado -- The Broncos filled the vacated 53rd spot on their roster by signing rookie offensive lineman Robert Myers off the Ravens' practice squad.

A fifth-round pick of the Ravens this year, the Tennessee State product flew onto draft radars because of a solid college career which he distinguished himself with his power, quickness and size (6-foot-5 and 335 pounds). He said that he sees himself as more of a right guard, but can play either side.

Myers displayed those attributes during a solid week of practices at the Senior Bowl last January, proving that he could handle the step-up in class from the Ohio Valley Conference.

At the National Scouting Combine last February, he earned the nickname "Quadzilla" because of his massive quadriceps that are 33 inches in circumference. His quads were on full display when he rolled his shorts up high during his Combine workout.

"Anything that looks that good, you've got to be proud of," he said with a smile. "I worked hard, you know?"

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FAMU Rattlers playing with confidence after win over Clemson

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It took a few games, but Florida A&M’s women’s basketball team is playing with confidence.

The team has won three of its last four games after losing three straight earlier in the season. The Rattlers, now 6-7, are playing with some more swagger after a 77-68 road win over Clemson (4-9) on Tuesday to close out their out-of-conference schedule.

Coach LeDawn Gibson said the victory gave the team a huge boost of confidence. The Rattlers will try to follow up their success with a win over MEAC foe Savannah State Friday at the Lawson Center.

“Just watching the team practice, you can tell it gave them a boost of confidence,” Gibson said. “It helped us mentally and morally. That confidence is helping us get to where we need to be. You can really tell the game gave them a boost.”

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JSU Women's Basketball close out non-conference play with 53-52 win over Lipscomb

JACKSON, Mississippi – Radejah Woodson, junior guard, shot 5-10 from the field, 2-5 in three-point range for 12 points to lead Jackson State in their 53-52 win over Lipscomb University in the final game of non-conference play on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

The Lady Tigers (6-5) created a solid start against the Lady Bisons (3-12) scoring 33 points in the first half while holding Lipscomb to 18.

In the first half of the game, the Jackson State played hard defense putting up 33 points while holding Lipscomb to 18.

Lipscomb adjusted to Lady Tigers defense and revved up their own in the third scoring 23 points while holding JSU to 5. The Lady Bisons also took their first lead (41-38) of the game with 1:07 left in the third making it anyone’s game to take in the fourth.

With just 2 minutes left in the game, Daisha Williams landed a three-point shot to tie the game at 50. Loren Cagle delivered a lay-up to put Lipscomb up two on the Lady Tigers near the one-minute mark.

With just three-seconds left in the game, Williams hit another three to seal the Lady Tiger win.

Nyahok Bile, senior forward, recorded another 10-plus rebound game bringing down a game high of 15 boards.

Daisha Williams went 4-7 from the field and 3-5 in three-point range to add 11 points to the JSU scoring effort which included her game winning shot.

As a team, the Lady Tigers shot 38.9 percent from the field, 25.0 percent in three-point range, and 50.0 percent at the free-throw line while Lipscomb shot 29.5 percent from the field, 31.3 percent in three-point range, and 75.0 percent at the free-throw line.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 2 when they host Alabama State in the first conference game of the season. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. The women’s game will be followed immediately by the men’s.

Follow Jackson State basketball and the rest of JSU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Join the conversation using the #JSUMoreThanAGame.

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COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Finishes 11th In FCS Home Attendance For 2015


TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M University’s football program got some good news from the 2015 season, as they finished 11th in the nation in average home attendance among the 125 NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision teams.

The Rattlers drew 60,240 fans for the four home games at venerable Bragg Memorial Stadium, good for a per-game average of 15,060.

Rattler Football’s 2015 numbers were a major improvement over their 2014 showing at the turnstiles in Bragg, when four games drew 48,188 fans, good for 12,047 per game average.

In 2015, FAMU finished second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in average home crowds, behind South Carolina State (15,629), which drew 78,147 fans in five home games.

The 2015 Rattler home schedule was highlighted by the 18,020 fans for the Sept. 26 home opener against Tennessee State, the fifth-largest home opening crowd in Bragg, followed a month later by the homecoming game crowd of 22,678, which was the third largest homecoming draw in the past 10 years.

FAMU Athletic Director Milton Overton was elated at the news from the NCAA Statistics Service, saying: “These attendance numbers are evidence of the great passion and dedication our fans have for Rattler Football. This was a tremendous showing even with the team’s record, and we believe that bigger and better things are just ahead for our athletic program.”

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JSU Men’s Basketball Remains Perfect at AAC with 89-66 Win Over SELA

JACKSON, Mississippi – The Jackson State men’s basketball team finished the non-conference portion of its scheduled and closed out 2015 in grand style. Five Tigers scored in double-figures en route to an 89-66 victory over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions Wednesday night at the Lee E. Williams AAC.

Paris Collins led the Tigers (5-8) with a 22 point, four rebound, four assist and three steal effort. He went 8-15 from the field, 2-5 from three-point range and finished 4-4 from the free throw line in 36 minutes of action. Kaven Bernard came off the bench to add 21 points, three rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes. Chace Franklin also came off the bench to score 15 points on 4-10 shooting. He also went 4-5 from the line and pulled down four rebounds over 27 minutes. Janarius Middleton put together a solid game as he scored 12 points on 4-8 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Raeford Worsham posted his third double-double of the season as he finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He went 5-7 from the field and was 4-4 from the line.

Zay Jackson led the Lions (2-11) with a 23 point and a six rebound effort.

JSU led 45-34 at halftime and outscored SELA 44-32 in the second half.

JSU returns to action Saturday, Jan. 2 to face Alabama State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener at the AAC. Tipoff for the men’s game is set for 5:30 p.m. (immediately following the 3 p.m. women’s game). The game will be broadcast on SWAC TV. For ticket information call the JSU Athletics Ticket Office at 601-979-2420.

For all of the information on JSU Athletics visit www.jsutigers.com, Facebook (JSTATETIGERS), Twitter (JSTATETIGERS) and Instagram (JSTATETIGERS).

