Sports

Hampton Goes Wire-to-Wire, Ole Miss Comes Back to Beat BYU

Published

10 years ago

March 18, 2015

Hampton’s Brian Darden (14) tries to knock the ball away from Manhattan’s Shane Richards in the first half of a first-round NCAA tournament basketball game Tuesday, March 17, 2015 in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Skip Peterson)

RUSTY MILLER, AP Sports Writer

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Let this be a lesson to the 64 NCAA Tournament teams yet to take the floor: A quick start means a lot. A great finish is even better.

Reginald Jackson was at his best early and late to lead Hampton — just 12-17 and headed nowhere 12 days earlier — to a 74-64 wire-to-wire victory over Manhattan in a matchup of 16 seeds on Tuesday night at the First Four.

In the nightcap at the University of Dayton Arena, BYU led by 17 at half but Mississippi regrouped in the second half behind Stefan Moody, outscoring the Cougars 25-0 off turnovers in a stunning 94-90 win.

“Welcome to March Madness,” said Rebels coach Andy Kennedy after his team went from downtrodden to a second-round matchup with Xavier in exactly 20 minutes. “This was a tale of two halves.”

The Rebels (21-12) move on to a date with sixth-seeded Xavier on Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Hampton Pirates, who have won five in a row just to get to the .500 mark, now get to play mighty Kentucky, No. 1 overall, 34-0 on the year and chasing history.

“It’s a heck of a mountain, you know what I’m saying?” said coach Edward Joyner Jr. “We know that. We’re going to go and compete. And let the chips fall where they may.”

For Hampton, Quinton Chievous added 15 points and 13 rebounds before leaving with a sprained ankle in the final minutes. He’ll be a game-time decision for Kentucky, as will leading scorer and rebounder Dwight Meikle, also out with an ankle injury.

The Pirates (17-17) scored the first seven points, led by as many as 12 in the opening half and then, after Manhattan had rallied within a point, pulled away at the finish.

Shane Richards scored 17 points and Emmy Andujar 11 for the Jaspers (19-14), champions of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.

“You have to give Hampton credit,” said coach Steve Masiello, who played four years at Kentucky and would have been a star in Louisville had his team won. “I know we’re all caught up in whether they had a losing record, (the fact that) they’re 68th and we’re 67. But they came out and played tonight.”

Moody scored 26 points and led Mississippi’s comeback from a 17-point halftime. The Rebels trailed until Moody led a 15-2 run midway through the second half. He hit a late 3-pointer that helped finish off the tournament’s first big comeback.

Kennedy said he made a couple of minor adjustments at the half and also asked his players to prove they belonged in the tournament.

“Definitely there was a sense of urgency,” Moody said of the halftime speech. “We could have come back out and it could have gotten worse. But AK challenged us and we responded.”

M.J. Rhett added 20 points for Ole Miss, including a pair of three-point plays and a dunk during the go-ahead run.

BYU (25-10) pulled off the biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history in Dayton three years ago, rallying from a 25-point first-half deficit to a 78-72 win over Iona. This time, the Cougars couldn’t hold the big lead.

“This game will sting for quite a while,” coach Dave Rose said.

Tyler Haws, BYU’s all-time leading scorer, had 33 points.

“We didn’t really have an answer for them defensively,” said Tyler Haws, who scored 33 for BYU. “And they just made plays in the second half.”

___

TIP-INS

Hampton: The Pirates were the 24th team to make the NCAA Tournament field with a losing record — and became the third in four years to win a game.

Manhattan: The Jaspers fell to 3-9 in their eight trips to the NCAAs.

BYU: Haws had his fifth 30-point game of the season. He finished his career with 2,720 points.

Mississippi: The Rebels held down guard Kyle Collinsworth, who set an NCAA record with six triple-doubles this season. Collinsworth didn’t score in the first half, missing all four of his shots, and finished with eight points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.

UP NEXT

Hampton: Mighty Kentucky awaits in Louisville on Thursday night.

Manhattan: The Jaspers lose only one of their top nine scorers. Four of the starters were juniors.

BYU: Everybody’s back for the Cougars except Haws and forward Josh Sharp.

Mississippi: Kennedy gets to prepare for another game against Xavier, an old nemesis. Kennedy was an assistant coach for four years at Cincinnati and interim coach for one season. Xavier and Cincinnati play their crosstown rivalry game each season.

___

AP Sports Writer Joe Kay contributed to this story.

___

Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP

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WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

2 months ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

5 months ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

5 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok