Latest news with #SWACTournament
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scotlandville library renovation enters next phase with community support
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — City leaders and residents gathered Monday to celebrate progress on the newly renovated Scotlandville Library, a project shaped by community input and deeply rooted in one of Baton Rouge's historic neighborhoods. 'We have listened to our patrons,' said Katrina Stokes, executive director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. 'We've conducted surveys and hosted community meetings to ask them: 'What do you want? What do you need from us?' The renovated library will feature expanded access to technology, new programs and meeting rooms, a community fridge, and a dedicated Black Heritage Room. Its colors — blue and yellow — pay homage to nearby Southern University and the cultural history of the community. 'It's going to be almost like a museum,' Candace Temple said. 'The Black Heritage section in the library is going to be just awesome.' Temple emphasized that the library system is always looking for ways to better serve its communities. Among those in attendance was East Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Anthony Kenney, who grew up in the neighborhood and credits the library with shaping his path. 'We want to make sure we're increasing literacy in our communities,' Kenney said. 'As our kids grow up to become the next lawyers, council members, and mayors, we want to ensure the library is part of that foundation.' Mayor-President Sid Edwards also spoke at the event, reinforcing the shared vision among city and library leaders to make the library a welcoming space for all. The project is scheduled to be completed by February 2026. Scotlandville library renovation enters next phase with community support Southern University Baseball enters SWAC Tournament on late-season streak Freedom Caucus chair predicts 'big beautiful bill' lacks support to pass this week Democratic Rep. McIver charged with assault after skirmish at ICE center, New Jersey prosecutor says Fourth inmate captured, six still at large following Orleans Parish jailbreak: LSP Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FAMU women's tennis team claims the 2025 SWAC Championship; second title in three years
FAMU women's tennis team claims the 2025 SWAC Championship; second title in three years The Florida A&M women's tennis team has reclaimed the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship. On Easter Sunday, April 20, the third-seed Rattlers beat the top-seeded Jackson State Tigers 4-2 in the SWAC Tournament's title match at New Orleans' City Park Tennis Center. It's FAMU's second SWAC title in three years, winning it in 2023. Florida A&M women's tennis team won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship at New Orleans' City Park Tennis Center on Sunday, April 20, 2025. The Rattlers beat No. 6 Southern 4-2 on Friday, April 18, and then the defending champions, No. 2 Alabama State, 4-3 to advance to the SWAC Tournament title match. Advertisement FAMU tennis' SWAC title win is the athletic program's 200th conference title. The FAMU men's golf team also celebrated a SWAC Tournament win this week, winning on Wednesday, April 16. The Rattlers tennis SWAC Championship earns them an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which runs from Saturday, May 3 to Sunday, May 4. Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat. Follow his award-winning coverage on and contact him via email at GDThomas@ or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU tennis teams wins 2025 SWAC Tournament match over Jackson State
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FAMU tennis headed to New Orleans to recapture SWAC Tournament championship trophy
FAMU tennis headed to New Orleans to recapture SWAC Tournament championship trophy The Florida A&M tennis team is headed somewhere that has become all too familiar. The Rattlers are headed to this weekend's Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, played at New Orleans' City Park Tennis Center. Advertisement FAMU (9-10, 7-2 in SWAC) enters the eight-team SWAC Tournament bracket as a three-seed and will match up against Southern (4-12, 4-5 in SWAC) in the first round. The first serve begins on Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Florida A&M head tennis coach and director of tennis Nikki Houston looks on during the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament at the City Park Tennis Center in New Orleans. When FAMU and Southern played during the regular season, the Rattlers came out on top with a 4-1 victory. 'The girls are confident that we can come out and play well this weekend,' FAMU tennis head coach Nikki Houston told the Tallahassee Democrat. 'We got Southern in the first round and are looking forward to playing them again.' The SWAC Tournament match is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. Advertisement If FAMU reaches the title match, it will be the program's third consecutive year competing for the SWAC Championship. In 2023, the Rattlers defeated Jackson State in the SWAC championship. Last year, FAMU lost to Alabama State in the SWAC Tournament's championship match. Florida A&M's Reagan Harris participates in a match at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex. Five of FAMU's six-woman roster remain from the Rattlers' SWAC Championship team. FAMU has four seniors and two juniors. 