LUT WILLIAMS, BCSP Editor
The 79th men’s and 50th women’s Food Lion CIAA Tournaments tipped off Monday in Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena, their fourth trip to the Charm City after a 15-year stay in Charlotte, N.C.
The tournaments open with clear favorites on the women’s side and no clear top choice for the men.
WOMEN
Fayetteville State, at 24-2 overall, 17-1 in CIAA play and 13-1 in South Division competition, comes in as the South’s top seed and favorite to take the title. The Lady Broncos were ranked 15th in the WBCA Div. II Top 20 in their Feb. 20 poll and third in the Atlantic Region.
Elizabeth City State (18-10, 10-7, 8-2) is the North’s top seed. North 2nd seed Virginia State (22-4, 13-4, 7-3) is 25th in the WBCA national rankings and seventh in the Atlantic Region.
FSU, ECSU and VSU would have to be top picks to leave with Saturday’s women’s title.
MEN
It is a little more difficult to pick who will come out with the title from the men’s bracket.
The top seeds are Lincoln Pa. (14-13, 10-7, 13-3) from the North Division and Fayetteville State (16-12, 11-7, 8-4) from the South. Lincoln lost three of its final five games in the division. Both Lincoln and FSU have seven losses against CIAA competition. That brings a host of others into the championship mix.
South 2nd-seed Claflin (16-9, 8-4 S) and South 3rd-seed WSSU (19-9, 7-5 S) have the best records in CIAA play at 13-5. Virginia Union (13-17, 8-9 CIAA), the 2nd seed from the North, had an identical 7-3 division mark as Lincoln and knocked off the Lions (82-53) early this month.
The men’s tournament appears much more wide open.
ON THE COURT
The tournaments began Monday with teams at the bottom of the respective brackets facing off against each other.
South 7th-seed Winston-Salem State scored a 64-61 win over North 6th-seed Bowie State in women’s play.
In the men’s opening contest, North 6th- seed Bluefield State, in its first tournament game since returning to the conference, defeated South 7th-seed St. Augustine’s 50-48
Play continued Tuesday with four women’s games at 10 am, 12:10, 2:20 and 4:30 p.m. Two men’s games are scheduled for 6:40 and 8:50 p.m.
The No. 1 seeds get into action during Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
On the women’s side, ECSU takes on the St. Aug’s/Lincoln winner at 2:20 p.m. followed by FSU facing the Bluefield State/Livingstone winner at 4:30 p.m.
For the men, FSU meets the Bowie State/ Livingstone winner at 6:40 p.m. Lincoln faces the winner of Shaw vs. Eliz. City St. at 8:50 p.m.
The women and men 2nd seeds will alternate games in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The Claflin women take the court at 12 noon followed by the Claflin men at 2 p.m. The VSU women play at 6 p.m. followed by the VUU men at 8 p.m.
Alternating games will also be played in Friday’s semifinals with the women playing at 12 noon and 6 p.m. and the men hitting the court at 2 and 8 p.m.
The women’s championship game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday with the men’s title game to follow at 4 p.m.
2023-24 CIAA ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS & SUPERLATIVES
MEN
Rookie of the Year : Kevon Corley, Bowie State
Player of the Year : Jaylen Alston, Winston-Salem State Defensive POY: Imajae Dodd, Winston-Salem State Coach of the Year : Cleo Hill Jr., Winston-Salem State
WOMEN
Rookie of the Year: Nielle Reaves, Livingstone Player of the Year: Aniylah Bryant, Fayetteville State Defensive POY: Morgan Graham, Fayetteville State Coach of the Year: Tyreece Brown, Fayetteville State
2023-24 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CIAA TEAM Backcourt – Jordan Hinds, BLST; DJ Thomas, SHAW; Issac Parson, WSSU; Reggie Hudson, LINCP;
Frontcourt – Tahj Harding, VUU; Jaylen Alston, WSSU; Shayne Saigo, SHAW; Khyree Temple, LIV; Avery Huggins, JCSU; Nemo Johnson, SAU
2023-24 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Kevon Corley, BSU; Xavier Tubbs-Matthews, ECSU; James Nipper, LIV; Travis Vaughn, VUU; Travon Cooper, BLST
2023-24 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CIAA TEAM Backcourt – Anii Harris, BSU; Aniylah Bryant, FSU; Lauren Scott, CLAF; Alanis Hill, ECSU; Mihjae Hayes, VSU; Frontcourt – Ny Langley, VUU; Amesha Miller, VSU; Alexyss Newman, BLST; Alexis Radcliff, SHAW; Morgan Graham, FSU; Amaya Tucker, WSSU; Taniyah Greene, SAU
2023-24 Women’s All-CIAA Rookie Team
Alexis Blake, VSU; La’Niya Simes, WSSU; Queen Ruffin, JCSU; Nielle Reaves, LIV; Skylar White, VSU