Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College will serve as the 2015 Founders’ Day and Honors Convocation speaker.
The event will take place Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in the William “Billy” J. Nicks Building. The observance publicly recognizes students’ academic success achieved during the fall and spring 2014 semester. The students who will be recognized have excelled in their studies, earning grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. read more…
Briana Morrow added 11 points for TSU (18-13), while UK (24-9) had six players finish in double-figures led by Linnae Harper’s 16.
The Lady Tigers shot 26 percent for the game (18-of-69) and had 26 turnovers. UK edged the Lady Tigers in rebounds, 52 to 34, and went to the free throw line 42 times.
Lawrence got TSU off to a good start by nailing the team’s first jumper of the game, but the hoop was part of a 1-for-13 start from the field for the Lady Tigers.
The TSU dry-spell allowed UK to go on a 19-1 run to take a 16-point lead early in the contest.
Jayda Johnson finally ended the stretch with a corner three-pointer with 11:33 to go in the first half, but the Wildcats responded with 10 straight point to move ahead, 29-6.
Lawrence provided the highlights of the first half for the Lady Tigers and canned back-to-back three-pointers. Her second cut the lead to 21 with 6:19 to play before halftime.
The Wildcats eased up on the full-court press to end the first period, allowing Tennessee State to string together an 11-3 run that featured three-point shots from Rachel Allen, Johnson and Lawrence.
UK scored the last five points of the half and went into the locker room ahead, 50-25.
TSU was just 9-of-34 (26 percent) from the floor during the opening 20 minutes, but was deadly from deep, nailing 6-of-12.
Like the opening half, TSU got on the board first to begin the second with a Chelsea Hudson layup, but UK immediately countered with a pair of free throws on the other end to re-gain momentum.
The Wildcats later went on a 12-2 run to pad the lead to 40 when UK’s Alexis Jennings converted on a layup at the 8:46 mark.
The Lady Tigers responded by scoring six straight points thanks to a technical foul on Kentucky.
The ensuing free throws made the score, 82-48, with 7:33 to go in the game.
The Wildcats closed the game on a 13-3 run and walked away with a 45-point win.
The Lady Tigers end with a Division I program best record of 21-11 overall. They are the first SSU basketball team to earn a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
On their championship run they went on the school’s best Division I winning streak of 11-games. It was the program’s second best win streak.
The 1994-95 Division II team under Phillip Wallace finished 23-5 with a program-high 12-game winning streak.
Friday’s game was a lopsided matchup with the No. 1 seed South Carolina – a team that had only two losses in the regular season, cruised to their first Southeastern Conference title, were ranked No.1 in the country for 12 weeks, and beat Savannah State by 62 points this past December.
However, on Friday the Savannah State team that walked into Colonial Life for the second time this year was not the same team.
In their first matchup, South Carolina led SSU 60-22 at the half. On Friday, the MEAC Champion Lady Tigers trailed by only 13-points at the half.
[quote_box_center]“I thought coming into the game today we had a pretty decent game plan,” SSU head coach Cedric Baker said. “I want to commend my student-athletes, we put in an offense within a matter of five or 10 minutes today that I thought, for a half, put us in a position to keep it respectable.”[/quote_box_center]
In front of a crowd of 10,644, a fast paced game opened with teams trading point-for-point. Aleighsa Welch broke a tie-game with a fast break layup, and redshirt senior Ezinne Kalu answered with a 3-pointer to give SSU their only lead of the game, 7-6, at the 17:01 mark.
South Carolina opened a short run over the next two minutes to take a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
SSU played the Gamecocks tough in the first half though. With 3:59 to play, Jasmine Norman, Kalu and Tiyonda Davis opened a 7-2 run to cut the Gamecocks lead to only eight points.
USC fired back though with a 7-2 run of their own to close out the half.
South Carolina shot a mesmerizing 72 percent from the floor in the opening half, hitting 18-of-25 field goal attempts, and 3-of-4 3-point attempts. Kalu led the field at the half with 12 points.
The second period was a different story as South Carolina’s deadly post work showed up in force, and the size mismatch with Savannah State came into play.
The Gamecocks scored 56 of their points in the paint, handing SSU a dose of their own medicine.
“They’re probably the most fundamentally sound post players we have seen all year,” Baker said. “Typically, in our half court sets, we try to really dig in on the one dribble from the post players but [I] want to commend the post players of course [Aleighsa] Welch, of course [Alaina] Coates and also Asia Dozier. When they got inside, they kept it hot and we’re pretty small, so we have to utilize our speed and quickness so they kept it hot and wouldn’t allow us to dig in and get any steals and get out in transition.”
