Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (11-11) vs. Eastern Kentucky

Tennessee Tech fell to EKU by a score of 80-73 on Thursday night. EKU had four Colonels score in double figures. Tennessee Tech (11-11, 5-7) opened the game with a 14-8 lead, but Eastern Kentucky went on a 21-5 run to take a 29-19 advantage on a Rose 3-pointer. The Colonels made nine 3-pointers in the first half and took a 43-32 lead into halftime for their seventh win in nine games and third straight. Kevin Murphy led Tennessee Tech with 21 points, including going 6-for-9 from 3-point range.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (8-14) vs. Florida International

Chris Gradnigo scored 31 points and Louisiana-Lafayette defeated Florida International 90-73 on Thursday night. The Ragin’ Cajuns (8-14, 5-6 Sun Belt Conference) shot 46.7 percent from behind the 3-point arc (14 of 30), just one game after shooting five percent (2 of 38) from long range at Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Randell Daigle and Gradnigo each hit five 3-pointers. Daigle added 15 points for the Ragin’ Cajuns and LaRyan Gary chipped in 12. Louisiana-Lafayette led by as many as 24 points, 71-47 on a Travis Bureau 3-pointer with 13:33 left to play. Gradnigo, who had 22 points in the first half, was the first Louisiana-Lafayette player since Anthony Johnson on Jan. 24, 2002 to score 30-plus points in the Cajundome.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (13-9) vs. Troy

Troy defeated Arkansas State 85-77 Thursday night for the Trojans’ seventh straight win, the longest current winning streak in the Sun Belt Conference, and coach Don Maestri’s 450th career victory.The Trojans (14-10, 9-3) trailed only once, at 30-29, and led 41-34 at halftime. Troy led by 24 points at 80-56 with 6:40 remaining. Eric McKinney led the Red Wolves, who have lost four straight to Troy, with 16 points. Donald Boone added 15 and Brandon Ayers and Yima Chia-Kur had 10 apiece.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (10-12) vs. Cleveland State

Cleveland State got a 66-63 win over Illinois-Chicago on Thursday night. Cleveland State (16-8, 7-5 Horizon League) trailed the entire second half until a late three-pointer. Cleveland State sealed the game by making two foul shots with seven seconds left. Illinois-Chicago (10-12, 3-9) led 48-37 points with just over 16 minutes left, when the Vikings went on an 11-2 run. Robo Kreps led the Flames with 19 points. Scott Vandermeer added 13 points and 10 rebounds; Tori Boyd scored 11 points and Josh Mayo, who missed the last game with with a sprained ankle, chipped in 10.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (10-15) vs. Austin

The Vipers snuck past the Toros 109-104 on Friday night. The Vipers were led by Trent Strickland, who had 27 points and 7 rebounds. Alpha Bangura also contributed 23 points and 7 rebounds in the victory.

1/24/09

#10 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (17-2) vs. Depaul

Jerel McNeal had 21 points and six rebounds and Lazar Hayward added 16 points and 17 rebounds in a 79-70 victory over the Blue Demons on Saturday that kept the Golden Eagles undefeated in the Big East. McNeal’s defense has been one of the biggest reasons Marquette (17-2, 6-0) is off to its best start ever in conference play, topping a 5-0 mark 16 years ago when the Golden Eagles were known as the Warriors and played in the Great Midwest.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (10-9) vs. Tennessee State

Alex Davis scored 21 points to lead Tennessee Tech to an 86-78 win over Tennessee State on Saturday night. Daniel Northern added 16 points for the Golden Eagles (10-9, 4-5 Ohio Valley Conference). Davis also went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles led by three points at the break and outscored the Tigers 49-44 in the second half. Tennessee Tech won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Tigers 37-29. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series between the schools 25-20.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (7-12) vs. South Alabama

Randell Daigle hit a 3-pointer as time expired to lift Lousiana-Lafayette to a 67-65 win over South Alabama on Saturday night. Travis Bureau led the Ragin’ Cajuns (7-12, 4-4 Sun Belt Conference) with 18 points. Chris Gradnigo scored 13 and Daigle chipped in with eight. With 20 seconds left, Bureau made one of two attempts to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 64-62 lead. Following a team timeout, South Alabama sank a 3-pointer with two seconds left to put them up by one. Then Daigle responded with a 3-pointer to win the game.

