w
SPORTS/The Charlotte Post
Thursday, February 1,1996
Foe mE WEEK of Januaby 30 through February 5
JACKSON
STATE
WINS,
LOSES
SWAO Photo
COVINGTON: Jackson
St. Athetic Director will
appeal NCAA Inellgibllty
decision.
T TIGERS WIN ATTENDANCE TITLE,
LOSE HOOPSTER; CIAATIX AVAILABLE
UNDER THE BANNER
WHATS GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
MUST BE THE SHOES: Detroit pis-
tons guard Lindsay Hunter's purchase of shoes and shorts
for Jackson State basketball player
Fidel Woods has resulted in Woods
being declared ineligible for the re
mainder of the season by the NCAA.
The 6-7 Woods had started nine games
for the Tigers at forward. Hunter, a
Jackson State grad, bought the articles
on a 1994 mall trip. JSU Athletic Di
rector Paul Covington said the school
will appeal the decision.
JSU Sports Photo
HUNTER: Sharing
the wealth costs
Tigers a player.
GET 'EM NOW: The always-sold out CIAA
Basketball Tournament, scheduled for February 26 through
March 2 in Winston-Salem, NC, still has tickets available.
A CIAA office release says ticket booklets ($85 per) are still
available as well as single session tickets for Monday
through Thursday games. For additional information, contact
CIAA Business Manager Martha Marcolini at 804-865-
0071. Credit card orders can be accepted at the Lawrence
Joel Coliseum box office at (910)725-5635.
PACE SETTER: Howard University head
track and field coach William P. Moultrie has been selected
as the Running Referee for the 1996
Olympic games by the U. S. Olympic
Committee. Moultrie, in his 23rd
season over the Howard program, was
selected as one of seven referees out of
more than 1,000 applicants. He will be
directly responsible for all of the
running events that take place on the
track, specifically the hurdles, relay
and running events. He will be one of
175 officials from across the country
who will work the games. The games are scheduled for July
19 through August 6 in Atlanta.
PAY FOR PLAY: Origins Marketing and
Management Company is conducting a national survey to
determine if fans would support pay-for-view black college
football games in the 1996-97 season. The company, led by
Ronald Bethea, has set up a 900 number to indicate your
support for the concept. For additional information contact
Origins president Ron Bethea at 1-800-201-4215. Origins
proposes to put on weekly matchups of CIAA, MEAC,
SIAC and SWAC schools and independents.
TYLER TWO HUNDRED I Howard
University head women’s basketbal coach Sanya Tyler
became the winningest coach in school history and the
second best ever in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
(MEAC) history with a win last week over Maryland-
Eastern Shore. The win was the 200th of her 16 years at the
helm of the Lady Bison program.
HU Sports Photo
MOULTRIE; Will
call shots for
Olympic running
events,
e AZEEZ CommankaiioBs, loc VOL 2. NO. 24
1995-96 BLACK COLLEGE BASKETBALL (Results, Standings and Oustanding Players)
THE STAT CORNER
WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS
NCAA DIV. 1 LEADERS
SCORING ■
Player, Team
GP
AVG.
Kevin Granger, Texas Southern
16
26.9
Bubba Wells, Austin Peay
14
26.9
JaFonde Williams, Hampton
17
26.1
Marcus Brown. Murray State
15
25.4
Bonzi Wells, Ball State
14
24.9
REBOUNDING ■
Player, Team
GP
AVG.
