CIAA basketball tournament roundup: Shaw, Elizabeth City men move on; Shaw, Virginia State, Johnson C. Smith, Elizabeth City women advance

The Shaw women’s basketball team didn’t waste any time Tuesday morning making its presence felt at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament.

The sixth-seeded Bears sprinted out to a 15-0 lead and didn’t look back en route to a 62-49 first-round win over No. 11 Claflin in the opening game of the 2023 CIAA Tournament at CFG Bank Arena. While several Shaw players starred on offense, it was their defense that led the Bears to victory.

“It was a great, great start for us,” Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said. “For us to be able to get those stops and have the ability to score — because we’ve been in situations like that where we can stop people but we didn’t score the ball — so today we put both of them together, which gave us a lot of leeway.

“The first half we played the best basketball we could play on both sides of the ball, offense and defense.”

Shaw (16-13) held Claflin (12-14) scoreless for the first 7:02 as the Bears built a double-digit lead they would never relinquish. The Panthers were the third-highest-scoring team in the CIAA this season at 66 points per game, including an 80-76 win over Shaw in December.

“[We] needed to generate some easy baskets some type of way,” Claflin coach Terrence Jenkins said. “They were going to stay in that 2-3 zone, and we didn’t come out and get easy baskets early. They were able to get those easy baskets early to get that confidence. We didn’t get that confidence early and we fell behind.”

Sophomore Tanayja London and senior Brittiney Seymour, who were both named All-CIAA forwards Monday night, scored 16 points apiece. Sophomore Inari Jones chipped in with 12 points, while senior Makenzie Pollard, a Western High graduate, led the way during the hot start by scoring six of her eight points in the first quarter.

“Coming here last year, we didn’t expect to lose first round, but we did,” said Pollard, a senior guard. “I just feel like us coming in here today and winning means a lot to play in front of friends and family. It’s exciting.”

Janell Horton paced Claflin with 14 points, while Nya Morris led all players with 14 rebounds.

After trailing 35-9 at halftime, the Panthers from Orangeburg, South Carolina, mounted a comeback attempt with a fierce full-court press, opening the third quarter on a 15-2 run to trail by just 12 points. But the Bears from Raleigh, North Carolina, responded by scoring seven straight points and entered the fourth up 17. Shaw senior Rita James made seven of her eight free throw attempts in the fourth to seal the victory.

Shaw will play No. 3 Winston-Salem State (15-9) in the quarterfinals Thursday at noon.

— Jacob Calvin Meyer

No. 6 Shaw 62, No. 11 Claflin 49

S — London 16, Seymour 16, Jones 12, James 9, Pollard 8, Hairston 1.

C — Horton 14, Morris 8, Kelson 7, Sample 6, Shelton 5, Coleman 4, Heidt 3, Scott 2.

Halftime: 35-9, S.

Shaniya Jones leads Johnson C. Smith women to 72-54 win over Virginia Union

Shaniya Jones led the CIAA in scoring this season, and it looked like it Tuesday afternoon.

The Johnson C. Smith star scored 17 points to help lead the eighth-seeded Golden Bulls to a 72-54 win over No. 9 seed Virginia Union in the first round of the CIAA Tournament.

“She is the backbone of our team,” Johnson C. Smith interim coach Dante Travis said. “She’s the leading scorer in this league for a reason.”

Jones, a former Division I player at Virginia Tech and Georgia, opened the game with seven points in the first quarter but slowed down in the second as neither team could find its groove on offense. The redshirt senior guard then scored 10 points in the third as the Golden Bulls began to pull away.

Jones, voted as an All-CIAA guard Monday night, averaged 16.4 points per game during the regular season and led the conference in 3-pointers made.

“Shaniya is an amazing player. She’s a three-level scorer,” Virginia Union coach Tierra Terry said. “She was going to do whatever it took for her team to win. She is so crafty, she can score in different ways, she can shoot the 3. She’s an exceptional athlete.”

