The CIAA tournament began with 12 teams in the women’s and men’s brackets respectively looking to etch their name in history by competing for the coveted conference championship
Now that the semifinal round has concluded, the conference finals are set.
Women
#5 Elizabeth City State Vikings 53, #8 Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls 52
The Elizabeth City State Vikings survived a second-half rally by Johnson C. Smith to win 53-52 to become the first team in the women’s bracket to clinch a berth in the CIAA title game.
Dy’Jhanik Armfield was the only player for the Vikings to score in double figures, with 20 points.
The Vikings got off to a hot start going on a 9-0 run to pace an 11-point halftime lead in a half where they never trailed.
Johnson C. Smith did their best to battle back in the fourth quarter but did not have enough to get over the hump.
Elizabeth City State will play for their first CIAA championship.
#6 Shaw Bears 59, #2 Lincoln (PA) Lions 45
Joining Elizabeth City State in the CIAA championship game is the Shaw Bears who upended the Lincoln (PA) Lions’ hopes for back-to-back title victories with a 59-45 win.
This will be the Bears’ first championship appearance since 2016 and they are looking for their first win since 2014.
Tanayja London was the star of the game for Shaw finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Women’s Championship Game
#5 Elizabeth City State Vikings vs #6 Shaw Bears
Men
#5 Winston-Salem State Rams 45, #1 Virginia Union Panthers 44
A last-second go-ahead shot by Samage Teel lifted the Winston-Salem State Rams over the top-seeded Virginia Union Panthers 45-44.
Teel led the Rams in scoring with 13 points and connected on and added seven rebounds.
Virginia Union was in control in the first half leading for the entirety of the period by as many as nine points.
The Rams responded by going on a 25-14 run to take a 43-41 lead with 3:38 remaining in the game. After Virginia Union took the lead back with two minutes left, both teams went the next minute without a score.
In the end, it was a pull-up jump shot by Teel with 10 seconds left that ended the scoring drought.
Winston-Salem State will be making its first CIAA championship game appearance since winning it all in 2020.
#6 Lincoln (PA) Lions 53, #2 Fayetteville State Broncos 49
While the Lincoln women were unable to punch their ticket to the CIAA championship game, the same could not be said about the men who clinched their berth with a 53-49 win over the Fayetteville State Broncos.
It was in the second half in which Lincoln shot an efficient 53% from the field compared to 33% by the Broncos that allowed them to power to a victory.
This will be Lincoln’s first-ever appearance in the CIAA championship game.
Men’s Championship Game
#5 Winston-Salem State Rams vs #6 Lincoln (PA) Lions
