By Maliik Obee
Special to the AFRO
The 2024 CIAA Tournament kicked off on the night of Feb. 26 at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, with the sixth-seeded Bowie State Bulldogs facing the seventh-seed Winston Salem State Rams on the women’s side. In an offensive shootout, Winston Salem defeated the Bulldogs 64-61, thanks to the late-game heroics of guard Amaya Tucker.
The two teams went score-for-score until the final seconds of the contest, where Tucker drove to the basket for the game-winning layup, making a contested shot and picking up the foul for the 64-61 lead. On Bowie’s last possession, Irvin’s corner three-point attempt rimmed out, sealing the win for the Rams.
Tucker earned the most valuable player honor for the night, scoring 25 points on 8 of 11 attempts, along with four rebounds and four assists.
Following the contest, Tucker, Warren and Coach L’Tona Lamonte discussed the victory at the post game presser. Tucker opened by discussing her four assists to lead the Rams, and what she saw to put her teammates in scoring position down the stretch.
“It was pretty simple,” Tucker said. “I was seeing the post coming up on the block, and I was just having that awareness and good IQ. Really proud of the way our post players played tonight, they definitely did their thing. Just making sure that I’m looking for my teammates, that’s something that I do as a player. I love to get my teammates involved.”
After a hot start by the Bulldogs behind guard duo Anii Harris and Jayla Irvin, the Rams turned up the intensity on both offense and defense. Graduate guard Amaya Tucker went on a scoring frenzy after falling behind early in the first, leading both teams with 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting (4-for-4 free throws).
The Rams’ high-pressure half court trap defense led to 13 Bulldog turnovers in the first half, as Bowie forward Saniha Jackson and Irvin picked up two early fouls. Winston Salem State regained the lead in the second quarter, taking a 10-point lead to head into the half up 31-21. In-addition to going 6-for-25 from the floor (24 percent), the Bulldogs ended the first half 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.
Bowie State crawled back into the contest in the third quarter, with Harris and Irvin trading buckets with Tucker and forward Sierra Hunter. At the end of the third, both teams sat squared at 45.
The shootout continued in the fourth quarter, as Rams guard Alexandria Warren hit several clutch shots down the stretch, trading three pointers with Irvin.
Lamonte chimed in to break down the Rams attacking the Bulldogs’ box and 1 defense, and Tucker’s floor vision.
“They were running a box and 1 on Amaya,” Lamonte said. “I don’t know if anybody noticed that. Whenever they would have some screens that would be set on Amaya, Amaya would be able to hit her teammates, because they were trying to double her. She did a really good job, and that’s what happens when you have an older player that really understands the game.”
The 2023 CIAA Women’s Player of the Year was held to single digits on the scoreboard in five of her last six games, but climbed to 20-plus points for the first time since Feb. 3 against Livingstone (22 points). Quelling her thoughts about the shooting slump, Tucker came up big at the absolute-best time for the Rams.
“My mom and dad told me to just be confident,” she said. “‘Just play your game, we’re going to need you to shoot the ball.’ That’s just what I did tonight. I prayed on it before the game. Talked to God about it; talked to my mom and dad. At this point, it was nothing to lose. That’s what I did, and I’m just glad that I could perform the way I performed.”
Winston Salem State prepares to face three-seed Johnson C. Smith on Feb. 27 at 4:30 p.m. The game can be viewed on ESPN Plus.
Baltimore welcomes back CIAA Tournament
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference, is back for another year and has announced the brackets for its 2024 basketball tournament along with a full week of fun events.
Thousands from all over the country have arrive in Baltimore to watch men’s and women’s athletes compete for the championship trophy. CIAA events began on Feb. 26th and will take place through March 3rd.
Bowie State University is the host institution for this week-long sporting event but all HBCUs are encouraged to show their school pride.
The weeklong event helps generate millions of dollars that will help improve the local economy.
On Monday, the CIAA hosted the 2024 President’s Reception, held at the Horseshoe Casino, and the first session of the Women and Men’s Basketball Tournament which will be held at the CFG Arena.
On Tuesday, Feb. 27th, the CIAA will team up with Wells Fargo, a sponsor for this week, to host a Financial Literacy Breakfast at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Wells Fargo is aiming to educate people on financial management through workshops and activities. While the event is geared towards young people who need financial direction, it can be very beneficial to Baltimore community members.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28th, aside from the Basketball Tournament, the CIAA is also hosting High School Education Day and an Athlete Empowerment Symposium, which will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center.
On Thursday, Feb. 29th, will be one of the busiest days of the week. CIAA has teamed up with the Pratt Street Library to host the 2024 Allegis Group Career Expo. This free event is geared towards upcoming and recent graduates who are interested in educational or career opportunities.
For this year’s career expo, there are over 60 companies that will be in attendance such as Nationwide, Wells Fargo, Coca-Cola, NASA, and many more. This is a great networking opportunity for those who are interested.
On Thursday there will also be a Diversity Equity Inclusion reception, and a Health & Mental Wellness summit, along with the continuation of the Women’s & Men’s Tournament held at various times and locations throughout Baltimore.
On Friday, March 1st, There will be multiple dance parties catered to college students and young alumni which will be hosted at Rams Head Live accompanied by the semifinal basketball tournament games.
Later in the evening, the CIAA will host the highly-anticipated Step Show Throwdown, which is being presented by Wells Fargo. At the event, Greek letter fraternities and sororities will be battling each other in a showcase.
The CIAA championship games for both men’s and women’s basketball teams will be held on Saturday along with the trophy presentation. All games can be viewed on ESPN Live and tickets to all events are still available on the CIAA website.
There will also be various events and parties held on Saturday as well that are aiming to better the community of Baltimore by creating a sense of togetherness.
On Sunday, March 3rd, Sagamore Pendry is hosting a celebratory brunch at 10 am. After brunch, everyone should head to the Poetry vs. Hip Hop event at Ram’s Head Live to close out the week of festivities.
Follow @AfroNews on social media and check Afro.com for CIAA Tournament updates.
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