Up 25-23 at halftime, Johnson C. Smith (12-15) opened the third quarter on a 19-6 run. After shooting worse than 30% from the field in the first half, the Golden Bulls went 13-for-20 (65%) in the third quarter to lead by 14 going into the fourth.

“Our adjustment was just to box out and continue to play how we play,” Travis said about the fast start to the third quarter. “[In the first half], we didn’t really get out and run like we like to — we’re a very up-tempo team — but we were able to show that early in the third quarter.”

Virginia Union (13-16) mounted a comeback attempt to open the final quarter, cutting its deficit to five points, but the Golden Bulls from Charlotte, North Carolina, stayed ahead thanks to sharp shooting from the free throw line.

Johnson C. Smith freshman point guard Najah Lane scored seven points in the fourth and led all players with 19 points. Forwards Tori Reid, India Howard and La’Zarea Bowens, the last two of whom were All-CIAA selections, combined to grab 33 rebounds and score 15 points for the Golden Bulls.

“When I come to the game and think about it, my mindset is just playing with my team,” Jones said. “It’s fine if anybody keys in on me, because I know I have other teammates who can score the ball.”

Junior Ny Langley, the second-leading scorer in the conference and an All-CIAA forward, led the Panthers from Richmond, Virginia, with 16 points on 8-for-24 shooting.

Johnson C. Smith will play No. 1 Fayetteville State (18-6) in the quarterfinals Thursday at 2:20 p.m.

— Jacob Calvin Meyer

No. 8 Johnson C. Smith 72, No. 9 Virginia Union 54

JCS — Lane 19, Jones 17, Bagley 8, Bowens 8, Bell 7, Reid 7, Daley-Ellis 6.

VU — Langley 16, Blackwell 9, Martinez 8, Rene 6, Johnson 6, Alston 4, Martin 3, Bevins 2.

Halftime: 25-23, JCS.

Elizabeth City women hold off Saint Augustine’s, 59-55, behind NyAsia Blango

NyAsia Blango converted a layup with just under a minute left and then converted a pair of free throws to give fifth-seeded Elizabeth City a 59-55 victory over No. 12 seed Saint Augustine’s in the first round of the CIAA Tournament.

The Vikings play fourth-seeded Bowie State, which earned a first-round bye, in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Blango scored 21 points and was named MVP of the game.

“Going into the game, I was just thinking about what I have to do to help my team get a win,” Blango said. “Be aggressive from the jump, make sure we were shooting while open and making good decisions.”

Saint Augustine’s forward Taniyah Greene, a Riverdale Baptist graduate who led the league with a 48.1% field goal percentage and averaged 15.2 points, finished with 14 points. Falcons guard Lauren Banks, who also prepped at Riverdale Baptist and made the All-Conference team, finished with 17 points and two steals.

A layup by Isa Banks capped a 17-2 run that gave Elizabeth City its biggest lead, 47-35, with a minute remaining in the third quarter.

However, Saint Augustine’s (8-18) stormed back in the final quarter and a layup by Raquel Cassidy tied the game at 51 with 2:06 remaining. The teams traded baskets before Blango made a shot under the basket that gave Elizabeth City (18-10) a 55-54 lead with just under a minute left.

Blango then secured the win with a pair of free throws with 7.6 seconds remaining.

“We’re grateful to get out of here with a win,” Elizabeth City coach Tynesha Lewis said. “We knew that it was going to be tough. In the CIAA Tournament, everybody can play, everybody plays hard and as long as both teams do that, I know it’s going to be a battle.”

Banks scored seven points and the Falcons led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. At that point, Elizabeth City shot just 4 of 13 from the field, including 1 of 6 from beyond the arc, and had eight turnovers.

Elizabeth City regained the lead, 20-19, on a pair of 3-pointers by Blango and another by Akyia King with 7:06 left in the half. However, Saint Augustine’s answered with five straight points by Taniyah Greene and the Falcons led, 30-27, at the break.

