LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
Postseason college basketball winds to a close over the next couple of weeks. For most Historically Black College and University (HBCU) teams however, the end came a bit sooner (see Tournament Recaps).
But for three black college hoops squads – the men of Langston and Norfolk State and the women of North Carolina A&T – the dream of finishing the season on a winning note is still alive. Here’s the line-up for this week.
Langston in NAIA National Championshp Game
Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) champion Langston (35-1) has continued its remarkable turnaround under second-year coach Chris Wright.
After winning the SAC regular season and tournament titles and receiving one of four No. 1 seeds into the 64-team NAIA national tournament, the Lions have run off five straight wins to earn a spot opposite Freed-Hardman of Indiana (31-4) in Wednesday’s 7 p.m. (CDT) championship game.
After four double-digit wins, three in blowout fashion, the Lions had to dig deep to defeat defending national champion College of Idaho Monday 58-52 in a national semifinal game.
If the Lions win the championship, they would join Tennessee State (1957, ’58, ’59), Grambling (1961), Prairie View A&M (1962), Central State (1965, ’68), Kentucky State (1970, ’71, ’72) Coppin State (1976) and Texas
Southern (1977) as black college men’s NAIA national basketball champions.
EDITOR’S NOTE: New York Knicks players, in a 124-99 win over Detroit Monday, warmed up wearing shirts with Hall of Famer Willis Reed’s No. 19 on the back on the night they celebrated HBCU Night. Reed, who died last year at 80, led Grambling State to the 1961 NAIA championship and a third-place finish in
1963. Norfolk State men in C-I-T Championship Game
When MEAC regular season champion Norfolk State lost to Howard in the tournament semifinals, head coach Robert Jones said the Spartans (23-11) would be playing in what was to be the 16-team College Insider Tournament. The C-I-T is being contested this year for the first time since 2019.
Only nine teams agreed to play in this year’s edition. Norfolk State, who got a bye in the first round, was one of three HBCUs, including Texas Southern and Alabama A&M out of the SWAC, who consented to play.
Tuesday, TSU (16-17) lost at Tarleton State (82-71) while Alabama A&M won at Austin Peay (81-71).
Norfolk State then beat AA&M 81-66 Saturday to earn the spot opposite Purdue Fort Wayne (24-12) in the CIT Championship Game Wednesday (3/27, 7 p.m.) at Echols Hall in Norfolk.
North Carolina A&T women in the WNIT Super 16
The Lady Aggies (22-11), after bowing out in the quarterfinals of the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) tournament, received the CAA’s berth in the 48-team Women’s National Invitational Tournament, known as the WNIT.
Head coach Tarrell Robinson’s team opened play at home Friday with a 56-51 first round win over crosstown Greensboro (N.C.) opponent UNC-Greensboro out of the Southern Conference. They followed that up Sunday with another home win, knocking off Sun Belt Conference member Old Dominion 48-45 at Corbett Sports Arena on a buzzer-beater.
That win vaulted the ladies into the WNIT’s Super 16 where they will again play at home this Friday (7 p.m.) vs. Troy (20-11), who is also out of the Sun Belt. After a first round bye, Troy defeated Florida International 92-62 Monday to reach the Super 16. The winner of the Troy/ NC A&T game will meet the winner of Southern Miss and Louisiana-Monroe in the WNIT’s Great Eight on March 30 or April at a site to be determined (TBD).
