Bearcats light it up in second half, defeat Mules 96-78

(Bolivar, Mo.) – The Southwest Baptist Bearcats lit up the scoreboard in the second stanza for 56 points, hitting 10-of-14 from three-point range and 57 percent from the field on their way to a 96-78 win over the No. 12 Central Missouri Mules on Tuesday night in the MIAA opener.
          
Senior point guard Tomas Brock hit for a career-high 32 points (6-of-6 from three) to lead the Bearcat attack, hitting 11 of his 14 shots from the floor.
          
Central Missouri (5-2, 0-1 MIAA) withstood the opening flurry of Southwest Baptist (4-3, 1-0 MIAA), holding it close enough to make a comeback in the first half. The Bearcats built an 11-3 lead in the first 4:13, but the Mules fought back to tie it up at 11 on a three from senior guard Tyrone Young.
Neither team led by more than four the rest of the way, with seven ties and nine lead changes.  UCM got a three from junior guard Reggie Stallings with 1:53 left to give the Mules a 41-40 lead. The Mules would take that advantage into the break.

SBU put up 20 three-point attempts in the half, sinking seven of them, while the Mules hit 5-of-16 attempts. The Mules had a 22-16 edge on the glass in the half, and out-scored the Bearcats 16-8 in the paint.

Senior guard Ryan Harris paced the UCM offense in the opening period, scoring 13 points, while Stallings tallied 10 in the half. Harris put up the effort in only his second game back from injury.
In the second stanza the Mules kept it close, and even led with 12:22 to play on a Harris three, but the Bearcats and Brock took over from there. They pushed it to an eight-point lead by the 9:15 mark on a Tremaine Hill three, and made it 16 by the 6:16 mark on a three from Brock. He scored 23 of his 32 in the final half. Ryan Daugherty was also big for SBU, scoring 22 points, 12 in the second half. He hit five threes on nine attempts.

UCM shot 42.4 percent in the contest, while SBU drilled 50.7 percent, including 17 three-pointers. The Mules were also out-rebounded by one on the night after coming into the contest with a +13.2 rebound margin, while SBU had a -6.0 margin.

The Mules were led by Harris on the night with 23 points, while Boo Hunter put up 19. Stallings and Young rounded out double-figure scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Young also led the Mules with seven boards.

The Mules will be back on the road this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Joplin against Missouri Southern.

Tuesday, Nov. 30 in the GNAC

Men's Basketball: Central Wins GNAC Opener

Guards Humberto Perez and Drew Harris combined for 39 points and 12 assists rallying Central Washington from a 12-point deficit late in the first half to a 87-78 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over Western Oregon Tuesday at the New PE Building in Monmouth.

The game was the inaugural conference contest of the season in the GNAC and kept the Wildcats (5-0) as the only remaining unbeaten team in the conference.

Perez and Harris made nine of 15 three-point shots as CWU drilled 13 of 27 from beyond the arc. Perez, who made five of nine, led five players in double figures with 21 points.

Harris, meanwhile, made four of six treys and had 18 points. He also earned eight of CWU's 19 assists.

The Wildcats also got production inside as forward Jody Johnson had 15 points and seven rebounds and center Chris Sprinker had 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Guard Jamar Berry added 11 points.

Jordan Freelander came off the bench to lead Western Oregon with 18 points, while Tarance Glynn had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. DeAngelo Davis had 11 points.

WOU, which outrebounded the Wildcats 37-30, bounced back from early deficits of 11-2, 15-5 and 18-7 to tie the game at 25-25 with a 9-0 run and then later outscored CWU 16-2 to go ahead 43-31.

The Wolves led 51-43 at halftime, but the Wildcats started the second half with a 18-4 run to go ahead 61-55 and were up by 13 (78-65) with 5:01 remaining as they held WOU to just 15 points in the first 15 minutes after the break.

Western Oregon shot just 31.3 percent (10-32) in the second half missing all seven of their three-point attempts after shooting 60 percent (18 of 30), including nine of 12 on treys, in the opening period. For the game, they shot 45.2 percent (28 of 62).

CWU, meanwhile, had nearly identical percentages in each half (48.4 on 15 of 31 in the first 20 minutes and 48.1 on 13 of 27 in the second period).

The Wildcats also took care of the basketball turning it over only 10 times as they had only three more turnovers than blocked shots (7).

Wildcats Debut In NABC National Poll At No. 24

Central Washington, fresh off wins over previously 11th ranked Metro State and Sonoma State, moved into the Top 25 in this week's NABC NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches poll.

The Wildcats, who improved to 5-0 with Tuesday night's win at WOU, are ranked 24th and and one of four West Region teams ranked, including Chaminade which earned at No. 23 rank after beating Oklahoma in the Maui Invitational. CWU plays Chaminade Saturday in a tournament at Seattle Pacific.

Cal Poly Pomona received all eight first-place votes and is ranked first. Cal State Dominguez Hills is ranked 15th.

Western Washington Loses Guard To Injury

Western Washington guard Rico Wilkins will miss the rest of the season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left ankle during Monday's 95-76 non-conference home win over Northwest Christian.  

Wilkins, who will undergo surgery, was averaging 7.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals. He had started three of WWU's five games.

The 6-foot Wilkins sustained the injury midway through the second half when he initiated a fast break, planted hard in making a jump shot from 10 feet and came down off-balance as he went to defend the in-bounds pass.

Wilkins sat out last season after being the 2008-09 Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges (NWAACC) East Region MVP at Yakima Valley CC.

He averaged 15.8 points on a 22-6 team that reached the playoff semifinals, competing in the NWAACC All-Star game.

Cross Country: Friess Sweeps Coach-of-the-Year Awards

Michael Friess of Alaska Anchorage has been voted the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach-of-the-Year.

Friess was nearly a unanimous selection receiving all but one vote cast in both genders leading both his teams to GNAC and NCAA Division II West Regional titles.

The conference title was the fourth GNAC title for the Seawolf men who also finished first in 2002, 2005 and 2008 and the second for the UAA women who won in 2009. The regional title was the first for the men and the second for the women who also won in 2009.

Friess, who also led UAA to the PacWest men's title in 1997, was earlier named the NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year for both men and women.

Both UAA squads will travel to Louisville, Kentucky this week to compete Saturday in the NCAA Division II national meet. UAA is ranked fifth nationally in the latest women's USTFCCCA poll and sixth in the men's poll.

Friess has now won 10 cross country conference Coach-of-the-Year awards (nine in the GNAC and one in the PacWest) during his 21-year career at Anchorage.

A 1985 Linfield College graduate, he was voted the GNAC Men's Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005 and 2008 and was selected the GNAC Women's Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009. He was also named the PacWest Men's Coach of the Year in 1997.

In addition to his 10 cross country awards, he has also won two track-and-field awards winning the GNAC Men's Coach-of-the-Year prize in 2008 and 2009.

Volleyball: WWU Libero AVCA All-American

Libero Allison Gotz has been named a American Volleyball Coaches Association first team All-American.

Gotz, who is just the fourth GNAC player (all from Western Washington) to earn AVCA first-team honors in the 10-year history of the conference.

Previous AVCA All-Americans have included setter Liz Bishop in 2002, libero Courtney Schneider in 2007 and middle blocker Angie Alvord in 2008.

Seattle Pacific middle blocker Nikki Lowell was a second team selection, while four players - libero Anna Herold of Seattle Pacific, middle blockers Emily Jepsen of Western Washington and Cortney Lundberg of Alaska Anchorage and outside hitter kady Try of Central Washington were honorable mention picks.

AVCA: First Team - Allison Gotz, Western Washington (L, 5-3, Sr., Bothell, WA). Second Team - Nikki Lowell, Seattle Pacific (MB, 5-10, Fr., Claremont, CA). Honorable Mention - Kady Try, Central Washington (OH, 6-0, Sr., Brentwood, CA); Emily Jepsen, Western Washington (MB, 5-11, Jr., Kennewick, WA); Cortney Lundberg, Alaska Anchorage (MB, 6-1, Sr., Hardin, MT); Anna Herold, Seattle Pacific (L, 5-8, Jr., Bothell, WA).

Soccer: Five Earn NSCAA Team Academic Award

For the ninth consecutive year Montana State Billings women's soccer team has earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award.

They were one of five GNAC teams that received the award. The others were the MSUB men's team, the Seattle Pacific men's and women's teams and the Central Washington women's team.

In all, a total of 634 soccer teams (in all divisions including junior colleges) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher to win the award.

Though the award is announced at the end of the current season, the GPAs are based on the 2009-10 academic year.

Women's Basketball: Three GNAC Teams In Top 20

Seattle Pacific, Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington are all ranked in the Top 20 in this week's USA Today ESPN WBCA Division II Top 25 women's basketball poll.

The Falcons are ranked fifth, while UAA and WWU are ranked 15th and 20th, respectively.

Delta State, Miss., is the No. 1 ranked team. Chico State is ranked 21st.

Arkansas Tech Women’s Basketball falls to No. 6 in this week’s second regular season USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II Coaches’ Poll

RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Women’s Basketball fell six spots to No. 6 from No. 1 in this week’s second regular season USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II Coaches’ Poll that was released on Tuesday.