Southeast Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-18) vs. Murray State

Murray State had four players in double figures in an 80-55 rout of Southeast Missouri State on Saturday night. Jaycen Herring and Calvin Williams scored 16 points apiece to lead the Redhawks (3-18, 0-10), who have dropped 10 straight games. The Racers hit 12 of 18 free throw attempts, while the Redhawks went just 8 of 17 from the line. Murray State also hit eight shots from beyond the arc compared to one for the Redhawks. Holloway hit five of those 3-pointers. Murray State led by eight points at the break, and went on a 16-0 run during a four-minute span midway through the second half to pull away.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (13-7) vs. Florida Atlantic

Yima Chia-Kur scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Arkansas State headed off an upset by Florida Atlantic in a 62-60 victory Saturday. Donald Boone added 13 points for ASU (13-7, 5-4 Sun Belt Conference). The Red Wolves had a comfortable 10-point lead going into the half with 35-25 on the scoreboard. But the Owls (4-17, 0-9) pushed ahead with superior shooting in 3-pointers in the second half making 42.9 percent to ASU’s 33.3 percent. Arkansas State was 0-0 in free throws in the final period.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (10-9) vs. Wright State

Wright State got a 57-31 victory on Saturday night. Scott Vandermeer had 10 points for the Flames (10-9, 3-6), who hit just 11-of-42 shots from the field for 26 percent. The Flames trailed just 34-25 at the 13:26 mark of the second half but the Raiders scored 23 of the game’s final 29 points.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (2-21) vs. Chicago State

Chicago State routed North Carolina Central 103-63 on Saturday night. Chicago State dominated the boards, with 62 points in the paint, compared with just 20 by North Carolina Central (2-21). The Cougars led 59-31 at the half. Chicago State made 17-of-33 field goal attempts, or 56 percent, compared with 11-of-34, or nearly 36 percent, for the Eagles. Philip Branch had 15 points and Vincent Davis added 13 for North Carolina Central.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (9-11) vs. Utah Valley

Utah Valley turned in a collective effort and beat Savannah State 55-39 Satuday afternoon. Utah Valley (9-8) took a 24-19 lead into the half and never looked back as they cruised to the 16-point victory. A quick Wolverine run extended the lead to 10 early in the second half and the Tigers would come no closer as they dropped to 9-11 on the season. Raye Bailey, Anthony Jones and Rashad Hassan led the Tigers in scoring with eight points apiece while Jones also chipped in with eight rebounds.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (2-18) vs. Central State (Ohio)

The Eagles got their 2^nd win of the season in a 74-68 win over Central State on Friday. The Eagles were led by guard Jamar Briscoe who scored 21 points in the contest. Guard Bryan Ayala also added 14 points and 9 assists.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (8-14) vs. Tulsa

The Vipers got a 104-100 win over the Tulsa 66ers on Friday night. The Vipers were led by strong performance from Trent Strickland who scored 19 points and added 9 rebounds. Alpha Bangura also helped the Vipers by scoring 20 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.

1/17/09

#14 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (16-2) vs. Providence

No. 14 Marquette rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half and beat Providence 91-82 on Saturday night. Lazar Hayward scored 25 points, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:10 left, and Jerel McNeal also scored 25 as Marquette (16-2, 5-0 Big East) extended the best start of its tenure in the Big East. The Golden Eagles last started 5-0 in the conference when they were a member of the Great Midwest in 1992-93.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (9-8) vs. Murray State

Daniel Northern scored 13 points to lead Tennessee Tech to a 61-55 win over Murray State on Saturday night. Northern, who also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots, was the only player to score in double figures for the Golden Eagles (9-8, 3-4 Ohio Valley Conference). After Tennessee Tech led 34-27 at halftime, the teams traded leads throughout the second half until the Racers’ Isacc Miles scored on a layup to tie the score at 52-52 with 1:55 left in the game. But the Golden Eagles went on a 9-3 run from that point, hitting 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Tennessee Tech got its revenge over Murray State with the win, as the Racers won the last matchup in the OVC tournament’s opening round last season.