Marcus Mann, Mississippi Valley
18
13.2
Malik Rose, Drexei
14
12.6
Adonal Foyle, Colgate
16
12.6
Chris Ensminger, Valparaiso
17
12.4
Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
14
12.0
SOURCE: Team Rosters
SCORES
JANUARY 27,1996
Alabama A&M 126, Tuskegee 82
Beth-Ckman 64, NC A&T 63 (OT)
Coppin St 78, Morgan St 77
Eliz City St 76. St Paul's 63
Howard 58, MD-Eastem Shore 55
Jackson St 85, Alabama St 81
JC Smith 82. Shaw 77
Kentucky St 68, Morehouse 66
LeMoyne-Owen 78, Ft Valley 73
Livingstone 81, St Augustine's 77
Miles 96, Lane 71
Miss Valley St 76, GrambJing 70
Morris Brown 65, Paine 60
NC Central 62, Fayetteville St 54
Norfolk St 87, Virginia St 63
Savannah St 76, Clark Atlanta 67
SC State 56. Florida A&M 47
Southern 95, Alcorn St 87
Tennessee St 72, Eastern KY 69
Tx Southern 77, Prairie View 69
Virginia Union 93, Bowie St 71
CIAA
(thru 1/27))
NORTH
Va. Union
Norf State
Eliz, City
Bowie St
St.Paul’s
Va State
SOUTH
NCCU
Shaw
St Aug
Livingstone
Fayv. State
JC Smith
WSSU
6-0
4-1
3-1
1-3
7-0
4-3
4-3
3-3
2-5
1-4
1-4
ALL
16-0
13-2
10-8
5- 12
6- 11
5-12
14-1
10-7
8-7
7-11
3- 11
6-10
4- 11
CIAA PUYER OF THE WEEK
WILUAM GRAY, Sr., G, WSSU
Finished three-game week with
71 pts, 13 rebs and 8 assists.
MEAC
(thru 1/27)
SC State
7-0
12-4
Coppin
7-0
10-7
NC A&T
4-2
6-9
Morgan St,*
3-3
4-13
Del State
3-4
4-12
Md-ES
4-6
9-11
Beth-Ckmn
3-5
7-9
Howard
1-6
1-15
FAMU
1-7
6-12
Hampton**
4-14
*not eligible for post season play
'^not eligible for conf. championship
MEAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TERQUIN MOn, Jr., F, Coppin St
Averaged 23.7 points and 6.7
rebourxfs in wins over FAMU,
UMES aixJ Morgan St.
SIAC
(thru 1/27)
EAST
Clark Atl
Albany St
Ft Valley
Sav.State
Morris Brwn 3-3
Paine 1-10
CONF ALL
6-2
3- 2
4- 4
WEST
Ala A&M
LeM-Owen
Miles
Morehouse
10-1
5-3
4- 3
5- 5
Kentucky St 3-8
Tuskegee
1-8
15-1
9-7
5- 8
6- 8
8-8
5-11
14-2
9- 5
8-8
10- 7
5-11
4-10
SIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BETHEL HENDRICKS, Jr., F,
Alabama A&M
Led Bulldogs to 3-0 slate for
the week averaging 20.3 points
and 8,7 rebounds. He totalled
five blocked shots, six steals
and six s
SWAC
(thru 1/27)
Miss Valley
Southern
Tx Southern
Jackson State
Alabama State’
Alcorn State
Grambling
Prairie View
•not eligible for post
7-0
16-3
5-2
11-6
4-3
9-10
4-3
8-12
3-4
6-11
3-4
6-11
2-5
7-12
0-7
4-15
play
SWAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KEVIN GRANGER, $r., G.
Texas Southern
Just topped his nation leading
scoring averageof 26.9. scoring
27 in a 77-69 win over Prairie
View.
COMMENTS /
QUESTIONS
Write
The Black College
Sports Page
at
407 Holbrook St.,
Danville, VA 24541
or e-mail us at
AZEEZ@aol.com.
Clark turns it around with defense
Clark Atlanta Sports Photo
WITHERSPOON: Has Clark on
top of SIAC East and in top ten
of NCAA Div. II national poll.
By Mark Gray
BCSP Correspondent
Clark Atlanta University
men's basketball coach Anthony
Witherspoon returned to his alma
mater on a mission three years
ago and has begun to make a mark
on the program.
Witherspoon had the
Panters a spotless 13-0, with a
big win over then nationally #2
ranked Alabama A&M, and
ranked number seven in last
week's NCAADiv.IIpoll.That
was before a loss Saturday night
to Savanna State 78-67.
Nevertheless, their eyes are still
clearly fixed on winning the
SIAC championship.