Tech fell from the top spot in this week’s poll after suffering an 85-73 loss this past Saturday at West Alabama. The Golden Suns, who have now been ranked for 16 consecutive weeks and have been ranked in the Top 10 for 10 straight weeks, earned 509 points in this week’s second regular season poll.
The USA Today/ESPN WBCA Coaches’ Poll is voted on weekly by a panel of 30 head coaches at NCAA Division II institutions and all the coaches are members of the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association). This season, Tech Head Coach Dave Wilbers will once again serve as a voter in the poll.

Tech, who is 5-1 on the season after earning a 66-56 win on Monday at West Georgia, is one of four Gulf South Conference team mentioned in this week’s poll as Tech’s GSC West Division rival Delta State (5-0) moves up to the top spot this week to replace the Golden Suns as the Lady Statesmen earned 661 points and 21 out of a possible 28 first place votes. In addition to Tech and DSU, West Alabama (4-0) earned 27 votes to be ninth among the 36 teams earning votes, while Henderson State (5-1) earned four votes in this week’s poll.

Following Delta State in this week’s second regular season poll is Lander (6-0) at No. 2 as they earned 652 points and five first place votes, while Fort Lewis College (5-0) jumps five spots to No. 3 as the Skyhawks earned 583 points and the final two first place votes. Washburn (4-0) jumps five spots to No. 4 and Seattle Pacific (2-0) leaps one spot to round out this week’s Top 5 at No. 5.

Tech is followed in this week’s poll at No. 7 by Franklin Pierce (6-0), while Holy Family (3-1) falls four spots to No. 8. Clayton State (8-0) jumps four spots to No. 9 and Emporia State (3-1) falls five spots to complete this week’s Top 10.

Indianapolis (4-1) falls four spots to No. 11 and the Greyhounds are followed by West Texas A&M (2-1), who plays at Tech on Dec. 29, is at No. 12 and Northeastern State (3-0) advances one spot to No. 13. Grand Valley State (4-0) jumps two spots to No. 14 and the Lakers are followed by Alaska-Anchorage (5-2) at No. 15 and Millersville [PA] (4-0) jumps three spots to No. 16 this week. Augustana [SD] (7-0) advances five spots to. 17, while Wayne State [NE] (3-1) falls one spot to No. 18, Michigan Tech (3-1) falls five spots to No. 19 and Western Washington (4-0) jumps four spots to No. 20 this week.

The final five in this week’s poll begins with Cal State-Chico (4-0) at No. 21, while Gannon [PA] (2-1) drops four spots to No. 22 and Tusculum (3-3) remains at No. 23. California [PA] (3-1) moves into this week’s poll at No. 24 and Francis Marion (3-0) moves into the poll at No. 25.

Tech will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 4 as they welcome St. Edward’s (5-3 on the season) to Tucker Coliseum for a 4 p.m. non-conference contest. The Golden Suns enter the game having won 22 straight home games dating to the 2008-09 season.

Queens' hot shooting leads to 84-77 win over Catawba

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Hot-shooting Queens rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to take an 84-77 win over visiting Catawba in men’s basketball action on Tuesday night at Ovens Athletic Center.  The Royals improve to 2-4, while the Catawba Indians fall to 2-3.

Catawba held a 44-37 edge at the break, but the Royals canned 16-of-19 (84%) of its shots in the final half to surge ahead.  The Indians manage to make only 26% (9-of-35) in the final stanza.  The deft shooting touch and a 44-29 edge by Queens helped offset 25 Royal turnovers.

Dominick Reid (Charlotte, NC/Cannon School) was the top performer for the Tribe.  He scored 21 points, grabbed six rebounds, handed out six assists and recorded five steals.  Keon Moore (Colerain, NC/Bertie HS) followed with 19 points and four steals.

Dainel Bailey led five double-figure scorers for Queens with 18 points, hitting on 8-of-11 shots.  Reggie Hopkins and Antonio Stabler each added 16 points with Stabler grabbing eight rebounds.

The Indians stormed to a 19-6 in the opening five minutes before Queens rallied to go up 27-26 lead five minutes before the break.  Catawba regrouped and took the 44-37 lead at the half.

Queens took control midway through the second half, building a 55-54 lead to 68-56 with 6:25 to go.  A three-pointer and two free throws got the Indians within 76-71 with 1:43 left, but the Royals hit on 5-of-6 at the line in the final 37 seconds to seal the win.

Panthers Suffer 80-61 Setback at PBA

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Men’s Basketball) – Florida Tech dug a hole too deep to recover from against Palm Beach Atlantic Tuesday as the Sailfish topped the Panthers 80-61 with four players in double figures for PBA. Justin Sedlak led all scorers with 24 points and paced the Panthers on the boards with eight as Tech drops to 7-2 overall.

Florida Tech was facing an 18-point deficit just under two minutes into the second half, but came back on a 15-3 run to cut it to 47-41 on a freebie by Sedlak. A jumper by the senior a minute and a half later made it a six-point game once more. However, PBA stormed out on a 16-3 spurt of its own to reclaim control of the game.

From that point, there wasn’t much the Panthers could do as the Sailfish went on top by as much as 22, ultimately capping off the 80-61 victory over Tech.

Julius Reid contributed 12 points for the visitors, adding seven rebounds and a team-high four assists. The Panthers managed just nine points from its bench and, unfortunately, turned the ball over 24 times. All was even on the boards with each team grabbing 38.

The Panthers found themselves in a 37-26 hole after the first period of play as the Sailfish defense held Tech to just 31.3 percent shooting. Florida Tech, down by as many as 15 in the opener, was paced by Sedlak with eight before the break.

PBA was led by Jonathan Lawrence with 19 points while three others notched double figures, including David Wood who had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, all on the defensive end.

Now the Panthers must prepare for their Sunshine State Conference opener as the Saint Leo Lions head to Melbourne for a 7:30 p.m. showdown in the Clemente Center on Saturday, Dec. 4.

First half helps UNC Pembroke top Wingate 94-72 Tuesday

Wingate, N.C.----The UNC Pembroke men’s basketball team bolted to a 22-2 lead and never looked back, taking a 94-72 NCAA Division II victory over Wingate University Tuesday night in Cuddy Arena. The Braves hit eight-of-nine three-point field goals (88.9 percent) in the first half, snapping a four-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.
          
With the victory, UNC Pembroke improves to 6-1 overall. The ‘Dogs fall to 3-3 overall. The UNCP Braves return to Peach Belt Conference play Saturday, hosting Clayton State (Ga.) University at 3:30 p.m. Wingate opens its South Atlantic Conference slate Saturday, entertaining pre-season favorite Lincoln Memorial University at 4 p.m.
          
Sophomore guard Shahmel Brackett (Florence, S.C.) had 24 points, five assists and four rebounds for the visiting Braves. Sophomore forward George Blakeney (Tarboro, N.C.) had 20 points and six rebounds, while junior wing Cody Hughes (Rockledge, Fla.) netted 18 points off the UNCP bench. Sophomore guard K.J. Cooper (Enfield, N.C.) posted 14 points and dished out seven assists.
          
For the Bulldogs, sophomore guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) had 14 points and seven rebounds. Classmate Chase Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) scored 13 points, while freshman forward Robert Carpenter (Fayetteville, N.C.) posted a career-high 11 points off the Wingate bench.
          
Brackett had eight points and two three-pointers in the opening 22-2 flurry. Four free throws by Hughes at the 15:53 mark completed the run. Hughes hit four-of-four triples in the first stanza en route to a 16-point first half.
          
Cooper nailed a three-point field goal at the 8:07 mark to give the Braves a 38-13 lead, their largest of the first half. Wingate chipped away at the deficit, cutting the margin to 50-34 on a Smith trifecta with seven seconds remaining in the opening frame. UNC Pembroke took the 16-point bulge to the halftime locker room.
          
A Matilus three-pointer and a jumper by redshirt freshman forward Mike Tankersley (Hampton, Ga.) cut the Bulldogs’ shortfall to 50-39 with 17:45 to play. Wingate would get no closer the rest of the way. After a 65.4 percent shooting performance in the first half (17-of-26), the Braves hit 53.3 percent of their second half attempts (16-of-30). On the evening, UNC Pembroke shot 58.9 percent from the field (33-of-56). Coach Ben Miller’s charges hit 10-of-14 triples Tuesday (71.4 percent).
          
UNC Pembroke turned 20 Wingate turnovers into 38 points. The UNCP Braves also committed 20 miscues, but the Bulldogs could manage only 17 points on the other end. Thanks to the 6-9, 270 pound Blakeney, UNC Pembroke outscored Wingate 44-26 in the paint.
          
Wingate hit 39.1 percent from the floor (25-of-64). After a rough first half, the Bulldogs converted 46.4 percent of their second-half tries (13-of-28). Matilus and his seven boards topped the Wingate rebounding charts. Tankersley and junior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) grabbed five rebounds each for the Bulldogs.

Tech Rolls at Palm Beach Atlantic, 65-40

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Women’s Basketball) – Florida Tech used a 36-point second half to route Palm Beach Atlantic 65-40 Tuesday night on the road. Lynisha Nelson led the field with 14 points for the Panthers who improve to 6-1 with the victory.