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COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Nuggets lose to Lady Demons; Browder denied again


NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana -- Senior guard Janelle Perez scored a season-high 22 points Tuesday, leading Northwestern State to a 73-57 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Lady Demons (6-5) are 6-0 at home this season. They gave the Gold Nuggets (9-5) their third consecutive loss -- their first of the season by double digits -- and denied Bo Browder his 400th XU coaching victory.

Emoni Harvey's 3-pointer at 6:55 of the first quarter gave Xavier its only lead, 3-2. Northwestern State then scored the next seven points and led for the final 36 1/2 minutes.

Perez, who was first-team All-Southland Conference this past season, was 7-of-10 from the floor, 1-of-2 on 3-pointers, and 7-of-7 from the line in 30 minutes. She also led her team with seven rebounds and four assists.

Cheyenne Brown scored 13 points, Shahd Abboud 12 and Beatrice Attura 10 for Northwestern State, which is 4-0 this season against non-NCAA Division I opponents.

Donyeah Mayfield scored 13 points, Whitney Gathright 10 and Harvey eight for Xavier. Mayfield's eight rebounds and Gathright's six assists were game highs. Reserve guard Kelsey Joseph made her first two 3-pointers of the season and scored a season-high six points.

After trailing 34-22 at halftime Xavier twice cut its deficit to six points in the first three minutes of the third quarter. Northwestern State then produced an 11-0 run and led by double digits for the final 15 1/2 minutes.

Xavier made a season-best eight 3-pointers, but the Lady Demons outshot the Gold Nuggets 53.5 to 34.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-31. Northwestern State dominated at the line, making 25-of-34 free throws to Xavier's 3-of-4. Xavier attempted two free throws in each half and did not get to the line in the second half until 2:30 of the fourth quarter.

Browder is 399-147 in his 17th season at Xavier. His 18-year record as a head coach at 4-year colleges is 401-155.

Xavier is 0-2 this season against NCAA DI opponents. The Gold Nuggets lost 77-69 Nov. 12 at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Xavier's next game will start at 3 p.m. Saturday against LSU-Shreveport at the Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets will play their first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game at 5:30 p.m. Monday at home against Edward Waters.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Rush wallop Fisk, finish 2-0 in Holiday Classic

NEW ORLEANS -- Morris Wright and Gary Smith combined to make 8-of-8 3-pointers in the final 32 minutes, and Elex Carter recorded his first double-double for Xavier University of Louisiana in a 68-44 men's basketball victory Wednesday against Fisk in the Gold Rush Holiday Classic.

The Gold Rush (12-4), ranked 17th in NAIA Division I, finished 2-0 in this event and won for the third straight time. The winning margin is Xavier's largest this season.

Wright, scoring in double figures for the 24th consecutive game, had 19 points and made his final six field-goal attempts, five of them 3-pointers. Smith scored 13 points and made a career-high three 3-pointers without a miss. Carter, in his first year at Xavier after transferring from Southern University, produced his team's first double-double of the season, career highs of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Wright had a season-high six assists and zero turnovers one day after committing a season-worst seven turnovers in a victory against LSU-Shreveport. His five treys matched a season high. Smith tied his career best with three steals and produced back-to-back double-figure point performances for the first time in his career.

Jason Perry had eight points, nine rebounds and four blocks for Fisk (5-12), and Kameron Foster scored eight points.

Xavier took the lead for good in the fifth minute, and a 13-2 run gave the Gold Rush a 17-6 lead at 11:07 of the first half. Xavier led 37-19 at halftime -- its biggest intermission advantage of the season -- and took its biggest lead, 64-38, on Charles Savoy's free throw with 2:25 remaining.

Xavier outshot the Bulldogs 42.6 to 31.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 42-33. Xavier's 11 turnovers matched a season low and were 10 fewer than the previous day. It was the first time this season that the Gold Rush limited an opponent to less than 50 points.

In Wednesday's opening game, LSU-Shreveport built a 26-point lead and won 86-73 against Mobile. Fisk defeated Mobile Tuesday.

Xavier will be at home for its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at 7:30 p.m. Monday against Edward Waters. The Gold Rush are 10-0 at home this season.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Racial prejudice is driving opposition to paying college athletes. Here’s the evidence

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the money made from college sports increasing every year, the way colleges treat their athletes has become controversial.

That’s because college sports is a tremendously lucrative business for everyone but the athletes. The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) will receive $7.3 billion from ESPN for the right to broadcast the seven games of the College Football Playoffs (CFP) between 2014 and 2026, and $11 billion from CBS and Turner Sports to broadcast “March Madness” over the next 14 years.

Individual colleges also make out well: The University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball team’s trip to the Final Four this year, for example, brought more than $8 million in revenue to the universities of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Each of the “Big 5” conferences will make an estimated $50 million from the college football playoffs this year.

And none of this counts the money made from concessions, merchandise and licensing fees.

Meanwhile, most college athletes are “paid” with scholarships that cover only tuition, room, board, books and fees — although in 2015, the NCAA allowed Division I universities the option of increasing this to pay the full cost of attendance. After adding up the time spent on practice, training and games, college athletes often “work” the equivalent of full-time hours for the universities they play for.

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Gold Rush hold on to defeat LSUS Pilots 63-58

NEW ORLEANS — RJ Daniels scored 18 points to match his career high, and Xavier University of Louisiana shut out LSU-Shreveport in the final three minutes to earn a 63-58 men's basketball victory Tuesday in the second game of the Gold Rush Holiday Classic.
     

The Gold Rush (11-4), ranked 17th in NAIA Division I, are 9-0 at home this season.
     

Fisk defeated Mobile 60-36 in the opening game.
     

Daniels, a senior guard/forward, was 7-of-10 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line in 29 minutes as a reserve. He scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, and he led Xavier in rebounds with six.
     

Daniels scored 14 points to lead Xavier to a 32-13 advantage through the first 16 minutes. The Gold Rush led 36-24 at halftime.
     