Southeast Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-16) vs. Eastern Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give them a 74-71 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Jaycen Herring led Southeast Missouri (3-16, 0-8) with a season-high 25 points. With 23 second remaining in regulation and EKU ahead 71-69, Eastern Kentucky missed the front end of a one-and-one. On the next possession, Herring grabbed his own rebound and made a floater in the paint to tie the score at 71-71 with three seconds left. After a time out, Eastern Kentucky passed the ball the length of the court to set up the game winner. Eastern Kentucky made 14 of 36 3-pointers while Southeast Missouri made just 7 of 19.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (12-6) vs. South Alabama

South Alabama defeated Arkansas State 74-67 in Sun Belt Conference play Saturday. South Alabama was ahead by only two points at the halftime with 30-28 on the scoreboard. While ASU (12-6, 4-3) outshot its opponent overall in free throws with 74.1 percent to South Alabama’s 61.8 percent, the victors fared better in field goals and 3-pointers. Donald Boone led for Arkansas State with 17 points. JeJuan Brown added 14, and Daniel Bryant scored 11 points.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (9-8) vs. #18 Butler

Hayward hit seven 3-pointers and tied his career-high with 25 points as Butler (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) mounted a second-half comeback for a 59-52 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Tori Boyd scored 13 points, Robo Kreps had 11 and Scott VanderMeer had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Flames (9-8, 2-5). Butler used a 13-4 run to pull within four points, then went on a 7-0 run to take a 43-42 lead with 8:26 remaining.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (2-19) vs. Chowan

Chowan hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left to give them a 72-70 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday night. With the Hawks leading 69-68 with :52 seconds left, Stevy Worah-Ozimo hit a jump shot to put the Eagles up 70-69 with 0:33 left. The Eagles (3-18) were led by Jamar Briscoe with 31 points, including 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Worah-Ozimo chipped in 13 points, and Vincent Davis and Bryan Ayala each added 10 for the Eagles. The Eagles, who hit 3 of 9 3-pointers in the first half which they led 29-27, made just 16.7 percent (2 of 12) from long range in the second.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (9-9) vs. Longwood

Longwood got an 86-76 victory over Savannah State on Saturday. Leading 41-36 at halftime, Longwood opened the second half on a 6-0 run for a 47-36 advantage with 18:30 remaining. Savannah State (9-9), which had won two straight games, cut the lead to 77-73 on Tracy Rankins’ layup with 1:41 left, but Longwood hit a 3-pointer for an 80-73 advantage and they sealed the win at the line. Anthony Jones led Savannah State with 21 points. Rankins finished with 12 points and Jovonni Shuler added 11.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (1-18) vs. Texas-Pan American

Jamar Briscoe scored 21 points and North Carolina Central won its first game of the season, defeating Texas-Pan American 77-71 on Wednesday night. N.C. Central led by as many as 21 points, 69-48, on a Joshua Worthy layup with 5:31 left. Vincent Davis added 20 points for N.C. Central and Bryan Ayala chipped in 12. Texas-Pan American shot 61.4 percent form the field (27 of 44), but committed 20 turnovers which led to 21 Eagles’ points. N.C. Central hit 7 of 11 from 3-point range, including a perfect 3 of 3 by Davis.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (7-14) vs. Colorado

The Vipers lost to the 14ers 129-110 on Wednesday night. The Vipers were led by Alpha Bangura who had a solid night with 26 points on 10 for 19 from the field. He also had 8 rebounds.

1/15/09

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (8-8) vs. UT Martin

Tennessee-Martin got a 83-72 win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday night. After the teams played to a 34-34 tie at halftime, Tennessee-Martin shot 52.2 percent (20 of 35), while Tennessee Tech shot 34.4 percent (11 of 32) for the rest of the game. Tennessee Tech (8-8, 2-4) had four players in double figures as D.J. Lindsay scored 15 points, Will Barnes added 14, Daniel Northern put in 11 and grabbed 10 rebounds and Zach Bailey tallied 10 points. The Skyhawks scored 21 points off of 19 Golden Eagles’ turnovers. In front of a national television audience on ESPNU, Tennessee-Martin scored 50 points in the paint and had 16 fast-break points.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (6-10) vs. UALR

The Ragin’ Cajuns lost to Arkansas-Little Rock by a score of 79-71 on Thursday night. The Ragin’ Cajuns were led by Chris Gradnigo who came off the bench to score 20 points and grab 6 rebounds. Randall Daigle also contributed 14 points going 4 for 9 from beyond the arc.

