Day 2 of the CIAA Basketball Tournament saw the debut of the number-one seeds, all of whom punched their ticket to the semifinal round.
This includes a Fayetteville State that fought tooth and nail against Bowie State in what could be considered the best game of the tournament so far.
Here is a full recap of everything that transpired in Day 2 of the CIAA Basketball Tournament.
Men
Johnson C. Smith 61, Elizabeth City State 60
Player of the Game: Johnson C. Smith G Anthony Williams
The day got started with a fascinating matchup between Johnson C. Smith and Elizabeth City State, ending with the Golden Bulls escaping with a 61-60 victory.
The first half served as a game of runs, the first coming from the Golden Bulls, building a 26-17 lead in a stretch fueled by an Anthony Williams and Jamauri Bryant scoring barrage.
Williams and Bryant combined to score 14 of the team’s 26 points during this run, including two three-pointers by the latter.
However, the Vikings began to make the necessary adjustments as the half came to a close, eventually taking the lead into the locker room on a three-pointer in the final seconds by Braylon Wheeler.
The second half was a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams jockeying for the lead for the entire stanza.
This featured seven lead changes, including three times in the final two minutes, taking the lead for good with an and-one layup by Jared Davis (missed the following free throw).
The Golden Bulls’ defense buckled down with the game on the line, holding the Vikings scoreless the rest of the way to secure the win.
Bluefield State 65, Winston-Salem State 56
Player of the Game: Bluefield State F Myles Pierre
In their first tournament contest under coach Luke D’Alessio, Bluefield State came out victorious, beating Winston-Salem State 65-56.
Since joining the CIAA in 2023, the Big Blue have won a tournament game, making it to at least the quarterfinals each year.
Winston-Salem State’s efficient three-point shooting in the first half, which hit 4-of-6 in the opening stanza, was not enough to offset Bluefield State’s efforts on the offensive glass.
They snagged 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, eight combined by Anthony Davenport and Anthony Latty, leading to 14 second-chance points.
The turning point in the game came when Davenport hit a three with 14:43 remaining to give the Big Blue an 8-6 lead.
From there, BSU went on a 13-1 run to give the team their biggest lead of the contest, eventually taking a 36-22 lead into the half.
A furious rally in the final minutes by the Rams, in which they trimmed a 16-point deficit down to seven with 1:55 left in the game, proved futile as the Big Blue clamped down defensively to cement the win.
Virginia State 76, Lincoln (PA) 60
Player of the Game: Virginia State G Jacob Cooper
The defending CIAA champion Virginia State Trojans got their road to a repeat going on a high note, taking down the Lincoln (PA) Lions 76-60.
This game served as a rematch from last year’s tournament, in which the Trojans also came out victorious to clinch a spot in the championship game.
The beginning of the first half was a seesaw affair, seeing 10 lead changes spanning the first 14 minutes of the half.
As Virginia State established a presence in the paint, particularly going to work on the boards, they began to create separation on the scoreboard.
The Trojans grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the first half, converting them to seven second-chance points, going into halftime with a then game-high eight-point lead.
They continued to methodically break down the Lions inside as the game went on, outscoring them 44-24 in the paint, keeping up the pressure as the lead grew bigger.
While Lincoln would ramp up its intensity in the second half, eventually taking over the lead on the boards, it was not enough to put a significant dent in the Trojans’ lead.
Fayetteville State 86, Bowie State 83
Player of the Game: Fayetteville State G Terrell Williams.
In what was the hottest contested game of the tournament thus far, the Fayetteville State Broncos cleared a spot in the semifinal round with an 86-83 win over Bowie State.
The first half was controlled by Bowie State, leading for the entire stanza, peaking with a 19-16 lead with 10:11 remaining.
While the three-point shot was not going as well as in their tournament opener, the Bulldogs demonstrated their offensive diversity, outworking the Broncos in the paint 18-8 and scoring 10 second-chance points on seven offensive rebounds.
Going into halftime trailing 41-32, Fayetteville State found a spark offensively from guard Terrell Williams, carving up the Bulldogs’ defense to get his team back in the game.
After a quiet first half in which he only connected on one of four shots, Williams woke up in a major way, hitting six of his first seven shots in the second half.
The Broncos’ efforts continued, leading to them pulling in front for the first time with 13:17 to go on a Larry Howell and-one layup plus the free throw.
A scoring burst by Williams, knocking in seven straight points in three consecutive possessions, helped the Broncos take their largest lead of the game with less than 10 minutes to go.
Bowie State showed no quit, staying within striking distance by forcing stops and hitting timely shots, even briefly retaking the lead.
However, it was not enough in the end as empty possessions throughout the second half proved too much to overcome.
Women
Winston-Salem State 71, Bluefield State 49
Player of the Game: Winston-Salem State G Makayla Waleed
Winston-Salem State got its tournament run started with a decisive 71-49 win over Bluefield State, becoming the first women’s team to advance to the semifinal round.
This will mark the first time the Lady Rams have reached the semifinals in the CIAA tournament since 2020.
After a troublesome first quarter that saw WSSU come away with a slim lead, the script was flipped in the second quarter with the Rams putting their foot on the gas defensively.
They forced five turnovers, leading to 10 points on the other end, putting pressure on the Bluefield State defense by establishing their presence in the paint.
Makayla Waleed provided an offensive spark for the Rams during this run, scoring 12 points in the second quarter, hitting 6-of-7 shots from the field.
This gave WSSU the momentum it needed to coast through the second half, outscoring the Big Blue 31-15 on its way to victory.
Bowie State 72, Livingstone 51
Player of the Game: Bowie State F Mayah Garner
Joining Winston-Salem State in the semifinals is the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs, getting their tournament run started with a fluid 72-51 clinic over Livingstone.
The Lady Bulldogs wasted no time putting points on the board, scoring their first basket off the tip, then getting a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass and converting to get four points in less than 20 seconds.
Once Livingstone got settled, engaging in a war in the trenches with BSU, eventually getting the best of them in the second quarter.
Once the Blue Bears began knocking down shots from the perimeter, that opened up lanes to the basket, which helped them build a seven-point lead in the second quarter.
However, Bowie State made the necessary adjustments, leading to a 15-0 run to go into the half with a 33-25 lead.
From there, it was easy sailing for the Bulldogs, taking a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter and keeping it for the remainder of the game.