Lyndale James' basket with 3:03 remaining gave LSUS (6-6) its only second-half lead, 58-57, but the Pilots went 0-of-8 from the floor and committed one turnover thereafter. Xavier tied the score at 58 with 2:31 remaining when Lucas Martin-Julien made 1-of-2 free throws, then took the lead for good at 2:14 when Martin-Julien made two more free throws.
     

Gary Smith's basket with 41 seconds remaining gave Xavier a 62-58 lead.
     

Martin-Julien scored 13 points, Smith 11 and Morris Wright 10. It was the first time in 18 games that Wright did not lead Xavier in scoring. Martin-Julien had five assists and a career-high-tying four steals.
     

Daniels' other 18-point performance was Nov. 30, 2013, on the road against LeMoyne-Owen.
     

Josh Walker scored 14 points, Tyrell Springer 13 and Manny Martin 11 for LSUS. Zay Henderson grabbed eight rebounds.
     

Xavier, in the opener of a five-game home stand, outshot the Pilots 51.2 to 35.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 37-28. LSUS was plus-9 in turnovers, committing 12 and gaining 21.
     

The teams split their two-game season series. LSUS won 65-55 Nov. 24 at Shreveport, La.
     

On Wednesday, LSUS will meet Mobile at 3 p.m., and Xavier will play Fisk at 5 p.m. to conclude the event.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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What's at the top of GSU's 2016 wish list? A QB

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — For the first time during his tenure at Grambling, coach Broderick Fobbs heads into the offseason without a starting quarterback, or at least one he feels comfortable naming as the guy with spring practice just a few months away.

An embarrassment of riches at the position spoiled Grambling, and Fobbs, the past two years. In Fobbs' first season, Grambling had three starting-caliber quarterbacks, and this past year the Tigers rode the coattails of Johnathan Williams, who led all of FCS with 37 touchdown passes.

So what's the top priority for Grambling heading into the offseason as the Tigers try to attain its goal of a Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship? Yes, a quarterback.

"We're a work in progress. Johnathan is a senior and he's moving on," Fobbs said earlier this month. "There's some work that still needs to get done to solidify a starter at that position.

"We are hitting the recruiting trail to bring other people in to compete for ...

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Raleigh Trio Signs With North Carolina A&T Track and Field

Asya Macon
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The North Carolina A&T track and field team has signed three impressive athletes to improve the women’s program over the next four years.

The trio of athletes are all from Raleigh, N.C., and they include Kristoni Barnes (5-6, Raleigh, N.C., Wake Forest Roseville HS), G’Jasmyne Butler (5-3, Raleigh, N.C., Leesville Road HS) and Asya Macon (5-2, Raleigh, N.C., Southeast Raleigh). They will join the women’s program during the 2016-17 season.

“We’re extremely young on both the men’s and women’s side, but when we first came in here we put a lot of focus on the men’s program,” said Duane Ross, director of track and field programs. “Now it’s the women’s turn. The women we’re bringing in are really needed. We’re expecting them to come in and duplicate what the freshman class did last year.”

Barnes is a versatile middle distance athlete and long sprinter who is competitive in the 800 meters as well as the 400. Barnes has a personal best of 57.03 in the 400 and earned all-state honors in the event with a sixth-place finish in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 4-A State Championship. She was also all-state in the 500 with a seventh-place finish at states. Competing for her track club, Carolina Elite of Raleigh, Barnes qualified for the 800 at the USATF Junior Olympics where she earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in 2:16.57.

G’Jasmyne Butler
“She adds depth to the 400 and the 800 but especially the 800, so she is a crucial part,” said Ross.

Butler comes to A&T as an accomplished middle distance runner. Ross said he and his staff put a lot of time into recruiting Butler. “She’s a national champion, so she’s coming in to lead,” Ross said.

Butler is the USATF Junior Olympic national champion for the Young Women’s 800—a title she earned competing for her Track Explosion club. Additionally, Butler is also the reigning North Carolina 4-A state champion in the 800. Butler boasts personal records of 2:11.07 for the 800, 5:03.50 for the 1600 and 4:40.23 for the 1500. With Butler’s best 1600, she finished third in the state. During the indoor season, Butler recorded a personal-best 3:01.58 in the 1000 to finish third in the state as a junior. Also, Butler has recorded a time of 18:45.49 in the 5,000, making her a prime cross country candidate.

Macon is a long sprinter whose specialties are the 200 and 400. Additionally, Macon has significantly contributed to the relay teams at Southeast Raleigh. She holds a personal best of 56.33 in the 400, which earned her all-state honors thanks to her fourth-place finish at the state meet. Macon is the reigning Greater Neuse River conference champion in the 400, and has a personal-best 25.50 in the 200.

She anchored the Southeast Raleigh 4x400m relay to a second-place finish in the state championship meet, and for indoor, Macon earned all-state honors with a sixth-place finish in the 500 with a time of 1:17.06.

Kristoni Barnes
“I think she is a sleeping giant,” Ross said. “She didn’t win last year, but she is one of the top 400 runners. I think she’s going to have a great season. Her potential is just outstanding.”

Last year, Ross’ women’s track and field team finished third at the Indoor Track and Field MEAC Championships, a steep leap from the eighth-place finish they took in 2014. And most of the top-10 performances went to the freshman ladies Ross recruited such as Morgan Knight, Reneazia Collins, India Brown and Qizeah Jackson, who was the Aggies top scorer with a total of 24 points.

Ross’ latest freshman class is expected to fill the void in the middle distance and distance programs. “We’re not done recruiting,” Ross said. “We want to send a message to the rest of the country that we’re serious about our women’s program, and these girls are on the right track to do that.”

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nicholls State Colonels Fall to Grambling, 69-65

THIBODAUX, Louisiana – Marina Lilly and Cassidy Barrios recorded their first career double doubles for the Nicholls State University women's basketball team but Grambling State was able to weather a late comeback by the Colonels as Nicholls fell, 69-65, Tuesday night at Stopher Gym.