SE Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-15) vs. Morehead State

Morehead State got a 73-67 win over Southeast Missouri Thursday night. Kenard Moore tied his career high with 31 points and Jaycen Herring added 18 for the Redhawks (3-15, 0-7). Morehead State took the lead for good with about seven minutes remaining in the first half. An 8-0 run late in the period put the Eagles up 35-29 at halftime. The Eagles gained their largest lead, 46-34, three minutes into the second half. Southeast Missouri pulled within four points with 4:25 remaining, but a couple of late turnovers cost the Redhawks heavily.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (12-5) vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Shawn Morgan came off the bench to score 19 points and grab 9 rebounds as Arkansas State edged Louisiana-Monroe 65-62 in Sun Belt Conference action Thursday night. ASU’s Eric McKinney achieved a double-double, scoring 17 points and snaring 15 rebounds. ASU (12-5, 4-2) and ULM (5-12-1-5) were tied at 26 points each at the break. The Red Wolves increased their shooting percentage from 33 before intermission to 56 percent after halftime to get the win.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (9-7) vs. Valparaiso

Robo Kreps had a game-high 23 points to lead Illinois-Chicago to a 77-52 win over Valparaiso on Thursday night. Tori Boyd scored 14 points, Rob Eppinger had 13 points and Josh Mayo added 10 points for Illinois-Chicago (9-7, 2-4 Horizon), which led 35-27 at halftime. Valparaiso couldn’t keep up with the Flames, who went on a 20-5 run to close out the period. After the break, Illinois-Chicago held Valparaiso to 33 percent shooting from the field and 0-for-5 from 3-point range. The Flames also got 27 points off 18 Crusader turnovers.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (7-8) vs. Albuquerque

The Vipers got a 108-96 victory over the Thunderbirds on Friday. The Vipers were led by Smush Parker who had 19 points and 13 assists. Joey Dorsey also added 16 points and 12 rebounds in the Vipers win.

1/3/09

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (7-5) vs. SE Missouri (Rodney Hamilton) (3-11)

Will Barnes and Frank Davis scored 18 points each to lead Tennessee Tech to an 103-76 victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday night. The Golden Eagles (7-5, 1-1 Ohio Valley Conference) built on a 48-35 halftime lead by scoring 55 second-half points to send the Redhawks (3-11, 0-3) to their third consecutive loss. Tennessee Tech had 34 assists, the most ever against a Division I opponent and the second highest in school history. The Golden Eagles also shot 56.9 percent from the field (41 of 72), thanks to Barnes and Daniel Northern, who each shot 7 of 9 from the floor. Northern added 17 points and seven rebounds. Calvin Williams led Southeast Missouri State with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Jaycen Herring scored 18 points, JaJuan Maxwell had 12 points and LaMont Russell added 11 points for the Redhawks.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (5-8) vs. Denver

La’Ryan Gary hit two free throws with eight seconds left in double overtime to lift Louisiana-Lafayette to a 63-62 win over Denver on Saturday night. La’Ryan was fouled after he grabbed the offensive rebound on a Lamar Roberson miss with 10 seconds to play, and the Ragin’ Cajuns down 62-61. Denver led 27-17 at halftime, and by as many as 12 points before the Ragin’ Cajuns (5-8, 2-1) used a 52.8 percent shooting (11 of 21) second half to send the game to overtime. Tyren Johnson hit a jumper to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 55-53 lead in the first overtime with 2:58 remaining, but Brian Stafford made a layup with 1:31 left, sending the game into the second overtime. Gary scored 15 points for Louisiana-Lafayette and Chris Gardnigo added 14.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (10-4) vs. New Orleans

Donald Boone scored 20 points, and Arkansas State held New Orleans without a field goal for over 12 minutes in a 71-56 win Saturday night. The Red Wolves (10-4, 2-1 Sun Belt) didn’t allow a field goal for the final 10:04 of the first half and the first 2:08 of the second. New Orleans led by nine in the first half before its extended offensive slump. Arkansas State was ahead 25-24 at the half, then steadily built its lead in the second. The Red Wolves only missed seven shots of any kind in the second half, going 10-of-13 from the field and 23-of-27 from the free throw line.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (8-5) vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay

Wisconsin-Green Bay got a 66-61 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday in Horizon League play. The score was tied after the first period at 28, but Wisconsin-Green Bay (10-4, 3-0) came back after half time to outscore Illinois-Chicago (8-5, 1-2) by five points in the second period and seal the win. The victory leaves Wisconsin-Greey Bay undefeated in the Horizon League. Josh Mayo led Illinois-Chicago with 22 points and Scott Vandermeer added nine points. The Flames saw their shooting percentage drop from 41.7 percent in the first period to 28.6 percent in the second period. Illinois-Chicago earned 20 points from its bench players.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (0-16) vs. Miami

