Athletics: TSU clinches SWAC regular season title (Men's Basketball)

Texas Southern defeated Alabama A&M 83-78 Saturday in overtime to secure the #1 seed in the 2011 SWAC Basketball Tournament.

The Tigers dictated the tempo in the first half. They led by as much as nine points before increasing that lead to 14 with 1:00 left on the clock. TSU led at halftime 44-30. TSU’s Harrison Smith led the team with 12 points.

The Tigers’ offense tailed off in the second half as the Bulldogs managed to get back in the game via the energy of the crowd. They cut the TSU lead to 1 (57-56) at the 8:57 mark. AAMU then built a 64-59 lead with a little over six minutes remaining.The Tigers rallied and tied the game at 64-64 with 2:45 on the clock.

The game was tied at 70 until TSU’s Harrison Smith was fouled with less than a second remaining in the game. Smith missed both free throws which forced a third overtime game (2^nd consecutive) for the Tigers.

Texas Southern jumped out to a 78-72 lead early in the extra period. Alabama A&M tied the game at 78 with a quick layup and a four-point play. The Tigers scored the last five points for the win.

Harrison Smith ended the night with 19 points. Travele Jones had 18 points and four assists.  Kevin Galloway contributed with six points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.

The Tigers improve to 14-1 in conference play and head to Alabama State in the final road game of the season on February 28. Tip-off is at 8:00 P.M.

Athletics: Tigers win in overtime against Mississippi Valley

Texas Southern defeated Mississippi Valley 58-55 in overtime to win their seventh consecutive win at home. The victory also clinches at least a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) regular season title.

TSU trailed 22-9 nine minutes into the first half. They then regained their composure and went on a 14-0 scoring run to take a 23-22 lead with 1:51 remaining. TSU led at halftime 26-24.

The second half went back and forth until MVSU established a 46-40 lead with about five minutes remaining. The Tigers rallied with a 10-4 scoring run to tie the game at 50 with 10 seconds left. MVSU missed a game winning lay-up as time expired in regulation to force overtime.

Texas Southern dominated the overtime period, scoring the first six points of the extra five minutes of play. Mississippi Valley missed the game-tying three pointer in the final moments as TSU pulled out the three point victory.

“We were too cavalier with the basketball," said head coach Tony Harvey. “A win is a win…we played tough….we kept fighting.”

This is Texas Southern’s (15-10, 13-1) second overtime win for the season and now have sole possession of first place in the standings.Travele Jones led the Tigers with 17 points. Freshman guard Lawrence Johnson-Danner chipped in with 13 points. Kevin Galloway had six points, seven assists and eight rebounds.

D’Angelo Jackson led the Delta Devils (11-17, 10-5) with 21 points.

The Tigers travel on the road to face Alabama A&M on February 26 and Alabama State on February 28. The next home game is on March 3 against Southern.

Athletics: Lady Tigers lose to Valley

Texas Southern lost to Mississippi Valley 66-54 to split the season series at 1-1. The loss sends them to 3-11 in conference play and still in a fight for the final tournament berth.

TSU were down early 15-4 within the first seven minutes of the first half.  They responded with a 15-4 scoring run to tie the score at 19. Mississippi Valley then answered with a 15-5 scoring run of their own to lead by nine (34-25) with 1:17 remaining. TSU trailed at halftime 35-32.

The Lady Tigers trailed for most of the second half until they rallied to tie the score at 51 with 7:33 remaining. It was the last time the game was close. TSU went cold from the field as the Devilettes ended the game on a 15-3 scoring run for the 12 point victory.

NaDosha Strickland ended the night with 21 points and seven rebounds. Jasmine Cannon contributed with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

The go on the road to face Alabama A&M on February 26 and Alabama State on February 28. The next home game is against conference-leading Southern on March 3.