Despite a balanced scoring effort with four players reaching double figures in points, the shooting struggles continued for Colonels (2-8) as they dropped their fourth straight contest. Nicholls shot just 31.8 percent and had 31 turnovers; however, the team was able to fight back to take the lead after an early nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Barrios led the team with 12 points while adding 11 rebounds and her basket-and-one sparked the Colonels' late comeback with 7:35 to go. Grambling (3-8) maintained the lead until LiAnn McCarthy (10 points) sank a jumper to put Nicholls ahead, 64-63, at the 3:01 mark, but it was short-lived as the Colonels did not make another field goal the rest of the way.

Grambling retook the lead on a pair of free throws and extended it to 67-64 on a layup by Takerra Parsons with 1:45 left on the clock. Hope Pawlowski added a free throw for Nicholls with less than a minute remaining before Grambling knocked down two at the line down the stretch to make the final.

Lilly had a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with 11 points. Tia Charles chipped in with 11 points and Pawlowski added nine points and four steals. Barrios also had four steals, but the Tigers had a 27-14 advantage on points off turnovers.

Nicholls jumped out to a fast start to lead 19-13 before the Tigers chiseled away at the deficit to make the score 33-31 at the break. But like much of the season, the Colonels let the lead slip away in the third as they were outscored 26-18.

Neither team shot well from long range, as Charles hit Nicholls' lone 3-pointer as the team finished 1 of 14 from behind the arc. Grambling made 2 of 7 from deep, but Bre'nae Andrews' 3-ball early in the fourth looked to be a dagger as the Tigers went up 60-51. Nicholls answered with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 62 before suffering its fourth loss at home.

Shakyla Hill led all scorers with 23 points, with Andrews and Chant Lewis adding 11 points each for the visitors. GSU shot 36.6 percent from the field and had 19 steals.

Nicholls will open at home against Lamar on Saturday (Jan. 2) to start the Southland Conference schedule. Tipoff for the women's / men's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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COURTESY NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Tayong Makes All-Tournament Team as CSU Closes 2015 With Win Over Lafayette

Omaah Tayong
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia -- The Coppin State women's basketball team completed the 2015 calendar year with a win in its second game of the UVA Cavalier Classic against Lafayette College 64-57 in John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA.

Coppin State (3-9) also collected its first win in the month of December and remain undefeated in games played on Tuesday.

Senior forward Omaah Tayong was named to the all-tournament team.

Tayong finished the game with 10 points, 12 rebounds and three steals off the bench. Her three steals tied a season high. She now has two double doubles so far this season.

Tayong averaged nine points and nine rebounds on 47.3% shooting from the floor over the two-game tournament. She now leads the Lady Eagles with 95 rebounds.

Overall four Coppin State players reached double figures in the win.

Janelle Lane also recorded a double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. She added two assists, a career high seven steals and one block in 38 minutes on game action. She now has three consecutive games scoring in double-digits.

Lane leads Coppin State with 12 blocks so far this year.

Genesis Lucas finished the game with a season high 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes. She has three or more assists and 35 minutes played in three straight games for Coppin State.

Lucas leads the Lady Eagles 38 assists and 20 steals through 10 games.

Keena Samuels scored 10 points; two rebounds and one steal in her six consecutive starts for Coppin State. Both of her rebounds came on the offensive end.

Samuels has four double figure scoring games this season.

Senior guard Amber Griffin added nine points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal in 37 minutes.

Griffin has dished two or more assists in 10 games this season. She now has 326 assists for her career. Griffin is second on the team with 33 assists this season.

The Lady Eagles outscored the Leopards 34-26 in the second half after being down by one point at halftime.

Coppin State also outscored the Lafayette in paint points, points off turnovers, second chance points, fast break points and bench points.
The Lafayette Leopards (2-9) now have lost four straight games.

Sammy Stipa led all scorers with 17 points, four assists and three rebounds. Jamie O'Hare finished with 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Coppin State will return to action after the New Year with its conference home opener against Norfolk State January 4 with tipoff at 6:00 p.m. in PEC Arena.

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By Jason J. Brown, Coppin State Sports Information Intern
COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Lady Rattlers Close Out 2015 With 77-68 Win Over Clemson


CLEMSON, South Carolina -- The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers were short on personnel heading into Tuesday night's contest against the Clemson Tigers, including coach LeDawn Gibson who was dealing with flu-like symptoms and did not make the trip. Associate head coach Latasha Shipman-Ganus and assistant coach Andrea Johnson took the reigns and reeled in one of FAMU's biggest wins in some time, striking the Clemson Tigers for a 77-68 win at Jervey gym on the campus of Clemson University.

Shipman credits the team's work ethic and willingness to sacrifice with the win. "We were obviously short-handed going into this game, so we had to make adjustments. We put in three plays in the 24 hours leading up to the game to maximize the personnel we had on hand. Alicia McCray had the big game we needed from her, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with her 17 points. Victoria Nguyen also stepped up and played well at this level," Shipman said.

Olivia Antilla, led the Rattlers with 20 points on efficient 8-of-16 shooting. Khadejra Young, who was forced to play point guard for some of the game, put in 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Antilla and Young both shot .500 from the field. London Holland also contributed on sharp 5-of-9 shooting from the field for 11 points to round out the balanced scoring of four players in double figures. McCray would be key, carding a double-double for the game.

A key to the win was the Lady Rattlers' ability to stop the dribble penetration that had been key to Clemson's success thus far. The tigers were led by Nelly Perry, who led all scorers with 21 points. Paige Mosley scored 16 points, while Danielle Edwards chipped in 14 points. Aliyah Collier grabbed seven rebounds for the orange and purple, while Edwards grabbed six.

What's next: The Lady Rattlers will face the Tigers of Savannah State on Jan.1 at 1 p.m. in the Al Lawson Center to kick of the year and begin MEAC play in 2016. The game will feature $1 concessions and $1 entry. Parking for the game is free. DJ Laila Jade and DJ Z-Dub will be the day's entertainment.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Hampton Lady Pirates Beat Rhode Island in OT, Win FIT Tourney

MIAMI, Florida – It took an extra five minutes, but the Hampton University women's basketball team defended its FIU post-Christmas tournament crown on Tuesday, defeating Rhode Island 59-54 at the FIU Arena in the FIU Surfing Santa Classic title game.