Over the season, the Lady Tigers averaged 34.7 points a game in the paint. Against South Carolina, they managed only 20 points. They were outscored 38-18 in the second period.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to play with a lot of passion, which I thought we did,” Baker said. “We had poise there and some intellect for most of the game but I thought we got out of character there which, of course, against good basketball teams, every possession is different. This is new for us, and I feel sorry for the seniors because they won’t get another shot at it, but just looking at our program and how far we’ve come, I’ll say to you I think we’ll be back.”
Dem. U.S Rep. Bennie Thompson and Nissan executives presented the donation to Alcorn State University, Coahoma Community College, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College and Tougaloo College.
“These six institutions have a rich history of continuously advancing their programs to enhance their student’s educational experience. This contribution continues Nissan’s commitment to HBCUs and to diversity, education and service in our community,” said Jeffrey Webster, the automaker’s director of diversity and inclusion.
Nissan highlighted resources provided to each institution will be used to promote a range of STEM related programs and departments including applied sciences, engineering, math, computer and information science and many more.
The OEM went on to mention this donation builds on the success of Nissan Canton’s previous partnerships with HBCUs. As a result of one such partnership, in March 2013 Nissan donated two robots to Alcorn State University’s Advanced Technologies Program, which gave students first-hand experience with the kind of technology used in manufacturing facilities.
“I am very proud of the work our HBCUs are doing to develop the scientists, engineers and innovators of tomorrow,” Thompson said.
“As one of the largest manufacturers in our state, Nissan understands the need to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s opportunities,” he continued. “I applaud their demonstrated commitment to our community and look forward to their continued support in the future.”
Giving to higher education hit an all-time high of nearly $34 billion in 2013, according to the Council for Aid to Education. Unfortunately, these new heights in higher education philanthropy have largely bypassed the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
A recent New York Times report, “Hard Times at Howard,” placed the spotlight on the financial woes of HBCUs. Where they once had a monopoly, these schools are now competing for top Afircan-American students — and often losing — to top-tier research universities and other elite institutions. Shrinking enrollments, limited endowments, and even instances of financial mismanagement have strained the coffers of HBCUs. As the Times reported, not even the venerable Howard University has been spared from these challenges. read more…
Recent gifts by Apple and Toyota to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and four historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have not only helped support students in these institutions; they have also helped highlight the financial problems plaguing many HBCUs.
Apple recently committed $40 million to the Marshall Fund to help make STEM careers more appealing to African-American students, while Toyota gave $50,000 to four Alabama HBCUs. We’ve reported on a number of other gifts to HBCUs over the past year. Despite this support, many HBCUs struggle financially. read more…
Choosing a college can be a life-changing experience. However, that experience can be a daunting challenge for prospective first-generation students whose families may be unfamiliar with college. Additionally, some families face financial or other limitations that prevent them from having their student visit an actual college campus.
Short of making an on-campus visit, college fairs where exhibitors bring the college experience to students often prove the next best option. That’s the idea behind the HBCU Experience set for 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 21, at Skyline High School, 7777 Forney Road. The fair will connect students in elementary, middle and high school with admissions officers, alumni, students, and representatives of fraternities and sororities from historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). read more…
African-American lawmakers are taking a proactive approach to maintaining North Carolina’s historically black public colleges.
The North Carolina Legislative Caucus met Tuesday with the University of North Carolina Board of Governors to discuss rumors of closing or consolidating five HBCU, three social justice centers and board diversity.
“There have been a lot of rumors and information floating around in the media and concerns raised by residents, parents, students and alumni across the state about our HBCUs,” said caucus Chair Rep. Garland E. Pierce. “These are such important issues. We decided to go straight to the source.” read more…
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Bowie State University senior guard, Cameron Knox (Baltimore, Md.), and Winston-Salem State University senior forward, WyKevin Bazemore, have been selected to the Daktronics/Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Atlantic Region second team.
Knox was selected to the 2014-2015 All-CIAA Team and voted the conference’s Player of the Year. Knox started in 29 games this season and averaged a team-best 17.4 points per game and ranked second in conference scoring. He scored a career-high 31 points versus Livingstone and scored 20 or more points 11 times during the 2014-2015 campaign. He finished his career with 786 points and a career scoring average of 12.3 points per game.
Bazemore is a rarity, as he was selected to the All-CIAA Team for the fourth consecutive year. He is only the fourth player in the history of the CIAA to earn that honor four times! Bazemore started all 28 games this season and averaged 13.3 points and a team and CIAA high 9.8 rebounds per game. He scored a season high 25 points versus Johnson C. Smith and also pulled down 17 rebounds versus Fairmont State. He finished his career with 1,337 points and 984 rebounds. His rebounding total ranks him 3rd All-Time in WSSU history behind Carlos Terry’s (1975-78) 1,467 and Mike Robinson’s (1976-80) 1,242.
