Tusculum remains 23rd in USA TODAY/ESPN Division II Top 25 poll

LILBURN, Ga. --- For the second consecutive week, the Tusculum College women's basketball team is ranked 23rd in the USA TODAY/ESPN Division II Top 25 poll, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association has announced.

The Pioneers (3-3) picked up three wins during the week, defeating Lewis University 93-82 and then-7th-ranked University of Indianapolis 83-64 in action at the UIndy Thanksgiving Classic, before downing King College 64-46 Monday evening.

Delta State (5-0) moved into the top spot in the poll after capturing 21 first-place votes, after top-ranked Arkansas Tech lost 85-73 to West Alabama and fell to sixth in the rankings. Lander (6-0), which defeated Tusculum 72-48 in the season opener on November 13, moved up one slot to second in the poll, followed by Fort Lewis, Washburn and Seattle Pacific.

Clayton State (8-0), a 72-65 winner over the Pioneers on November 21, climbed from 13th to ninth in the survey while Indianapolis dropped to 11th after its loss to Tusculum. Among the schools receiving votes are Pioneer opponents Shaw and USC-Aiken. Tusculum is the lone South Atlantic Conference team to earn votes in this week's rankings.

Tusculum opens South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon with a 4:00 p.m. game at Newberry in a rematch of last year's Food Lion SAC Tournament championship game, won 67-55 by the Pioneers.

#1 Golden Bears Kick Off National Tournament Tomorrow

Dec. 01– LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The #1 Golden Bears (29-4, 20-0 NSIC) are set to take on #6 Cal State San Bernardino (28-2) tomorrow, after being in Kentucky for almost two days. CU will take on the Coyotes at 11 a.m. CST. The Golden Bears and Coyotes have a storied history in the NCAA Elite Eight, this marks the third straight year they face each other in the National Tournament, and the fourth time since 2003. So far CU has had the favorable outcome the first three times. This will be the first time they face them in the opening round.

Concordia has won 19 straight matches since falling to Southwest Minnesota State on the road, September 28. Since 2007 the Golden Bears have won 21 straight NCAA Tornament Matches on their way to three straight national titles. Last week CU captured their fourth straight NCAA Regional. The Golden Bears are 4-1 all time in the NCAA National Quarterfinals.

This marks the first time since CU won the National Championship in 2007 that they will be on the road for the National Tournament. This year CU is in Louisville, Kentucky for the NCAA's Fall Festival hosted by Bellarmine University.

The Golden Bears are looking to win their fourth straight National Title and send seniors Emily Palkert and Krista Erickson off with four Championship Rings. They face a tough task as the route features a match with west coast rival Cal State in the first round and possible rematches with either Tampa or Grand Valley State in the finals if CU can get that far. Both Tampa and Grand Valley State have handed the Golden Bears a loss this season.

CU takes the court with five AVCA All-Americans including National Freshman of the Year Amanda Konetchy. CU also has AVCA Regional Coach of the Year Brady Starkey at the helm. You can catch all the matches in the Elite Eight at NCAA.com or clicking on the link above.

Four Nebraska-Kearney Players Named to SID All-Region Team

One on First-Team, Three on Second-Team 
All First Time Selections 

Kearney, Neb. - Nebraska-Kearney football players Mason Brodine, Arthur Hobbs, Sam Kuck and Orion Matthies have been named to the 2010 Daktronics Super Region # 3 team.

Sports information directors from within the region nominate and vote on the makeup of the team. A first and second team is chosen (50 players total) with first team picks moving on to the national ballot where they could earn All-American honors.

Super Region # 3 is made up schools in the RMAC, NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) and GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) as well as several independents.

Matthies (Overton), UNK's right tackle the past four years, joined Chadron State kicker Michael Ziola as the only RMAC players chosen first-team offense. Selected second-team defense were Brodine (DE/Elm Creek), Hobbs (CB/San Diego, Calif.) and Kuck (S/Central City).

This is the first time any of the Lopers have made this specific all-region team.

Matthies, a unanimous first-team All-RMAC pick, blocked for an offense that averaged 35.3 points and 445 yards per game. A two-year starter at defensive end, Brodine made 46 tackles this year, including a team-best 5.5 sacks. He also had 10 QB hurries and two blocked kicks.

In his first year as a starting free safety, Kuck had 76 tackles, three INT's, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups in 10 games played. A transfer from Grossmont (Calif.) College, Hobbs had 60 tackles, to go along with two INT's and 12 pass breakups.

Minnesota-Duluth senior running back Isaac Odim was tabbed as the region's Offensive Player of the Year while Colorado School of Mines senior end was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

UNK went 9-2 in 2010, tying for the RMAC title with an 8-1 league record.

Duncan Repeats as Daktronics National Player of the Year

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – For the second straight season, West Florida senior forward Shakira Duncan (Kingston, Jamaica/Darton) was named Ron Lenz National Player of the Year, headlining the 2010 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer All-America Team announced on Wednesday.  Duncan also earned her second straight Daktronics All-America first team selection.