It was a slow start to the first half as the score was stuck at 10-4 in favor of the Panthers for five minutes. Then Tech went on a run and led by as many as 14 at the 5:38 mark as Katie Kingfield made the back end of a pair of free throws, pushing the score to 22-8.

The Sailfish didn’t back down though, cutting the Panther advantage to six down the stretch. Florida Tech took a 29-22 lead into the locker room at the break, led by Nelson with a dozen points. Neither team shot well in the opener, though Tech had the edge at 39.1 percent.

A stingy Panther defense held the Sailfish to just five field goals in the second, three of which came in the final five minutes as PBA shot just under 21 percent in the half and 26 percent for the game. Additionally, the Crimson and Gray swatted away seven shots and had more defensive rebounds (32) than the Sailfish had all night (31). Tech finished with 50 boards.

Florida Tech led by as many as 28 in the game at the 6:43 mark in the second stanza when Ashton McClairen sank a pair at the line to go up 60-32. She finished the night with 13 points and Kristen Dixon chipped in with 10.

The Panthers now gear up for their Sunshine State Conference opener Saturday, Dec. 4, as the Saint Leo Lions come to town. The two teams are set for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off in the Clemente Center as the first game of a Florida Tech doubleheader with the men.

Sizzling West Liberty Women Drop 113 on Fairmont State

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women’s basketball team may not have played a perfect game against Fairmont State Tuesday night but the Hilltoppers certainly came close.

Coach Lynn Ullom’s Hilltoppers delighted a raucous ASRC crowd by jumping on the arch rival Falcons from the opening tap and never took their foot off the accelerator in sprinting off to a shocking 113-55 triumph.

“Our defensive intensity was incredible in the first half,” said West Liberty head coach Lynn Ullom. “We’re pretty good when we can get out and run and we created a lot of opportunities by forcing turnovers and crashing the boards.”

Already sitting on a 20-15 lead, West Liberty broke the game open with a blurry fast 15-0 run midway through the first half.

Laura Malernee and Jordan Stacey got things started with back-to-back 3-pointers and Tori Hansen followed with a strong post-up move in the paint.

A transition 3-pointer from Malernee pushed the margin to 31-15, forcing a Fairmont State timeout at 8:43, but the Hilltoppers weren’t finished.

Hansen kept the surge going with a fast break and Meghan Wiseman sailed down for a layup to force another Falcon timeout as the lead hit 20 points, 35-15, with 7:08 on the clock

Shooting a sizzling 70 percent from the floor, West Liberty coasted into halftime with a 47-28 lead behind 16 points from Hansen and 13 from Malernee.

The Hilltoppers picked up where they had left off when play resumed, pushing the lead to 66-36 less than 5 minutes into the second half and slowly padding the margin the rest of the way.

All five West Liberty starters hit double figures with Hansen’s double-double – 22 points, 12 rebounds – leading the way. Malernee drained 5 3-pointers and finished with 19 points while Jenni Robbins added 15 points and a game-high 9 assists. Stacey (14) and Wiseman (11) rounded out the double-figure scorers.

“I thought our starters were phenomenal tonight,” Ullom said. “Tori just does so many things out there and I thought Laura set the tone early with her defense and running the floor. Jenni and Jordan shot and passed the ball extremely well and Meghan did a super defensive job against one of the best posts in the league.”

Kaitlin Snyder led the Falcons with 20 points while Lauren Gilbert added 11 off the bench. Senior center Rachel Murray, who came into the night averaging more than 19 points and 13 rebounds a game, was held to just 7 points and 5 rebounds.

“Fairmont’s a better team than that. This was just one of those nights as a coach and a team when everything comes together,” Ullom said.

“Of course, it’s just one game. We get to enjoy it tonight and then start getting ready for Charleston. They’re the most talented team in the league and they’ll be here Thursday night.”

The Charleston game tips off at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Game Notes
    X The 113 points were the most ever allowed by a Fairmont State women’s team but fell short of West Liberty’s school record of 117 points, set against Salem International on Feb. 1, 2010
    X The Hilltoppers set a school record with 37 assists
    X Hansen has now hit double-figures in 57 of her last 58 games
    X West Liberty is 46-5 (.902) in WVIAC games at the ASRC since the 2004-05 season

Florida Southern Edges Armstrong Men's Basketball, 79-78

LAKELAND, Fla. - Florida Southern's Rion Rayfield made two free throws with 11.7 seconds left, then blocked a game-winning shot attempt by Armstrong Atlantic State's Brett Goodwell with two seconds remaining to claim a 79-78 men's college basketball victory on Tuesday at the Jenkins Field House.

The Pirates (3-1) trailed by nine at halftime, 43-34, but opened up the second half on a 17-6 run to climb back into the contest. Armstrong took its biggest lead of the game on a jumper by Jesse Wheeler with 8:04 left, making the score 66-60, but Florida Southern (4-3) responded with a 9-0 run to retake the lead, 69-66, with exactly six minutes left.

What followed was a six-minute stretch where the lead changed nine times between the two teams, with four ties added in. A layup by Brett Goodwell put the Pirates ahead, 78-77, with 13 seconds left, but the Pirates committed a foul after going for a steal on the inbounds pass. Rayfield made two free throws to put the Mocs back up by one, 79-78, and on the inbounds Goodwell dribbled in among traffic and tried a reverse layup, only to be blocked by Rayfield. A follow try from Goodwell could not find the hoop and the Mocs escaped with the victory.

Goodwell hit 7-of-12 shots from the floor for his game-high 20 points as four Armstrong players reached double figures on the night. Senior Jesse Wheeler added 12 points while junior Grant Domsic hit 3-of-6 three-pointers en route to 11 points to go with five assists. Junior Mychal Horn added 10 points off the bench for the Pirates.

Florida Southern was led by Rayfield's 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 three-pointers and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Andre Hawkins added 15 points and Terry Jenkins chipped in 10.

The Pirates hit 14-of-26 shots after intermission, 53.8 percent, to climb back into the game in the second half. Armstrong finished the night 28-of-60 from the floor for 46.7 percent. Florida Southern hit 28-of-62 shots from the floor for 45.2 percent on the night, but hit 16-of-18 free throws for 88.9 percent on the evening.

Armstrong returns to action on Saturday, December 4, hosting No. 18-ranked Augusta State in the Pirates' Peach Belt Conference opener at 3:30 p.m. at Alumni Arena. At halftime of the men's contest, the 2010 NCAA DII National Champion women's tennis team will receive their national championship rings in a ceremony with University President Dr. Linda Bleicken.

#2 Bearcats Down Falcons, 97-68

GREENWOOD, S.C. – The second-ranked Bearcats of Lander University (7-0, 2-0 PBC) downed the University of Montevallo women’s basketball team (2-4, 0-1 PBC) with a dominating first half that gave the Bearcats a 31-point halftime lead. The Falcons out-scored the Bearcats in the second half, 46-44, but it was not enough to erase the large first half deficit. UM was led by junior Shavonne Seymore (Hartsville, S.C./Hartsville) who scored 17 points while hitting 7-of-12 from the field.

Junior Tiffany McClure (Montgomery, Ala./G.W. Carver) added 13 points, five rebounds and four assists while hitting 5-of-8 from the field. Senior Carrie Parrott (Murfreesboro, Tenn./Siegel) scored 12 points while grabbing a team-high seven boards. Sophomore Trena Moore-Smith (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte) was the only other Falcon in double-digits with 10 points. Senior Jessica Collins (Jackson, Miss./Callaway) had eight points, five assists and five rebounds.

The Falcons shot 39.1 percent in the first half but responded in the second half as they shot 50 percent hitting 17 of their 34 shots. UM continued its strong shooting from the free throw line as the Falcons hit 12-of-14 good for 85.7 percent.

The Bearcats jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead over the first five minutes of play. UM scored its first point at the 15:03 mark as Parrott hit a jumped to cut the Bearcat lead to 13-2. With 4:46 left in the first half the Bearcats led by 19 points but went on a 18-6 run to end the half up 53-22.

The Bearcats used the Falcons 21 first half turnovers to score 27 points while the Falcons scored just three points off turnovers in the first half.

The second half was pretty even for both teams as the Bearcats hung onto their 30-point lead most of the period. LU took its largest lead at the 8:39 mark of the second half as they led by 40. UM was able to cut that lead to just 29 as the time expired, 97-68.

UM cut its turnovers to just eight in the second half and allowed just seven points off turnovers.

The Falcons will return to action Thursday, Dec. 2 at 5:30 p.m. as they host Judson College in a non-conference game.

Lady Pirates Claim 70-58 Win Over Edward Waters

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Freshman Mauri Wells notched season highs with 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Armstrong Atlantic State University women's basketball squad collected a 70-58 win over Edward Waters College on Tuesday evening at Alumni Arena.

Wells and the Lady Pirates (3-2) used a huge night on the boards to build a big lead over the Lady Tigers (3-8), then hold on for the victory. Armstrong out-rebounded Edward Waters, 54-29, including a 22-11 edge in offensive rebounds.