Twelve months have made
a world of difference in the Clark
Atlanta program. Last season
began with an aberration losing
nine straight to open the season.
However, the Panthers finished
strong before ultimately losing
in the first round of the SIAC
Tournament to Alabama A&M.
"With any adversity in life
the key is how you respond to
it," Witherspoon says. "The
experience benefitted me as a
coach. I had to reevaluate
personnel as well as strategy."
Clark was once an offensive
team. While this edition of the
Panthers does boast several
major offesive weapons, the
team is winning with defense.
BCSP Notes
COMPILED BY ERIC MOORE AND LUT WILLIAMS
▼ St. Paul's College freshman center
Lakeisha Phifer is making her first year
of collegiate basketball competition one
for the books. First she broke the NCAA
Div. II record fcr blocks in a game by
registering 15, breaking the old record of
12, on Dec. 5 against St. Augustine's.
Then she tied the record when she matched
that number against NorfolkStateon Jan.
13. But she wasn't finished. She broke her
own record a little more than a week later
(Jan. 23) against the same Norfolk State
BASKETBALL THIS WEEK
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1,1996
Elizabeth City St at Bowie St - 7:30p
Hampton at Liberty - 7:30p
Tuskegee at Morris Brown - 8:00p
Tennessee St at Tenn Tech - 7:45p
St Augustine’s at Va. Union - 7:30p
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2,1996
Fort Valley St at Albany St - 8;00p
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3,1996
Miss. Valley St at Alcorn St - 7:30p
Florida A&M at Beth.-Ckmn. - 8:{){)p
Norfolk St at Bowie St - 7:30p
Alabama A&M at Central St - 4:00p
Morris Brown at Clark Atlanta - 8;00p
NC A&T at Delaware St - 4:(X)p
Cheyney at East Stroudsburg - 8:00p
Virginia St at Elizabeth City St - 7:30p
Shaw at Fayetteville St - 7:30p
LeMoyne-Owen at Kentucky St - 5:15p
SC State at Md.-Eastern Shore - 7:30p
Savannah St at Miles - 7:30p
Coppin St at Morgan St - 12:00p
(SportSouth & NTS)
Livingstone at NC Central - 7:30p
Alabama St at Prairie View - 7:30p
Grambling at Southern - 7:30p
Dist of Columbia at St Aug’s - 7:30p
Tennessee St at Tenn-Martin - 7:30p
Jackson St at Texas Southern - 4:00p
Morehouse at Tuskegee - 4:00p
JC Smith vs.Winston-Salem St - 4:00p
(Naismith Classic @ GBO Coliseum)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5,1996
Fort Valley St at Alabama A&M - 7:00p
Grambling at Alcorn St - 7:30p
SC Stale at Delaware St - 7:30p
Kutztown at Dist of Columbia - 7:30p
Ciaflin at Fayetteville St - 7:30p
Barton College at Hampton - 7:30p
Morgan St at Howard - 8:00p
Queens at JC Smith - 7:30p
Union (Ky) at Kentucky St - 7:30p
NC A&T at Md-Eastem Shore - 7:30p
Miles at Morehouse - 7:30p
Albany St at Morris Brown - 8:CX3p
Tennessee St at Murray Stale - 8:00p
(SportSouth)
Virginia Union at Norfolk St - 7:00p
(CIAA TV Network)
Jackson St at Prairie View - 7:30p
Paine at Savannah St - 8:00p
NC Centra] at Shaw - 7:30p
Miss Valley Sta at Southern - 7:30p
Winston-Salem St at St. Aug’s - 7:30p
Alabama St at Texas Southern - 7:30p
Birmingham-So at Tuskegee - 7:00p
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6,1996
Bethune-Cookman at Dayton - 7:30p
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1996
Livingstone at Barber Scotia - 7:30p
Bloomsburg at Cheyney - 8:{)0p
Morgan St at Delaware St - 7;30p
Shaw at Elizabeth City St - 7:30p
S.C. Slate at Hampton - 7:30p
lU/PU-IndianapoIis at Ky. St - 7:30p
Lane at LeMoyne-Owen - 7:30p
JC Smith at St. Augustine’s - 7:30p
Norfolk St at St. Paul’s - 7:30p
Miles at Tuskegee - 7:00p
SWAC Photo
GRANGER: The
nation's leading
scorer.
team rejecting 20 shots.