West Liberty’s Seger Bonifant has been named the Atlantic Region Player of the Year and headlines the 2014-15 Daktronics/Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Atlantic Region Men’s Basketball Team.Bonifant, a junior from Berlin, Ohio, was the Mountain East Conference Player of the Year after averaging 24 points per game for the Hilltoppers. WLU finished the season ranked fifth in the country and is the host for this week’s NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament.
Joining Bonifant on the All-Atlantic Region first team are Adam Blazek of Gannon, Devante Chance of Indiana (Pa.), Nick Harney of Fairmont State and Matt Tobin of East Stroudsburg.
The second team consists of WyKevin Bazemore (Winston-Salem State), Tyree Gaiter (Notre Dame College), Wali Hepburn (Lock Haven), C.J. Hester (West Liberty) and Cameron Knox (Bowie State).
Sports information directors from NCAA Division II Atlantic Region schools and conferences selected the two Daktronics All-Region teams and voted on the Player of the Year. The process concludes with All-American selections announced later in the month.
The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition.
2014-15 Daktronics/Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Atlantic Region Team
| FIRST Team | ||||||
| Name | School | Pos | Ht | Wt | Cl | Hometown |
| Adam Blazek | Gannon | G | 6-1 | 185 | Sr. | Erie, Pa. |
| Seger Bonifant** | West Liberty | G/F | 6-7 | 200 | Jr. | Berlin, Ohio |
| Devante Chance | Indiana (Pa.) | G | 5-11 | 180 | Sr. | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Nick Harney | Fairmont State | F | 6-8 | 215 | Sr. | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Matt Tobin | East Stroudsburg | G | 6-1 | 175 | Sr. | Hopatcong, N.J. |
| ** Atlantic Region Player of the Year | ||||||
| SECOND Team | ||||||
| WyKevin Bazemore | Winston-Salem St | F | 6-4 | 185 | Sr. | Kelford, N.C. |
| Tyree Gaiter | Notre Dame College | G | 5-7 | 150 | Jr. | Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
| Wali Hepburn | Lock Haven | G | 6-4 | 185 | Sr. | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| C.J. Hester | West Liberty | F | 6-4 | 210 | Sr. | West Mifflin, Pa. |
| Cameron Knox | Bowie State | G | 5-11 | 170 | Sr. | Baltimore, Md. |
Ashley was voted the Pac-12 tournament’s most outstanding player as Arizona thrashed Oregon by a margin of 28 points for the conference’s postseason championship.
Peaking at just the right time, Ashley and the Wildcats head into the NCAA Tournament as a second seed in the West for Thursday’s opener against No. 15 Texas Southern in Portland, Oregon.
The 6-foot-9 junior forward was out with a foot injury last season when the Wildcats worked through the NCAA Tournament with wins over Weber State, Gonzaga, and San Diego State before falling to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Gone from that team are Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson.
[quote_box_center]”We were a man short last year with Brandon going down. If can you imagine Brandon playing like this on last year’s team, what we could have done. Nobody knows that more than him,” Miller said. ”But that’s last year. We’re healthy this year, and some of the things that we know we’re very good at, we have to be ourselves and take them into this tournament this week.”[/quote_box_center]
The Wildcats (31-3) have won 11 straight games going into the game, including victories over California, UCLA and finally Oregon in the conference championship.
Ashley ranks second on the team in points with an average of 12.3. He’s also averaging 5.4 rebounds. But in the three Pac-12 tournament games, he averaged 19.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.
”Coming off an injury, it really does take a lot of time to get all the way back to where you want to be,” Ashley said. ”So I feel like at this point I am confident. I do feel a hundred percent healthy, and my teammates and my coaching staff have a huge part in that.”
Texas Southern (22-12) earned a spot in the tournament by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference final 62-58 against Southern. It was the Tigers’ second straight league tournament title, last season the team fell to Cal-Poly in its NCAA Tournament opener.
The two teams have never met. The victor will go on to meet the winner of Thursday’s other West region game between seventh seed VCU and 10th seed Ohio State.
Read Full article via Yahoo Sports
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“On the Yard SU” is a web series centered around Southern University to inform students, faculty and alumni on some of the things that are going on around campus. The show is meant to bring SU into a positive light.
For the latest on HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.
“On the Yard SU” is a web series centered around Southern University to inform students, faculty and alumni on some of the things that are going on around campus. The show is meant to bring SU into a positive light.