“This whole season, we found ourselves at times in holes and they haven’t stopped,” Saint Augustine’s coach Ebony Tanner said.

— Todd Karpovich, For The Baltimore Sun

No. 5 Elizabeth City 59, No. 12 Saint Augustine’s 55

ECSU — Blango 21, Nowlin 9, Banks 7, King 6, Armfield 6, Adams 5, Pitts 5.

SA — Banks 17, Greene 14, Brown 10, Cassidy 4, Kasey 2, Faison 2, Evans 2.

Halftime: 30-27, SA.

Raija Todd helps Virginia State women get past Livingstone, 66-63

Virginia State’s Raija Todd scored 21 points over 40 minutes and was named MVP in a 66-63 victory over Livingstone in the first round of the CIAA Tournament.

The No. 7 seed Trojans play No. 2 seed Lincoln, who earned a first-round bye, in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“We’ve been dealing with adversity all year and we get punched in the face again,” Virginia State coach Nadine Domond said. “Do you know what they do? They show up. Whatever hand you’re dealt with, you play to win.”

Virginia State guard Sommer Blakemore, who was named All-Conference on Monday, scored 13 points and added seven assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Livingstone (11-18) trailed by 16 in the first half but fought its way back into the game.

A technical foul on Virginia State’s J’Auana Robinson helped the Blue Bears pull ahead midway through the third quarter. A pair of free throws by Dre Alexander gave Livingstone its biggest lead 43-35 with 3:33 remaining.

“We’ve always been underdogs, we’re used to that,” said Alexander, who finished with 13 points and four steals. “We always have to come back and show people we’re not the underdogs. That’s something we do on a daily basis, for real.”

Virginia State (12-15) regained its composure, played better defensively and took back control in the final quarter.

A pair of free throws by Blakemore capped a 10-0 run and the Trojans led 61-55 with 1:14 remaining. Livingstone would not go quietly and a layup by Thaila Carter cut the margin to 64-63 with six seconds left.

However, Todd made a pair of free throws in the final seconds to put the game away.

“I was nervous because I was 10 of 15 from the line all game,” Todd said. “I found a way and made the free throws.”

Todd had seven points, Kamani Jones scored five and Virginia State raced out to a 20-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. Livingstone was just 4 of 17 from the field and had nine turnovers, which led to 10 points.

The Blue Bears chipped away and a 3-pointer by Andresia Alexander cut the lead to single-digits, 27-20, with 5:03 left in the half, forcing Virginia State to call a timeout.

A pair of layups by Griffith tied the game at 31 with 30 seconds remaining.

Jamiah Lane finished with 18 points for Livingstone.

— Todd Karpovich, For The Baltimore Sun

No. 7 Virginia State 66, No. 10 Livingstone 63

VSU — Todd 19, Blakemore 13, Ervin 10, Jones 7, Walker 6, Robinson 4, Webb 4, Moody 3.

LU — Lane 18, Alexander 13, Griffith 8, Briggs 7, Alexander 4, Ferrell 4, Carter 3.

Halftime: 31-31

Shaw men hold off Bowie State, 63-53

Jamari Roberts wasn’t ready to go home just yet.

After falling behind 2-0, Shaw led the entire game and held off a late rally by Bowie State (8-21) to defeat the Bulldogs, 63-53, in the opening round of the CIAA Tournament.

Roberts used his inside presence dominate in the paint and lead the Bears (16-13) with 13 points, while Caleb Johnson paced the No. 10 seed Bulldogs with 11 points.

“They have a good understanding of how we play,” Shaw coach Bobby Collins said of Bowie State. “We split with them during the regular season. Fortunately tonight, Jamari Roberts made some plays for us and we made the most of our opportunities down the stretch.”