The Lady Pirates (3-9) have won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas dropped a season-high 33 points to lead the Lady Pirates, going 10-for-33 from the floor and making five 3-pointers. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, on top of grabbing six rebounds and registering two steals.

Senior guard Ryan Jordan added a season-high 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Sophomore forward Kaylah Lupoe tied her career high with 13 rebounds.

Tate-DeFreitas was named Tournament MVP for the second straight year, while Jordan was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Hampton struggled from the floor, shooting just 27.4 percent (20-for-73) from the floor for the game. The Lady Pirates made eight of their 24 3-pointers (33.3 percent), and they were a season-best 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line.

The Lady Pirates out-rebounded Rhode Island 44-38 and scored 16 points off of 22 Ram turnovers.

Symone Bullard sank a layup with 44 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 50-50, and the Lady Pirates had two looks in the final second – one from Tate-DeFreitas and the other from Lupoe. But both shots were off the mark, sending Hampton into its second overtime game of the season.

The Rams scored the first four points of the overtime, including a trey from Charlise Wilson, to take a 54-50 lead. But that was Rhode Island's only field goal of overtime, and the Lady Pirates scored the last nine points of the game.

Tate-DeFreitas scored seven of those points, including four free throws in the final 20 seconds to ice the game.

Lupoe's stickback layup with 59 seconds left gave Hampton its first lead of the extra session.

Rhode Island opened up an 11-3 lead in the first quarter after a 3-pointer from Kallie Banker, and Morgan Johnson hit a trey at the 2:44 mark to give the Rams a 16-5 lead. A layup from Samantha Tabakman at the 1:39 mark put Rhode Island up 18-7.

The Rams led 20-9 after the first quarter, but the Lady Pirates scored the first five points of the second quarter to cut the lead to 20-14 after two free throws from Tate-DeFreitas. Rhode Island built the lead back up to 24-14, before Hampton went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 25-25 after a fastbreak layup from Tate-DeFreitas.

The Rams closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 32-25 lead at the break.

Tate-DeFreitas had 15 points at the half.

Hampton held Rhode Island to nine points in both the third and fourth quarters, and the Lady Pirates opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run – cutting the lead to 34-33 at the 4:26 mark with a jumper from Tate-DeFreitas.

Hampton's first lead came with 2:54 left in the third quarter, when redshirt-junior forward Shaleise Boyd converted a putback to give the Lady Pirates a 37-36 lead.

A jumper from Jordan at the 2:10 mark put Hampton up 39-38.

Kiara Palmer converted a 3-point play with 1:01 left in the quarter to give Rhode Island a 41-39 lead, but that was the Rams' last field goal until the 3:44 mark of the fourth quarter. An 8-3 Hampton run ensued in the interim, giving the Lady Pirates a 47-44 lead with 4:08 left in regulation following a Jordan jumper.

A 6-3 Rhode Island run closed the fourth quarter and forced overtime.

The Rams (6-6) shot 36.7 percent (18-for-49) from the floor, despite making just seven field goals in the second half and only one in the overtime session. Rhode Island went 5-for-14 (35.7 percent) from behind the arc and made just 13 of 19 free throws (68.4 percent).

Wilson and Tabakman each had 14 points for the Rams.

The Lady Pirates will be in DeLand, Fla. on Friday to take on Stetson at 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the officialwww.hamptonpirates.com.
Pirates website at

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TSU Lady Tigers Face Youngstown State on Wednesday

TENNESSEE STATE (5-7) vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (9-2)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30 | 6:00 P.M. CT | YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO | BEEGHLY CENTER

GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE
VIDEO: ESPN3
LIVE STATS: YSUSPORTS.COM

GAMEDAY
The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will continue its road swing and play in the final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Youngstown State. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. CT in Beeghly Center. The match-up will be TSU’s second game in three days.

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE
Tennessee State has dropped three consecutive games and lost four of its last five. The Lady Tigers are most recently coming off an, 81-39, loss to No. 7 Kentucky on Monday.

Juniors I’mani Davis (13.2 ppg) and Jayda Johnson (13.1 ppg) lead TSU in scoring while senior Brianna Lawrence (10.1 ppg) rounds out the top three scorers. These three upperclassmen also lead the Lady Tigers in rebounding.

As a team, TSU is averaging 60.7 points per game and shooting 34.0 percent from the field, including 28.0 percent from beyond the arc and 67.6 percent from the free-throw line.

The Lady Tigers are led by fourth year head coach and Hall of Famer, Larry Joe Inman.

LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee State fell to No. 7 Kentucky, 81-39, Monday night in Memorial Coliseum. The non-conference match-up against the SEC opponent was the team’s first action after a week off. Jayda Johnson was the only Lady Tiger able to reach double-digits with a team-high 19 points while I’mani Davis just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. TSU committed 24 turnovers and only shot 26.7 percent from the field in the contest.

ABOUT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Youngstown State (9-2) had won three-straight before falling to Akron on the road, 74-49, in the last outing. Sarah Cash (15) and Alison Smolinski (10) led the team in scoring in the loss.

The Horizon League members are led in scoring and rebounding by Cash with 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per outing. Nikki Arbanas’ 11.6 points per game.

As a team, Youngstown State is averaging 67.6 points per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range.

SERIES INFORMATION
TSU will match up with Youngstown State for the fourth time with YSU leading the series 3-0. In the last meeting, the Penguins defeated the Lady Tigers, 73-66 in the inaugural Teresa Phillips Thanksgiving Classic (11/30/14).

COVERAGE
Updates on the game will be available throughout the game on the official twitter page via @TSU_Tigers. Links for live stats and live video will also be available on tsutigers.com under the schedule.

