COLUMBIA, S.C. – North Carolina Central gave an inspired effort in a 106-42 women’s basketball loss to national powerhouse South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday. 

Tierney Coleman scored a team-high 14 points for the Eagles, who led briefly early and gave glimpses of their potential as their non-conference season winds down. The NCCU guard was 5 of 8 from the floor, including a career-tying four three-pointers on six attempts. She added four rebounds and two steals. 

Coleman scored 11 first-half points as the Eagles were energetic early. Aniya Finger, who finished with nine for the game, knocked down her first career three-pointer for a 3-2 NCCU lead. 

Dianna Blake canned a short jumper to put the Eagles ahead 5-4, and Victoria Morris added a corner jumper to extend the margin to 7-4. 

In the opening five minutes, NCCU was 4 of 8 from the floor for 50 percent, including 2 of 3 behind the three-point line for 67 percent. 

The third-ranked Gamecocks stormed ahead 26-11, but Coleman wowed the crowd with a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter. 

USC (9-1 overall) led the rest of the game, but the Eagles gave maximum effort. In the first half, the Eagles led the Gamecocks in field goal percentage (43.5 percent to 40.5 percent) and three-point field goal percentage (40 percent to 20 percent). NCCU was on fire in the second quarter, making 62.5 percent of its shots. 

Coleman shot 4 of 7 in the first half, including 3 of 5 behind the three-point arc. She added three rebounds and two assists. 

The Eagles (1-8 overall) made their last three jumpers to end the first half, including a Coleman three-pointer to slice the margin to 42-25. The Gamecocks led 46-25 at halftime. 

The Gamecocks took complete control in the second half, winning the third quarter 28-2. 

 The Eagles continued to battle in the fourth quarter. Morris scored four points and Coleman and Aysia Hinton both added three points while Najah Lane dished out three assists in the final frame. 

NEXT UP 

The Eagles are off the rest of the week before traveling to face High Point on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 2 p.m. 

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com. 

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA has been selected for its sixth straight and seventh overall bowl appearance, as the Roadrunners will face FIU in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Friday, Dec. 26, in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Fans can find out more information regarding tickets by visiting goUTSA.com. Purchasing your tickets directly from UTSA Athletics ensures you preferred seating options and financially supports the UTSA Athletics Department. UTSA will be able to negotiate preferred bowl options in the future based on previous ticket sales numbers and fan attendance. Seating will be allocated in RAF Loyalty Points order.

For more information about the bowl game, please visit UTSA’s Bowl Central website at goUTSA.com/bowlcentral. For the third straight year, Ancira Auto Group is the presenting sponsor of UTSA’s bowl game appearance and radio broadcast.

Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners will make their second appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, as they also played in the game in 2020. UTSA won two of its last three games to close out this regular season with a 6-6 overall record, including a 4-4 mark in the American Conference.

FIU will enter the bowl game at 7-5 overall. The Panthers are riding a four-game winning streak that helped them finish 5-3 in Conference USA.

This will mark UTSA’s fifth all-time meeting with FIU, as the two teams met four times as members of Conference USA. The series is tied at 2-2 with the Roadrunners registering a 30-10 triumph on Oct. 14, 2022, in Miami in their last matchup with the Panthers.

The Roadrunners will travel to Dallas in search of their third straight bowl win. Last December, UTSA raced past Coastal Carolina, 44-15, in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, South Carolina, to improve to 2-4 all-time in bowl games. In 2023, the Roadrunners defeated Marshall, 35-17, in the Frisco Bowl for the program’s first-ever bowl victory.

Three years ago in the Cure Bowl, No. 22 UTSA built a 12-0 first-half lead, but No. 23 Troy rallied for an 18-12 win in Orlando, Florida.

In 2021, 24th-ranked UTSA met nationally ranked San Diego State in the Frisco Bowl. The Aztecs pulled away late for a 38-24 victory.