Duncan is now the first two-time national player of the year across all sports at West Florida, and she is now the second two-time national player of the year in Gulf South Conference women’s soccer history, following Christian Brothers’ Missy Gregg in 2001 and 2002.

“This speaks volumes to the kind of player Shakira is,” said UWF head coach Joe Bartlinski.  “It also shows the impression she left on all of Division II, not just the Gulf South Conference.  She’s a special player, and there won’t be many others like her.”

Duncan finished her senior season with 31 goals, just two shy of her own single season program record set last year.  The Jamaican forward broke the UWF career records in goals (64) and points (153) in just two seasons, and she ranks third in GSC history in goals and points behind Gregg.  Duncan is also a two-time All-GSC first team and GSC All-Tournament Team selection, and she was named GSC Player of the Year this season.  Last year, Duncan was a Daktronics and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) first team All-American.

This year marks the third straight season that UWF has claimed the Daktronics National Player of the Year, as Shaneka Gordon won the award for the Argonauts in 2008.  Duncan is now the sixth Argonaut to earn Daktronics All-America honors two times, and she is the fourth to be a two-time first team selection.

The Ron Lenz National Player of the Year award was named for long-time South Dakota State sports information director Ron Lenz in 2008.  Lenz was instrumental in the foundation of the Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America program, which honors outstanding student-athletes across eight NCAA Division II sports.

Sports information directors from NCAA Division II schools and conferences selected the three Daktronics All-America teams. The process begins at the regional level with all first-team all-region picks advancing to the national ballot. This is the fifth year Daktronics has sponsored the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer All-America and all-region teams. A total of 39 student-athletes representing 24 different institutions filled out the three teams.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the NCAA Division II members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA), with the online nomination and voting process powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.

For information on all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

Gannon's Cook Named to Daktronics All-Super Region One Football Second Team

ERIE, Pa. - Gannon’s Chris Cook (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) has been named to the Daktronics All-Super Region One football second team released Wednesday afternoon.

Cook posted 65 tackles (37 solo, 28 assisted), one tackle for a loss (11 yards), four interceptions, four pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. The junior cornerback ranked seventh among PSAC players in interceptions per game (0.36) and 36th in tackles per game (5.9). A two-time All-PSAC selection, he ranked 55th among all NCAA Division II players in interceptions per game.

The Cleveland, Ohio, native reached double digits in tackles twice. Cook ranks fourth all-time at Gannon with 11 career interceptions. He set a school record with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown against Clarion.

Gannon concluded the 2010 campaign with a 6-5 record for the second consecutive season, marking the program’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 1995.

First Full Week of CCAA Basketball Actions Begins This Weekend

WALNUT CREEK – After three weeks of primarily playing non-conference games, this week marks the first full week of California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action for the conference’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The premier men’s game of the opening weekend will feature defending national champion and top-ranked Cal Poly Pomona traveling to Carson to take on No. 15 Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Cal Poly Pomona (1-0) is returning to the court for the first time since it defeated Pacifica College in its season opener on Nov. 17, while Cal State Dominguez Hills is 5-0 and coming off a 54-38 victory over Cal State L.A. in both teams’ CCAA opener on Saturday.

Friday’s men’s schedule also pits Sonoma State at Cal State Stanislaus, Humboldt State at Chico State, Cal State East Bay at San Francisco State, UC San Diego at Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State San Bernardino at Cal State L.A. All games begin at 7:30 p.m.

Three teams – Cal State Dominguez Hills, Chico State (4-0) and Humboldt State (4-0) – remain undefeated on the young season, while the Toros, Wildcats and San Francisco State own 1-0 conference records.

Cal Poly Pomona and Humboldt State are the defending regular-season co-champions, while Cal State San Bernardino is the defending tournament champion.

On the women’s side, No. 21 Chico State leads all CCAA teams with a 4-0 record that includes a 2-0 mark in conference play. The Wildcats opened league play last week and twice defeated Cal State Stanislaus.

Chico State is joined by Cal State L.A. (3-0, 1-0), Cal State Monterey Bay (4-0, 1-0), Sonoma State (3-0, 1-0) and Cal State San Bernardino (3-0) as teams that are undefeated.

Friday’s women’s match-ups are the same as the men’s with all games beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The first full weekend of CCAA play concludes on Saturday with Sonoma State at Chico State, Humboldt State at Cal State Stanislaus, UC San Diego at San Francisco State, Cal State East Bay at Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State L.A. and Cal State San Bernardino at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

UC San Diego is the four-time defending regular-season champion and Humboldt State is the reigning tournament champion.