'We got a veteran team,' Houston explained. 'Everybody has been to the championship, the expectations, and the focus we have to go in with.' The SWAC tennis title may run through Jackson State and the defending champions Alabama State. Jackson State is the No. 1 seed, with Alabama State at No. 2. Advertisement Those were the only SWAC teams FAMU lost to during the regular season. 'Even though we didn't fan out the regular season like we wanted to, we were in those matches,' Houston said. 'It prepared us for the championship this year.' Florida A&M tennis player Sara Rakim participates in a match at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex in Tallahassee, Florida FAMU winning the SWAC title would be its second in the last three years. Houston helped the Rattlers win the 1997 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. 'It would be great and add to the legacy of FAMU tennis and athletics,' Houston said when asked about what winning the SWAC title would mean. 'We come in to graduate and get a ring. So, that's what we're trying to do.' Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat. Follow his award-winning coverage on and contact him via email at GDThomas@ or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU tennis aiming for 2nd SWAC title in last 3 years this weekend
Miami Herald
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Former FAMU basketball player commits to Grambling
Roderick Coffee III is taking his talents to Grambling State to play for former FAMU basketball coach Patrick Crarey II, he announced Monday on social media. The 6-foot-4 guard played in 21 games last season for the Rattlers, averaging 6.0 points while shooting 39.3% from the field, 3.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per contest. In his two-year FAMU tenure, Coffee played in 58 games while registering 5.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists while shooting 80.4% from the free throw line and 35.6% from the field in nearly 23 minutes per game. "Let's rock," Coffee wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday. Coffee commits to GSU three days after the program introduced Crarey as the Tigers next men's basketball coach. In one season at FAMU, Crarey led the Rattlers to their most wins since 2008 and its first SWAC Tournament berth since 2019. Jackson State eliminated FAMU 91-76 in the quarterfinals of the tournament in March. Crarey replaces former GSU coach Donte Jackson, who departed the program to become the new men's basketball coach at Alabama A&M. At Grambling, Jackson led the Tigers to three SWAC regular-season titles in eight seasons and a trip to the 2024 men's NCAA Tournament. The post Former FAMU basketball player commits to Grambling appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
31-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
NBA star turned-coach lands Shaq's son in portal
Shaqir O'Neal, son of Shaq, has found a new home playing for a new head coach and former NBA star after leaving an HBCU and hitting the transfer portal.O'Neal has reportedly committed to play for Sacramento State, which just hired Mike Bibby as its head basketball coach. The former NBA veteran was announced as the school's head coach on March 25. O'Neal hit the transfer portal on March 29. O'Neal is coming off the best season of his college career at Florida A&M, where he averaged 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. That included seven double-figure scoring outputs after having just one in his first two seasons. He scored a career-high 26 points against Trinity Baptist and scored 20 against Trinity, as well as a couple of double-figure games against SWAC competition. Shaq showed up in Atlanta to watch his son play in the SWAC Tournament earlier this month. Listed as 6'7, 201 pounds out of high school, Shaqir O'Neal was a three-star prospect in the Class of 2021 out of Union Grove Senior High School in Georgia and signed with another HBCU, Texas Southern. He redshirted the 2021-2022 season and made his college debut against San Francisco in Nov 2022. He played in 20 games during the 2022-2023 season, averaging 1.4 points per game in just over seven minutes of action per contest. The best game of his Texas Southern career came against North American when he scored 12 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 28 averaged 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 20 appearances during the 2023-2024 season at Texas Southern. He played a season-high 23 minutes against Creighton and had his best game against Biblical Studies when he scored nine points and hit two three-pointers for the HBCU he will step out of the SWAC/HBCU landscape for the first time under a first time head coach looking to show that he's more than just an NBA name. The post NBA star turned-coach lands Shaq's son in portal appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