In Traylor’s first season at the helm, UTSA nearly completed a comeback against No. 16 Louisiana in the 2020 First Responder Bowl. The Roadrunners rallied from a 24-7 deficit to tie the game, only to see the Ragin’ Cajuns score a late touchdown and escape with a 31-24 victory.

UTSA made its first bowl appearance in just its sixth season of play at the 2016 New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. New Mexico built a 10-point lead and held on for a 23-20 win over the Roadrunners on a cold and windy afternoon at University Stadium.

First played following the 2010 season, the annual bowl game in Dallas began honoring first responders for the 2014 game. First responders include police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, security guards, federal agents, border patrol agents and military personnel who have specialized training and are the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency.

In 2018, the game was officially renamed the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to reflect the efforts to show appreciation to first responders. Tickets for first responders are underwritten by corporate partners.

Gerald J. Ford Stadium has served as the site of the last six contests, four of which have been decided by a touchdown or less. The game, previously known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl and TicketCity Bowl, was originally contested at Cotton Bowl Stadium.

The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is one of 17 college football bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events. For additional information, please visit FirstResponderBowl.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X. 

-UTSA-

WORCESTER, Mass. – The men’s swimming and diving teams helped Bentley to an overall second place finish at the WPI Gompei Invitational this weekend with several podium finishes.

Combined, the men’s and women’s teams had 5,091 points to finish in second place overall among the 10 teams in the meet.

Matt Walden won the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.03 and the junior from Cumberland, Rhode Island had two other podium finishes on the weekend. He was second in the 200 back (1:50.38) and third in the 400 IM (4:05.03).

Daniel Ivanchikov won the 200 fly with a time of 1:53.06

Distance freestyle swimmer Leighton Wielgoszinski had second place finishes in the 500 (4:41.26) and the 1650 (16:22.07).

In the diving events, Owen Angkatavanich was second in both the 1 and 3 meter dives. In the 1 meter he scored 330.55 and the 3 meter 325.95.

The Falcons also performed well in the relays. The 800 free team won in 6:58.54 with the team comprised of Jakub Zukowski, Wielgoszinski, Alex Kosel and Ivanchikov.

The 200 free team of Ivanchikov, Zukowski, Jack Meekins and Ethan Rehkopf were second (1:25.30) and the 400 free team were second as well (3:07.32). That squad was comprised of Meekins, Ivanchikov, Kosel and Rehkopf.

Kosel had a third place finish in the 200 free (1:43.50) and Rehkopf was third in the 50 free (21.43).

The swimming and diving teams have wrapped up competition in the fall semester. They kickoff competition in the spring semester on January 8 at Saint Michael’s.

 

NASHVILLE – Tennessee State women’s basketball showed strong stretches on both ends of the floor Sunday afternoon, taking a 34–28 lead into halftime and battling throughout before ultimately dropping a hard-fought 63–55 road decision at Lipscomb.

The Lady Tigers (1–7) were paced by another standout performance from Aaniya Webb, who poured in 16 points and added two steals as she continued her steady offensive rhythm. Erin Martin gave TSU a major spark off the bench with 12 points and six rebounds, while Brianna Wooldridge controlled the paint with nine points, seven boards and two blocks.

TSU’s effort on the offensive glass was one of the bright spots of the day. Led by Kiki Roberts and her five offensive rebounds, the Lady Tigers attacked the boards with energy, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds that turned into 15 second-chance points — a category TSU dominated.

Defensively, Tennessee State put together one of its stronger outings of the season, holding Lipscomb to just 36.2 percent shooting from the field and a cold 21.7 percent from three-point range.

The Lady Tigers will look to build on the positives from Sunday’s performance as they continue their road stretch.

How It Happened

Tennessee State got off to a slow start offensively, until Brianna Wooldridge sparked a 7-4 run to end the first quarter up 10-9.