This Week's CCAA Basketball Schedule

Women
Fri., Dec. 3
*Sonoma State at Cal State Stanislaus; 5:30 p.m.
*Humboldt State at Chico State; 5:30 p.m.
*Cal State East Bay at San Francisco State; 5:30 p.m.
*UC San Diego at Cal State Monterey Bay; 5:30 p.m.
*Cal Poly Pomona at CSU Dominguez Hills; 5:30 p.m.
*CSU San Bernardino at Cal State L.A.; 5:30 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 4
*Sonoma State at Chico State; 5:30 p.m.
*Humboldt State at Cal State Stanislaus; 5:30 p.m.
*UC San Diego at San Francisco State; 5:30 p.m.
*Cal State East Bay at CSU Monterey Bay; 5:30 p.m.
*Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State L.A.; 5:30 p.m.
*CSU San Bernardino at CSU Dominguez Hills; 5:30 p.m.

Men
Fri., Dec. 3
*Sonoma State at Cal State Stanislaus; 7:30 p.m.
*Humboldt State at Chico State; 7:30 p.m.
*Cal State East Bay at San Francisco State; 7:30 p.m.
*UC San Diego at Cal State Monterey Bay; 7:30 p.m.
*Cal Poly Pomona at CSU Dominguez Hills; 7:30 p.m.
*CSU San Bernardino at Cal State L.A.; 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 4
*Sonoma State at Chico State; 7:30 p.m.
*Humboldt State at Cal State Stanislaus; 7:30 p.m.
*UC San Diego at San Francisco State; 7:30 p.m.
*Cal State East Bay at CSU Monterey Bay; 7:30 p.m.
*Cal Poly Pomona at Cal State L.A.; 7:30 p.m.
*CSU San Bernardino at CSU Dominguez Hills; 7:30 p.m.

Millersville’s Smith Picked to All-Super Region 1 First Team

Millersville, Pa. - Senior wide receiver Jamal Smith (Camp Hill/Trinity) was among the most prolific wide receivers in Division II in 2010, and after being selected to the Daktronics All-Super Region 1 First Team, he'll be placed on the Daktronics All-America ballot.

Smith and Mercyhurst's Trevor Kennedy were the top vote-getters at wide receiver. The Super Region 1 includes 47 programs from the PSAC, WVIAC, CIAA and NE-10. The Daktronics team is voted on by the region's sports information directors.

Smith is Millersville's first All-Super Region 1 selection since offensive lineman Adam Cobb in 2008. He is also the first Marauder to garner Daktronics First Team honors since wide receiver Mike McFetridge in 1998. The last Millersville player to earn All-America honors of any kind was Dondre Gilliam in 2000.

Among PSAC wide receivers, Smith had no equal. He was the only player in the 16-team league to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards, finishing 1,184 yards. He also hauled in a conference-leading 12 touchdowns.

Smith's 2010 receiving yards total ranked second-most in Millersville history and was first in regular season totals . He was one touchdown shy of the school record. He also totaled 1,685 all-purpose yards, which ranked third in the PSAC and third-most in Millersville history.

The Daktronics All-America teams will be announced on Dec. 14.

Freed Repeats as Daktronics Division II Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University outside linebacker Matt Freed has been named the Daktronics Division II Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, it was announced Wednesday.

Freed (Souderton/Souderton), a redshirt senior, had 120 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception in his final season for the Warriors as he wrapped up one of the top careers in school history.

Freed, the only defensive player among the 24 candidates for the Harlon Hill Award for the top player in Division II, will be one of four players on the ballot for the Daktronics Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was also voted to the All-Region first team for the third straight season and is a two-time first team All-American.

Quarterback Zach Amedro of West Liberty (W.V.) also repeated as the region’s Offensive Player of the Year after setting the Division II record with 14,733 career passing yards, breaking the old standard of 14,350 held by ESU’s Jimmy Terwilliger (2003-06). Amedro ranks second behind Terwilliger with 126 career touchdown passes and 14,598 yards of total offense.

The voting for the Daktronics All-Region team is conducted by the sports information directors in the region, which is comprised of the Pennsylvania State Athletic, West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic, Northeast 10 and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences. The first team selections from each of the nation’s four regions advance to the national ballot.

Freed finished his career ranked third in school history with 399 tackles and had 45 tackles for a loss, 22.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and five interceptions as a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter. His 228 career solo tackles and 5.3 solo tackles per game are both in the top 10 in Division II since 2000, and he ranks 13th in total career tackles.

As a senior, Freed hit double-figures in tackles in eight of the Warriors’ 11 games. His top performances included 17 tackles, 1.5 TFL and a sack at Bloomsburg; 11 tackles, 4.0 TFL and a career-high 3.0 sacks vs. Kutztown; 11 tackles, 2.0 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble at Millersville; and 14 tackles and a sack at Edinboro in his final career game.

He was second in the PSAC and ninth in Division II with 10.9 tackles per game during the regular season, and led the conference and ranked fourth in the nation with 6.1 solo tackles per game (67 in 11 games). He compiled 80 tackles, 10.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks in seven games against the PSAC East.