▼ How long has it been since black college
players led the nation in scoring and
rebounding. Well, look now because sitting
atop the NCAA Div. I
stat categories are two
SWAC superstars.
Texas Southern 6-4
guard Kevin Granger
is tied for thescoring
lead at 26.9 points per
game. Meanwhile,
Mississippi Valley
center Marcus Mann
has forged into the
national rebounding lead at 13.2 per game
after a week inwhich he averaged 32 points
and 18 rebounds in two Delta Devil wins.
▼ BCSP is working on a story about the
future direction of the Mid-Eeastern
Athletic Conference. MEAC
Commissioner Ken Free has been informed
by the conference presidents council that
hiscontract, up June 30, will not be renewed.
The council says they want to go in another
direction. With Hampton now in and
Norfolk State reportedly on the way, what
that direction will be and who will lead the
charge will be critical. Two names
reportedly in the hopper to replace Free;
NFL referee Johnny Greer and BET Sports
commentator, Charlie Neal. Stay tuned.
BCSP HOOP TOP TEN
1. VIRGINIA UNION (16-0) - Panthers
roll on. Only undefeated black college
team.
2. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY (16-3) - Stayed
atop SWAC still undefeated in conf. play.
3. SOUTH CAROUNA STATE (12-4) -
Bulldogs stay with Coppin St. atop
MEAC, Defeated Hampton, Del State
and FAMU.
4. NC CENTRAL (14-1) - Opened up
three-game lead In CIAA South with
wins over Fayetteville St. and
Livingstone.
5. NORFOLK STATE(13-2)-Alldressed
up with no where to go. Second in CIAA
North.
6. CLARK ATLANTA (15-1) - Stumbled
against Savannah State. Still lead SIAC
East.
7. ALABAMA A&M (14-2) - Leading
SIAC West with 10-1 mark.
8. COPPIN STATE (10-7) - Stay even
with SC State in MEAC race. Survived
Morgan (78-77).
9. SOUTHERN (11-6) - Appears only
dear challengerto Miss. Valley In SWAC.
10. TENNESSEE STATE (7-9) -
Rebounding from tough opening
schedule. Now second in the Ohio Valley
Conference.
OTHERS REOEIVIINO VOTES; Albany S»t«, NC MT,
Elizabeth City, LeMoyne-Owen, Morehouse, and Texas
"The players have accepted
their roles and the defense has
intensified," said Weather-
spoon. "It has be especially
evident with our whole court
pressure defense."
However, the biggest key
to Clark's success has been the
synergy between the domestics
and the imports. Witherspoon
has blended a group of junior
college transfers with the
Panthers' returning veterans into
a solid unit with unprecedented
depth.
Junior guard William Burr
is Clark’s big weapon averaging
17 points per game from mostly
long range where he is shooting
47 percent from beyond the arc.
Forward Kavonte Ivery is
chipping in 11 points and keys
their defense.
The two-head point guard
tandem of JUCO's Montavious
Jackson and Dwight Williams
would be an all-conference
performer if they were an
individual. Jackson and
Williams are combining for
around 20 points and nine assists
per game.
The Panthers are solid inside
as well. Juniors German Samory
and Vincent Alston continue to
give them consistent inside
production and stellar defense.
Unlike years past Clark
now has depth. The Panthers
now go seven-deep off the pine
with quality players making
solid contributions. Darren
Mitchell, Jerome Baker, Glen
Catchings, Anthony Paul,
Kevie Williams and Kevin
Ross give Witherspoon an
advantage he hasn’t been
accustomed to.
"Several players have
stepped up," Witherspoon said.
"Instead of giving our starters
rest, we expect quality
substitutions from the bench."