The Lady Pirates ended the first half on a 9-0 run to take a 41-23 lead into halftime. Armstrong extended that lead to 23 on a Wells jumper with 5:30 left with a 67-44 lead and held on through a three-and-a-half minute scoreless streak at the end for the 12-point victory.

"I thought in the first half, we played some pretty good basketball," Armstrong head coach Matt Schmidt said. "That helped us gain some confidence going into halftime.

"Our big thing the entire week was that we needed to outrebound them," Schmidt said. "The team goal was to win the battle on the boards in order to win the game."

Wells hit 7-of-9 shots from the floor en route to her game-high 17 points. The true freshman was not alone in collecting a double-double - her second of the season - as senior Arpine Amirkhanyan notched her third straight double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Jazmin Walker added 14 points as well for the Lady Pirates.

Edward Waters was led by Ebony Presha's 14 points and Ashley Hamm's 12 points.

The Lady Pirates hit 41.4 percent from the floor on 24-of-58 shooting. Armstrong made just 1-of-14 three-pointers for 7.1 percent and hit 21-of-34 free throws for 61.8 percent. Edward Waters made 21-of-57 shots from the floor (36.8 percent) and 4-of-19 from three-point range for 21.1 percent. The Lady Tigers made 12-of-21 free throws for 57.1 percent.

Armstrong returns to action on Saturday, December 4, hosting Augusta State in its Peach Belt Conference opener at 1:30 p.m. at Alumni Arena.

USP Pulls Away from ESU Women’s Basketball for 68-52 Win

PHILADELPHIA – East Stroudsburg University held a two-point lead at halftime, but the University of the Sciences scored 11 straight points to start the second half and pulled away for a 68-52 win in non-conference women’s basketball on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Redshirt junior forward Brittany McClain had 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the Warriors (1-2), who were playing for the first time since a 56-49 win over Concordia (N.Y.) on November 17.

Sophomore center Kelly Sorber scored six points and set career-highs with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, but it wasn’t enough to offset three players in double figures for USP. Alyssa Hamm scored a game-high 19 points, shot 3-for-4 from the three-point line and added six rebounds, Caitlin Shaw had 15 points and seven boards and Marissa Chesnavich chipped in with 10 points.

The Warriors led 29-27 after a first half that saw the lead change hands six times in the first 11 minutes. McClain scored seven of ESU’s first 15 points and a layup by sophomore guard Barb Borst, her only bucket of the game, gave the Warriors a 17-15 lead that they would hold onto for the rest of the half.

A jumper by Sorber pushed the lead to seven (23-16) with less than six minutes left in the opening period, and baskets by sophomore guard Angel Gaffney and freshman forward Nicole Hill kept the Warriors in front. Gaffney made a pair of free throws with to give ESU a 29-22 lead with 1:48 left in the half before USP scored the final five points to close within two at intermission.

Shaw and Hamm combined to score USP’s first 13 points of the second half, including an 11-0 run in the first five minutes, before McClain hit a three-pointer to cut the margin to 40-34. ESU pulled within five on a layup by junior guard Jennifer Scherer (seven points, five rebounds) with 12:44 remaining, but USP eventually stretched the lead to double figures with a 10-2 stretch to stay ahead for good.

USP held a 41-23 advantage on the scoreboard in the second half, shot 50 percent (15-for-30) from the field and got 13 points from Shaw and 12 points from Hamm. The Devils shot 39.3 percent for the game and were 16-for-27 from the foul line. ESU shot 32.8 percent overall and 8-for-13 from the stripe. Both teams grabbed 44 rebounds and USP held a 23-16 advantage in turnovers.

McClain leads ESU in scoring with 15.3 points per game through the first three games and has 46 points for the season – 17 away from the total of 63 that she posted in 16 games last year. Borst entered the game averaging 18.0 points but was just 1-for-11 from the field.

Sorber has notched career-highs in rebounds in each of her last two games after recording a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) in the win over Concordia. She is averaging 7.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks so far this season.

The Warriors are back in action this weekend as the Warriors host the 46th Annual Pocono Classic hosted by State Farm on Friday and Saturday at Koehler Fieldhouse. The action gets underway at 1 p.m. on both days, with ESU’s women hosting Nyack at 5 p.m. on Friday and Felician at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Early Season Lead in Northeast-10 Up for Grabs Wednesday when Bentley Visits UMass-Lowell

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Although most have played only three conference games thus far, only two Northeast-10 Conference men’s basketball teams have an NE-10 record with a zero in the loss column, the Bentley University Falcons and the UMass-Lowell River Hawks.
              
That number will be cut in half Wednesday night when Bentley makes the trip up Route 3 to take on UMass-Lowell, the only remaining NCAA Division II East Region team with an unblemished overall record.  Tip-off at Costello Gymnasium is 7:30 pm.
              
Bentley has won its first three conference games, yielding just 50 points a game while besting Merrimack, Saint Anselm and Southern New Hampshire. UMass-Lowell has two NE-10 victories, a 71-54 win over St. Michael’s and a two-pointer at Southern New Hampshire.
              
Overall, both clubs have won four in a row with the Falcons 4-2 on the year and the River Hawks 4-0.
              
This will be the first meeting between the two programs since UMass-Lowell upended the Falcons, 76-63 in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Northeast-10 playoffs last March. Five different players scored in doubles as the seventh-seed bounced number two Bentley en route to winning the conference championship.
              
Bentley is coming off a 54-50 win over Southern New Hampshire Sunday, a game in which the Falcons scored the final six points, closed with a 12-2 run over the final six minutes, and allowed only 16 second-half points.
              
All three of Bentley’s NE-10 opponents have been held to a field goal percentage under .360 and to 53 points or fewer.  In five of the six halves, coach Jay Lawson’s team has given up less than 30 points.
              
Sophomore guard Greg Jacques (Brockton/St. Sebastian’s HS) made his first career start Sunday and registered career-bests in points (19), rebounds (6) and assists (4). Five days earlier, he provided a spark off the bench in an 83-53 win over Saint Anselm, erupting for 16 points in as many minutes. The productive week boosted his scoring average to 10.7, third best on the team.
              
The only Bentley players producing more points are senior forward Brian Tracey (Bow Mar, Colo./Heritage HS) and guard Mike Quinn (Oakdale, Conn./Montville HS), a grad student. Tracey, who missed the SNHU game with a minor injury, is second in the NE-10 at 21 points a game, and Quinn gives the Falcons 13 points, 5.7 rebounds, three assists and 2.5 steals a game.
              
UMass-Lowell has lost leading scorer and player Scott Tavares-Taylor due to a knee injury, but still has a number of talented young players. Tavares-Taylor, before being sidelined, was averaging 16 points and 4.7 assists.
              
Sophomore forward Matt Welch and freshman guard Aikeem Williams follow in the scoring column, with averages of 13.5 and 12.8 points, respectively. Welch has drilled half of his 20 attempts from three-point land and Williams has scored in doubles in each of his first four collegiate games. Junior Herman Honore was 10-of-10 from the field at SNHU and has 31 points in only 28 minutes this season.
              
After facing Lowell, Bentley will return to the Dana Center for home games against Franklin Pierce Saturday and Stonehill next Wednesday.

Basketball Game Notes: Missouri S&T Miners vs. Quincy Hawks

Missouri S&T Miners vs. Quincy Hawks


Thursday, December 2, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Rolla, Mo. * Bullman Multi-Purpose Building
Billy Key Court (4,000)
Officials: Nathan Chitwood, Gene Grimshaw, Pat Boeh

CLICK HERE FOR MEN'S GAME NOTES



Missouri S&T Lady Miners (3-2) vs. Quincy Lady Hawks (5-0)
Thurs., Dec. 2, 5:30 p.m.
Rolla, Mo . * Billy Key Court at the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building 
Thursday’s Officials: Doug Klenc, Richard Brewer, Bill Wood 


CLICK HERE FOR WOMEN'S GAME NOTES

Bentley Visits UMass-Lowell Wednesday, Looking to Keep NE-10 Record Perfect

WALTHAM, Mass. -- It’s been six years since the Bentley University women’s basketball team has won its first four Northeast-10 Conference games of the season. The Falcons will be looking to change that on Wednesday when they pay a visit to UMass-Lowell. Tip-off is at 5:30 pm.
              
Bentley, the preseason favorite in the conference, is one of five teams tied for first with 3-0 Northeast-10 records, the others being American International, Assumption, Franklin Pierce and Pace. Since opening with a loss at nationally-ranked Holy Family, the Falcons have recorded double-digit victories over Merrimack, Saint Anselm and Southern New Hampshire.
              
Bentley has been solid at the defensive end in the three conference wins. Coach Barbara Stevens, currently four wins away from 800 for her career, has seen her team limit Merrimack to 35 percent shooting, amass 60 points off turnovers over the last two contests, and outrebound the opposition in all three.
              
Offensively, the Falcons have spread things around with six different players having scored in double figures at least once and five averaging between nine and 12 points a game.
              
