MONTGOMERY – For the third consecutive season, Alabama State University will video stream home basketball doubleheaders live on bamastatesports.com.
HorneTVision, the online channel of the official athletics website bamastatesports.com, will again provide free live video webcasts of Alabama State University women’s and men’s basketball, beginning with Saturday’s Southwestern Athletic Conference home opener against Mississippi Valley State.
In the fall of 2013, HorneTVision provided live video webcasts of the SWAC Champion ASU volleyball team, the SWAC Eastern Division champion Lady Hornet soccer team, and Hornet football contests. More than 125 games have been video or audio streamed on bamastatesports.com since September 2011.
This spring, HorneTVision will provide live audio and video webcasts of select Alabama State University softball and baseball games.

              2014 HorneTVision Basketball Schedule
Date                                            Opponent                                      Time
Sat. January 11                      Miss. Valley St.                         3 p.m. / 5 p.m.
Mon. January 13                   Arkansas-Pine Bluff                 5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Sat. January 18                     Alabama A&M                           3 p.m. / 5 p.m.
Sat. February 1                      Prairie View                               3 p.m. / 5 p.m.
Mon. February 3                   Texas Southern                         5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Sat. February 22                   Alcorn St.                                    3 p.m. / 5 p.m.
Mon. February 24                Southern                                     5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Thurs. March 6                     Grambling St.                            5:30 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Sat. March 8                          Jackson St.                                3 p.m. / 5 p.m.

MONTGOMERY, Ala.—The Alabama State University tennis teams will begin their third year under Head Coach Anuk Christiansz and excitement abounds for the 2014 teams as they have started preparations for the new season.

“This is my third year here and we have made tremendous progress in terms of the student-athlete that we have gotten here on both sides,” Chrisiansz said.  “I feel like now on the guy’s side we have a full roster and we have a full roster on the girl’s side as well.  What I really want to do is make a dent in conference play.”

“I have also been one of those coaches that wants to play the toughest schedule possible outside our conference so down the stretch when we are in conference play we will be much more match tougher.  So this year I am really looking forward to it and see how well we do.”

Christiansz has seen both programs improve over his first two seasons which have accumulated with the men’s team not only qualifying for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, but reaching the semifinals in both tournaments.

“I feel like we have a solid core of guys and I can see some really big improvements coming along,” Christiansz said.  “These guys are going to be here four years and they are going to graduate and we are building a good base for the program.”

Returning for the men are Jarred Thompson from Johannesburg, South Africa, Stefan Vognic from Belgrade, Serbia and Roderick Williams from nearby Alexander City.

The coaching staff has added five newcomers to the men’s team including three from England; Adam Coyne (Berkhamsted), Ronald Mataba (Hatfield) and Takura Mlambo (Portsmouth).  Dylan Cleary hails from Sydney, Australia and Digvijay Singh Narvka is from Mohali, India.

The women’s team has played one to two players down most of the matches over his first two seasons due to injuries and it has slowed the growing process of the women’s program.

During Christiansz first season in 2012 the Lady Hornets finished the season 1-12, but last year they improved their win total from one to four which may not seem like a lot, but they also finished 2-3 in SWAC action.

“We have shown a lot of improvement on the women’s team,” Christiansz said.  “We have a full roster and I want to win now and I know we will get there, but we still have a ways to go on the women’s side.”

The Hornets have five players with a year of experience under their belt returning for the women’s team.  Arantxia Wijngaarde leads the group.  Pauline Denis, Brianna Fairly, Nathalie Lorenco and Melissa Telfer also return.

The three newcomers that dot the women’s roster are Irina Cvijovic and Brankica Orlovic who are both from Serbia and Giovanna Lombardi from Brazil.

“One thing I am really happy about is the grades,” Christiansz said.  “Most of the girls are 4.0 students and most of the guys are on the 3.0 Honor Roll so that is very exciting for these teams.”

The Hornets will begin the season on the road at Mississippi State Saturday, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m.  The women will also open the season at Mississippi State, but will play Sunday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m.  Both teams will open the home portion of their schedules when they host Stillman College on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.