UP NEXT
The Lady Tigers will begin Ohio Valley Conference against Southeast Missouri on Saturday, January 2 on the road. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. TSU will meet SEMO for the 46th time with the Redhawks holding a 24-21 advantage. The Lady Tigers claimed the only match-up last season, 62-55 in the Gentry Center. TSU has won the last three meetings.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Mizzou Hoops Puts Clamps on Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Wins 78-25

COLUMBIA, Missouri - Mizzou Men's Basketball (6-6) earned a 53-point victory over Arkansas Pine-Bluff (2-12) Tuesday, 78-25, its largest margin of victory since Dec. 18, 2010 when the Tigers defeated Central Arkansas by the same margin. The 25 points given up is the lowest total Mizzou has allowed since Jan. 3 1947, when Mizzou beat Iowa State, 36-25.

Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) led all scorers with 13 points, while matching his season-high rebound total with eight. Junior guard Wes Clark (Detroit, Mich.) also scored in double figures, posting 11 points, all in the first half. Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant (Springfield, Ga.) recorded career-highs in rebounds and blocks, with 11 and four, respectively.



As a team, Mizzou posted season-highs in free-throw percentage, rebounds, blocks and steals. The Tigers connected on 18-of-22 shots from the free throw line and outrebounded the Golden Lions 56-30. Mizzou had seven players tally blocks for 11 total, while the Tigers also grabbed 12 steals.

The Tigers attacked the basket right from the start of the game, earning seven of its first 16 points from the free throw line. Gant made good on four early trips to the line. Later in the half, the Tigers scored 21 consecutive points, led by three three-pointers from Clark. Gant and senior forward Ryan Rosburg (Chesterfield, Mo.) each had thunderous dunks during the stretch. Rosburg's dunk came on a fast break which began after a block on the defensive end from freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.). Mizzou led 39-12 at halftime, its largest lead of the season at halftime.

An 18-1 run in the second half helped Mizzou increase its lead. Six different Tigers contributed during the run, led by six points from Puryear. Freshman forward Adam Wolf (Beaver Dam, Wis.) saw action for the second time this season in the second half, contributing six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, as well as three rebounds and two blocks.

Mizzou will wrap up nonconference play on Saturday, Jan. 2, against Savannah State. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 2 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+.

PHOTO GALLERY

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Baylor Cruises Past Texas Southern, 72-59

WACO, Texas -- Al Freeman scored 21 points and ignited a key run that finally put No. 23 Baylor in control on way to a 72-59 victory over Texas Southern on Tuesday.

The Bears (10-2), in their final game before opening Big 12 Conference play, led only 44-40 in the second half before Freeman made a layup and then hit a 3-pointer to start a 10-0 run. By time Johnathan Motley made a short jumper for his first points and Lester Medford made a 3, it was 54-40 with 11:11 left.

Rico Gathers had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his 30th career double-double for Baylor. Terry Maston had 14 points and Medford 12.

Malcolm Riley scored 18 for Texas Southern (1-11).

TSU was scheduled to host Hampton at home on Dec. 31st but the contest has been cancelled.

The Tigers will face the Southern Jaguars at home on Saturday, Jan. 2nd at the HPE Arena at 7:30 pm.

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TEXAS SOUTHERN POSTGAME QUOTES

Head Coach Mike Davis
On what positives he saw in the team…
“I liked our effort. We talked about giving great effort to get ready for our conference play. We hadn’t played the big name schools that we played last year, but Stephen F. Austin is really good. They won their conference last year. Central Michigan won their conference last year, so we replaced the mid major schools for the big names that we played last year. I’ll take this loss because we’ve been working so hard on the zone offense over Christmas break. We really haven’t worked on man offense lately, so when they went to that man defense it really changed our rhythm. We weren’t patient in our man offense the way we were in our zone offense. I want to see us play better while giving this much effort.”

On maintaining a good zone offense…
“We did a good job of preparing for the zone and being patient in our offense. When they went to the man defense it got us out of our rhythm. Then when they went back to the zone defense and we lost our rhythm against the zone because of what Coach Drew did by switching to man. It was a great game plan. We hadn’t worked on man offense in a while, so we didn’t get the ball moving from side to side like we wanted to. So, when he went back to the zone we still didn’t have any ball movement. However, I think we gave the best effort that we’ve given all year. We just ran out of gas. That’s no excuse, but because we had to play at such a high level, we ran out of gas. But, that’s the level that I want us to play at.”

COURTESY BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

AAMU Bulldogs drop close one at Ball State

MUNCIE, Indiana -- During a six-minute stretch in the second half of Ball State’s basketball game Tuesday, star Alabama A&M player Ladarius Tabb had his way with the Cardinals’ defense.

Specifically Ball State wing Franko House. Tabb fired in 15 consecutive points for the Bulldogs in that span with House guarding him most of the time, lifting A&M to an eight-point lead.

The final salvo in that flurry was a 3-point basket with 4:31 to play. The Cardinals quickly called timeout and coach James Whitford showed his ire with House when the players reached the bench.

“He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, we’ve still got this, we’re good,’ ” Whitford said. “It was good to hear him say that. We just had to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, that was my point.

“But he answered the bell and we went to him every time down the stretch, and he scored or got fouled or had an assist.”

Video

House was a rock for the Cardinals (8-4) in the final four minutes, including a smothering defensive effort on Tabb on the final play of the game, as he sparked them to a 63-62 victory in Worthen Arena.

Predictably, Tabb got the ball on the left wing as the final seconds ticked down. He drove to the basket with House hounding him all the way. When double-team help arrived as Tabb neared the lane, all he could do was uncork a shot that hit the side of the basket, and House rebounded the ball as the buzzer sounded.

The field-goal attempt was Tabb’s only one in the final 4:31 of the game.

House said his goal on the play was to push Tabb off the 3-point line.

“I wanted to force him to drive into my guys (inside) who had my back,” he said. “I anticipated a drive to the baseline and I stayed in front of him pretty well.”

Tabb, the Bulldogs’ season scoring leader with a 23.4 average and the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the year, finished with 29 points, making 12 of 17 shot attempts.

House did damage on offense, too. He scored seven of his 15 points in the final 7:45, including 5-for-6 at the free-throw line in the final 4:05.

Ball State claimed the victory on a night when it had trouble shooting from the perimeter. Alabama A&M (4-5) played a 2-3 zone for most of the first 30 minutes of the game, and Ball State finished just 6-of-27 from the arc.

