News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

10.11.06: Dougherty gets
C-USA special teams honor ... Pirate promotions abound for Tulsa game ... UCF versus Pitt on TV Friday night

10.10.06: Tulsa netter Brugues takes national title ... Miami (OH) reeling after sixth loss ... Pirates host unique diving competition

10.09.06: Buckeyes, Trojans, Gators top Harris Poll ... Denny O'Brien's Harris Poll ballot ... Gators continue success in Swamp ... Pirates stun Memphis in volleyball ... ECU soccer shuts out Herd

10.08.06: Jeff Blake bows out of hall induction ... NCAA's tax status under investigation ... North Dakota challenges NCAA mascot policy

10.07.06: Amato continues mastery of Seminoles ... ECU volleyball triumphs at home over UAB ... Millican continues bid for spot on LPGA Tour

10.06.06: Big Ten announces fines, reprimands ... Central Florida wins late field goal battle ... Millican shoots 74 in qualifying event

10.05.06: Gold captures ECU World Series with 8-7 win ... Tulsa runs past Southern Miss ... Former ECU golfer Millican in LPGA qualifying

10.04.06: TV exposure continues for C-USA teams ... Former UVa stars make $1 million gift ... SMU takes two of three weekly league honors

10.03.06: Curry to receive Stagg award ... Inspired by fallen teammate, Rice whips Army ... ECU women's golf team finishes 11th

10.02.06: Takeaways, sacks mean good things for UVa ... Gators pull even with WVU in Harris BCS poll ... Swofford presented with Homer Rice Award ... Tulsa win streak continues at ECU's expense

10.01.06: Cavs blast Duke 37-0 in Durham ... Vols deal Memphis a resounding defeat ... Pirate women's cross country wins meet

09.30.06: Wave home after record road trip ... NIT selection committee adds two ... ECU women's golf gets underway

09.29.06: NCAA graduation rate inches higher ... ECU tennis alumni will hold Oct. 7 reunion ... Tulane's return home to be televised

09.28.06: ECU rolls out Mini Pack deal on football tickets ... O'Leary cites mistakes in loss to Southern Miss ... Finances major factor in Bunting's status

09.27.06: Struggling Cavaliers face winless Duke ... Upon further review: Review unwarranted ... ECU netters get singles wins in Port City

09.26.06: ECU diamond slate loaded with home games ... East Carolina 2007 Baseball Schedule ... Rice's Lloyd collapses at workout, dies ... Golden Knights-Golden Eagles collision on TV ... C-USA announces football players of week ... ECU gets tie in women's soccer

09.25.06: O'Brien: Buckeyes, Auburn, USC, WVU tops ... Ohio State, Southern Cal lead Harris BCS poll ... Blazers topped in OT for Bulldogs' first win ... Tulsa edges Navy on blocked kick ... UTEP tops East Carolina 3-0 in volleyball

09.24.06: Clemson recognizes 1981 national champs ... Ref gets assignment involving Stoops family ... ECU volleyball falls at Tulane, hosts UTEP

09.23.06: ACC football struggling despite expansion ... Cavs may have found their quarterback ... Southern Miss freshman setting records

09.22.06: Pirate baseball announces fall scrimmages ... Tulane football in ESPN spotlight today ... Southern Miss AD will chair NCAA group

09.21.06: Holland addresses crowd behavior ... WVU game at center of Pirate Club weekend ... AFCA cuts ties with Hula Bowl

09.20.06: Bad officiating costs Oklahoma against Oregon ... ECU women's hoops will travel to Cancun ... Pirate volleyball a shutout winner over A&T

09.19.06: Memphis ousts defensive coordinator Dunn ... ECU's Kasey Ross earns
C-USA weekly honor ... Sept. TV calendar filling up for
C-USA teams

09.18.06: Mountaineers have some things to work on ... New Jersey will test prep players for steroids ... ECU women's soccer falls 1-0 to Penn

09.17.06: Knife trouble nothing new at Northern Colorado ... South Carolina QB will rejoin team ... Pirate volleyball sweeps Grambling State

09.16.06: Yahoo report says Bush accepted benefits ... Pirate volleyball gets fourth shutout ... ECU women's soccer edged by Seahawks

09.15.06: Amato post-Akron comments fueling reactions ... Stabbed N. Colorado punter watches team ... Pirate volleyball topped by Herd

09.14.06: NFL rosters filled with C-USA alums ... Southern Miss coach Bower calls Pack "scary" ... Rice goalkeeper McClintock gets national honor

09.13.06: Pirate punter Dougherty on Guy watch list ... ECU golfers finish ninth at Mid Pines ... East Carolina sweeps Campbell in volleyball

09.12.06: WVU, Pirates to be shown on ESPN 2 ... UAB's Felder honored for game- saving strip ... C-USA volleyball accolade for Pirates' Krug

09.11.06: Buckeye cheerleader drinks, drives, hits veep ... Houston's Kolb sets school mark in rout ... Krug sets ECU volleyball assists mark

09.10.06: Aundrae Allison on Biletnikoff watch list ... SEC's artificial noise penalties reinstated ... ECU volleyball falls to North Florida

09.09.06: UAB focuses on covering Aundrae Allison ... Ga. Southern mourns death of Erk Russell ... Shelby named to ECU women's hoops staff