Athletics: Lady Tigers fends off UAPB rally

Texas Southern defeated Arkansas Pine-Bluff 70-61 to remain tied for eighth place with Alabama State for the final spot in the SWAC Tournament. The victory splits the season series with UAPB.

TSU jumped out to a 16-6 lead within the first eight minutes of the game. The Lady Golden Lions couldn’t answer back as they shot 3 of 21 (14.3) from the field. The Lady Tigers led by 17 (33-16) with about 2:30 remaining. Texas Southern led 40-23 at intermission.

Breast cancer survivors were recognized during the halftime festivities.

TSU increased their lead to 22 (49-27) at the 16:43 mark. UAPB’s Laquisha Slaton almost single-handedly led the Lady Golden Lion comeback but only trimmed the Tigers’ lead to four (58-54) with 5:07 remaining. The Lady Tigers then increased the lead to seven with 3:14 left to play and escaped with the nine point win.

NaDosha Strickland led all TSU scorers with 18 points. Jasmine Cannon had nine points and seven assists. Gabrielle Rosiji also contributed with eight points and 11 rebounds.

UAPB’s Laquisha Slaton ended the night with 30 points, including 11 of 12 from the free throw line.

Texas Southern (5-19, 3-10) continues the fight for 8^th place against Mississippi Valley on February 21. Tip-off is at 5:30 PM at the H&PE Arena.

Athletics: Tigers defeat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, now 12-1 in SWAC

Texas Southern defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 71-68 to increase its home win streak at six games. The Tigers escaped a late rally by the Golden Lions, particularly of a 3 point variety.

TSU were down early 13-5 during the first five minutes of the first half. Texas Southern settled in offensively and outscored UAPB 31-14 over the next 15 minutes to lead by nine (36-27) at halftime. Texas Southern shot an impressive 8 of 10 from the free throw line.

TSU maintained the offensive output from the first half and led by 11 (40-29) early in the second half. The Tigers soon went cold as UAPB mounted a 14-2 scoring run to lead 43-42 at the 13:42 mark. That lead was short lived. The Tigers answered with a 16-4 scoring run of their own to lead 56-47 with 6:37 remaining.

The Golden Lions’ 3-point shooting kept the game within reach but TSU held on for the three point victory.

TSU point guard Justin Ray scored a season high 14 points. Guard Lawrence Johnson-Danner was the top scorer with 15 points. Travele Jones pitched in with 14 points and Kevin Galloway had five points, five rebounds and 10 assists.

Texas Southern (14-10, 12-1) wins their sixth consecutive game and adds UAPB as the fourth consecutive school to be swept by TSU this season. The Tigers continue the home stand versus Mississippi Valley on February 21. Tip-off is at 8:00 PM.

Athletics: Interview with TSU Athletic Director Charles McClelland

Charles McClelland was named Texas Southern Athletic Director in April 2008. He oversees 16 sports, nine women and seven men. McClelland was instrumental in finalizing the deal for TSU to play football at the new Houston Dynamo Stadium starting fall 2012. He previously served as athletic director at Prairie View A&M University from 2000-2007. A native of Jackson, MS, he is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University in both undergrad and graduate studies and is currently working on his doctoral degree at Texas A&M University.

Uba Okereke: First of all I would like to thank you for the opportunity to interview you.

Charles McClelland: My pleasure.

UO: What is your prognosis of the athletics programs this season?

CM: Well, I think we made tremendous progress in our 5 year strategic plan. We met many of our goals. Our graduation rate was at 35% and increased to 43%. We project that by the end of the year all but one of our programs will meet the NCAA minimum requirements. We have generated over $1.2 million dollars in our fundraising efforts and our infrastructure has improved in a two and a half year span. Obviously we won the SWAC Football Championship, our men’s basketball team is in first place and we are projected to compete for the championship in baseball and softball.



UO: Can you tell us more about the recent NCAA probe into TSU Athletic Department?