In his 34 career starts, Freed had 24 games with 10+ tackles and 31 games with eight or more stops. He never had fewer than six tackles in a game over the past three years and had at least one tackle for a loss in 21 of 23 games in the past two seasons.

Freed was recognized as last year’s regional Defensive Player of the Year after posting 132 tackles, 18.0 TFL and 10 sacks while leading the Warriors to their fourth-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. He had 126 tackles, 11.0 TFL, four sacks and four interceptions to earn first team All-America status in his first year as a starter as a redshirt sophomore in 2008.

Freed’s additional career honors include two first team Academic All-America awards and a pair of selections to the Associated Press Little All-America third team. He can become the first player in school history to earn three AP Little All-America honors when the teams are announced later this month.


Offensive Player of the Year – Zach Amedro, West Liberty
Defensive Player of the Year – Matt Freed, ESU

Offense – 1st Team
QB – Zach Amedro, West Liberty
RB – Franklyn Quiteh, Bloomsburg*
RB – Walter Sanders, St. Augustine’s
WR – Jamal Smith, Millersville*
WR – Trevor Kennedy, Mercyhurst*
TE – Ryan Travis, West Liberty
OL – Brandon Fusco, Slippery Rock*
OL – Dan Jordan, California
OL – Nick Piccirillo, California
OL – Pat Casey, Bloomsburg
OL – Nick Madia, West Liberty
OL – Larry Wriedt, West Liberty
K – C.J. Bahr, Slippery Rock
RET – Trevor Kennedy, Mercyhurst

Offense – 2nd Team
QB – Kevin Morton, Kutztown
QB – Travis Rearick, Mercyhurst
RB – Akeem Satterfield, Slippery Rock
RB – Alfonso Hoggard, Clarion
WR – David Canney, Assumption
WR – Erik Frazier, Kutztown
WR – Darnel Williams, C.W. Post
TE – Mike Slattery, Bentley
OL – Matt Sidebottom, Assumption
OL – David Bellmont, Merrimack
OL – Aaron McGlynn, Kutztown
OL – David Stedman, New Haven
K – Dan Fisher, Bloomsburg
RET – Deante Steele, Shepherd

Defense – 1st Team
DL – Malcolm Jenkins, Elizabeth City State*
DL – Xavier Brown, C.W. Post
DL – Fred Hale, Mercyhurst
DL – Tony Johnson, Merrimack
LB – Bryan Boyce, Mercyhurst*
LB – Matt Freed, ESU
LB – Mike Varanavage, Bloomsburg
LB – Shawn Loiseau, Merrimack
CB – Keon Robinson, Shepherd*
CB – Desmond Anderson, New Haven
S – Nick Sipes, Clarion*
S – Ian Wild, Mercyhurst
P – Ben Landis, Fairmont State

Defense – 2nd Team
DL – Jonas Celian, WV Wesleyan
DL – Daniel Allen, Southern Conn. State
DL – Kevin Bolinsky, Kutztown
DL – Mike Gee, IUP
DL – Barrington Morrison, Clarion
LB – Clay Beeler, West Liberty
LB – Brucelee Sterile, Lincoln
LB – Brian Taylor, Shepherd
LB – Zach Sheridan, Slippery Rock
LB – Brett Diamond, California
CB – Robert Doiley, Slippery Rock
CB – Chris Cook, Gannon
S – Dewey McDonald, Fairmont State
S – Erik Harris, California
P – Derek Fiorenza, California

* indicates that player was top vote-getter at position

Randolph, Cabral, Harris named first team All-Region

NEWBERRY, S.C. - Mars Hil running back Jonas Randolph, defensive lineman Maurice Harris and linebacker Rudy Cabral were named to the 2010 Daktronics Super Region 2 first team offensive and defensive squads, as selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). All three are now eligible for the All-American teams.

Randolph earns a first team selection for the second consecutive season. He led the South Atlantic Conference in rushing for two consecutive seasons. Through three seasons, Randolph has 37 touchdowns, 3,438 rushing yards and 222 points scored, all school career records.

Harris had a league-best 11 sacks. Cabral led the conference with 104 total tackles.

Henderson State quarterback Nick Hardesty and Valdosta State linebacker Larry Dean were named the 2010 Daktronics Super Region 2 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

The Daktronics All-America teams will be released on Tuesday, December 14.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. Voting for the all-region and All-American teams is powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.

Visit mhclions.com for the latest news and info on Mars Hill College Athletics.

Tillman Stevens Selected First Team Daktronics All-Super Region 4

PORTALES, N.M. —  Senior defensive back Tillman Stevens (Baytown, Texas/Sterling HS) from the Eastern New Mexico University football team has been selected First Team Daktronics All-Super Region 4, for his outstanding efforts on the field during the 2010 season. Stevens was one of two defensive backs from the LSC North Division to earn first team honors, joining Dontae Smith from East Central.