The Cardinals were 4-of-19 overall and 1-for-10 from the 3-point line in the second half when the Bulldogs abandoned the zone and went man-to-man with about 9 minutes remaining.

That move probably benefited Ball State as it scored 18 points in the final 8 minutes, 40 seconds.

“Maybe in some respects, yes, but I didn’t feel we were lacking with our shot attempts,” Whitford said. “I’m not saying all 27 were great, but enough of them were pretty good.”

The Cardinals simply didn’t hit shots. Their four best shooters from the arc – Jeremie Tyler, Francis Kiapway, Sean Sellers and Ryan Weber, who Whitford said were “four guys I’d put in the category of elite college shooters” – combined to make just 6-of-23.

“We had the right looks from the right guys, and we didn’t have a good shooting night,” Whitford said.

Added Sellers, “We shot poorly from the 3-point line, but for the most part we got good looks.”

Ball State hit only 40.4 percent overall from the floor and shot a season-low 22.2 percent from the 3-point line. Alabama A&M helped offset that by making just 4-of-13 free throws.

Bo Calhoun led the Cardinals with 16 points (7-of-10 shooting) and nine rebounds. House added 15 and eight. Weber and Kiapway scored 10 points each, and Naiel Smith tied his season high with six assists.

The Cardinals will play their final non-conference game at 2 p.m. Thursday against Chicago State in Worthen Arena. The Cougars are coached by former Ball State assistant Tracy Dildy.

The Bulldogs begin their SWAC schedule next weekend at Grambling State.

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COURTESY BALL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tigers Take Tennessee to The Wire in 74-69 Loss



KNOXVILLE, Tennessee -- ayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) registered 19 points and nine rebounds, but the Tennessee State men's basketball team suffered a 74-69 road loss at Tennessee on Tuesday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena in the non-conference finale.

Playing in front of 13,214 fans, the Tigers (9-4) led for 28:19 of the game, but could not hold on as Tennessee (7-5) improved to 7-0 at home.

“I think our guys made a decision to compete, how we define what competing is,” second-year Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford said. “They really helped each other defensively and tried to give a valiant effort on the glass. I think our ability to stop them in the first half really kept us in the game.”

TSU held a 43-36 halftime edge and had a three-point lead at 66-63 with 3:26 to play before the Volunteers utilized a 9-0 run to take a six-point edge, 72-66, with just over a minute left. Martin converted a three-point play to put the score at 72-69 with 49.0 seconds left, but that was as close as TSU would get the rest of the way.

TSU forced Tennessee into four turnovers in the opening five minutes and held an 11-8 lead with six points coming from Martin.

Later in the half, Tennessee led by as many as four points before TSU was able to battle back. After a stop on the defensive end, Christian Griggs-Williams (Milwaukee, Wisc.) hit a layup to tie it up at 17-17, and a Marcus Roper (Walton Beach, Fla.) dunk off a steal led to a 19-17 lead with 10:37 left before the half.

Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.), who finished with 13 points and six assists, converted a layup as the first-half buzzer sounded to give the Tigers a 43-36 halftime advantage.

Tennessee shot 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) on three pointers in the first half, but TSU finished 17-for-31 (54.8 percent) from the field in the opening 20 minutes and forced UT into 10 turnovers.

The Tigers continued to lead for most of the second half and posted a six-point edge at 62-56 on a layup from Griggs-Williams with 7:10 showing on the clock.

The Volunteers swung the game back in their favor and eventually took the lead for good with their 9-0 run late in the contest.

For UT, Kevin Punter led all scorers with 23 points, while Armani Moore posted eight points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. On the other end, Roper continued his strong play with 10 points off the bench for TSU.

Up next, the Tigers take on Southeast Missouri on the road on Jan. 2 in the team’s Ohio Valley Conference opener.

GAME NOTES: Tennessee State concludes non-conference play with nine wins, which are the most since moving to the OVC prior to the 1987-88 season... TSU falls to 0-6 in the all-time series versus UT…. TSU is now 1-33 versus teams that currently make up the Southeastern Conference…. The Tigers used their fifth different starting lineup of the season with Demontez Loman, Wayne Martin, Darreon Reddick, Keron DeShields and Xavier Richards making up the starting five.

Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford

“There’s so much going on in that game, I just can’t put my finger on what it was right now. I have to go back and watch the tape and be able to evaluate it. I was glad to see our guys come back and compete a little bit harder than they did before Christmas break.”

- On what contributed to the defeat

“He’s coming along. He’s getting in better shape. Our whole plan was to get him ready by the time OVC gets here. I think he’s making progress. It will be good to have two guys down there that can score. On the other end, the defensive rebounding end he’s getting a little bit better; still has a little ways to go. He’s definitely someone we feel will be able to help us the next two months.”

PHOTO GALLERY

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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Albany State University Golden Rams Marching Band headed to Pasadena

The Band will march in the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1

ALBANY, Georgia — “Excited” was the word of the day as 122 members of the Albany State University Marching Band crowded onto two buses early Monday morning to begin their journey to Pasadena, Calif., and the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.

The buses carried the band to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to catch two flights to Los Angeles International Airport.

“We’re all very excited,” Assistant Band Director David Decuir said. “I am actually looking forward to seeing a game in the Rose Bowl. I’ve seen it on TV but have never been there. I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to expose our band to America on national television.”

Jordan Lee, a trumpet player from Ellenwood, was also eager to get the journey started.

“I’m excited about performing at the Tournament of Roses Parade and getting the chance to visit California again,” Lee said. “The entire band is excited about representing Georgia and we are also the only HBCU (historically black college or university) in the parade.”

Prior to their departure for the Albany State campus, the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce distributed specially designed “Rams in the Roses” bags to band members. In October the Chamber Foundation presented a check for $25,000 to ASU in support of the “Rams in the Roses and Beyond” campaign.

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Daniel Scores 36 in Howard Men's Basketball Loss to Columbia

NEW YORK, New York -- James J-Byrd" Daniel III poured in a game-high 36 points but it was not enough to offset the balanced attack of the Columbia Lions as the hosts had four players score in double figures to get by Howard, 72-59 in a non-conference matchup Monday evening at the Levien Center.

