By Maliik Obee
Special to the AFRO
The third day of the 2024 CIAA Tournament saw eight men’s teams compete to move forward to the final four.
A 10 a.m. matchup started the day, with Bluefield State pulling off the upset of the tournament. In a late-game thriller, the Big Blue defeated the defending-champion Winston-Salem State Rams 67-66.
Winston Salem went into the half up 33-28, thanks to an incredible offensive display by CIAA Player of the Year Jaylen Alston. The senior shot 10-of-16 from the floor (13-of-20 free throws) for 34 points along with 15 rebounds. Fellow guard Isaac Parsons was the Rams only other scorer in double figures with 10 points and nine rebounds.
All-CIAA forward Jordan Hands led the Big Blue with 16 points and 11 rebounds, but it was guard Ja’Mere Redus who took home the most valuable player award. Redus siezed command of the floor, scoring 15 points along with five assists and three rebounds. Three other Big Blue scorers (Nduka Ogwu, Chase Page, Travon Cooper) finished in double-digits, as Bluefield rallied in the second half to send the game into overtime.
Free throws were the difference in the extra period, as the Rams shot 1-for-6 (16 percent) from the charity stripe, while Bluefield went 2-for-4 (50 percent).
The win keeps the Big Blue alive, as they advanced to face No. 2-seed Virginia Union on Fedb. 29.
Virginia State knocks off Johnson C. Smith in impressive fashion
The third-seed Trojans of Virginia State handed sixth-seeded Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls a 66-56 loss on Feb. 28 to move on to the final four. Despite committing 19 turnovers to the Golden Bulls’ 14, the Trojans controlled the game from the opening tip-off.
Rebounding became the biggest difference-maker in the contest, with the Trojans recording 51 boards compared to 31 by Johnson C. Smith. While both teams struggled from beyond the arc, Virginia State’s ability to spread the ball led to several scorers getting involved. Four Trojans (Jared Clawson, Jonathan Norfleet, Tremere Brown, Dajour Rucker) scored in double-figures, with Brown (11 points, 14 rebounds) and Rucker (11 points, 10 rebounds) recording double-doubles.
Forward Ashton Sherrell led the Golden Bulls on the scoreboard with 19 points, while All-CIAA forward Avery Huggins scored 15 points and 11 rebounds to keep them in the contest.
Virginia State committed 19 turnovers and helped the Golden Bulls stay in the contest, but poor shooting from beyond the arc (5-for-21) and the inability to stop the Trojans from scoring in the post (38 points) prevented them from making a true comeback.
Fayetteville State dismantles Bowie State 77-53
Tournament at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Md.
AFRO Photo / Stephen Hopkins
The Fayetteville State Broncos made light work of Bowie State on Feb. 28, cruising to a 77-53 victory to send the Bulldogs packing. Everything seemed to be clicking for the Broncos, as they shot over 57 percent from the floor and out-rebounded Bowie 31 to 19.
Forward Kaleb Coleman earned the most valuable player honor, after recording 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, knocking down six3-point attempts (6-for-8) and grabbing six rebounds. Tairell Fletcher led the Broncos with 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting, adding six rebounds. Forward Caleb Simmons added 15 points and nine rebounds to give Fayetteville three double-digit scorers in the contest.
At the half, the Broncos held a 37-25 lead, thanks to hot shooting and holding the Bulldogs to 2-8 shooting from three (3-13 on the night). The Bulldogs’ scorers struggled to get into a groove, with the Broncos holding guard Warren Mouganda and forward Joel Webb to just 10 points each. All-CIAA rookie Kevon Corley was restricted to 7 points on 2-for-7 shooting.
Fayetteville pulled away even more in the second half, out-scoring Bowie 40-28 to secure a blowout victory.
The win now gives the Broncos a day of rest, skipping Thursday’s action, as they prepare to face the winner of Virginia Union’s matchup against Bluefield State.
Lincoln roars past Elizabeth City State 76-62
Top-seeded Lincoln held no punches on Feb. 28, beating the Elizabeth City State Vikings 76-62 to advance to the final four.
No team put together a better display of moving the basketball, as five Lions scored in double-digits. Guard Reggie Hudson took home the most valuable player honors, after nearly recording a triple-double with 17 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds.
The Lions took a comfortable 42-28 lead at the half, thanks to shooting 15-of-30 as a team from the field (50 percent) and holding the Vikings to 10-for-28 shooting (35 percent). Lincoln often landed at the foul line and converted, making 25-for-37 free throws (67 percent) as a team.
Elizabeth City State struggled from the field after halftime, going 11-36 (30 percent). But they did even worse from beyond the arc, making just 5-27 three-point-attempts (18 percent).
Lincoln’s offense struggled in the second half (7-22) but their defense and fresh rotation of bench contributors (28 points) helped them maintain a healthy lead throughout.
With a bye on Feb. 29, the Lions will watch to see who they will face in the semifinals, as Virginia State prepares to face Claflin.
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