James Dews scored 16 points as Miami shook off an early challenge from winless North Carolina Central for a 76-42 victory on Saturday. The Eagles (0-16) stayed within single digits of the Hurricanes (10-3) in the first half and kept it as close as 15-12 after Stevy Worah-Ozimo’s field goal with 8:50 left. Down by six at halftime, N.C. Central cut Miami’s lead to 31-29 after Vincent Davis scored a basket just 2:50 minutes into the second half. Davis led North Carolina Central with 10 points. But Miami followed with 11 unanswered points during a 2:11 minute span early in the second half to claim a 42-29 lead.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (7-7) vs. UAB

Alabama-Birmingham got a 63-37 victory over Savannah State on Sunday. Jovonni Shuler led Savannah State (7-7) with 11 points. The Blazers, who started the second half on a 10-2 run, eventually led by as many as 31 points.

1/4/09

#25 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (13-2) vs. Cincinnati

Jerel McNeal scored 26 points and hit a career-high seven 3-pointers as Marquette rolled to an easy 84-50 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday. Wesley Matthews added 17 points for Marquette (13-2, 2-0 Big East), which won its first two Big East Conference games for the first time since joining the conference in 2005. Marquette upset Villanova 79-72 Thursday in its Big East opener. Marquette put the game away at the start of the second half with a 25-4 run. Lazar Hayward scored 11 of Marquette’s first 13 points during that run, including three 3-pointers. Hayward finished with 16 points.

Marquette (Scott Monarch) (10-2) vs. N.C. State

Dominic James’ 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining lifted Marquette (No. 25 ESPN/USA Today) past North Carolina State 68-65 on Monday night. Jerel McNeal scored 20 points and James added 18 for the Golden Eagles (10-2).

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (0-14) vs. Duquesne

Duquesne defeated winless North Carolina Central 97-79 on Monday night. Jamar Briscoe, also a freshman guard, made 15 of 18 from the foul line while scoring a game-high 34 points for North Carolina Central. The Eagles have played only two home games while going 0-14.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (7-5) vs. Notre Dame

#8 ranked Notre Dame got a 81-49 win over Savannah State on Monday night. The Irish rebounded in the second half, shooting 14-of-21, as they pulled away most of the game. Broadnax was called for a technical in the first half because he was unhappy with the officiating, with the Tigers being called for 10 fouls to just one for the Irish. The Irish were 23-of-28 from the free-throw line for the game, while the Tigers were 8-of-8. Broadnax said that Tracy Rankins broke his nose and Arnold Louis needed several stitches over an eye. Chris Linton led the Tigers with 14 points.

12/23/08

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (9-3) vs. SE Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-9)

Shawn Morgan cored 16 points to help Arkansas State to an 86-67 win over Southeast Missouri on Tuesday. eJuan Brown added 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Donald Boone scored 13 points, and Brandon Ayers accumulated 11. The win gives coach John Brady a 9-3 start, the best of any first-year head coach in school history. Arkansas State cut Southeast Missouri’s all-time series lead to 38-25. Going into the half, ASU led by four at 43-39. he Redhawks’ Kenard Moore led all players with 24 points. Calvin Williams added 16 points and nine rebounds, and Jaycen Herring accumulated 14 points.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (8-3) vs. Toledo

Spencer Stewart scored 15 and Scott VanderMeer had 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead Illinois-Chicago to a 65-55 victory over Toledo on Tuesday night. The Flames (8-3) pulled to a 17 point lead with 1:31 left in the first half and went into the break ahead 36-21. Boyd came off the bench to score 11 points for Illinois-Chicago. Toledo outscored the Flames 22-8 off turnovers, but Illinois-Chicago had a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points and a 34-24 advantage in the paint. The Flames shot 26-of-61 from the field for 42.6 percent and the Rockets shot 23-of 60 for 38.3 percent.

Bowling

Dynasty client Norm Duke was listed as the #7 PBA in history by the PBA. His highlights are below, but you can check out the article at this link: http://www.pba.com/news/feature.asp?ID=1039

Career Titles: 29
Career Major Titles: 5
Career Earnings: $2,602,414

Highlights: Duke’s 29 titles rank tied for seventh all time… Owns five Majors including the USBC Masters, Tournament of Champions, World Championship (twice) and U.S. Open, making him one of just two bowlers to complete the PBA’s Grand Slam and one of just five to complete the Triple Crown… Was just 18 when he won his first title in 1983 becoming the youngest to ever win a PBA Tour title… Two-time Player of the Year (1994, 2000) and four-time George Young High Average Award winner… Also won the Harry Smith Point Leader Award in 2005-06… Won a career-best five titles and banked $273,753 in 1994… Has won three or more titles in four different seasons… One of 19 players to shoot 300 on national TV.

