WILBERFORCE — The Central State Lady Marauders earned their third straight victory with a 74-65 win over Bluefield State on Wednesday.

With the victory, CSU improves to 4-4 overall while BSU drops to 6-4 on the season.

CSU led by as many as seven in the first quarter with Layla Turner coming off the bench to score six points in the first eight minutes of play. Up 17-10, CSU surrendered an 8-0 run to BSU and trailed by one entering the second period. BSU built their lead up to eight before taking a 37-32 lead into halftime.

Held to four points in the first half, CSU’s leading scorer Kailyn Nash emerged in the opening stages of the second half by scoring her team’s first seven points of the third quarter. The Lady Marauders went on to outscore BSU, 19-12, in the third frame to take a 51-49 lead into the fourth quarter.

With CSU up by two with 4:56 to play, CSU took control with a 9-1 run capped by a inbound steal and basket by Nash. Up 70 to 60 with 1:06 remaining, CSU knocked down four of six free throws on the way to the eventual nine-point win.

CSU capitalized off of 31 BSU turnovers, holding a 32-13 edge in points scored off giveaways.

Nash finished the game with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Turner contributed with nine points. Laurene Tere finished with eight points and five rebounds while battling through foul trouble.

Essence Cowan led BSU scorers with 19 points.

CSU travels to play top-ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday at 1 pm.

CSU struggles from field in loss to Allen

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Central State Marauders struggled from the field in a 77-54 road loss to Allen University on Monday night.

The loss drops the Marauders to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in SIAC play. AU earned its first win of the year and improve to 1-6 overall with a 1-3 mark in the conference.

Behind the hot shooting of Darius Williams, AU jumped out to a 15-point lead in the first half as Williams opened the game by making his first five shots. CSU battled back to cut the deficit down to four, 40-36, by halftime but could not overcome a poor shooting night.

The Marauders converted just 18 of 61 shot attempts from the field (29.5%) and were outscored in the second half, 37-18, as the Yellow Jackets cruised to the 23-point homecourt win.

In addition to the Marauder giveaways, AU’s bench outscored the CSU reserves, 45-18.

Williams finished the night with a game-high 21 points. Cameron Sembly added 14 points and six rebounds.

CSU was paced by Kevin Moore’s 14 points and nine rebounds.

CSU will return home to host Virginia-Lynchburg on Saturday at 3 pm.

Stephens, Zacharias return to NCCAA All-America Team

CEDARVILLE — Jonny Stephens and Jared Zacharias of Cedarville have been selected to the 2022 NCCAA Men’s Soccer All-America Second Team.

Stephens, a graduate student defender from Colorado Springs, Colo., is a three-time All-American after being named to the 2020 first team and the 2021 second team.

He started all 24 games in the back this season with one goal and one assist.

Stephens played 94 career games with 92 starts – both school records – and tallied eight goals with two assists.

Zacharias, a senior goalkeeper from Bellbrook, Ohio, is a two-time All-American following 2021 first team honors.

He started all 21 games in which he played this season with six shutouts and a 0.90 goals against average. He totaled 14 clean sheets throughout his career with a 0.98 GAA.

Ackley, Meade claim NCCAA national awards

CEDARVILLE — Cedarville’s Brooke Ackley is the 2022 NCCAA Women’s Soccer Player of the Year and Jonathan Meade is the Coach of the Year.

Ackley, a junior goalkeeper from Worthington, Ohio, heads up the 11-player All-America First Team.

She played all 22 matches this season with 21 starts in leading Cedarville to a 17-4-1 record and No. 1 ranking in the NCCAA.

Ackley posted a 0.81 goals against average and six shutouts in being named to the first team for the second year in a row.

She joins Jacoby Ziegler (2015) as one of two Lady Jackets to be the NCCAA Player of the Year.

Meade guided Cedarville to the G-MAC regular season title and to the second round of the NCAA Division II Championship.

He is a four-time NCCAA Coach of the Year having earned the honor with the Jackets in 2019 as well as twice previously at Mount Vernon Nazarene (2003, 2006).

Two-other Lady Jackets were selected to the All-America First Team – Hannah Sareyka, a senior midfielder from Swedesboro, N.J., as well as Mary Kate Wyer, a senior forward from Greenville, S.C.

Wyer is a three-time All-American having been chosen to the third team in 2020 and second team last fall.

Ackley was also the NCCAA Midwest Region Player of the Year and Meade was the Coach of the Year.

Also named to the all-region squad were Sareyka, Wyer, and freshman defender Sadie Lenc.

The Yellow Jackets finished 12-10-2, were the G-MAC Tournament runner-up, and participated in the NCCAA National Tournament.