Here are the results from every game on day one of the 2025 CIAA Basketball Tournament.
Women
Bluefield State 74, Johnson C. Smith 59
MVP of the Game: Bluefield State G Jasmine Jenkins
The day began with the Bluefield State advancing to the next round with a 74-59 opening-round win over Johnson C. Smith.
Azariah Binford led the charge for the Big Blue, scoring a game-high 24 points, connecting on four three-pointers, and snatching five steals. Jasmine Jenkins chipped in with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds along with three steals.
Ashlei Kirven paced Johnson C. Smith, recording 19 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks.
Bluefield State started the game strong on the defensive end, converting Johnson C. Smith’s nine turnovers in the opening quarter into 17 points.
After briefly surrendering the lead in the first quarter, the Big Blue ended the period on a 16-3 run. They took a double-digit lead into the second quarter and would not surrender it for the remainder of the game.
Claflin 50, Elizabeth City State 39
MVP of the Game: Claflin G Nya Morris
Elizabeth City State’s three-year streak of CIAA championship game appearances ended following a 50-39 opening-round loss to Claflin.
CIAA Player of the Year winner Nya Morris set the tone for her team, scoring a game-high 16 points (the only double-digit scorer in this game) and five steals.
Claflin led this contest from start to finish, beginning by scoring seven unanswered points in the first five minutes of the opening quarter.
In the final 12:36 of the first half, the Panthers outscored the Vikings 21-11 (peaking with a 17-point advantage) to take a 16-point lead at halftime.
Lincoln (PA) 54, Shaw 49
MVP of the Game: Lincoln (PA) G Anyssa Fields
The Lincoln (PA) Lions outlasted the Shaw Bears in the opening round, coming away with a 54-49 win.
Anyssa Fields was the Lions’ top scorer, delivering 18 points and nine rebounds. Riley Holliday came off the bench to contribute 14 points on 70% shooting.
Shaw Kaylee Milburn matched Fields’ 18 points while adding 11 rebounds. D’Ayzha Akinson posted 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
This game got off to a slow start offensively with both teams combining to shoot 20% from the field in the first quarter.
After Shaw tied the game 8-8 in the second quarter, The Lions began to create separation by going on a 13-2 run to take a 21-10 lead with 3:10 remaining in the first half.
Though the Bears responded with a 10-2 run to end the half and fought valiantly down the stretch, they could not regain the lead in the second half.
Bowie State 64, Winston-Salem State 54
MVP of the Game: Bowie State G Destiny Ryles
Bowie State ended the day for the women, fighting through adversity to escape with a 64-54 win over Winston-Salem State.
Destiny Ryles shouldered the offensive load for the Bulldogs, knocking in 37 points, including 17-of-19 shooting from the free throw line. She also recorded six steals.
Christiana McLean led the Rams with 23 points on 56% shooting from the field and seven rebounds.
Winston-Salem State started the game hot, hitting four of its first six shots, and scoring 12 unanswered points in the first three minutes.
After falling behind 23-3, Bowie State began ramping up its defensive pressure, leading to a 23-8 run to end the first half trailing by just five points.
Though the Rams hit timely shots to maintain the lead throughout the quarter, the Bulldogs’ aggressive offense and overwhelming defense were too much.
They took their first lead with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter and kept the momentum going in the fourth quarter on the way to their eventual win.
Men
Bowie State 68, Livingstone 64
MVP of the Game: Bowie State G Elijah Davis
The Bowie State Bulldogs kicked the tournament off in the men’s bracket, sending Livingstone packing with a 68-64 win.
Elijah Davis led all scorers with 27 points on 61% shooting from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from the three-point line.
In contrast to the women, the Bulldogs were the ones who punched first in this one, building a 10-point lead in the game’s first 10 minutes.
The onslaught continued for the Bulldogs, leading by as many as 18 points, powered by Davis who hit all seven of his shots in the first half (scored 18 points).
After ending the first half on a 7-0 run, the Blue Bears carried that momentum into the second half, going on a 15-4 run to tie the game with 10:37 left.
Five minutes later, Livingstone took its first lead since the opening minutes of the contest, connecting on a pair of free throws to go up 51-50.
Things began to go south for the Blue Bears as the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run over the next two minutes, punctuated by scoring on consecutive Livingstone turnovers.
Trailing 66-59 with 1:14 remaining, the game turned in Livingstone’s favor after drawing a foul call and a technical foul call on Bowie State.
They hit the ensuing free throws and then scored on a Bulldogs turnover to trim Bowie’s lead to two points. However, it was not enough as Bowie closed the game out at the free-throw line.
Virginia Union 71, Shaw 45
MVP of the Game: Virginia Union C Keysean Faulkner-Smith
Virginia Union ended an exciting day of tournament action, coasting to the next round with a 63-36 win against Shaw.
Keysean Faulkner-Smith led the Panthers scoring a game-high 19 points on 80% shooting from the field and swatting away seven shots. Bobby Gardner scored 15 points while grabbing six steals and dishing five assists.
Virginia Union took control of this game from the opening tip, outscoring the Bears 15-1 through the first seven minutes.
This included forcing six turnovers during that stretch that translated to 11 points. By the time Shaw scored their first points from the field, they were already trailing 17-6.
That was the beginning of the end for the Bears as the 11-point deficit was the closest the game would be the rest of the way.