Marquette (Scott Monarch) (9-2) vs. Western Carolina

If Lazar Hayward keeps this up, Marquette’s reputation as a guard-oriented team might suddenly be up for debate. Hayward scored a career-high 27 points and the Golden Eagles (9-2) beat Western Carolina 94-77 Friday night. The junior forward is Marquette’s leading rebounder, but often has taken a back seat to the Golden Eagles’ (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 24 AP) guards in terms of scoring — until recently.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (5-6) vs. Iowa

The Vipers lost to the Iowa Energy 111-107 on Friday. The Vipers forced overtime when Alton Ford split a pair of free throws with six seconds left in regulation and opened a 103-100 lead on Alpha Bangura’s 3-pointer with 3:24 to play. The Energy responded with six straight points. Rio Grande Valley tied it, 107-107, on Ford’s three-point play with 36 seconds to go before Sanders gave Iowa the lead for good. The Vipers missed a pair of shots on their next possession, and Stinson made a free throw to seal it.

12/20/08

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (6-4) vs. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt defeated Tennessee Tech 83-63 on Saturday. Frank Davis made four 3-pointers and led Tennessee Tech (6-4) with 19 points. His 3-pointer with 14:27 to play in the first half gave the Golden Eagles their last lead, 9-8. Daniel Northern added 14 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. He got Tech within three, 28-25, with a jumpshot with 5:10 remaining in the first half, but Vanderbilt responded with a 12-4 run.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (8-3) vs. Arkansas-Little Rock

Arkansas-Little Rock got a 65-59 over Arkansas State in Sun Belt Conference play Saturday. The Red Wolves (8-3, 1-1) were behind a point, 21-20, at the end of the first half. ASU shot 27 percent and the Trojans 31 percent from the field in the first half. UALR hit 55 percent in the second period while ASU was at 40 percent. UALR out-rebounded ASU 44-34.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (7-3) vs. Illinois State

Illinois State got a 67-60 win over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Illinois State (11-0) remains undefeated with the victory that saw four Redbird players score in the double-digits. Josh Mayo led Illinois-Chicago (7-3) with 22 points, including three 3-pointers, and Scott Vandermeer added ten points. Tori Byrd led the Flames with seven rebounds.

Illinois State led 34-27 going into halftime. Both teams gave an even effort in the second period, tying 33-33 and giving the Redbirds the win. Shooting also was even with Illinois State going 36.7 percent from the field and Illinois-Chicago going 35.7 percent.

12/21/08

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (5-7) vs. Austin

The Austin Toros got a 102-89 victory over the visiting Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Sunday. Austin went on an 11-0 run late in the third and then outscored Rio Grande Valley by 18 in the final frame to cruise to the win. Smush Parker paced the Vipers, who have lost two straight, with a game-high 23 points and Trent Strickland chipped in with 19. The two combined to bury six 3-pointers. The Toros controlled a major advantage on the glass (55-38) and a small, but significant, gap on steals (10-7).

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (4-6) vs. Sam Houston State

Sam Houston State narrowly beat Louisiana-Lafayette 56-54 on Sunday night. The Ragin’ Cajuns (4-6) tied the game at 52-all on two Tyren Johnson free throws with 49 seconds to play. Ramirez gave Sam Houston the lead once again 18 seconds later, but Ryan McCoy tied the game one final time at 54-54 with 23 seconds to play on a jump shot. McCoy led Louisiana-Lafayette with 21 points and Johnson had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

SE Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-8) vs. Western Illinois

Calvin Williams scored 25 points and had five blocks, both career highs, to lead Southeast Missouri to a 64-63 win over Western Illinois on Sunday. Williams scored 14 of the final 16 points for Southeast Missouri (3-8, 0-2 Ohio Valley). Kenard Moore had 13 for the Redhawks, while Jaycen Herring added 11 points.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) vs. Lewis

Guard Josh Mayo scored 21 points to lead Illinois-Chicago to an 80-57 rout of Lewis on Wednesday night. Center Scott Vandermeer added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Flames, who improved to 7-2 on the season, while Tori Boyd contributed 13 points. Illinois-Chicago led 34-29 at halftime, and ran away after the intermission, outscoring Lewis 46-28 in the second half. The Flames shot 47 percent, after the break, compared to 32 percent for Lewis.