The award caps a season, which saw the senior defensive back earn Lone Star Conference North Division Defensive Back of the Year and First Team All-LSC North. Stevens also was selected as a D2Football.com Defensive Player of the Week and LSC North Defensive Player of the Week for a three-interception, ten-tackle performance against University of Central Oklahoma. With his selection, he will advance to the national ballot, with a chance at making All-American.

Stevens led the Lone Star Conference and finished tied for seventh in the nation, with 11.1 tackles per game. He also tied for the conference lead and 11th in the country with six interceptions, including one, which her returned 62 yards for a score against Central Oklahoma.

He registered a career-high three interceptions along with ten tackles and two passes broken up. In the fourth quarter, he sealed the game by returning an interception 62 yards for a score. For the game, Stevens registered 81 yards on interception returns. Stevens has intercepted five passes in the last two games. Of his 122 tackles, he made 61 solo stops and seven tackles for a loss. In a win over Southeastern Oklahoma State, Stevens blocked a point-after-touchdown attempt, giving him a blocked kick for the third consecutive season.

Four Hoggies Named All-Region

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville football team had four defensive players named to the 2010 All-Super Region 4 Football Team on Wednesday.  Tressor Baptiste (New York, NY/Curtis HS) earned first team honors while DeIra Glover (Hempstead/Hempstead HS), Corey Robertson (Denison/Denison HS) and Johnny Tivao (Compton, CA/Paramount HS) each earned second team honors.
      
Baptiste backed up his Lone Star Conference South Division Linebacker of the Year Award by grabbing first team all-region honors.  He led the Javelinas with 40 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.  He accumulated 66 tackles on the season and spearheaded a defensive unit that is first in the nation in rushing defense allowing a school record 57.0 yards per game.  He was a key part of a defense that led the LSC in six different statistical categories.
      
Glover, a strong safety, and Robertson, a free safety, are each three year starters who earned LSC South First Team honors this year.  Glover had 67 tackles, two tackles for loss and two interceptions while Robertson had 59 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, six pass breakups and a fumble return for a touchdown.
      
Tivao is a run-stuffing defensive tackle who was also a first team all-conference performer.  He tallied 23 tackles while going against double and triple teams each game.
      
Baptiste advances to the Daktronics All-America ballot. The team, which is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems, is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

UCO's Birmingham named to All-Region team

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (Dec. 1) – Central Oklahoma running back Josh Birmingham has been named a first-team selection on the 2010 NCAA Division II Daktronics All-Super Region 4 Football Team, it was announced Wednesday.

The redshirt freshman from Luther is one of two running backs on the first-team all-region unit and remains in the running for All-America honors.  Four all-region teams are selected from around the country in voting of Division II sports information directors, with all first-team players going on the All-America ballot.

Birmingham put together a sensational season this fall and was one of 24 candidates nominated for the Harlon Hill Trophy that goes to the NCAA Division II Player of the Year.  He rushed for 1,250 yards and 18 touchdowns on 243 carries while also catching a team-high 49 passes for 384 yards and three more TDs.

Birmingham finished in the top 10 in five single-season statistical categories at UCO – second in all-purpose yards (1,645), third in both touchdowns (21) and points (126), seventh in receptions (49) and eighth in rushing yards (1,250).  He ranked third in the NCAA Division II scoring race this season, averaging 11.45 points a game.

The rookie standout also set a school career record for touchdown runs of 50-plus yards in his first year with the Bronchos, ripping of TD runs of 58, 60, 66 and 81 yards.

SRU quintet receive Daktronics Inc. all-region football honors

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Senior kicking specialist C.J. Bahr and senior offensive center Brandon Fusco headlined a group of five Slippery Rock University football student athletes named Wednesday as All-Super Region I performers by Daktronics, Inc.

Bahr and Fusco were each named to the all-region first team.

They were joined on the all-region team by three Rock teammates who earned second-team status, senior cornerback Robert Doiley, sophomore running back Akeem Satterfield and junior linebacker Zach Sheridan.

As first-team all-region selections, Bahr and Fusco are now eligible for Daktronics Inc. All-America honors.

The all-region honors came on the heels of Bahr, Doiley and Fusco being named as first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division performers last week. Satterfield was a second-team All-PSAC-West selection. Sheridan, despite being one of the top tacklers in the PSAC this fall, failed to earn all-conference honors after being a second-team All-PSAC-West performer in 2009.

Bahr was The Rock’s second leading scorer this fall with 55 points on a 25-of-28 efficiency in extra point attempts and a 10-of-13 accuracy on field goals. He kicked a season-best 47-yard field goal in SRU’s Week 3 win over West Chester.

A native of Boalsburg and graduate of State College High School, Bahr set school records for single-season extra points (50 as a freshman in 2007) and consecutive extra points kicked (65) and tied the career field goals record (35). He finished his four-year Rock career ranked second in extra points (135) and tied for fifth place on SRU’s all-time scoring list with 242 points.

