Meet the superfans at the CIAA Tournament, from ‘Mr. Basketball’ to ‘Miss Peggy’

Officials from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Baltimore anticipate a turnout for this week’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at CFG Bank Arena greater than last year’s announced attendance of about 66,000 who attended 22 games.

Among that group is an exclusive tier of fans who can’t get enough CIAA basketball — especially the teams they are loyal to — and have ardently followed their favorites to many games and tournaments either here in Baltimore or Charlotte.

Here is a glimpse at some of those “superfans” who attended Wednesday’s games.

Lincoln’s ‘Mr. Basketball’

Benjamin Arnold is such a fervent supporter of the Lions that he has earned the nickname “Mr. Basketball.” He was also known by another moniker.

“The Cookie Man,” quipped Michael Jones for his friend’s penchant for delivering boxes of homemade cookies to the men’s and women’s teams.

Arnold, a 68-year-old retired casino supervisor from Philadelphia; Jones, a 67-year-old retired marketing associate from the Eastern Shore; and William Hartwell, a 69-year-old retired teacher, coach and athletic director from East Hampton, New York, attend about 10 home games per season and made their second consecutive trip to Baltimore for the tournament. Their connection to Lincoln was forged in 1976 when they played for the men’s basketball team. Arnold was the point guard, Hartwell was a shooting guard and Jones was a power forward.

Their affinity for the Lions could be summed up by Jones’ experience, who transferred to Lincoln after two years at Salisbury.

“There’s nothing like an HBCU,” he said. “It’s like a big family. The love and friendship is like no other, and it’s remained the same.”

The three friends agreed that their moods can hinge on the results of Lions games.

“When the [Philadelphia] Eagles lost the Super Bowl, it was terrible,” said Arnold, who graduated in 1977 with a bachelor’s in business administration and wore a university-affiliated varsity jacket. “Lincoln is the same way.”

“It’s a great day when they win,” added Hartwell, who graduated in 1976 with a bachelor’s in health and physical education.

Jones already laid out his plans with his wife in advance.

“I was just telling her that my whole week is governed by what they do,” said the 1977 graduate with a bachelor’s in business administration. “If they win, I’ll be here all week.”

With the No. 6 seed Lions’ 82-50 romp over No. 11 seed Johnson C. Smith in a first-round game Wednesday morning, the three friends will remain in Baltimore for at least one more day.

Johnson C. Smith’s ‘Miss Peggy’

In her gold and blue track suit emblazoned with “Johnson C. Smith University” and “1867″ — the institution’s opening — and a shawl and socks to match, Peggy Lide, 66, is difficult to miss. And she sat in the stands’ front row, brought a school-branded hand-clapping device and stood and chanted “Dee-fense” with students decades younger than her.

A 1979 graduate of Johnson C. Smith with a bachelor’s in marketing and business administration, Lide was a cheerleader for the Bulls and met her future husband, Alphonso, when they were students there. The university was so influential to her that she and her husband successfully guided their daughter Aisha to enroll and graduate from Johnson C. Smith in 2007.

“I wouldn’t trade Johnson C. Smith University for anything in the world,” she said. “I bleed gold and blue.”

Lide, who lives in Charlotte, said she has attended almost every Lions home game. She joked that family and friends know basketball season has ended when she no longer dresses in gold and blue.

Lide pointed out that she and her husband continue to attend a fish fry at the home of her dorm director, who hosts the party at her home every homecoming in October.

“You meet people that become your family,” she said. “We take care of each other.”

Lide said she felt the players’ disappointment after Wednesday’s loss to Lincoln. “I never say, ‘They lost.’ I say, ‘We lost,’” she said. “I’m not out there playing, but I feel them.”

How long can Lide continue following and rooting on the Lions? “Until I shut my eyes,” she vowed.

Winston-Salem State’s ‘1892 Club’

Since 2016, a dedicated group of fans have organized tailgates for nearly every Rams football game. This season, that included select basketball home games.

Cory Williams, a 43-year-old attorney from Charlotte, is one of the club’s founders. He played defensive end for the Winston-Salem State football team from 1997 to 2000 before graduating with a bachelor’s in sports management.

Williams said he and club members have spared no expense to attend games. In November 2021, they traveled to Anchorage, Alaska, to watch the women play Alaska-Anchorage twice, and a year later, they flew to New York to watch the men tangle with Jefferson.

“If the Rams are going to play, we’re going to be there,” he promised.

Williams said except for 2010, when he recovered from lung surgery, he has attended every CIAA basketball tournament since 1997.

“I tell my family members, ‘Don’t get married during football season or the CIAA Tournament,’” he said, adding that his brother Ramar, sister Tiffany and several cousins attended Winston-Salem State.

Williams said the most memorable tournament was the one in 2020 when the men captured their 12th CIAA championship and first since 2012. “That was just a great day,” he said. “And it was the last one in North Carolina. So that was even more special.”

The No. 5 seed men’s 65-49 win against No. 12 seed Saint Augustine’s is a positive sign, but Williams was even more encouraged by the women, who earned the No. 3 seed and a bye until Thursday. “Our girls are going to win the championship for the first time in school history,” he said.