12/18/08

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (4-5) vs. North Texas

North Texas got a 78-64 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday night. The Ragin’ Cajuns (4-5, 0-1) were paced by Travis Bureau, who scored 14 points. Lamar Roberson had 12, and Ryan McCoy added 11. The Mean Green went on a 12-4 run with 9:17 remaining in the first half, thanks to four consecutive 3-pointers. North Texas maintained a 34-28 lead at halftime, and used an 11-1 run in the second half to take a 50-36 lead with 12:18 remaining. North Texas shot 61.1 percent from 3-point range (11-for-18).

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (8-2) vs. Florida International

Arkansas State’s Donald Boone scored 15 points and recorded five steals Thursday night as the Red Wolves opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 61-41 victory over Florida International. Arkansas St. (8-2, 1-0) held FIU to 21 points in the first half, then just 20 points in the second half. The ASU defense forced 20 turnovers, including 13 steals. Eric McKinney added 13 points for the Red Wolves, with Mike Lance coming off the bench to score 12.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (0-13) vs. Winston-Salem State

Winston-Salem State got a 66-51 victory over North Carolina Central on Thursday night. The Rams (2-7) jumped out to a a 7-0 lead, matching their largest lead of the season, then increased the advantage to 18-6 with 10:19 left in the first half. The Eagles (0-13) cut the lead to 31-25 at halftime, then trailed by only four points early in the second half. At 33-29, Winston-Salem scored six straight points and eventually built its lead to 19. The Rams, who have struggled from the floor this season, shot 56.5 percent in the first half (13 of 23) and finished at 51.1 percent (24 of 47). N.C. Central shot 36.2 percent (21 of 58).

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (7-4) vs. Texas A&M

Raye Bailey scored 10 points to lead Savannah State to a 47-42 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday night. The Tigers (7-4) came out on top despite shooting 28 percent from the field (14-for-50). The home win kept them undefeated in Savannah so far this season. Both teams struggled early, and the Islanders held a 23-20 lead at halftime. The Tigers continued to shoot poorly, but managed 14 free-throw attempts in the second half to help them outscore the Islanders 27-19. Savannah State shot 63 percent from the free-throw line (17-for-27).

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (4-4) vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Travis Bureau led four players in double figures with 18 points and Louisiana-Lafayette defeated Louisiana-Monroe 86-58 on Monday night. Lamar Roberson added 15 off the bench, Ryan McCoy scored 13 and Chris Gradnigo had 11 for the Ragin’ Cajuns (4-4, 1-0 Sunbelt Conference). Louisiana-Lafayette shot 53.2 percent from the field (33 of 62), while going 6-for-12 from 3-point range. The Ragin’ Cajuns held the Warhawks (2-7, 0-1) to just 27.1 shooting (16 of 59).

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (7-2) vs. Mississippi Valley State

Michael Lance scored 18 points to lead five Arkansas State players in double figures as the Red Wolves beat Mississippi Valley State 75-58 on Monday night. Donald Boone scored 13 points, Shawn Morgan added 11 and Ifeanyi Koggu and Daniel Bryant had 10 apiece for the Red Wolves (7-2). Morgan notched a double-double, also grabbing 11 rebounds.

12/16/08

Marquette (Scott Monarch) (8-2) vs. Tennessee

No. 16 Tennessee beat No. 24 Marquette 80-68 on Tuesday night in the second game of the Southeastern Conference/Big East Invitational. Wesley Matthews had 30 points for Marquette (8-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Tennessee wore down the Golden Eagles, who had only eight players due to injuries. Five Marquette players had at least three fouls apiece midway through the second half. Lazar Hayward added 14 points for Marquette and Jerel McNeal had 10.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (6-3) vs. FSU

Florida State held off Tennessee Tech 69-59 on Tuesday night. It was not easy. The Golden Eagles (6-3) overcame a six-minute scoreless stretch and a 53-44 deficit in the second half. Consecutive 3-pointers by Kevin Murphy and Daniel Northern’s putback basket keyed an 11-2 run. DJ Lindsay’s runner down the lane with 4:25 remaining tied the score, but the Seminoles ran away with it in the end.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (0-12) vs. South Carolina

South Carolina routed North Carolina Central 90-43 on Tuesday night. With the game tied at 8, the Gamecocks used a 23-2 run to take an insurmountable lead. During the latter part of the run, North Carolina Central went seven straight possessions without getting a shot off and South Carolina led 42-20 at halftime. North Carolina Central committed 34 turnovers in the game, the most ever by a Gamecocks opponent. The winless Eagles (0-12) are in their second year as a Division I program and fall to 4-38 during the transition. They were led Jamar Briscoe with 19 points.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (6-4) vs. Kennesaw State

Chris Linton scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Savannah State to a 53-49 victory over Kennesaw State on Tuesday night. The Tigers (6-4), who had lost four of their previous five games, took a 27-24 lead into halftime. Savannah State held Kennesaw State to seven points over the last eight minutes, taking the lead with 4:24 left on two free throws by Patrick Hardy. Linton was 5-for-6 from the field for the Tigers while Anthony Jones added 10 points. Savannah State also enjoyed a 39-28 rebounding advantage, 14-6 on the offensive board.