In addition to his two All-PSAC-West first-team honors, Bahr was a finalist in 2009 for the inaugural Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award presented to the top college-division kicker in the nation and earned a third-team Don Hansen’s Football Gazette all-region honor. A sport management major and owner of a 3.7 GPA, he also earned second-team ESPN Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The son of former Penn State and NFL kicker Chris Bahr, C.J. is currently ranked 25th overall among draft-eligible kickers by cbssports.com and is the No. 2-ranked college-division kicker.

Fusco, a native of Cranberry Township and graduate of Seneca Valley High School, has collected an impressive array of awards during his four-year Rock career. He added to that collection when he received the most votes among all offensive linemen candidates in the Daktronics all-region balloting. One week earlier, he received the most votes among 10 candidates in Super Region One competition for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award.

In addition to those honors, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Fusco earned four first-team Preseason All-America honors last summer and has received three three first-team All-PSAC-West citations.

A year ago, Fusco was a second-team Football Gazette All-America selection and finished third in the Upshaw Award’s super-region competition.

Currently ranked fourth by cbssports.com among all draft-eligible centers, regardless of NCAA classification and first among college-division centers, Fusco is projected to be a fifth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He is also a Rock-solid candidate for All-America honors and invitations to postseason all-star games.

Doiley, a native of McKeesport and graduate of McKeesport High School,  recorded 38 tackles this fall including five for loss (-14 yards). He  also intercepted two passes, broke up five others, forced one fumble and  recovered one fumble. The Rock’s top punt return specialist, Doiley  averaged 14.0 yards per return, which ranked as the second best average  among PSAC student athletes.

Satterfield was the conference’s leading scorer with 20 touchdowns in 10  games and No. 2 rusher (135.2 yards per game) this fall. A native of  Erie and graduate of Cathedral Prep High School, he ranked second among  NCAA Division II players in scoring and was ranked fifth in  rushing.

Satterfield’s TD total was the second highest in school history, while  his 1,352 rushing yards in the fifth highest by a Rock runner. He also  ranks 16th on SRU’s career scoring list with 144 points in two  collegiate campaigns. Satterfield earned PSAC-West “Offensive Player of  the Week” honors on two occasions during the 2010 season (Sept. 6 and  Sept. 19).

Sheridan, a native of Pittsburgh and graduate of Seton-LaSalle High School, led The Rock and was the No. 5 tackler in the conference this fall with 102 total tackles (43 solo, 59 assisted). He was the first Rock player to record 100 or more tackles in a season since Mike Waszczuk had 102 in 1998. Sheridan also recorded two tackles for loss, one quarterback sack, broke up two passes and recovered one fumble.

The all-region quintet led The Rock to a 6-5 final record and a 3-4 mark in  PSAC-West action that earned them a share of fourth place in the  eight-team division.

MENS BASKETBALL OPENS UP MIAA PLAY AT HOME AGAINST PITTSBURG STATE

Setting the Scene:
The Griffons are coming off of a tough week last week going just 1-2 in road regional games. Western opened the week defeating the Quincy Hawks by a score of 92-88 and then fell twice in the Fairfield Inn Invitational hosted by Central Oklahoma. Western fell to the Southwestern Oklahoma Bulldogs 79-70 in the first ever meeting between the two school and then fell to the 10th ranked Central Oklahoma Bronchos by a score of 92-86. The Griffons come into the game with a 2-3 overall record. The Gorillas are 4-0 on the season coming off a 64-61 victory over Missouri S&T in Rolla, Mo. on November 28. The other three victories came against Central Bible College, College of the Ozarks and Newman University. The Gorillas are 1-0 on the road and 2-0 on a neutral floor this season while the Griffons are 1-1 at home.  

The Last Time against the Gorillas in a home MIAA opener:
The last time the Griffons played the Gorillas in a home MIAA opener was on December 3, 2008. Western defeated Pittsburg State 86-75 behind 23 points from Dominique Thuston. Western had four other players in double figures with James Bush and Lonnel Johnson dumping in 15 points apiece while Marcus Rhodes and Leonard Parker chipped in 10. Western made 10-of-19 long range shots in the game. The Gorillas were led by Carlos Taylor as he dumped in 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting. Spencer Magana dumped in 12 points.

Last season against the Gorillas in the MIAA opener:
Last season the Griffons opened the MIAA season on the road against the Gorillas. The Griffons defeated the Gorillas 80-77 on December 2, 2009 in John Lance Arena. Western was led by Marcus Rhodes with 19 points while James Bush, Dominque Thuston and Justin Taylor dumped in 16, 12 and 13 respectively. The Gorillas were led by Spencer Magana with 26 points while CJ Masters scored 19 and Rodney Grace pitched in 13. Western made 20 free throws and nailed 10-of-23 from long range.