Senior forward Elise Caira (Wakefield/Arlington Catholic HS) and junior guard Katherine Goodwin (Goffstown, N.H./Governors Academy) top the scoring list for the Falcons.  Caira is averaging a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards a game, and Goodwin’s norm is up to 11.0 after a 16-point effort Sunday at Southern New Hampshire.
              
Senior guard Kim Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS), currently at 10.0 ppg after putting up more than 17 a game last year, is 12th on Bentley’s all-time scoring list with 1,259 points. She needs five to move into 11th place and 40 to crack the top ten. Brennan has been taking good care of the basketball thus far with her 2.1 assist-turnover ratio third in the conference.
              
Freshman forwards Lauren Battista (North Easton/Oliver Ames HS), the reigning NE-10 Rookie of the Week, and Jacqui Brugliera (Fitchburg/Wachusett Reg. HS) have both been effective, combining for 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a game, and a .500 field goal percentage.
              
UMass-Lowell will enter Wednesday’s game with a two-game winning streak. The River Hawks, 2-3 overall and 1-1 NE-10, have beaten Southern New Hampshire and Walsh since dropping their first three contests of the campaign.
              
Sophomore guard Bianca Simmons was named the co-Player of the Week in the NE-10 yesterday after totaling 29 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in the two victories. Overall, she’s giving coach Kathy O’Neil 14.6 points and four assists a game.
              
Six-foot-four sophomore Brianna Wilson, who transferred with her sister Whitney from Salem State, is off to a solid start. She’s averaging 9.8 points and five rebounds despite playing fewer than 18 minutes a game. Six-foot-three sophomore Briana Szidat is the NE-10’s top shot-blocker through the end of December, with 11 in five games.
              
Bentley is 44-2 all-time against the River Hawks but it was UMass-Lowell who prevailed in the most recent meeting of the two. The 64-61 victory over the Falcons last February ended a string of 23 straight losses in the series for Lowell.
              
Following Wednesday, Bentley will be home to take on defending conference champion Franklin Pierce on Saturday.  The three-game homestand will also include visits from Stonehill (Dec. 8) and C.W. Post (Dec. 21).

Shurtz, Leek receive regional volleyball honors

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The postseason accolades continue for Chico State volleyball players Alex Shurtz and Jessica Leek. On the strength of their solid 2010 seasons, the latest honor bestowed upon the two Wildcats hitters is being included among the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-West Region selections – Shurtz was named the region’s Freshman of the Year, with Leek earning Honorable Mention.

Earlier this month Shurtz was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Freshman of the Year as well as an all-conference second team selection. Shurtz led Chico State with 338 kills in 2010 and ranked eighth among CCAA hitters with a 3.16 kills per set average.  

Leek, who finished second on the team to Shurtz with a career-high 316 kills, was also an All-CCAA second team selection, and in early November was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN Academic All-District first team.

Thirteen CCAA athletes earned AVCA All-West Region honors.

UC San Diego Women's Soccer Faces Saint Rose in NCAA Final Four

WALNUT CREEK – UC San Diego, winners of two NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer national championships, will seek its third when it travels to Louisville, Ky. to take on Saint Rose in the 2010 NCAA Final Four at Bellarmine University’s Owsley B. Frazier Stadium on Thursday.

The contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs and will be webcast live at www.ncaasports.com/allaccess beginning at 11 a.m. (PST). The Tritons (18-2-3) enter play ranked No. 12 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll, while the Golden Knights (23-0-1) top the rankings.

The other semifinal match will feature No. 4 Grand Valley State (20-1-2) against Florida Tech (10-6-5) beginning at 8 a.m. (PST).

The championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. (PST).

UC San Diego, which finished second in the CCAA’s South Division, advanced to the NCAA Final Four after posting victories over San Francisco State (3-1), BYU-Hawaii (1-0), Seattle Pacific (1-0) and St. Edward’s (1-0).

This year marks the Tritons’ first Final Four appearance since 2003 when they lost 2-1 in overtime to Franklin Pierce.

All-CCAA and All-West Region senior forward Annette Ilg leads UC San Diego offensively with 10 goals. Sophomore defender Hayley Johnson tops the Tritons with 10 assists, while All-CCAA junior goalkeeper Kristin Armstrong boasts a 0.51 goals-against average.

This year marks the second straight year that a CCAA team has advanced to the Final Four. Cal State Dominguez Hills reached the national championship match last season where it lost 1-0 to Grand Valley State.

UC San Diego is the last CCAA team to win a national championship when it won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001. Cal State Dominguez Hills hoisted the trophy in 1991.

2010 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Final Four
Dec. 2-4, 2010 – All Times Pacific
Owsley B. Frazier Stadium, Bellarmine University

National Semifinals – Dec. 2
8:00 a.m. – Grand Valley State (20-1-2) vs. Florida Tech (10-6-5)
11:00 a.m. – UC San Diego (18-2-3) vs. Saint Rose (23-0-1)

Championship – Dec. 4
9:00 a.m.

Griffons Open Up MIAA Play at Home Against Pittsburg State

Setting the Scene:
The Griffons have opened up the 2010-2011 season going 2-1. After losing the first game of the season the Griffons have won the last two. Western fell to Northern Michigan in the season opener and then beat Upper Iowa and Rockhurst. Western is 1-1 on a neutral floor this season and 1-0 at home. The Griffons two victory have come by an average of 27.5 points. The Gorillas are 2-2 entering the contest. The Gorillas at 0-2 on the road this season falling to Central Oklahoma 71-56 in Edmond, Okla. and to Arkansas-Fort Smith 63-57 in overtime to open the season. Western defeated the Gorillas last season at home by a score of 74-67 on January 23, 2010.

The Last Time against the Gorillas in a home MIAA opener:
The last time the Griffons took on the Gorillas in a home MIAA opener was back on December 3, 2008. The Griffons fell 74-67 in front of 1,289 fans. Western was led Jessica Koch as she dumped in 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting and making 7-of-9 free throws. Tierra Ford scored 14 points while Nikki Boone and Lauren Nolke dumped in 13 and 12 respectively. The Gorillas were led by Caitlin Demarest with 18 points while Laura Glenn poured in 11.

Last season against the Gorillas in the MIAA opener:
The Missouri Western women’s basketball team struggled in the second half in their MIAA opener against the Pittsburg State University Gorillas scoring only 13 second half points on their way to a 60-43 defeat. The Griffons were led by Kayla Vice as she had 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Jessica Koch finished the night with eight points and nine rebounds while Tierra Ford dumped in seven points for Western. The Gorillas had three players in double digit scoring with Glenn leading the way with 15 points. Nicole McCombs and Drew Roberts had 13 and 11 respectively. The Gorillas out rebounded the Griffons 42-34 overall and 25-14 in the second half.

Last season in the Griffon home MIAA opener:
The Missouri Western women’s basketball team lost their MIAA home opener 71-62 in front of 1,101 fans at the MWSU Fieldhouse.  Western was down by as many as 13 in the second half, but battled their way back.  Leading the Griffons, with career highs of 12 and 11 points, respectively, were freshman Charlonda Bozeman and Kallie Schoonover. Emporia State was led on the night by Cassondra Boston, Alli Volkens and Brittney Miller with 25, 11 and 10 points, respectively.  Volkens recorded a double-double, as she also added 14 rebounds.

Scouting the Griffons:
The Griffons have averaged 73.0 points and given up 59.7 points per game. Western has shot 40.3-percent (81-201) from the field and 29.1-percent (23-79) from long range. The Griffons have made 34-of-45 free throw attempts and out-rebounded their opponents 46.0 to 45.0 per game. The Griffons have 41 assists on the season to go along with 41 turnovers and 28 steals. The Griffons are led by Jessica Koch averaging 17.3 points per game. Rachel Luteyn is averaging 12.7 points per contest. Lauren Nolke and Brenna Saline have chipped in 11 and 10.3 points per contest.  Saline leads the squad at 9.0 rebounds per game while Luteyn and Koch are collecting 7.3 per contest. Colleen Schneider and Saline have both made 10-of-21 field goal attempts while Nolke and Koch have dished out 10 assist.

Series vs. the Gorillas:
Pitt State and Missouri Western have met almost regularly twice a year since the 1976-77 season. Missouri Western leads the overall series 47-18, including a 18-13 record in Pittsburg, a 26-5 mark in St. Joseph and a 3-0 record a neutral sites. The longest run of wins between the two teams was a seven-win streak by the Griffons from March 3, 2005 to Jan. 23, 2008. Pitt State broke the streak by winning a 73-65 decision on Feb. 13, 2008. The Griffons snapped the Gorillas longest winning steak last season as the Gorillas were in the midst of their longest streak in the series, as it had won last four meetings between the two teams. The largest margin of victory in the series was a 29-point win (94-65) by the Griffons on Feb. 23, 1985 in St. Joseph. Pitt State’s biggest win was a 95-71 win in Pittsburg on Jan. 19, 2005. The most points scored by a team in the series was 101 by the Gorillas in a 101-82 win on Jan. 24, 1996 in Pittsburg.