Football attendance down, but still atop Divisions
ROSCOE NANCE
BCSP Correspondent
The good news is historically black
colleges once again led NCAA Divisions
I-AA and II in attendance for the 1995
football season. But the bad news is
attendance for black college football
games, like overall attendance for
Divisions I-AA and II, was down.
Jackson State led black colleges and
1-AA with a record attendance of 34,849
per game, a total increase of 11,448. The
Tigers broke their 1-AA record of 32,734 they
set in 1987 and led the division in attendance
for the second time in the last three years.
The Southwestern Athletic
Conference, despite a drop of 329,806
fans from the ’94 season, an average of
6,833 a game, topped I-AA by drawing
16,545 fans a game. SWAC has led I-AA
in attendance every year except one since
the division was created in 1978.
Norfolk State led Division II in
attendance for the fifth time in six years,
averaging 16,593 a game, a total increase
of 3,965 fans.
The Southern Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference and the Central
Intercollegiate Athletic Association were
1-2, respectively, among the conference
attendance leaders for Division II even
though both suffered dropoffs. The SIAC
drew 321,751 (6,846 a game), down
148,438 from ’94. The CIAA drew
295,384 (6,028 a game) down 22,746.
Even though Jackson State, Norfolk
State, Tennessee State and South
Carolina State were the only black schools
with attendance increases, athletic officials
aren’t concerned that a trend is developing.
But neither are they ignoring the figures.
‘’We’ve had increases
consistently the last four or
five years,” says SIAC
commissioner Wallace
Jackson. ‘ ’It's natural to have
a decline. I’m not too thrilled
to be down. I am thrilled we
won the attendance title for the
fourth straight yearand the fifth
time in six years. There’s not
SWAC Photo
PROPHET: Too
much TV hurts.
Conference Commissioner
Ken Free, whose league’s
attendance total was down
182,535 for an average of 9,480
a game, says the situation needs
to be looked at long and hard
before it becomes a real problem.
‘’The same things that
confuse commissioners
confuse fans,” he says. ‘’With
one factor for the decline. If we had two
or three years of down attendance, it
would be cause for concern. The law of
averages says you will have a down year
from time to time.”
There seems to be neither rhyme nor
reason for the dropoffs. Alcorn State’s
decline was not unexpected. The Braves
were a top draw the previous four years
because of quarterback Steve “Air H”
McNair. Without him their total
attendance was down by 15,777 to 41,705
(10,426 a game).
However, Tennessee State
experienced an increase despite one of
the worst seasons in school history. On
the other hand, Southern, which won the
black national championshipwith an 11-1
record and runner-up Florida A&M both
had attendance dropoffs.
‘’We had a stellar season and great
weather, ’ ’ says Southern athletic director
Marino H. Casern. ‘’I think the reason
Southern’s attendance was not as good
(as ’94) was the folks we played at home
didn’t bring fans. I don’t think it’s a trend
or sign we’re losing our appeal.”
The Jaguars played Northwestern
State, Prairie View, Hampton and
Nicholls State home.
Outgoing Mid-Eastern Athletic
our need to bring in more revenue, it’s
become necessary to move games. A lot
of it Is last minute. Fans don’t know
when and where games are going to be
played.” Free says schools may be guilty
of not playing games at times that arc
most convenient to the greatest numbers
of fans, taking them for granted and not
promoting games.
‘’As long as Ringling Brothers has
been around, they still promote and let
people know they’re in town,” he says.
‘’We need to court fans a little better so
they will bring others, and once we get
them to games, we need to treat them
with a little more courtesy. Fans are
something black colleges toy with and feel
will be there. That’s not necessarily the case.”
Mississippi Valley State athletic
director Chuck Prophet concurs.
‘’It’s the same kind of thing when
blacks first started going to the major
schools,” says Prophet. ‘’A lot of blacks
who live near those schools are going to
their games now. Plus, there arc so many
games on TV, it tires you out. On
Mondays I talk to people and ask them if
they went to the game that Saturday.
They say they stayed home and watched
a game on TV. That’s hurting us. A lot of
people just aren’t going to games.”