Last season in the Griffon home MIAA opener:
Last season the Griffons defeated the Emporia State Hornets in its MIAA home opener by a score of 89-62 in front of 1691 fans in the fieldhouse on December 5, 2009. Seven different Griffons scored in double figures with Quentin Noblin, James Bush, Martin Nolan and Justin Taylor all scoring 13 points. Dominique Thuston pitched in 12 while Marcus Rhodes and Brandon Beck each scoring 10. The Hornets were led by Tim Niles with 18 points while Jeremiah Box pitched in 10. Western outscored the Hornets 47-24 in the second half on their way to victory.

Scouting the Griffons:
So far this season the Griffons are averaging 80.8 points per contest but giving up 82.4 points per game. Western is shooting 45.5-percent (132-290) from the field and 36.8-percent (50-136) from long range. Western is shooting free throws well making 70.9-percent (90-127) of its chances. The Griffons have been outrebounded 37 to 41.2 per game but have 80 assists on its 132 field goals. The Griffons have blocked 18 shots and have 38 steals on the season. Jonathan Phelps leads the way for Western with 20.6 points per game while P’Allen Stinnett is dumping 17.6 points per contest and TJ Johnson is scoring 15 points a game. Johnson leads the Griffons on the boards averaging 7.6 per game. Stinnett has 26 assists and 11 steals on the season while Johnson has dished out 18 assists. Johnson is shooting 51.2-percent (21-41) from the field while Jeffery West has made 55.6-percent (5-of-9) of his long range shot. Johnson has made 31-of-41 free throw attempts while Stinnett has connected on 16-of-22 attempts.

The Series: Missouri Western holds the series edge 36-26 , including a 21-9 lead in games played in St. Joseph. MWSU also has won four of the last five at home. The Griffons have won the last four match-ups.

The Coaches vs. Each program:
Head Coach Tom Smith is 20-21 at Western against the Gorillas while this will be the first ever meeting against coach Kevin Muff. Since the year 2000 Coach Smith has led his team to a 14-9 overall record against the Gorillas. Smith and the Griffons are 8-4 in the MWSU Fieldhouse against the Gorillas and 6-5 when playing in Pittsburg, Kan. in John Lance Arena.

About the Opponent:

This season, the Pittsburg State men came racing out of the gates, winning the first four games on the schedule.  Pitt State is 1-0 at home, 1-0 on the road and 2-0 on a neutral floor. The Gorillas opened the season defeating Newman University on November 16 in Pittsburg, Kan. by a score of 95-68 with JaVon McGee leading the charge with 16 points and 12 rebounds. PSU then defeated College of the Ozarks 91-73 and Central Bible College 75-45 before sneaking by Missouri S & T on November 28 by a score of 64-61 in Rolla, Mo. Logan Jones and Chris Ware are averaging 12.3 points per contest with four other Gorillas averaging seven points or better. Ware averages 6.5 rebounds per game while Andra Bailey snares 8.5 per contest. Jones has 16 assists while Jordan Embers has 10. As a team the Gorillas are shooting 50.4-percent (122-242) from the field and 35.1-percent (20-57) from long range. The Gorillas are also making 70.1-percent (61-87) of its free throws. The Gorillas have dominated the rebounds snaring 44.8 to its opponents 28.0 per game. PSU has 57 offensive rebounds to go along with 122 defensive. PSU had 57 assists to go along with 39 steals on the season.

In MIAA Home Openers Since 1989-90:
The Griffons are 18-3 in home MIAA openers since joining the league. Western is 2-1 against Pittsburg State when opening MIAA at home against the Gorillas. Western lost against the Gorillas in 1996 by a score of 76-73. Western then beat the Gorillas 87-76 on January 5, 2000 and beat the Gorillas in 2008. Western has won its last six home MIAA openers.

In MIAA  Road Openers Since 1989-90:
The Griffons are 12-9 in road MIAA openers since joining the league. Western is 1-2 on the road against the Gorillas when opening up road MIAA action. Western’s lone victory came last season by a score of 80-77. Western lost to the Gorillas on December 10, 2005 by a score of 80-60 and on January 3, 2001 by a score of 64-61.

In MIAA  Openers Since 1989-90:
Western is 30-12 in MIAA openers since joining the MIAA. Western has won its last three MIAA openers.

Shooting the long ball:
The Griffons average 10 three points baskets a game. Western has made 36.8-percent (50-136) from beyond the arc. The Griffons are led by Jonathan Phelps sinking 40.8-percent (20-49) from long range. P’Allen Stinnett has made 10-of-25 from long range which included seven against Avila. Jeffery West has made 5-of-9 from long distance.

Double-Doubles:
TJ Johnson has recorded two double-doubles on the season coming against Avila and Central Oklahoma. Johnson had 17 points and 11 rebounds in both contests. Johnson has scored in double figures in four of the Griffons five games.

Sixth Man:
Phelps had been a spark plug off the bench scoring in double figures in all five games which included a career and season high 28 against Michigan Tech. He has scored twenty or more points in three of the Griffons five contests.