About the Opponent:
Pittsburg State women’s basketball is off to a 2-2 start, going 0-2 on the road this season. The Gorillas defeated Oklahoma-Panhandle State 66-34 on November 13 and Newman University 83-71 on November 16 in PSU’s only home game of the season. The Gorillas fell to Arkansas-Fort Smith 63-57 in overtime to open the season and then fell to Central Oklahoma 71-56 on November 23 in Edmond, Okla. Drew Roberts and Courtney Tate have both led the Gorillas in scoring twice. Roberts leads the charge scoring 14.5 points per game shooting 40.0-percent (10-25) from beyond the arc. Tate is the only other Gorillas scoring in double figures averaging 11.3 points per contest. Kylee Baldetti lead PSU on the boards averaging 7.5 per contest while Alexa Bordewick has dished out 12 assists. As a team the Gorillas are shooting 38.0-percent (87-229) from the field and 33.7-percent (33-98) from long range. The Gorillas and its opponents are even on the boards both snaring 42.5 rebounds per game, but PSU has giving up 60 offensive rebounds to its 51. The Gorillas shoot 67.1-percent (55-82) from the free throw line and have 47 assists and 18 blocks. The Gorillas have out scored its opponents 132 to 120 in the first half and 127 to 110 in the second half this season.

Second Half Dominance
The Missouri  Western women are dominating their opponents in the second half outscoring them by a total of 28 points. The Griffons outscored the Rockhurst Hawks 44-31 in the last contest in the second half behind 11 second half points from Jessica Koch. Against Upper Iowa in the QU Subway Tipoff Classic the Griffons outscored the Peacocks 47-24 in the second half with 13 points coming from Rachel Luteyn in the second frame. The Griffons also outrebounded the Peacocks 30-18 with 10 coming on the offensive end of the floor. In the first game of the season against Northern Michigan the Griffons were outscored 38-30 in the second half with Koch dumping in 9 second half points.

Balance Throughout the Lineup
The Griffons have had a very balanced attack with Koch leading the charge. Koch has led the Griffons twice in points while Lauren Nolke led the Griffons with 19 against Upper Iowa. Brenna Saline has led the Griffons twice in rebounds with 10 and 11 respectively while Luteyn Led the Griffon against Rockhurst with 11. Nolke has led the Griffons twice in assists with four and five while Koch led the Griffons with four against Rockhurst. Koch has led the Griffons in steals in all three games with 3, 5 and 3 respectively. Luteyn had a dominating game against Rockhurst with five blocked shots and collected a double-double.

The Griffons have five players scoring seven or more points with four players scoring in double figures. ON the boards the Griffons have four players snaring five or more rebounds per contest with Saline leading the charge with nine per game. Western has two players with 10 assists and one player with 11 steals. Six Griffons are shooting 40.0-percent or better from the field while four different Griffons are shooting 80-percent or better from the free throw line.

On the Internet:
If you can’t make it to the game you can watch live stats at www.gogriffons.com/xlive_WBB.asp. You can listen to the game at http://www.gogriffons.com/webcast.asp and you can watch the game at www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=289 for a minimal cost.

Eagles were balanced in 2010

CHADRON – The Chadron State football team didn’t start the 2010 season how they would’ve liked, but they certainly finished strong by winning their final five games to claim an 8-3 record.

It’s hard to be disappointed with an 8-3 season because dozens of college football teams would be extremely happy with such a record.

In short, the Eagles had a good season, but they missed having a great one by a narrow margin.

“During the final five games, we proved what we could do,” said head coach Bill O’Boyle. “But all three of the games we lost were winnable. We had our opportunities in them, but we didn’t always capitalize.

“I like our team. We played hard and won some big games. We’ve got a lot of good players in the program and should have another strong team next season. We could be better, particularly on offense, because we’ll have more experience.”

The 2010 season marked the 15th time in the last 22 years the Eagles won at least eight games and it was the 55th winning season in CSC football history.

The Eagles outscored their opponents by 29.9 to 17 points a game and out-gained them by 407.3 to 239.8 yards.

The first loss was to Pittsburg State of Kansas 14-3 in the second game of the season. O’Boyle said the offense, which had eight new starters from the previous season, “couldn’t run or pass in that game.”

The 256 total net yards was a season low and it was the first time the Eagles failed to score a touchdown since midway in the 2002 season and just the second time since 1995.

The next setback was 33-30 in triple overtime at Colorado State-Pueblo, which finished with a 9-2 record. The Eagles had a second and goal at the ThunderWolves’ one yard line in the third overtime, but didn’t score what would have been the winning touchdown.

CSC’s third loss came the next week when Nebraska-Kearney took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter before the Eagles rallied for 21 points. The final score was 35-21 after the Lopers returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown with 1:09 remaining. The Eagles managed just one yard rushing and turned the ball over seven times in the contest.

The Eagles’ big win was the 38-31 decision over Colorado Mines in the home finale on Nov. 6, when Glen Clinton’s 88-yard kickoff return with 63 seconds left provided the winning touchdown. Mines then edged Kearney 55-53 in triple overtime to tie the Lopers for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship and received a bid to advance to the Division II playoffs.

O’Boyle, whose teams have won 54 games and lost 17 during his six years as head coach, noted that the defense played “lights out” all season. Although the unit had five new starters, including all three linebackers, at the beginning of the season, it held the opponents to 100 or fewer yards rushing in eight of the 11 games and led the RMAC in both passing and rushing defense as well as total defense, first downs and third-down conversions.

The Eagles also ranked fifth nationally in total defense with their 239.8-yard average and second in yielding third-down conversions—22 of 144 opportunities for just 22.9 percent. The total defense average is CSC’s second lowest since 1982, topped only by the 234.9-yard average in 2002.

Todd Auer, who has been the CSC defensive coordinator 17 seasons now, said he was pleased how defense played. His only complaint was lack of turnovers. The Eagles intercepted 13 passes and claimed eight fumbles.

Middle linebacker James Belville led the Eagles in tackles with 80, including a team-high seven sacks. Outside linebacker Kelen Kahrs with 61 tackles, safety Kevin Berg with 58 and outside linebacker Kevin Lindholm with 57 followed. Kahrs was credited with a team-best 12.5 tackles for losses. Berg led in interceptions with four and broke up seven more passes.

The offense was well-balanced. The Eagles rushed for 2,205 yards and passed for 2,275. The rushing total was up 580 yards from the previous season. Clinton, a redshirt freshman, gained 1,020 yards and transfer Dominic Morris ran for 803.

Clinton also caught 24 passes for 179 yards and Morris grabbed 20 for 220 yards and two TDs. Both scored eight touchdowns.

The Eagles completed 63.3 percent of their passes. Redshirt freshman Jonn McLain completed 170 of 271 attempts (62.7 percent) for 1,894 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was intercepted eight times. Senior Garrett Treffer hit on 29 of 42 passes (69 percent) for two TDs. He was picked off five times.

The all-new set of receivers did well. Jeff Alcorn caught 36 passes for 365 yards and Jeremy Sondrup 27 for 392 while starting most of the season at the inside positions. Both were juniors. On the outside, redshirt freshmen Nathan Ross with 34 catches for 455 yards and Travis Reeves with 17 for 264 led the way. The four totaled 114 receptions for 1,476 yards and 13 TDs.

One thing that helped the offense was having all five starters in the line available for all 11 games. They were Garrett Gilkey and Jake Finerty at the tackles, Tim Hiett and Shane Dennehy at the guards and Sean McGowan at center. Their continued availability was in sharp contrast to the previous year when injuries and illness forced O’Boyle to use several combinations up front.

As has become a CSC tradition, the special teams were special in 2010. Both Berg, who was the team’s punter for the fourth consecutive year and averaged a school-best 43.0 yards, and redshirt freshman Michael Ziola, who clicked on 18 of 22 field goal attempts and all 39 extra points that he kicked. Both were first-team all-conference and rank among the top five nationally.

Topped by Jed Herblan’s 13.5-yard average on 14 punt returns and Clinton’s 24.9-yard average on 19 kickoff returns, the Eagles also sparkled in those areas.

The Eagles started five seniors on defense this fall, including three members of the secondary. However, Auer is optimistic that the unit will be solid again because several redshirt freshmen and sophomores made some big plays while getting considerable action in the secondary. In addition, cornerback Talmaus Ewell, a starter is 2009, will return after missing the past season because of a dislocated knee cap he sustained prior to the opener.

“We can always use more defensive linemen,” Auer noted. “But we’ve got some young guys who look like they will develop there.”

The only seniors who started on offense this fall were Dennehy and Finerty on the right side of the line. O’Boyle said Brandon Ratcliff and Jake Blackburn are the heir apparents at those positions, but he added that the Eagles have some young linemen who will challenge the veterans for playing time next fall.

There also could be competition at quarterback next fall. Just prior to the start of the season, Brandon Gorsuch, a graduate of Rapid City Central, left the football team at the University of South Dakota and joined the Eagles. He was not eligible to play this fall, but was a member of the practice squad all season.

 Gorsuch, who is 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, earned second-team all-region honors at Arizona Western College in Yuma in 2009, when he threw for 1,892 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping the Matadors finish with a 9-2 record. He transferred to South Dakota in the spring of 2010.

