By LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
It’s the last week of regular season basketball in the CIAA with the league’s men’s and women’s tournament tipping off next Tuesday (Feb. 21) and running until the finals on Saturday (Feb. 25) at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena.
The final regular season CIAA games are Saturday, February 18.
The SIAC will wrap up regular season play on Monday, February 20 before tournament play begins on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Savannah State University’s Tiger Arena.
The men’s and women’s SIAC finals are set for Saturday, March 4.
CIAA
All 12 men’s and women’s teams played Wednesday (Feb. 15) and will close out the season on Saturday.
In the tournament, the top four men’s and women’s teams based on conference record will get byes into the quarterfinal rounds.
Men
For the men, with those two games left, Virginia Union currently has the best conference record at 10-4. Virginia State, Claflin and Fayetteville State are all 9-5. Winston-Salem State is at 8-6. Lincoln (Pa.), Shaw and Livingstone are all at 7-7.
With the match ups involving these contending teams (see Basketball This Week), a lot could change over this final week. Women
For the women, Fayetteville State at 12-2 is assured one of the four byes. Lincoln (Pa.) currently has the second best record but is facing the teams with the next best records – at home vs. Elizabeth City State (9-5) Wednesday and Bowie State (9-5) Saturday. Winston-Salem State (9-5) is also in the running for the bye. The Lady Rams have games left vs. J. C. Smith (Wed.) and Livingstone (Sat.)
SIAC
Because now 14 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams will be in the tournament this year for the first time, the SIAC Tournament will run a full week – from Saturday (February 25) to Saturday (March 4).
The top two teams in the SIAC East and West Divisions will get byes into the tournament’s quarterfinal round that will be played on Wednesday, March 2 and Thursday, March 3.
Men
Headed into play this week, with games left for Saturday (Feb. 18) and Monday (Feb. 20), Benedict (14-5) is on top of the men’s East Division with Savannah State and Morehouse behind the Tigers at 13-6.
Benedict is at Morehouse Saturday before closing Monday at Clark Atlanta. Morehouse hosts Allen Monday. Savannah State is at Albany State Saturday and closes at Fort Valley State Monday.
In the West, Miles is tied with Tuskegee at 13-5 with LeMoyne- Owen third at 13-6. Lane is 12-7.
Miles hosts LeMoyne Saturday and Lane Monday. They are the final regular season games for LOC and Lane.
Tuskegee hosts Central State Saturday and Kentucky State Monday.
Women
In the women’s races Tuskegee (17-0) has wrapped up the top seed from the West. Miles and Kentucky State at 11-6 and Lane at 10-7 are still in the running for the second seed from the division.
In the East, Savannah State and Clark Atlanta are both 12-5 and wrapped up the top two seeds.
MEAC and SWAC
At 8-1, Howard leads the men’s MEAC race while Morgan State at 9-0 leads the women.
The Howard men are in Baltimore this week for dates vs. Coppin State (Sat.) and Morgan State (Mon.). The Morgan women have a big date at second-place Norfolk State (7-2) Saturday.
Alcorn State (11-2) has a one-game lead over Grambling State (10-3) in the SWAC men’s standings.
Jackson State (12-1) has a three-game lead in the SWAC women’s’ race.