 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Bruno Event Team has announced that Greg Conrad will be the new assistant vice president of the golf division for Bruno Event Team and tournament director for The Principal Charity Classic presented by Wells Fargo. Conrad will oversee the Champions Tour event in Des Moines, Iowa, starting February 1.
“We are thrilled to have Greg rejoin our team,” stated Gene Hallman, Bruno Event Team president and CEO. “He brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to an already successful tournament.”
Conrad joins Bruno Event Team, a Birmingham, Ala., based sports marketing and event management company, with extensive experience in golf tournament management. Since 2008, he has served as vice president of tournament business affairs for the LPGA Tour. Prior to his post with the LPGA, Conrad was the championship director for Bruno Event Team for the U.S. Senior Open in Hutchinson, Kan., and was also the director of sales and marketing for The International, the former PGA TOUR stop in Castle Rock, Colo. Conrad started his career in sporting events as an account executive for the Denver Nuggets after graduating from the University of the Pacific with a degree in sports administration.
“I’m excited to return to Bruno Event Team,” stated Conrad. “I have always admired the tremendous talent of this group, and I am looking forward to working with one of the leaders in this industry.”
“Greg was a natural fit for this position,” stated Hallman. “He will be a tremendous leader for this great charitable event in Des Moines.”
The Champions Tour recently announced that “FORE Our Kids”, the fundraising initiative of The Principal Charity Classic, which benefits children’s charities throughout central Iowa, was the 2013 Champions Tour Charity of the Year. Bruno Event Team has managed The Principal Charity Classic for the past seven years, in which time the tournament has raised more than $5 million for central Iowa children’s charities.
For more information on Bruno Event Team, visit www.brunoeventteam.com.

By Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press

DALLAS — Josh Brent is no longer a Dallas Cowboy, but the stars on his old helmet figure heavily into his upcoming trial for a teammate’s death in a 2012 wreck.
Brent’s trial is set to start Monday on allegations that he was driving drunk and caused the death of Dallas practice squad player Jerry Brown. If convicted of intoxication manslaughter or manslaughter, Brent could get 20 years in prison, but he could also get probation.
Brent’s attorney has argued his client deserves probation, and Brown’s mother says she has forgiven her son’s college teammate and friend. But prosecutors have made Brent’s case a priority, and it comes to trial after weeks of debate over a case in neighboring Tarrant County that ended with a teenage motorist getting probation for a drunken wreck that killed four people last year.
“We do anticipate that this case will send a clear message about how strongly the citizens of Dallas County feel about their intoxication laws,” said Heath Harris, the Dallas County first assistant district attorney, in an interview shortly after Brent’s arrest in December 2012.
George Milner, Brent’s attorney, has said his client was struggling months later with the aftermath of the accident. Brent was put on leave from the Cowboys and retired last year. Several Cowboys players could testify during the two-week trial, including those who were drinking with Brent and Brown the night of the wreck.
“All he had was Jerry Brown and his teammates on the Cowboys,” Milner said. “Now he has none of that.”
Brent and Brown were headed home the morning of Dec. 8, 2012, after a night out. The two were roommates and close friends from their days at the University of Illinois.
Brent was a defensive tackle who had played in all 12 games of the 2012 NFL season. Brown was a linebacker who had been signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad that season.
Police said Brent was speeding when his Mercedes hit the side of a highway in the Dallas suburb of Irving and flipped over at least once. Irving Police spokesman John Argumaniz said officers responding to the crash found Brent trying to drag Brown from a fiery vehicle.

SWAC COP/C denies Grambling State appeal for its forfeiture of the football game at Jackson State

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors upheld the league’s decision to penalize Grambling State University as a result of the forfeited football game at Jackson State University.
The league will impose a $50,000 fine and a three-game mandate for Grambling State to play in Jackson, Miss. for the 2014, 2015, and 2016 seasons. The ruling is an effort to compensate for lost revenues which coincided with JSU’s homecoming on Oct. 19, 2013.
“The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors reviewed Grambling State’s appeal thoroughly and a decision was rendered,” said SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp. “The league is now looking forward to moving on to ensure this situation does not happen again.”
The SWAC will continue to recognize the forfeit in the conference standings with Grambling State charged a loss and Jackson State the win.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Both the Tigerbelles and Flying Tigers returned to action on Saturday at the Blazer Invitational, picking up one win at the event.

Tennessee State’s lone winner at the two-day event was Quamel Prince, who took home the crown in the 800 meters, with a time of 1:54.60. The win marked the second straight meet Prince claimed the top spot in the 800-meter race.

For the Tigerbelles, Brittani Logan led the way with a seventh place finish in the shot put. Logan’s throw of 13.98 meters was her second best mark of the season. The senior also finished 20^th in the weight throw, clearing a distance of 14.22 meters.

Freshman Amber Hughes posted a career best time in the 200 meters, crossing the finish line in 24.90 seconds. Hughes was followed closely behind by teammates Clairwin Dameus and Quanisha Sales, who both posted season’s best times of 25.09 seconds.

The Flying Tigers jumpers churned out strong marks in Birmingham. In the long jump Royce Dates finished fifth, followed closely by Tyler Anderson in sixth place. Dates and Anderson cleared distances of 7.29 and 7.24 meters respectively.