Central Oklahoma Wrestling Notes

UCO MAKES HOME DEBUT: No. 11-ranked Cen- tral Oklahoma opens the home season Thursday when the Bronchos host NCAA Division II rival Colorado State- Pueblo.


Match-time at Hamilton Field House is 7 p.m. UCO is 0-1 in duals with a season-opening loss to Division I power Oklahoma, while the Thunderwolves are 0-0 prior to a Wednesday match at Oklahoma City.

The Bronchos follow Thurs- day’s dual with a trip to Hays, Kan. Saturday for the Fort Hays State Open.
That all-day event starts at 9 a.m. and runs straight through until completion, with UCO expected to take between 20-25 individuals to compete.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Bronchos have dominated the series with CSU-Pueblo -- formerly Southern Colorado -- and owns an 11-0 lead. The teams last met during the 2008-09 season, a 35-10 UCO win.

ABOUT THE THUNDERWOLVES: CSU-Pueblo, which received votes in the preseason Division II poll, has two ranked individuals in 165 Justin Grant (8th) and heavyweight Patrick Carey (7th).

A look at the Thunderwolves’ probable lineup:

125 - Lyle Evans, Sr. (1-4) or Devon Cox, So. (0-0);
133 - Ryan Kirby, RS Fr. (2-4) or Saul Guerrero, Jr. (2-2);
141 - Jacob Snider, Fr. (6-3) or Shawn Gregory, So. (0-4);
149 - Nick Stahler, So. (1-4);
157 - Levi Jutila, So. (5-4) or Matt Addington, Fr. (6-4);
165 - Justin Grant, Sr. (3-4);
174 - Trevor Grant, RS Fr. (7-3) or Kyle Johnson, Sr. (2-2);
184 - Adam Carey, So. (4-3) or Joe Giron, RS Fr. (3-4);
197 - Open; Hvy - Patrick Carey, Sr. (1-2).

UCO LINEUP: A look at UCO’s probable lineup.

125 - Austin Quinton, Fr. (4-7) or Zach Housley, Fr. (0-0);
133 - Trison Graham, So. (8-7);
141 - Ty Corley, Jr. (4-2) or Kaleb Cradduck, Fr. (7-8);
149 - Ben Morgan, Fr. (6-5) or Austin Standage, So. (0-0);
157 - Cory Dauphin, Fr. (0-0);
165 - Derrick Adkins, So. (10-6);
174 - Patrick Finn, Sr. (2- 7);
184 - Tanner Keck, Fr. (6-6);
197 - Jarrett Edison, Jr. (2-2);
Hvy - Randy Tonche, Jr. (9-4) or Cody Dauphin, Fr. (5-3).

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO has competed in three open tournaments in addition to the dual against OU, with the youthful Bronchos having also battled numerous injuries in the early going.

Several individuals have yet to compete while others have seen limited action because of injury problems, though UCO hopes to be close to full strength this week in both the CSU-Pueblo dual and the Fort Hays State Open.

Sophomore 165 Derrick Ad- kins, a returning national quali- fier, has been UCO’s most con- sistent performer so far as the only individual to have placed in all three open tournaments.


Adkins was runner-up at both the Oklahoma City and Central Missouri opens in addition to coming in sixth at the rugged Nebraska-Omaha Open and is 10-6 on the season.


Junior heavyweight Randy Tonche (third, fourth), sophomore 133 Trison Graham (fourth, fifth) and sophomore 184 Tanner Keck (fourth, sixth) all placed in the first two tournaments of the year.

Junior 197 Jarrett Edison (fifth) and Keck (eighth), both returning national qualifiers, are UCO’s lone two individuals in the Division II rankings.

Lewis’ Rachel Ruedi and Lauren Seliga Earn AVCA All-America Honors

Ruedi honored for second consecutive season

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis University women’s volleyball team earned two selections on the 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II All-America Teams. Senior setter Rachel Ruedi (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet Seymour) was named to the Second Team and senior outside hitter Lauren Seliga (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx) earned Honorable Mention accolades.

Ruedi, who was a 2009 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, totaled 1,144 assists on the year with a career-best average of 10.69 assists per set. She was also named the 2010 Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the year. Her 3,847 career assists ranks third all-time in Lewis history.

Seliga earns All-American honors for the first time in her career. She was the only player in the GLVC to lead her team in kills (329) and digs (438). Seliga was twice named the GLVC Player of the Week in 2010. She finished her career with 1,491 digs which are second all-time in Lewis history. Her 1,072 career kills rank ninth all-time and 135 career aces is seventh.

Ruedi and Seliga join Terri Botkin (1979), Cathy Spencer (1981), Karen Lawton (1988) and Stephanie Sagat (2009) and the only All-American selections in school history. Ruedi is the school’s first two-time honoree.

Ruedi and Seliga were named to the AVCA All-Midwest Region Team, the Daktronics All-Midwest Region First Team and the Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team as well as being named First Team All-GLVC.

The duo compiled a 122-22 record during their four seasons at Lewis. They earned a ranking as high as No. 8 in the AVCA Top 25 poll and won five NCAA Tournament matches with a pair of Sweet 16 berths.

“Both Lauren and Rachel play the game of volleyball with heart and love,” head coach Lorelee Smith said. “They both are true teammates in every aspect.

Their ability to improve from season to season and continually make strides is recognized in their honors and awards. They will be greatly missed.”

The 2010 Flyers finished the season 27-5, winning the 2010 GLVC Championship and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season.

CSU San Bernardino Meets Concordia-St. Paul Thursday in NCAA Elite Eight

WALNUT CREEK – Five-time California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Champion Cal State San Bernardino seeks the school’s first-ever national championship this week when its women’s volleyball team travels to Louisville, Ky. for the NCAA Division II Finals.

The Coyotes (28-2), who are making their fifth Elite Eight appearance and third in a row, will take on three-time national champion Concordia-St. Paul (29-4) Thursday at Knights Hall on the campus of Bellarmine University. First serve is scheduled for 9 a.m. (PST).

Other first round contests include Clarion (32-4) versus Dowling at 11:30 a.m. (PST), Grand Valley State (26-6) against Tampa (29-3) at 2 p.m. (PST) and Wingate (30-1) versus Central Missouri (31-4) at 4:30 p.m.

The semifinals are slated for noon and 2:30 p.m. on Friday with the national title game scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

All Elite Eight contests will be webcast live on the Internet at www.ncaa.com/allaccess.

Cal State San Bernardino, which is ranked No. 6 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, and top-ranked Concordia-St. Paul will square off for the third straight year and the fourth time in the last eight at the Elite Eight.

The Coyotes are still seeking their first NCAA win over the Golden Bears as their season has ended at the hands of Concordia-St. Paul each of the last two years. Cal State San Bernardino fell in the semifinals 2003 and 2009, and the national championship match in 2008.

This season marks the 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Coyotes, who advanced to the Elite Eight after defeating BYU-Hawaii, UC San Diego and Seattle Pacific to claim the West Region title.

Under 20-year head Kim Cherniss, Cal State San Bernardino enters this week’s play on a 15-game winning streak and has won its last six games by 3-0 counts.

The Coyotes’ roster is highlighted by four All-Americans. Senior outside hitter Jane Chafeh and senior middle blocker Samantha Middleborn were named First Team All-Americans by the AVCA. Senior All-American Nicole Moore was a second team pick while sophomore setter Camille Smith was selected to the third team.

Middleborn also was tabbed the CCAA’s Most Valuable Player of the Year and the West Region’s Player of the Year.

Cal State San Bernardino is looking to become the fourth different CCAA institution to claim an NCAA women’s volleyball title. UC Riverside was crowned national champions in 1982 and 1986, Cal State Northridge claimed titles in 1983 and 1987, and Cal State Bakersfield won the national championship in 1989.

2010 NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Finals
Dec. 2-4, 2010 – All Times Pacific
Knights Hall, Bellarmine University

First Round – Dec. 2
9:00 a.m. – Cal State San Bernardino (28-2) vs. Concordia-St. Paul (29-4)
11:30 a.m. – Clarion (32-4) vs. Dowling (30-1)
2:00 p.m. – Grand Valley State (26-6) vs. Tampa (29-3)
4:30 p.m. – Wingate (30-1) vs. Central Missouri (31-4)

Semifinals – Dec. 3
Noon – CSUSB/CSP vs. Clarion/Dowling
2:30 p.m. – GVSU/Tampa vs. Wingate/Central Missouri

Championship – Dec. 4
1:00 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Preview: Cougars Look to Bounce Back Against Tornadoes

COLUMBUS – The Columbus State (1-2) men’s basketball team will return to action on Wednesday night as they take on Talladega College (5-4) in a non-conference matchup at 7:00 p.m. at the Lumpkin Center. The game will be streamed live via webcast from csucougars.com.

The Cougars enter Wednesday’s contest looking to rebound from a loss to the Argonauts of West Florida on Monday night.  CSU and West Florida battled to a first half tie at 28-28 but the second half belonged to UWF.  The Argonauts outscored Columbus State 44-30 in the final 20 minutes and went on to the 72-58 victory.