The seventh-seeded Bears will face second-seeded Fayetteville State in Wednesday’s 8:50 p.m. quarterfinal. Fayetteville State is the tournament’s defending champion.

The Bears took the game over early, using four points from Roberts to go on a 10-0 run over a 10:15 span early in the first half to take a 12-2 lead with 8:20 left in the half.

Meanwhile, Bowie State was its own worst enemy. When Shaw’s tight man-to-man defense wasn’t foiling the Bulldogs, they were self-destructing offensively.

Bowie State didn’t score for 11:54 early in the first quarter, turning a 2-0 lead into a 12-4 deficit with 7:05 left in the half. The Bulldogs shot only 19.4% from the field for the half, though they started to rally a little to cut the halftime margin to 23-12.

Bowie State began to assert itself more on the offensive end in the second half. The Bulldogs gradually chipped away at the lead, and three times cut the margin to six points in the final six minutes. The Bears, however, outscored Bowie State 21-19 down the stretch to take the victory.

“We talk about executing from Day 1,” Collins said. “We talk about how there’s not a lot of fastbreak points in February and March, and we wanted to execute from the inside out. We just had to stay focused for 40 minutes.”

— Mike Frainie, For The Baltimore Sun

No. 7 Shaw 63, No. 10 Bowie State 53

SU — Roberts 13, Barnes 12, Pope 11, Robinson 8, Waddell 7, Baldwin 6, Siago 4, Scott 2.

BSU — Johnson 11, Carpenter 9, Drayton 8, Mouganda 8, Bradshaw 7, Wimbush 6, Rantin 2, Webb 2.

Halftime: 23-12, SU.

Elizabeth City men pull away from Livingstone

Elizabeth City State was primed for a battle. They got one from Livingstone College.

In a game of runs, the Vikings (13-15) used an opportunistic offense and some timely defense to defeat Livingstone College (11-15) in the first round.

Tre Richardson led the Vikings with 15 points, while Jaquantae Harris contributed 14. Detionne Leach led all scorers with 26 for Livingstone.

The Vikings will take on top-seeded Virginia Union on Wednesday at 6:40 in the quarterfinals.

“That’s basketball,” said Elizabeth City coach Andre Gray. “Basketball is a game of runs. We have a real young team, and we’re still learning how to close out and finish games together. Today was a good example of how to do that.”

After the teams were tied at 9 with 13:49 left, the Vikings used their height and size advantage to go on a 12-2 run in the next 2:25.

Livingstone began to work the ball inside and eventually cut the first-half lead to 33-31 with 2:39 left. The only scoring the rest of the half was a 3-pointer by Elizabeth City State’s Tre Richardson to give the Vikings a five-point lead at the break.

The early part of the second half was Livingstone’s time to make a run. After the Blue Bears called timeout trailing 42-33 with 17:55 left, Livingstone went on a 16-7 run to tie the game at 49 with 12:54 left. Livingstone wasn’t done there, though, as Leach and Paul Tako sparked it to a 53-49 lead.

With the game tied at 64 with 3:26 left, it was the Vikings who took advantage of their opportunities. Deandre Wilkins gave Elizabeth City a 66-64 lead with a layup with 2:52 left. The Vikings outscored Livingstone, 8-5, the rest of the way.

Gray knows the Vikings will have their hands full with the top-seeded Panthers in the quarterfinals.

“We talk about being the hammer or being the nail,” said Gray. “The last time we played them, we were definitely the nail. They took us to the woodshed. I know it. We have to make sure we return that when we play them [Wednesday].”

No. 9 Elizabeth City 74, No. 8 Livingstone 69

ECSU — Richardson 15, Harris 14, Faye 13, Butler 10, Gubson 8, Wilkins 8, Flournoy 3, Wright 2, Tarver 1.

LU — Leach 26, Temple 18, Allen 9, Lassiter 5, O. Broadnax 3, A. Broadnax 2, Edwards 2, McCrae 2, Tako 2.