Daniel, the leading scorer in the nation coming into the game with 28 points per game, did all he could to keep his team close through most of the game. The 5-11 junior guard from Hampton, VA accounted for 21 of his team's 25 first half points.

But the Lions (9-5) set the tone as Maodo Lo (12 points), Grant Mullins (8 points), CJ Grant (7 points) and Luke Petrasek (7 points) combined to lead Columbia to a 38-25 halftime lead.

"It is the same problem we ran into in the last game," recalled Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "Damon (Collins) and Tyler (Stone) got into early foul trouble and J Byrd got tired. That changed things. We had to go to some younger players and we were even smaller than when we started the game."

With Daniel as the Bison's only real offensive threat, the Lions were able to methodically build on their lead and keep the Bison at bay en route to their fifth straight victory.

"We missed some 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 opportunities," said Nickelberry. "We have to take advantage of those kind of opportunities. Right now, we just don't have the depth and experience to sustain those kind of hits."

Junior forward Solomon "Solo" Mangham was Howard's second leading scorer with nine points. Daniel was 9-of-29 from the field and the rest of the team made only 7-of-33 as the Bison shot 25 percent from the field.

Columbia did not shoot the ball especially well, but they connected on 11-of-25 from the three-point line and recorded 13 assists on 23 field goals.

The Bison defense forced 17 turnovers and picked up seven steals. Again, they continued their consistency from the free throw line where they shot 85 percent (23-of-27).

"I challenged the team to play harder and with more energy, something I did not think they did in the last game," he said.

GAME NOTES
- Daniel went 16-for-17 from the free throw line and he has now made 59-of-61 in the past six games…he leads the nation in free throws attempted and made…Cameron Lewis continues to show improvement...the freshman forward/center, who was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week on Monday, scored 4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 20 minutes.

NEXT UP
Howard travels out west to take on the Rainbows of the Un
iversity of Hawaiii on January 2 at 11:30 pm Eastern time.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON SPORTS INFORMATION

For Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball, losses are lucrative

HEAD COACH GEORGE IVORY
UAPB GOLDEN LIONS
WHO: Missouri vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

WHERE: Mizzou Arena, Columbia

WHEN: 8 p.m., Tuesday

TV: SEC Network + (Online)

TICKETS: Visit Missouri's athletics website

COLUMBIA, Missouri — During his seven-plus seasons as head coach of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball team, George Ivory has achievements to hang his hat on.

Ivory won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship for the first time in school history in 2010. His team went on to defeat Winthrop University in a play-in game in the NCAA Tournament that season.

There is one more thing Ivory is looking to accomplish next season, however. He wants a nonconference home game. Since Ivory became head coach in 2008, Arkansas-Pine Bluff has never hosted a team during nonconference play.

That includes this season. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-11) has opened the season with 14 consecutive nonconference games away from home. The Golden Lions wrap up this elongated road trip at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday when they take on Missouri (5-6).

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Six Players Score in Double Figures as Chicago State Falls at Oakland

ROCHESTER, Michigan -- Six players scored in double figures for the Chicago State men's basketball team here against host Oakland, but the Golden Grizzlies also has six players record double digit scoring en route to capturing a 101-93 win Monday night at the Blacktop at the O'Rena.

Leading the Green and White was freshman Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale), who recorded a team-best 18 points while adding four assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Junior Elliott Cole (Chicago, Ill./Powerhouse) finished with 15 points and redshirt sophomore Clemmye Owens V (Toledo, Ohio/Rogers) added 13 points to go along with dishing out a career-best six assists.Senior Jawad Adekoya (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) also tallied 13 points and junior Jordan Madrid-Andrews (Denver, Colo./Bishop Machebeauf) posted 10 points.

Junior Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) produced his team-leading fourth double-double of the season as he grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, in addition to tallying 10 points.

Senior Kieran Woods (Chicago, Ill./Crane) matched Palmer with 11 boards to go along with six points, four assists and two steals for CSU (4-11).

Oakland (8-4) was led by Kay Felder as he tallied game high totals of 23 points, 13 assists and eight steals.

Chicago State travels to Indiana for the finale of its three-game road swing as it takes on Ball State on New Year's Eve at Worthen Arena in Muncie with a start time of 2 p.m., Central Time.

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Johnson Scores Game High 19, TSU Falls at No. 7 Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Jayda Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, posting her second highest scoring performance of the season, as Tennessee State fell to No. 7 Kentucky on Monday evening. The Wildcats improved to 11-0 with an 81-39 victory over the Lady Tigers (5-7) in front of a crowd of 5,586 at Memorial Coliseum.

The two teams went back-and-forth to start the game with Johnson hitting a pair of buckets. Maxine Beard hit a jumper at the 6:27 mark to bring the Lady Tigers within one, 7-6.

The Wildcats extended its lead to 13-6 over the next three minutes before Johnson could convert on an old fashioned three-point play, cutting the deficit to four at 13-9. TSU would be held scoreless for the remaining of the first quarter and for just over four minutes into the second stanza.



The drought would allow UK to go on a 20-0 run, as they began to pull away building a 33-9 advantage. Johnson ended the Wildcats run with a bucket at 5:58 of the second period, which led to a 6-0 run for the Lady Tigers.

Johnson scored the second of her two buckets of the stretch on a fast break layup after I’mani Davis blocked a shot and fed Johnson for the easy two. Davis capped off the scoring for TSU with a layup giving the Big Blue six points in a 30 second span making the score 33-15.

That would be the closest TSU would get the rest of the night as they went into half time trailing 38-17.

UK shot 43 percent opposed to the Lady Tigers 24 percent in the first half. The Wildcats would heat up even more in the second half as they shot 52 percent from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the three-point line.

Kentucky attacked TSU with a balanced attack with six players in double figures, led by Evelyn Akhator’s 14 points.

Davis finished short of her second double-double of the season, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.

The Lady Tigers will close out non-conference play as they continue their holiday road trip at Youngstown State on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

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