For the latest on HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.
Raven-Symoné’s week on The View has been an interesting one. Earlier this week, during a segment discussing Rodner Figueroa’s firing from Univision for comparing Michelle Obama to something from Planet of The Apes, Symoné made comments that seemed to defend the Univision host.
As Rosie Perez was attempting to explain racism within the Latino community, Symoné raised eyebrows with her comments.
“But was he saying it racist-like? Because he said he voted for her later. And I don’t think he was saying it racist,” Symoné said.
Even though Perez insisted the comment was racist, Symoné still challenged it.
“Not Michelle Obama. Michelle, don’t fire me from this right now, but some people do look like animals,” Symoné joked.
“So can I be mad if someone called me Toucan Sam?” Symoné said.
Now after making the comments, Symoné is attempting to clarify what she meant.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Symoné talked about why she thinks her comments caused drama. “I don’t think they heard what I said,” she said. “I did not defend the man. I said that what he said was very distasteful. And I think that the organization is in the right to fire him. And I don’t believe that she looks like a racially charged animal that has been connected to the black community for years and years.”
Read more here.
Disgraced NFL running back OJ Simpson used to make astonishing cuts on the football field, but cutting a jailhouse medication line may have the Hall of Famer running for his life.
According to the Daily Mail, the 67-year-old Simpson is housed in the minimum-security section of a Nevada prison but when it comes time for medication and meals, all prisoners, from minimum to maximum, must line up together.
Last week, Simpson reportedly cut the line, causing Travis Waugh, 51, a member of the Aryan Nation who goes by the name “Blu” and is housed in maximum security, to call him out.
“This guy was standing in line waiting for his medications when OJ comes along and cuts in line—like he always does,” an eyewitness told the Daily Mail. “But this dude was not having it and told OJ to take his ugly black a– to back of the line and wait like everybody else.”
“OJ jumped in his face and yelled, ‘F–k you man. I’m gonna stay right here and you’re a– ain’t gonna do nothing about it,’” the eyewitness said, according to the Daily Mail. “The guy pushed OJ and yelled back: ‘Get in line a–hole and wait your turn. I’m not gonna tell ya again.’”
According to the witness, Waugh pushed Simpson, who now walks with a cane after 11 brutal years in the NFL took a toll on his knees, and Simpson fell to the floor, the Daily Mail reports.
Simpson is serving anywhere from nine to 33 years in prison for armed robbery and has petitioned the prison to have surgery for his knee injuries, which he believes may leave him unable to walk unless treated.
The witness added that the once Simpson got back to his feet, he rushed Waugh and reportedly spit in his face.
“The guy flipped out and went after OJ. OJ put up his fists to fight back and was yelling that he was going to teach this guy a lesson. But the other inmates jumped and tried to hold both of them back but they were both so furious it was almost a riot,” the witness told the Daily Mail.
Guards rushed the scene and separated the two men, but not before Waugh reportedly issued a threat to Simpson.
“While the guy was dragged away he looked back and screamed, ‘I am going to make it my mission to kill you nig–r a–. You will not leave here alive—do you hear me!’” the eyewitness told the Daily Mail. “And then he made a symbol with his hands of shooting a gun at OJ.”
The eyewitness added that Simpson asked around and found out that Waugh is in fact a violent inmate.
Read more here.
(The Root)
The pipeline from community college to a four-year university can be shaky, since students often attend community college in hopes of improving their grades in order to gain admission to a four-year institution.
The California Community Colleges system may have found a way to make that transition a bit easier: It has signed an agreement with nine HBCUs so that all of its students who wish to transfer to any one of the participating historically black schools are guaranteed admission, so long as they have a minimum GPA of 2.5, KGO-TV reports.
The nine participating HBCUs who made the deal with the California system are Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C.; Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.; Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.; Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Talladega College, also in Alabama; and Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.
Apparently it’s a win-win for both California community colleges and these HBCUs. Getting into four-year colleges in California has become “increasingly hard,” KGO-TV explains, and HBCUs have seen their student-body numbers dwindle significantly in recent years.
Now all of California’s African-American community college students who clear the GPA hurdle and would like to transfer have a spot at one of the nine schools.
Olevasami Brown, a student at a California community college, explained how he used to think that attending an HBCU was simply unattainable for him. “I felt like the gap between achieving and transferring was a little too wide for me, but with this announcement today, I feel that dream is so much closer,” Brown said.
There are approximately 160,000 African-American students enrolled in California’s community colleges.
Read more here.
For the latest on HBCU news, stay tuned to The Buzz.