09.08.06: NCAA's Brand calls for 80 percent grad rate ... ECU women's soccer gets regional ranking ... Soccer Buzz recognizes ECU's Nicole Moore ... Pirates get volleyball sweep over UNCW

09.07.06: Tigers, Pack, Deacs highlight ECU hoops slate ... Record contradicts Tressel's poll vote claim ... Winston- Salem State coach gets extension

09.06.06: Holland featured speaker at power lunch ... College games shorter after rule changes ... Full day in
C-USA includes Pirates vs. Blazers ... C-USA names football players of the week

09.05.06: Holtz discusses loss to Navy, challenge at UAB ... UAB pleased with performance vs. Sooners ... U of L's Bush has surgery for broken leg

09.04.06: Ole Miss survives Memphis in Sunday opener ... Blazers narrowly miss upset bid at Oklahoma ... Early showdown tonight for 'Canes, 'Noles ... Cavaliers turn back Pirates in volleyball final

09.03.06: NCAA president Brand at Elon on Wednesday ... Pirate volleyball 2-0 after topping Georgetown ... National honor for Memphis soccer player

09.02.06: Miners prevail over Aztecs in season opener ... East Carolina has Wright stuff in volleyball ... ECU women's soccer gets another shutout

09.01.06: UAB game off limits to Peterson's Dad ... Tulsa rolls past Stephen F. Austin in opener ... Pirates announce nine women's track signees

The public will get its first look at the East Carolina men's and women's basketball teams during Homecoming weekend.

The teams will play their annual Purple-Gold intra-squad scrimmage games on Saturday, Oct. 21, inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum prior to the homecoming football game against Southern Methodist. There is no admission charge and fans are encouraged to arrive early to support the basketball Pirates, according to an ECU athletic media relations release.

The men's game will begin at noon, followed by the women's game at 1 p.m. There will be an autograph and photo session with players and coaches from both teams between games. The autograph and photo session is scheduled to begin at approximately 12:45 p.m.

The Purple-Gold games will be the only chance Pirate fans have to get a sneak peek at this year's teams prior to the start of the regular season.

The men's scrimmage will showcase a team that returns four lettermen and welcomes a host of newcomers. The Pirates return to the court this season with a young and inexperienced, but talented, team that is highlighted by the return of its starting backcourt.

Junior Jeremy Ingram is the Pirates' top returning scorer after averaging 10.3 points a year ago. Sophomore Sam Hinnant, one of only two players to start all 28 games last season, is coming off an All-Conference USA Freshman Team season with the third highest scoring average among all C-USA freshmen (10.2 ppg). Hinnant, Ingram and senior Courtney Captain each ranked among the league leaders in three-point field goals made per game last season.

Coach Ricky Stokes' club welcomes 10 newcomers to the roster, including two junior college transfers. Tallahassee Community College guard and Charlotte native Cory Farmer will be in the backcourt this season along with College of Southern Idaho guard Darrell Jenkins. True freshmen Gabe Blair and John Fields will help anchor the frontcourt.

The Lady Pirates are coming off a 17-win season and begin their fifth season under head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. Senior Cherie Mills, the team's leading scorer a year ago, will be accompanied by Jasmine Young, last season's Conference USA Co-Freshman of the Year. Both players were named second-team all-conference in 2005-06.

A goal in the 75th minute provided the only score as Campbell defeated third-ranked North Carolina 1-0 in men's soccer on Tuesday night at the Eakes Athletic Complex in Buies Creek, according to a Campbell athletic media relations release.

Playing in front of the largest home crowd (1,481) in at least 17 years, Campbell ran its home record to a perfect 6-0-0 this season behind freshman keeper Bryce Kenny, who made nine saves in the first start of his career.

The outcome matched the highest-ranked opponent to fall to the Camels since the program joined the Division I ranks in 1977. CU knocked off the then third-ranked Tar Heels on Sept. 7, 1988, in Buies Creek.

The Camels own a 3-2-0 record against nationally-ranked teams over the last two seasons.

For the second consecutive year, Rice has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the Conference
USA women’s basketball regular season title. The poll was voted upon by the league’s 12 head coaches and released by the league office Wednesday.

The Owls tallied 142 points and earned 10 first-place votes, while Tulsa and Southern Methodist tied for second with 113 points each. Tulsa received one first-place vote, as did Houston, which came in fourth with 99 points.

Rice returns a solid 82.9 percent of its scoring and 79.0 percent of its rebounding from a team that finished second in the league (11-5 and 18-14 overall) and at the conference tournament a year ago. The Owls welcome back four starters and 11 letterwinners, including preseason all-conference pick Lauren Neeves.

Second-year head coach Greg Williams guided his alma mater to the 2006 WNIT after the team won 12 of its last 15 games. Rice has participated in postseason play seven of the last nine years, including two NCAA Tournament appearances.

C-USA Preseason Player of the Year accolades go to Tulsa ’s Jillian Robbins. After averaging 17.9 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, Robbins was named a 2006 Kodak/WBCA honorable mention All-American as well as C-USA Player of
the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

The 2006-07 preseason all-conference team is identical to the 2006 C-USA All-Conference first team: Jillian Robbins of Tulsa, Lauren Neaves of Rice, Tye Jackson of Houston, Janielle Dodds of SMU and Carmen Guzman of UAB.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from electronic services and other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.