The Lady Tigers responded with their best stretch of the game to open the second period, erupting for a 6–0 run highlighted by buckets from Xai Whitfield, Aaniya Webb, and Wooldridge to make it 25-19 halfway through the second quarter. TSU controlled much of the quarter with solid execution and transition play, heading into halftime with a 34-28 advantage thanks to continued defensive pressure.

Lipscomb rallied in the third, using a late push to take a 46-43 lead entering the final quarter. A pair of free throws from Erin Martin, a forced turnover, and a bucket from Whitfield, and the Lady Tigers regained the lead early in the fourth. The teams traded leads before a late Bison layup lifted Lipscomb passed the Lady Tigers.

Game Notes

» The Lady Tigers held the Bisons to only 36.2 percent shooting from the field.

» The Tennessee State bench came alive by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.

» The Tennessee State defense forced 23 turnovers.

» The Lady Tigers were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording nine blocks as a team.

» Tennessee State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.

» Aaniya Webb led the Lady Tigers with 16 points.

» Tennessee State got a team-high 10 rebounds from Kiki Roberts.

STOCKTON, Calif. – University of the Pacific is adding STUNT as a varsity sport, making it the university’s 21st NCAA Division I program.

“We are thrilled to create more opportunities for student-athletes to excel in ways that few other schools are doing,” said Pacific President Christopher Callahan. “Athletics Director Adam Tschuor is at the forefront of identifying creative new ways to grow , that not only benefits athletics but also elevates the entire university community.”

The rapidly growing sport of STUNT is a head-to-head, four-quarter sport in which two teams perform the same routines of partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, jumps and tumbling, and team routines. Judges score the competition based on execution, technique and synchronization.

“The addition of STUNT places Pacific at the cutting edge of one of the fastest-growing women’s sports in the country,” Tschuor said. “The program not only expands competitive opportunities for women but also aligns perfectly with our department’s commitment to innovation, equity and community engagement. STUNT brings an exciting, high-energy sport to our campus, and we are proud to invest in a program that reflects the strength and ambition of Pacific Athletics.”

STUNT was developed by USA Cheer as a distinct competitive sport that emphasizes athleticism, technique and head-to-head competition.

“We applaud University of the Pacific for investing in women’s athletics with the addition of STUNT at the Division I level,” said Executive Director of USA Cheer Lauri Harris. “As the sport advances toward NCAA Championship status and continues its nationwide growth, Pacific’s decision reinforces the importance of creating competitive, meaningful pathways for female athletes. We are excited to welcome Pacific into this transformative moment for STUNT.”

Amy Haney, director of College and High School STUNT at USA Cheer, said STUNT will connect Pacific with “a strong pipeline of student-athletes while strengthening campus spirit and community engagement. This addition reflects the university’s commitment to providing impactful, competitive opportunities for female student-athletes, and we are proud to welcome Pacific to the STUNT community.”

The program will begin in the 2026-27 academic year and will begin to compete in spring 2027. More than 70 NCAA institutions currently offer STUNT programs.

Pacific also recently announced the reinstatement of men’s volleyball after a 13-year hiatus. Tschuor said the momentum behind both sports reflects strong community support, a growing

national landscape and the university’s commitment to expansion during a period when Division I programs are being cut nationwide.

“The return of men’s volleyball and the launch of STUNT reflect Pacific’s continued belief in expanding opportunities for student-athletes, not reducing them,” Tschuor said. “At a time when many institutions are contracting, Pacific is choosing to invest, grow and build programs that match the energy and passion of our community. These additions strengthen our department, broaden our reach nationally and create pathways for students to compete at the highest level.”

The new programs follow Pacific’s recent additions of men’s cross-country and men’s track and field as well as the addition of diving to both women’s and men’s swimming programs .With the addition of STUNT, Pacific will now offer 21 Division I athletics programs.

Prospective STUNT student-athletes can learn more about the program by contacting Director of Spirit and Community Engagement Andrea Sanchez-Johnson at asjohnson@pacific.edu.

#PacificProud