CM: Not at this point. I can’t elaborate until we get additional information from the NCAA. What I can say that it was based upon an APR audit. We have been in an NCAA audit since I have been here as athletic director. What we are hoping is that during this go-round they take a look at everything. I was in direct response to some of the issues in relation to the NCAA and we have worked the last two years to resolve the problem.

UO: What is the current status regarding QB Arvell Nelson?

CM: We are not going to release any information at this time as most of the matter is personal and confidential. Other than the facts, we will continue to state that is a one-time issue that had nothing to do with his eligibility. We just had to make the necessary call for the benefit of the team.



UO: Do you feel that a championship foundation has been laid within athletics now that the football team is now SWAC champions?

CM: Well, that’s ultimately what we hope. Winning a football championship is a very difficult proposition. There have only been a handful of teams throughout the decades who have won back-to-back championships. We feel that we have the foundation in order to do that but there are things that we have to occur. The new stadium is now on line and we will begin play in fall 2012. We are rich in talent and we have the tools in order for us to be good for a long time.

UO: What is the current status with the Labor Day Classic?

CM: We will not be playing in the Classic. Prairie View has agreed to play in the 2011 SWAC/MEAC challenge which falls on Labor Day weekend. Texas Southern and Prairie View will play the following Saturday with TSU as the home team.



UO: Thanks again for this opportunity to interview you.

CM: You’re very welcome.

Athletics: TSU Softball picked to win SWAC West

The Southwestern Athletic Conference issued their projected winners of the respective Eastern and Western divisons for the 2011 softball season along with Preseason Player of the Year Honors and First and Second Team All-SWAC. Here is the following link. http://bit.ly/fAvNmT

Athletics: TSU defeats Prairie View, now 9-1 in SWAC

Texas Southern defeated Prairie View 63-58 Saturday in the H&PE Arena to sweep the season series against the Panthers. The Tigers improved their home winning streak to five consecutive games.

The Tigers started the game ice cold, shooting 1-13 from the field but managed to trail Prairie View by one (13-12) at the 7:38 mark.  The Panthers then scored eight of the next 15 points to lead 23-15 with 2:51 remaining. Three point shooting was lackluster for the Tigers but seemed to be in favor for the Panthers. TSU trailed at halftime 31-19.

The Tigers rallied from an early 40-32 deficit to tie the game at 46 with 9:00 minutes remaining in the game. The game went back and forth over the next eight minutes until TSU led 61-57 with 1:35 left in the contest.

Texas Southern made clutch free throws late and hung on for the five point victory.

TSU’s Travele Jones led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Guard Lawrence Johnson-Danner contributed with 19 points and five rebounds. Kevin Galloway had seven points and seven rebounds.

Texas Southern outscored Prairie View 44-27 in the second half and limited the Panthers’ three-point attempts. TSU shot 55% in the second half and 40% for the game.

Texas Southern (11-10, 9-1) now travel to Mississippi to take on Jackson State on February 12.

Athletics: Packers win SBXLV

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium to win Super Bowl XLV. The Packers claim the Lombardi Trophy for a fourth time aptly named after the late Vince Lombardi, who engineered many of the Packers Super Bowl wins following the AFL/NFL merger.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went 24 of 39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns. The Packers built a 21-3 lead in the second quarter before Pittsburgh moved the ball to score a late touchdown with 39 seconds remaining. Packers led 21-10 at halftime.

Pittsburgh scored the only touchdown of the third quarter with a 10:19 drive, capped with an 8 yard touchdown run by Rashard Mendenhall. Packers now saw their 18-point second quarter lead shrink to four (21-17). The Packers scored on its first possession of the fourth quarter with an 8 yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Greg Jennings to increase the lead to 28-17.

The Steelers answered with a touchdown of their own to cut the Packer lead to three (28-25) after a successful 2 point conversion by wide receiver Antwaan Randle-El. Packer QB Aaron Rodgers moved the offense on the ensuing possession that essentially sealed the win for the green and gold that ended with a field goal by Mason Crosby.