Men's Basketball: Lewis At Maryville Game Notes

Romeoville, Ill. - The Lewis University men's basketball team opens up the 2010-11 Great Lakes Valley Conference campaign on Thursday (Dec. 2) night, as the Flyers (3-4) head to St. Louis to square off with Maryville (2-2). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. (CST) at Moloney Arena.
  
Live stats, audio and video streaming - provided by Maryville - for Thursday's contest can be found on www.LewisFlyers.com.

Head Coaches: Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost is in his fifth season at the helm of the Flyers and has a record of 71-52 (.577). In 13 seasons of coaching, Trost owns a mark of 224-138 (.619). Maryville head men's basketball coach Kevin Carroll is in his first season as the Saints' skipper.

All-Time Series: Lewis holds an 1-0 advantage over Maryville in their all-time series.

Last Time We Met: Lewis, led by 17 points apiece from sophomore forward Justin Jarosz and junior guard Dennis Thomas, Jr., used a 24-2 run to end the first half on their way to the 86-59 GLVC win over Maryville on December 5, 2009.

Last Time Out: Lewis rallied from an 18-point, second-half deficit to tie No. 25 Hillsdale with 39 seconds left, but the host Chargers drained a three-pointer with 13 seconds left to clinch the 80-77 win over the visiting Flyers on Saturday (Nov. 27) afternoon. Thomas and junior center Marty Strus (8 rebounds) led the Flyers in scoring with 16 points.

Finishing Strong: Lewis is averaging 40.6 points-per-game in the second half this season as opposed to 31.6 points-per-game in the opening stanza.

New Number: Sophomore guard David Bryant has changed his number from 14 to 12 in honor of his late brother Kevin who played for Trost at Illinois Wesleyan from 2004-06.

1,000 Victories: Lewis needs six more victories to reach the program's 1,000th all-time win.

Block Party: Strus needs 30 blocks this season to break the career-record of 140 set by Austin Real (2000-04). In each of his first two seasons, Strus has broken the single-season record for blocks with 54 in 2009-10 and 50 in 2008-09.

Dead Eye: Junior point guard Chris McClellan currently sits as Lewis' all-time leader in free throw percentage, knocking down 90.4% (122-for-135) of his attempts. The Buffalo Grove, Ill., native has converted his last 22 attempts.

Welcome Back: Junior forward Lonnie Lawrence returns to the Lewis line-up after missing the entire 2009-10 campaign after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in his career.

Good Genes: Sophomore forward Matt Toth chose a different athletic path than his father Tom. Tom Toth played five years in the National Football League, including starting 12 games at right guard for Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in 1987.

Three's Company: Since the 2000-01 campaign, Lewis has made at least one three pointer in 295 straight games. The Flyers currently lead the GLVC with 54 three-pointers made this season.

Three's Company (Part Deux): Averaging 7.7 three-pointers per-game, Lewis is on pace to knock down 223 trifectas through the end of GLVC regular-season play, which would be the second-most in school-history for a single-season. The 2002-03 edition of the Flyers made 244 three-pointers.

GLVC Openers: Under Trost, Lewis is 1-3 in GLVC openers, with the Flyers' lone victory coming in an 83-80 overtime victory over Drury on Nov. 30, 2006.

Charity Stripe: Lewis has made 74.8% (107-for-143) of their free throw attempts this season, which would be good for the second-best in school-history for a single-season.

GLVC Schedule Opens Thursday

SPRINGFIELD – After matching last year’s win total with a victory Monday night, the Illinois-Springfield women’s basketball team looks for its first Great Lakes Valley Conference ‘W’ Thursday evening at Drury.

The Prairie Stars shot a blistering 63 percent from the field in the first half Monday, which was the highest percentage under head coach Marne Fauser. In the game, freshman Megan Bergerud scored a career-high 18 points and classmate Mallory Beck pulled down a career-best 10 rebounds.

For the season, UIS is led offensively by Paulina Pogorzelski, who averages 13 points a game, while Bergerud leads the Prairie Stars with 7.5 rebounds per contest. Also on defense, Pogorzelski and junior Alex Blair lead UIS with seven and five blocks respectively.

Drury comes into Thursday’s game 2-4 and has dropped three of its last four. During the Panthers three straight losses they averaged just 59 points a game, while giving up 65. Thursday will also be the Panthers first of three straight games at home before six consecutive on the road.

Leading Drury on offense is Ja’Nell Jones, who is scoring 18.3 points per game, while also pulling down six rebounds. The Panthers are shooting just 28 percent from outside and average 17 turnovers a game.

Saturday’s opponent, Missouri S&T is 3-2 this season, but had lost two straight before winning last Saturday against Westminster.

This season for the Miners, Julie Meyer is leading the team with 12.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. As a team, S&T is shooting 44 percent from the floor, but is just connecting on 62 percent of its free throws.