Here are the five biggest stories from HBCU Division II and NAIA basketball this past week.
1. Bluefield State ends Lincoln (Pa.)’s win streak
The biggest story of the week came from the CIAA as the Bluefield State men handed the defending conference champion Lincoln (Pa.) its first conference loss of the season.
Powered by a second half in which they shot over 55% from the field, the Big Blue kept the Lions at bay on their way to a 78-65 win.
Lincoln suffers its first conference loss since losing its season-finale last year against Bowie State, dropping to 10-1 against the CIAA this season.
Their loss also keeps Virginia State, currently 8-2 against the CIAA, in contention for the CIAA North title ahead of their matchup this Saturday.
Meanwhile, the win improved Bluefield State’s record to 4-1 at home against conference opponents (8-2 at home overall).
2. Langston women have a dominant week
The Langston Lady Lions have been the hottest team in HBCU basketball, winning their two contests this past week to extend their win streak to 17 games.
Their week started on Tuesday in a makeup game against Central Christian, cruising to an 85-33 win, including a second quarter in which they outscored them 27-2.
Then, on Thursday, the Lady Lions continued their dominant play with an 80-49 win over Oklahoma City.
After improving its overall record to 21-1, Langston is one of 11 NAIA women’s basketball teams with at least 20 wins and has the fifth-longest active win streak.
3. Miles men are the Class of the SIAC
While there is a power struggle going on in the men’s SIAC East division, the same can not be said about the SIAC West, being controlled by the Miles Golden Bears.
Seeking their second conference tournament championship in three seasons, Miles is peaking at the right time, currently riding a seven-game win streak.
This includes a pair of wins last week over Spring Hill and Lane, the former of which went to overtime.
The Golden Bears jumped to 13-1 against the SIAC while maintaining a perfect 6-0 record against SIAC West division opponents.
4. Livingstone women are on a hot streak
The Livingstone Blue Bears have recovered from what was a slow start to their conference schedule, putting themselves in position to snatch the CIAA South crown.
Beginning conference play with a 2-5 record, Livingstone has now won four straight, including wins last week against reigning conference champion Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State.
Their win over Fayetteville State, the current leader in the CIAA South division, proved crucial because it put both teams in a tie with 4-1 division records and 1.5 games between them in conference records.
With five games remaining in their regular season, including a second matchup against Fayetteville State, the Blue Bears have a chance to finish with a winning conference record for the first time since 2016-2017.
5. Women’s CIAA North is up for grabs
Like the CIAA South, the women’s CIAA Northern division is filled with excitement, with three teams in position to claim the crown.
With Bowie State’s 69-61 win over Virginia State on January 29, both teams are tied at the top of the division with 9-2 conference records.
Virginia Union is not far behind, currently sitting at 8-3 against the CIAA, including a previous win over Bowie State.
As the regular season comes to a close, all three of these teams will face each other in respective matchups that will determine a division champion.