The Cougars were led by Steve Peterson, Donta Ridley, and Jarmarquis Steverson who all scored eleven points.  CSU struggled from three-point range, connecting on only four of 17 attempts and shot just 33 percent from the floor.

Columbus State and the Tornadoes of Talladega College will meet on the court for the first time in nearly fifteen years.  CSU is 6-0 all-time versus Talladega with the last contest coming on December 11, 1995. That game resulted in an 86-81 win for the Cougars.

Talladega College comes into Wednesday’s game looking to bounce back from a 71-68 loss to Cumberland University on Monday night.  The Tornadoes are 3-4 away from home this year and have lost three of their last four contests. Talladega is coached by William Brown who is in his second season.

The Tornadoes come to town featuring a potent offensive attack in which three players average 15 points or more per game. As a team they rank in the top ten in NAIA in free throw percentage.

Individually, Talladega is led by a trio of explosive backcourt players. Kerry Harris a 6-0 junior guard from Montgomery, Alabama leads the team in scoring at 23.2 points per game. Harris has scored twenty or more points in six of nine games played this year and is shooting 37.5 percent from downtown. He is ranked No.2 in NAIA in both points per game and total scoring.

Other key players to watch for the Tornadoes are Phil Wood and Tarium Taylor. Wood, a 6-foot-4 guard from Washington, DC is averaging 20.9 points per contest and has registered 15 points or more in five of the seven games he has played this year. Taylor a 6-2 guard from Sylacauga, AL averages 17.7 points per game and has scored 18, 15, and 17 in his last three games.

Defensively, the Tornadoes are ranked in the top ten in NAIA in total blocks as a team. The Talladega frontline features a 7-0 center in Jimmy Sutton.  Sutton averages 3.1 blocks per game and has 28 blocks on the year.  Sutton has registered nine blocks in his last two games.

Columbus State will return to action on Tuesday December 7 at home against the sixth-ranked Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville.  Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Lumpkin Center.

Metro State Basketball Notes

Metro State Men's and Women's Basketball Game Notes this week.


Men's Basketball Game Notes

Women's Basketball Game Notes

WT Lady Buff Basketball Notes

THIS WEEK – The #12 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs (2-1, 0-0 LSC) open the Lone Star Conference schedule this week with a pair of crossover games against Cameron (1-4) and Southwestern Oklahoma (4-0). WTAMU will play the Aggies this Thursday, Dec. 2 in the home opener before facing the Bulldogs on Saturday, Dec. 4. Tip-off at First United Bank Center on Thursday is set for 6 p.m., while Saturday’s contest tips-off at 4 p.m.

WT vs. Cameron – The Lady Buffs are 28-2 overall against the Aggies and have won nine straight contests over the Aggies, which includes last season’s 68-48 victory in Lawton, Okla. The last time the Lady Buffs dropped a game to Cameron came back on Nov. 20, 2001, at Aggie Gym. Since that time, WT has won by 20 points or more except on two occasions.

WT vs. SWOSU – WT is a combined 12-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, having only dropped the inaugural meeting between the two teams, 65-61, back on Nov. 20, 1997, in Weatherford, Okla. The Lady Buffs won last season’s meeting, 83-65, at Rankin Williams Fieldhouse and have won the previous 12 games by an average margin of just under 18 points.

LAST TIME OUT – The Lady Buffs went into Durango, Colo., on Nov. 20, to face the then No. 12-ranked Fort Lewis Skyhawks for a battle of Top-15 teams, but the Skyhawks came away with a 93-69 victory over WT. Despite a game-high 21 points from Joni Unruh (Sr-3L, amarillo, Texas), the Lady Buffs struggled in the second half. WT took a 39-37 lead into the locker room after the first half, but were then outscored 56-30 in the second period as the home team ran away with the win to avenge last season’s 73-64 loss to the Lady Buffs.

UP NEXT – WT returns to the road next week with another pair of crossover games as the Lady Buffs travel to Denton next Thursday, Dec. 9, to face Texas Woman’s before heading to Commerce that Saturday, Dec. 11, to play Texas A&M-Commerce. The Lady Buffs will return back home Thursday, Dec. 18, to face Central Oklahoma.

LADY BUFFS In THe POLLS – The Lady Buffs dropped just one spot to No. 12 in this week’s poll after being tied at No. 11 last week. WT opened the season at No. 7 in the preseason poll which

DELTA STATE ADVANCES TO NCAA FOOTBALL REGIONAL TITLE GAME

Birmingham, AL—For the 11th straight year, Gulf South Conference Football advanced at least one team to the NCAA Division II Playoff Quarter-Finals.
              
The GSC was assured a Regional Finalist as No. 2 seed Delta State hosted league rival No. 6 seed North Alabama on Saturday  DSU moved on to its fourth NCAA Quarter-Final contest thanks to a revenge victory over the Lions, 47-24.  The win was the Statesmen’s 10th all-time post-season victory and was also the 90th win for the Gulf South Conference in the NCAA Playoffs.
              
The Statesmen seek to advance to their first Semi-Final round since 2006, traveling to No. 1 seed SIAC Champion Albany State on Saturday, December 4th.  Kickoff time is set for 12:00 pm Central.

@ #2 SEED DELTA STATE 47, #6 SEED NORTH ALABAMA 24 (NCAA PLAYOFFS--SECOND ROUND)
              
The second time was the charm for No. 2 seed Delta State (9-3), which topped GSC rival and No. 6 seed North Alabama (9-4), 47-24, in the second meeting versus the schools this season.
              
DSU rebounded from a 31-7 home setback versus UNA during the regular season, rolling up 524 yards of total offense en route to the highest point total ever against the Lions.
              
The Statesmen snapped a 7-7 tie in the first quarter, hitting for 27 unanswered points.  Wide receiver Chance Dennis found paydirt on Delta State’s opening possession, catching a 17-yard touchdown at 12:28.  North Alabama posted the neutralizer at 2:26 when running back Wes Holland ran for a 12-yard TD, only to see DSU close the first quarter with running back Brandon Lucas’ 28-yard scoring rush with 17 seconds remaining.
              
The Statesmen held a 27-7 halftime edge thanks to a 13-point second frame.  Running back Trevar Deed reeled-off a two-yard touchdown run at 9:48, followed by Dennis’ two-yard scoring grab at 3:48.  Quarterback Micah Davis capped the scoring streak at 11:31 in the third quarter after running for a 25-yard TD.  North Alabama made the score 34-10 via Josh Montgomery’s 34-yard field goal at 8:15, but Delta State iced the game with 13 straight points.  Lucas rushed for a 23-yard score at 7:28, while Blake Swain hauled-in a 13-yarder with 36 ticks on the clock.
              
Deed and Lucas each ran for over 100 yards, led by Deed’s game-high 109 yards on 15 carries.  Lucas added 106 yards on 11 attempts, while Davis ran for 77 yards and passed for 165 with three touchdowns.  Delta State evened the post-season series with North Alabama to 2-2 and put the brakes on a three-game skid versus the Lions.  DSU claimed its 10th NCAA Playoff victory in 14 contests and the win was also the 90th by the GSC in the post-season.  Box score

#2 seed Delta State (9-3) @ #1 seed Albany State (11-0), 12:00 p.m. (CST)
Location: ASU Coliseum, Albany, GA                                                          
Press Box Phone: (229) 430-3674/3675
Series: 0-0-0                                                                                                      
Last Meeting: First meeting
              
A pair of Conference champions battle in the NCAA Super Regional 2 Title Game as GSC Tri-Champion and No. 2 seed Delta State (9-3) travels to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion and No. 1 seed Albany State (11-0) for a first-ever meeting.
              
DSU faces a team from the SIAC for the first time in history, while ASU takes on a GSC foe in the post-season for the second year in a row after West Alabama topped the Golden Rams in last year’s First Round, 24-22.  GSC teams are 6-2 versus Albany State in the post-season led by two straight triumphs.  The Statesmen are 5-1 on the road this season with their lone loss coming at Division I-FCS Jackson State in the season opener.  ASU is 5-0 at home this season.  Delta State is 10-4 in its six NCAA Playoff appearances, led by the 2000 NCAA Title and two Semi-Final berths.
              
Delta State leads the Conference in total offense (479.4), punting (36.6) and sacks against (1.08) and is also third in scoring offense (33.7), pass offense (293.8), pass efficiency (144.8) and rushing offense (185.9).  Albany State is No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (11.55) and is also tops in the SIAC in passing offense (210.36), pass efficiency (166.16), rushing defense (59.18) and total offense (370.82).
              
DSU quarterback Micah Davis ranks second in the GSC in passing touchdowns (26), third in passing (289.6) and pass efficiency (145.0) and fourth in total offense (305.1).  Running back Trevar Deed places third in rushing (78.4) and is tied for second with 10 rushing TDs.  Brandon Lucas also has 10 rushing scores and is seventh in rushing (55.1).  Wide out LJ Castille is seventh in receiving (61.4) and ninth in receptions (4.3), while Maurice Moore is second in all purpose yards (137.8).  ASU signal caller Stanley Jennings is first in the SIAC in passing (201.0), pass efficiency (166.91) and total offense (212.8).  Wide out Ronnie Childs is tops in receiving (80.55).