Two Dynasty basketball clients, Royce Parran and V’Angelo Smith, have signed with CBA teams. Royce signed with the Minot Skyrockets and V’Angelo signed with the Lawton Fort Sill Cavalry.

Parran played ball at Chicago State, where he finished as the Cougars’ all-time Division I leading scorer with 1,510 points. The 5′9 guard finished 3rd overall at the 2007 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest. Parran was honorable mention All-Independent Team as a senior, 2nd Team All-Mid-Continent as a junior, and Mid-Continent 6th Man of the Year as a freshman. Royce will be going to Minot, North Dakota to join the Skyrockets. They will embrace his scoring ability as well as his infectious personality.

Smith played at Arkansas Pine-Bluff, where he was an integral part of the team’s success. He was named to SWAC All-Defensive team and finished fourth on the team in scoring. Smith is also very aggressive on the backboards and is a good mid-range shooter. V’Angelo will be staying a bit warmer than Royce. He’ll be heading to Lawton, Oklahoma to play for the Cavalry, also of the CBA. Smith is an amazing slasher; he can get to the hole at will. He’ll give the Cavalry a constant threat in the lane, not to mention a solid defensive stopper.

12/6/08

Marquette (Scott Monarch) (7-1) vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, unranked AP) likes a slow-tempo game, and Marquette (unranked, No. 25) loves to run. So it stood to reason that a game played in the 50s and 60s would go the Badgers’ way. But Wisconsin couldn’t stop Jerel McNeal, who scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half to power Marquette to a 61-58 comeback victory over its in-state rival Saturday night.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (0-8) vs. Drake

Drake soared to an 89-46 men’s basketball win over winless North Carolina Central on Saturday. The Eagles were led by Vincent Davis’ 24 points. He was the only N.C. Central player in double figures. The Eagles led 14-13 after Davis’ 3-pointer with 11:00 to play in the first half. But Drake 34-11 run to take a 47-25 halftime lead.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (5-2) vs. Loyola

Josh Mayo had 22 points, including five 3-pointers and a perfect 3-3 from the foul line, to lead Illinois-Chicago to a 83-69 victory over Loyola of Chicago on Saturday. Scott VanderMeer added 18 points for Illinois-Chicago (5-2, 1-0 Horizon) and Robo Kreps had 11 points. The Flames led by as many as 14 points with 17 seconds left in the game.

Tennessee Tech (Scott Payne) (5-2) vs. Jacksonville State

Jacksonville State beat Tennessee Tech 82-66 in both team’s conference opener on Saturday night. Tennessee Tech (5-2, 0-1 Ohio Valley Conference) committed 25 fouls to send the Gamecocks (6-1, 1-1) to the free-throw line 31 times, making 18 of their attempts.

SE Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (2-6) vs. Tennessee State

Tennessee State got a 83-72 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Johnny Hill led Southeast Missouri (2-6, 0-2) with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Calvin Williams scored 17, Jaycen Herring had 15 and Jajuan Maxwell added 12 for the Redhawks. The Redhawks went on a 12-2 run in the first half and led 29-27 at halftime. But Tennessee State exploded to a 62-50 lead with 8 minutes left after Smith scored 10 straight points, including a four-point play.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (6-2) vs. Missouri State

Missouri State got a 52-47 win over Arkansas State on Saturday night. Donald Boone led Arkansas State with 20 points and McKinney added 11.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (5-3) vs. St. Louis

St. Louis beat Savannah State 55-37 on Saturday night.

Savannah State (5-2) scored two quick baskets to open the second half and cut the deficit to 10, but Lisch answered with seven consecutive points to push the Billikens’ lead back to 17. Saint Louis led by as many as 31 in the second half on the strength of a 13-0 run that included five points from Lisch. Raye Bailey led Savannah State with 17 points, including 14 in the second half.