Eagles battle Nationally-ranked Tar Heels, but fall in opener
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After a slow start, North Carolina Central University battled back to a single-digit deficit at halftime against No. 6 North Carolina, but the Tar Heels added to their lead after intermission and held off the Eagles for a 76-60 win inside the Dean E. Smith Center on opening night Friday.
NCCU senior transfer guard Anthony McDonald topped three Eagles to score double figures with a game-high 16 points. Senior forward Karamo Jawara contributed 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds, while junior guard Dante Holmes added 11 points for NCCU.
North Carolina utilized its big bodies in the post to out-rebound the Eagles 49-30, and protected the rim with 10 blocked shots, holding NCCU to 32.1 percent (18-for-56) field goal shooting. The Tar Heels shot 44.3 percent (27-for-61) from the floor, and were paced by Brice Johnson with 12 points and eight boards.
NCCU (0-1) returns to the hardwood on Tuesday, Nov 18 to host College of Faith at 7 p.m. inside McDougald-McLendon Gym. The contest will be video/audio streamed live at NCCUEaglePride.com, courtesy of the NCCU Sports Network.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com
Bears drop opener to Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – D.J. Newbill scored 17 points on 4-of-10 shooting to help Penn State beat Morgan State 61-48 Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Newbill did most of his damage from the charity stripe where he connected on 7-of-8 free throws and added seven rebounds to go along with three assists. He helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 31-25 halftime advantage.
Morgan State struggled shooting the ball, hitting 31 percent for the game and connecting on just 3 of 18 shots from beyond the arc.
Penn State got contributions from several players as they extended the lead in the second half.
Shep Garner scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Geno Thorpe added 11 points with two steals. Brandon Taylor led the Nittany Lions on the glass with a game-high nine rebounds.
Cedric Blossom led Morgan State with 10 points (4-4 FT), six rebounds and two blocked shots. Blake Bozeman added nine points and Zech Smith chipped in six points with four boards and two blocks.
The Bears were outrebounded by a 40-36 margin, however they outscored Penn State by a 13-5 margin in second chance points.
Morgan State will host the Towson Tigers on Monday, November 17th. Tip-off at Hill Field House is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.morganstatebears.com
Tigers build big lead by halftime enroute to season opening win
CLEMSON, S.C. - The Clemson Tigers rode some early hot floor shooting to run past the Florida A&M Rattlers, 86-41 in the season opening game for both teams here Friday night.
FAMU shot 33 percent (16 of 48) for the game and went 0-7 from three-point range, which was in contrast to Clemson, which finished the night shooting 48.3 percent (32 of 66) from the field and 28 percent (7-of-25) from beyond the arc,
The Tigers surged in the first half to build a 41-18 lead at the break, and they continued to roll in the second half, outscoring FAMU, 45-23.
FAMU, which features an entirely new roster assembled by first year coach Byron Samuels and his staff, was paced by Emanuel Pellot-Valentin, who had 10 points, and Quentin Bastian, who added 11 points and seven rebounds. Jermaine Ruttley led the Rattlers though, with nine rebounds Friday.
Clemson placed five players in double figures led by Landry Nnoko with 15 points and Jordan Roper with 13 points. Sidy Djitte led the Tigers with eight rebounds Friday.
FAMU continues its nine-game season-opening road tour Saturday evening in Spartanburg, S.C., against USC Upstate in a game to air on ESPN3 at 7:30 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.famuathletics.com
Coppin State opens season with loss at Oregon
EUGENE, Ore. – The Coppin State men’s basketball team opened its 2014-15 season with a 107-65 loss to the University of Oregon Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena in a non-conference contest.
Coppin State was led by seniors Arnold Fripp and Jahvari Josiah, who reached double figures in scoring. Fripp scored a team-high 16 points for the Eagles and Josiah added 11 points. Taariq Cephas added nine points for the Eagles.
Both teams combined to make 25 3-pointers. The Eagles made many of their 11 early in the game while Oregon was hot throughout from beyond the arc.
Coppin State swooshed to an 11-2 lead less than four minutes into the game following 3-pointers from Brickhouse, Cephas and Fripp. By the first media timeout, Coppin State had 19 points, drained five 3-pointers while shooting a torrid 70 percent. The Eagles led 24-20 with 12:24 remaining in the opening half.
Unfortunately for Coppin State the good times didn’t last thanks to Oregon senior guard Joseph Young, who scored 25 of his game-high 32 points in the first half. He fueled an Oregon surge to finish the first half. Young was 11-for-14 from the field and 6-of-8 from 3-point distance.
Coppin State returns to action Sunday when it visits Illinois at the State Farm Center beginning at 5:00 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com
Virginia Tech outlasts Maryland Eastern Shore
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball team dropped their season opener to the Virginia Tech Hokies by a final score of 71-46. The Hawks (0-1) hung tough in the first half, but the Hokies eventually wore down UMES after the break.
Despite the final score, UMES had some encouraging play in the low post. As a team, the Hawks outrebounded Virginia Tech, 35 to 33. The Hawks worked the glass on both ends, limiting the Hokies to just four second chance points while creating their own extra opportunities with 14 offensive rebounds.
Forward Mike Myers finished a single point shy of a double-double in his first game as a Hawk, putting up nine points and ten rebounds. Myers was aggressive from the get-go, drawing numerous fouls and getting to the line for 14 free throw attempts. Despite his struggles from the foul line, Myers outplayed both Joey van Zegeren and Satchel Pierce for Tech. Both Hokie big men were eventually disqualified with five fouls primarily from trying guard Myers.
The top scorer for UMES was freshman guard Ryan Andino who finished with 11 points, including three made three-pointers. With Devin Martin and Mike Myers each scoring nine points, the top three Hawks in scoring were all additions to the roster this season.
A pair of freshman, Malik Müller and Justin Bibbs, scored 15 points apiece to top the Hokies. Another freshman, Ahmed Hill, put up a double-digit performance with 11 points. As a team, Virginia Tech was crisp on offense, shooting 52.2% from the field. The Hokies did not commit their first turnover until 8:24 remaining in the game, ending with just six giveaways on the night.
The Hawks continue their extended road trip on Monday against the Villanova Wildcats. UMES plays seven more games away from Princess Anne before their home opener, with four road contests scheduled for the upcoming week. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at The Pavilion in Villanova, Pa.
For complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com