Tennessee State also had fifth and sixth place finishes in the triple jump. Kareem Nicholas paced the TSU field with a mark of 14.69 meters, followed by Shaquille Cragwall’s jump of 14.57 meters.

Big Blue rounded out the jumps with an eighth and 11^th place finish in the high jump. Bothe Daryl Rice and Caleb Carrothers posted jumps of 2.00 meters but Rice beat out Carothers and other competitors based on tiebreakers.

Both track teams hit the track again on Friday at the Niswonger Invitational in Johnson City, Tenn.

–TSUTigers–

FINAL STATS

Cape Girardeau, Mo. — The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team shot a season-best 53.1 percent from the field to help pick up its second straight win after defeating Southeast Missouri, 75-67, Saturday night in the Show Me Center.

Tennessee State (5-11, 2-1 OVC) led by as many as 14 points in the first half but had to fight off Southeast Missouri (5-11, 1-2 OVC) down the stretch.

TSU had three players to score in double-digits led by Chelsea Hudson’s 19 points and seven rebounds. Rachel Allen and Alana Morris each tallied 14 points. Morris also had three assists and three steals in the contest.

SEMO was led in scoring by Jordan Hunter’s 18 points. Olivia Hackman (16) and Conner King (13) also registered double-digits.

In the first half, Tennessee State shot a scorching 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the field, including 66.7 percent (6-of-10) from three-point range. The game was tied at 24-all when the Lady Tigers went on an 8-0 run to create some distance. TSU would outscore SEMO, 22-10, during the last six minutes of the half to go into the break with a, 46-34, lead.

During the first six minutes of the second frame, TSU was outscored, 12-4, allowing the SEMO to pull within four. Rachel Allen hit a three on the Lady Tigers’ next possession but the Redhawks answered with another bucket on their trip down the floor.

TSU went ahead 57-50 following a steal and break-away lay-up by Brianna Lawrence at the 10:06 mark. SEMO cut the deficit down to five several times before pulling within three at the five-minute mark.

Jayda Johnson put TSU back up by five after another offensive rebound and lay-up but SEMO once again managed to close to within three.

The Lady Tigers, however, were able to make free-throws down the stretch to keep the Redhawks at bay.

Despite being outrebounded, 36-27, TSU finished the game knocking down 26-of-59 (53.1 percent) from the field and 7-of-14 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc. The Lady Tigers also held the advantage in steals, 11-4 and bench points, 20-12.

The Lady Tigers return to action on Thursday, Jan. 16 against Tennessee Tech. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. in the Gentry Center.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  — Fan voting for the 2014

Pro Football Hall of Fame is open now, and

Tennessee State’s Claude Humphrey is one of the

senior nominees on the ballot.

By Nomaan Merchant, Associated Press

DALLAS — Josh Brent is no longer a Dallas Cowboy, but the stars on his old helmet figure heavily into his upcoming trial for a teammate’s death in a 2012 wreck.
Brent’s trial is set to start Monday on allegations that he was driving drunk and caused the death of Dallas practice squad player Jerry Brown. If convicted of intoxication manslaughter or manslaughter, Brent could get 20 years in prison, but he could also get probation.
Brent’s attorney has argued his client deserves probation, and Brown’s mother says she has forgiven her son’s college teammate and friend. But prosecutors have made Brent’s case a priority, and it comes to trial after weeks of debate over a case in neighboring Tarrant County that ended with a teenage motorist getting probation for a drunken wreck that killed four people last year.
“We do anticipate that this case will send a clear message about how strongly the citizens of Dallas County feel about their intoxication laws,” said Heath Harris, the Dallas County first assistant district attorney, in an interview shortly after Brent’s arrest in December 2012.
George Milner, Brent’s attorney, has said his client was struggling months later with the aftermath of the accident. Brent was put on leave from the Cowboys and retired last year. Several Cowboys players could testify during the two-week trial, including those who were drinking with Brent and Brown the night of the wreck.
“All he had was Jerry Brown and his teammates on the Cowboys,” Milner said. “Now he has none of that.”
Brent and Brown were headed home the morning of Dec. 8, 2012, after a night out. The two were roommates and close friends from their days at the University of Illinois.
Brent was a defensive tackle who had played in all 12 games of the 2012 NFL season. Brown was a linebacker who had been signed to the Cowboys’ practice squad that season.
Police said Brent was speeding when his Mercedes hit the side of a highway in the Dallas suburb of Irving and flipped over at least once. Irving Police spokesman John Argumaniz said officers responding to the crash found Brent trying to drag Brown from a fiery vehicle.