Green Bay clinched victory with a fourth down stop on defense. The Packers win for the first time since 1996 when then a younger Brett Favre led the Packers to a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots. QB Aaron Rodgers was named Super Bowl XLV MVP but the defense made game-changing plays for the Packers.

Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison were practically invisible.

Green Bay is the first 6 seed to win a Super Bowl since 2005 when Pittsburgh won Super Bowl XL. They are also the second team to join the Dallas Cowboys to defeat the Steelers in the big game.

The countdown to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis is now underway.

Athletics: Texas Southern sweeps Alabama State

 Texas Southern basketball was abuzz on Monday as they handed Alabama State double-digit losses in the men’s and women’s contests, respectively.




The Lady Tigers played an entire 40 minutes at warp speed to defeat Alabama State 68-45. This was the Lady Tigers’ second conference win in three games and was a definite rebound victory following the crushing loss versus Alabama A&M.

TSU led as much as 14 points in the first half, practically shooting the Lady Hornets out of the gym. Senior guard Sierra Highgate sank a free-throw to give TSU a 27-13 lead with a little over five minutes remaining in the first half. The Lady Tigers went into halftime with a 33-19 lead.

The Lady Tigers shot 58% from the field and held Alabama State to a dismal 23% shooting.

Alabama State made a small scoring run in the second half to cut the TSU lead to 36-30. TSU answered quickly with a 13-0 scoring run of their own to push the lead to 13 at the 12:45 mark. Crystal Anyiam scored a basket with 8:52 remaining, extending the lead to 20 (55-35) TSU stonewalled any ASU comeback and cruised to a 23-point victory.

Alabama State’s Tanika Jackson led her team with 20 points and 16 rebounds.

Texas Southern had three players in double figures. Sierra Highgate led the Lady Tigers with 14 points on 100% shooting (4-4). Gabrielle Rosiji had 10 points and four rebounds. Jasmine Cannon had 10 points.

Crystal Anyiam had six blocks, six boards, four points and two assists. Kyla Bennett had four boards, three blocks and two steals.

Anyiam's six blocks moved her into eighth place all-time in Texas Southern women's basketball history. A freshman, she has 43 blocks. Michelle Wilson (1987-89) holds the school season (151) and career (252) marks.

TSU outscored Alabama State 36-10 on the bench and forced 22 turnovers, 11 steals and 11 blocks.

The Lady Tigers improve to 2-7 in SWAC and face Prairie View A&M on February 5 in the H&PE Arena. Tip-off is at 4:00 PM.



The men’s game seemed like a complete blur in the early moments of the game. The Tigers led 15-5 at the 15:17 mark. Alabama State finally got their offense going and cut the TSU lead to four (21-17) in a four minute span. The Hornets’ three-point shooting kept the game within arm’s length.

The Tigers never trailed in the first half and led by as much as nine points (38-29) with 13 seconds left in until halftime. TSU led at intermission 41-32. Guards Lawrence Johnson-Danner and Harrison Smith each led the Tigers with nine points.

Texas Southern further increased their lead in the second half. They led 48-35 with about 14 minutes remaining in the game. The Tigers defense limited Alabama State three-point attempts and forced them to shoot late in the shot clock. Alabama State got within 11 points (66-55) before TSU increased the lead back to 15 (70-55) at the 2:30 mark.

The Tigers shot free-throws late in the game and cruised to a 73-59 victory.

Texas Southern had four players in double figures. Travele Jones led all scorers with 18 points and six rebounds. Kevin Galloway contributed with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Lawrence Johnson-Danner had 14 points and Harrison Smith had 10 points.

The Tigers improve to 8-1 in conference play and are undefeated at home (4-0). They end the final leg of the home stand against arch-rival Prairie View A&M on February 5. Tip-off is at 6:30 PM