History was made during the first full day of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament action at CFG Bank Arena on Tuesday.
The Bluefield State women won their first conference tournament game, defeating Livingstone, 59-56. The Big Blue advance to face Fayetteville State, the top seed in the South Division, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“You all saw a little bit of Bluefield basketball,” forward Gabrielle Thomas said. “We got a lot more to show you guys.”
A strong defensive effort led the way as the Big Blue, the No. 4 seed in the North Division, forced turnovers all game. The Blue Bears gave the ball away 26 times, the last via a steal by point guard Azariah Binford that provided the finishing touch in the waning seconds.
“We want to be a force on the defensive end,” coach Paul Davis said. “Our goal is to force 30 [turnovers] a game.”
Offensively, the duo of Thomas and Alexyss Newman carried Bluefield State, out of Bluefield, West Virginia.
Thomas only scored eight points but pulled down 10 of her 13 rebounds during a second half in which points were at a premium and every possession mattered.
Newman did a little bit of everything, finishing with a game-high 20 points. The All-CIAA junior filled the stat sheet, adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win.
“Alexyss is phenomenal,” Davis said. “She’s been a spark, all the girls love her and most importantly, she is a winner.”
With four girls playing over 30 minutes, including Binford who played all 40, Davis shook off any fears of fatigue as he knows his team is on a bigger mission this week in Baltimore.
“We’re trying to come here and put Bluefield State on the map,” he said. “We appreciate the CIAA for giving us the platform.”
— Timothy Dashiell
St. Augustine’s women advance
Picked to finish 13th in the preseason poll, St. Augustine’s women have been piling up wins and exceeding expectations all season long.
It added another to its list Tuesday as the Eagles, out of Raleigh, North Carolina, made an impressive tournament debut, advancing to the quarterfinals with a wire-to-wire 64-52 win over Lincoln. They will face Elizabeth City State, the No. 1 seed in the North Division, at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday.
“We’re here to win it all and have a good time,” junior Lauren Banks said. “We’re playing hard every game.”
Banks, a Maryland native who starred at Riverdale Baptist in Clinton, made sure to put on a show for her family members who made the trip to see her play. She finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds as the scoring quickly became contagious.
“If we share the ball, we’re going to be successful,” coach Ebony Tanner said.
Tanner was especially proud of the ball movement as the Eagles, seeded fourth in the South Division, finished with 12 assists on 22 made shots. Four players reached double figures in scoring, spearheaded by All-CIAA honoree Taniyah Greene, who finished with a game-high 19 points.
“We work inside out,” said Greene, who added six rebounds. “When I’m open, I attack and if I get trapped, I know to pass it out to my guards.”
The guard play carried the Eagles as the game got more physical down the stretch. The combination of Shikira Perry, Janiya Reed and Prophet Sheffield smothered Lincoln, holding the Lions to just two first-quarter points.
“Our defense creates offense,” Tanner said. “We’re constantly changing looks and looking to get out and be aggressive.”
The trio was just as in control of the game on the offensive end as all three guards finished the game with multiple assists. With the quarterfinals in less than 24 hours, Tanner knows that the key to a long tournament run for her overlooked Eagles squad will be their depth.
“You can go to my bench and pull out another dog,” she said with a grin. “That’s what we love about this team.”
— Timothy Dashiell
Shaw women win in OT
Shaw guard Camila Barreno made an off-balance layup with 4.3 seconds left in overtime in what had been a tense, back-and-forth battle with Virginia Union.
The Panthers had one more chance to get the win but Ny Langley’s shot clanked off the rim as time expired and Shaw escaped with a 65-64 victory.
Shaw, seeded sixth in the South Division, will play second-seeded Claflin in the quarterfinals at noon Thursday and will need the extra day of rest after such a tense battle.
“We were locked in and coach trusted me with the ball in the end,” said Barreno, who hails from Ecuador. “I just went for it.”
Barreno and Raneem Elbarky finished with 15 points apiece. Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes finished with a double-double — 17 points and 14 rebounds — in 42 minutes.
“I’m just really excited for the next round,” Ross-Barnes said.
Taniah Johnson got the ball on the wing and fired a go-ahead 3-pointer that gave Virginia Union a 56-54 lead with 42 seconds left in regulation. However, Elisha Quinn made a 3-pointer and Ross-Barnes just beat the final buzzer with a layup that tied the game at 59 and forced overtime.
“We were down four and some people thought the game was over at that point,” Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said. “Quinn came in and hit a big 3 that gave us life all over again. They understand it’s the tournament. You lose, you go home.”
Nevaeh Reaves made a 3-pointer and Ny Langley made a pair of free throws that gave Virginia Union a 64-61 lead with 58 seconds left. However, that was the last time the Panthers would score, which opened the door for Shaw, which is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Lojain Elfatairy and Ross-Barnes each made a free throw that pulled Shaw to within one before Barreno made the game-winner in the closing seconds.
Virginia Union had four players in double figures — Nevaeh Reaves (17 points), Kiara Shepherd (13), Taniah Johnson (12) and Langley (11)
Shaw also beat Virginia Union, 63-59, on Jan. 6.
— Todd Karpovich, for The Baltimore Sun
Johnson C. Smith women prevail
Third-seeded Johnson C. Smith had a simple plan against Winston-Salem State: Get the ball inside to Ashlei Kirven and let her take advantage of the matchups.
The 6-foot-2 forward finished with 19 points, going 8-for-8 from the field, and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Golden Bulls pulled away from the Rams, 65-59, in the CIAA Tournament on Tuesday at CFG Bank Arena.
Johnson C. Smith (14-12) advanced to the quarterfinals against No. 2 Virginia State on Thursday.
“This was a tough one,” Golden Bulls coach Monterika Warren said. “I think our girls needed to have this first win to knock the rust off. We have a young team. I told them if they punch first and have the mentality of playing team defense, the possibilities are endless.”
Seventh-seeded Winston-Salem State (9-21) advanced with a 64-61 victory over Bowie State on Monday night. Amaya Tucker hit the game-winner against the Bulldogs and followed that performance with 11 points against Johnson C. Smith.
The Rams were sharp and energetic early in the first half despite playing two games in less than 24 hours. Johnson C. Smith dictated the tempo and appeared to wear down Winston-Salem, taking a 27-23 lead into the break.
“It was more so about managing the time and playing our brand of basketball,” Warren said. “It was so much about speeding them up because they played last night. It’s championship time. Everyone is ready to play.”
The Golden Bulls began to pull away in the third quarter and a 3-pointer by freshman Queen Ruffin provided a 46-36 lead with 57 seconds left. Ruddin finished with 14 points and two steals.
Johnson C. Smith was able to maintain the lead throughout the fourth quarter. Tucker made a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 60-53 with 2:21 left, but the Rams could not overcome the Golden Bulls, who made 5 of 7 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win.
“We came in with a good mindset so that helped us get the win,” Kirven said.
Jakaiya Mack led Winston-Salem with 12 points. The Rams shot 22 of 60 (36.7%) from the field.
Johnson C. Smith also edged the Rams, 69-65, on Feb. 13.
— Todd Karpovich, for The Baltimore Sun