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The teams' big men reach for a jump ball during the second quarter of last Friday's game.
I Photo by Timothy Ramsey
' Swarm guard Xavier Munford hits a free throw for
one of his 26 points in the game
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE ?
?
In this inaugural season in the NBA
development league (D-league) for the
Greensboro Swarm, the team has found
that wins are rather hard to come by.
The Swarm has started the season with
an 0-5 record but righted the ship by earn
ing their first victory of the year by defeat
ing the Erie Bay Hawks 109-88 Friday
night.
With Charlotte Hornets affiliated play
er Aaron Harrison back in the fold and in
the starting lineup, the Swarm got off to a
great start shooting the ball. Harrison,
along with point guard and leading scorer
Xavier Munford, were on target shooting
the ball from the start.
Munford scored 26 and Harrison had a
game high 31 points on the evening.
Veteran Damien Wilkins chipped in with
14 points and Perry Ellis contributed with
12 points off the bench. The defense for
the Swarm in the first half set the tone for
the game as they held the lead from wire to
wire.
Swarm head coach Noel Gillespie says
he gives all credit to his players for their
first win.
"It's great, and I know this sounds like
a coaching clich6, but obviously the play
ers score every bucket and it was due to
them focusing in," said Gillespie. "They
came in focused this morning before the
game and they're buying into the game
plan and executing. Hopefully we can do
it again tomorrow."
The first quarter was tightly contested
early on. The Bay Hawks were led by
Lewis Jackson, who hit a couple of pull up
jumpers in the lane. Munford answered
back with a jump shot off the dribble and
hitting two from the free throw line. Erie
center Cliff Alexander used his large frame
to clean up the boards for easy put backs.
The BayHawks, however, were unable to
stop the prolific outside shooting from
Harrison, and the Swarm led 27-22 after
one quarter.
The Swarm ratcheted up the defensive
intensity in the second quarter, forcing Erie
to shoot long jump shots and corralling the
rebound. On the offensive end, the Swarm
continued to lean on Harrison and
Munford, who hit clutch shot after shot.
They were able to stretch the lead to 18 by
the end of the half and held Erie to only 38
points, their lowest point total given up all
season.
Gillespie said coming into the game,
he wanted Harrison and Munford to be
aggressive coming off screens and to look
to attack the rim.
"They are so good at drawing defend
ers and the other teams' big guys then
kicking out to open shooters," said
Gillespie. "With Rasheed and Aaron in the
starting lineup with Xavier and with
Damien at the four spot, you have four
guys who can make plays and have high
basketball IQs. The mindset for those two
[Harrison and Munford] to attack and be
selfish from the beginning is huge."
The BayHawks made a bit of a run in
the third quarter after falling behind by
more than 20 points. TJ. Price and
Jackson hit a few big shots and made some
terrific passes in the lane for easy layups
for their big men. The Swarm kept their
composure and held on to a 81-71 lead
after three quarters.
During the fourth quarter, veteran for
ward Damien Wilkins became more
aggressive by posting up smaller defenders
in the post and seemingly scoring at will.
The defensive intensity from the first half
returned for the Swarm and they held on
for a 109-88 victory.
Wilkins said his team came out with
intensity in the first half but relaxed once
they had a big lead. He said they had a
similar problem in their last game against
the Delaware 87ers but learned their lesson
and hung on for the victory this time out.
"It was great, but we can't take this for
granted," Wilkins said of his team's first
win. "We have to get hungry, we have to
get greedy for another win."
Hanes Hosiery
begins Winter
Basketball
Registration
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
The Hanes Hosiery recreation center is now taking
sign ups for its winter basketball league. The center will
have two leagues: a 6-10-year-old league and an 11-15
year-old league. The cost for each child is $25 and it
includes a jersey and trophy.
This will make the 38th year Hanes Hosiery director
and coach Art Blevins will run youth basketball leagues in
the city. "We teach them fundamentals and make sure the
kids are having fun and learning the game also," Blevins
said.
Blevins said he wants to keep the three "P's" out of
what they do. No Pressure, no Politics and no Parent
coaching. He says he wants to make sure each kid has an
opportunity to play. He thinks this is the recipe for a suc
cessful program.
Blevins went on to say, "Here at the Hosiery, it's all
about the kids. I have been blessed over the years work
ing with thousands of kids who have come through our
program. We take pride in the trying to make sure our
programs are top notch.
Wake Forest University Law students will serve as
coaches for the teams. Blevins says they do a great job
with the kids and make sure each kid plays. He says the
priority is for the kids to enjoy the game.
The $25 cost covers the jerseys and trophies, which
I
Blevins purchases each year. The price to register for the
Winter League has remained the same for the last 14
years. Blevins also says he enjoys helping those kids who
cannot pay.
Blevins closed by saying, "Every kid will play regard
less. This is what its all about, the kids."
Submitted photo
Hanes Hosiery director and coach Art Blevins, left, is shown with his staff: Patrice Johnson and Jeremiah
Hawks
CIAA hires Davidson College
official for external onerations
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
CHARLOTTE - The
Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association
(CIAA) has announced the
oHHilinn
of Suzette
McQueen
as the sen
ior associ
ate com
missioner
of exter
nal opera
tions &
strategic
marketing.
We are excited about
the wealth of knowledge,
leadership and oversight in
athletics administration
that Suzette will bring to
compliment and grow the
CIAA," say Commissioner
Jacqie McWilliams. "Her
experience in both
Divisions I and DII will
help maximize our plat
forms and strengthen our
partnerships, while contin
uing her passion of engag
ing and supporting student
<. *
~I
athletes."
The senior associate
commissioner of external
operations and strategic
marketing will be responsi
ble for the management of
sponsorship, media rights,
promotions, media rela
tions and marketing for the
CIAA's 15 championships.
McQueen will provide
strategies that drive rev
enue streams while
increasing brand manage
ment and awareness to sup
port the mission and vision
of the CIAA.
"The CIAA has distin
guished itself as a premier
conference at the Division
II level," says McQueen. "I
am very excited for this
opportunity to join an
already successful organi
zation that prides itself on
its tradition, leadership and
community values.
Commissioner Jacqie
McWilliams and her staff
have been nothing but sup
portive in welcoming me to
the team. I look forward to
working with the CIAA
and its member institutions
to continue to advance its
mission to positively
impact the lives of its stu
dent-athletes."
McQueen will join the
conference office after
serving as the associate
director of the Davidson
College Athletic Fund
(DAF). She once held the
role of interim director of
DAF, which closed out the
2015 fiscal year with a
record breaking $2.7 mil
lion raised in annual dol
lars for athletics.
Prior to Davidson,
McQueen served as the
Assistant Athletic Director,
External Affairs and Media
Relations and Senior
Woman Administrator at
Adelphi University. She
was responsible for media
relations for the
University's 20 Division II
teams. McQueen earned a
B.A. in communications in
1992 from the University
of Michigan and a master's
degree in sports adminis
tration from the University
of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in 2001.
ft
McQueen
i
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