2 seed Fayetteville State the breathing room it needed to hold off No. Bluefield State will be added as the conference's 13th full member, effective July 1, 2023. Shaw womens basketball prides itself on tough, hard-nosed defense. Guiding Virginia Unionto a Northern Division title (second consecutive)and the top seed in the tournament, the senior from Richmond, VA shot 54 percent from the field, second among qualified players in the conference. (Kevin Richardson). For Johnson C. Smith, the loss marks the end of an improbable tournament run. (Kevin Richardson / Baltimore Sun). It got even larger in the fourth quarter, when the pressure started to wear on Lincoln. The Golden Bulls went 11-15 in the regular season and 6-10 against CIAA foes, but the talented squad beat No. In 2020, the conference celebrates the special 75th anniversary of its Championship Basketball Tournament - an event that has become a must-see in the African American community. But once I seen that the defense had shaded on Parker, I just went ahead and went to what I know best, which is my one-dribble pull-up to the left., Winston-Salem's Samage Teel, (0), celebrates with teammates making the winning shot against Virginia Union in the CIAA Tournament semifinals on Friday at CFG Bank Arena. Blue led the CIAA in scoring during the regular season with 18.9 points while ranking fourth in the conference at 7.4 rebounds per game and ninth with 2.7 assists per contest. The tournament's second year in Baltimore received rave reviews from players, coaches, and even the league commissioner. WS Teel 13, Alston 9, Springs 8, Wilkins 4, Shaw 4, Parker 3, Parson 3, Fennell 1. How does this relate to Elizabeth City State winning the championship? Last year, ECSU found itself the CIAA championship game but walked away without the trophy, falling to Lincoln University. The CIAA has handed out its awards for Player of The Year, Defensive Player of the Year and more as it heads to Baltimore. The score was tied 49-49 with under four minutes left, but the Broncos finished with a 9-4 run. The Fayetteville State men's basketball program has been steadily ticking off its list of goals since the arrival of coach Luke D'Alessio in 2019. We didnt come back to get second, coach Tynesha Lewis said. The Lions would answer in the second quarter, however, as a three-pointer from Kayiona Willis gave the Lions a 23-19 lead with 3:54 left in the second quarter. Last season, as a No. The last time the Broncos were the top team entering the tournament was in2019-20 when they won the conference championship. Coach of the year honors was awarded to Virginia Unions Head Mens Basketball Coach Jay Butler and Lincoln (PA)s Head Womens Basketball Coach Janice Washington. Posted on February 27, 2023. A preseason all-forward selection, Blue has been pivotal in Lincoln's success this season as the Lions navigated a couple of key injuries and started three freshmen for most of the season. Each teamwill receive a bye in the opening round as a result of being a top-four seed. About the CIAA Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA ) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The Bulldogs, Golden Bulls, and Falcons are all tied at 5-11 in conference play, however, Johnson C. Smith owns the tiebreaker over St. Augustines due to head-to-head point differential and Bowie State holds the edge over the Golden Bulls, thanks to a head-to-head win on December 17. Both teams finished with the same conference record (10-6) but the Trojans held the tiebreaker by virtue of a 74-68 win over the Panthers on December 19. 12 seed Saint Augustine's 65-49 in the men's basketball first round of the CIAA Tournament at CFG Bank Arena on Wednesday. While seeing a final score for an NCAA Division II mens basketball game in the 40s is atypical, the slugfest wasnt as surprising considering Virginia Union (23-7) and Winston-Salem State (20-8) both sport two of the top three scoring defenses in the CIAA. The six-foot-five forward led the Panthers in assists per game (3.3; fourth in the conference) and steals per game (1.4). The Vikings from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, entered the tournament with one of the leagues best defenses and most balanced offenses, with no player averaging more than 11 points per game. By Domonique Whitehurst. 5 seed Elizabeth City State looms large as Bowie State finished a game ahead of the Vikings in the standings. Guiding Virginia Unionto a Northern Division title (second consecutive)and the top seed in the tournament, the senior from Richmond, VA shot 54 percent from the field, second among qualified players in the conference. 2 Fayetteville State 49. Armstrong said the Lions learned from their mistakes earlier in the year against Fayetteville State. The Elizabeth City State women's basketball team made history by winning their first CIAA . The Lions held a 36-25 lead at halftime before grooming a 46-25 charge in the second half en route to the 32-point victory. Dy'Jhanik Armfield was the only player for the Vikings to score in double figures, with 20 points. The other womens contests on Tuesday include Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union at 12:10 p.m., Elizabeth City State and St. Augustines at 2:20 p.m., and Virginia State and Livingstone at 4:30 p.m. Fayetteville State will await the winner of Johnson C. Smith versus Virginia Union in Wednesdays quarterfinals for a 2:20 p.m. tip-off time. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. From there she played six seasons in the WNBA: Houston Comets (2001 -2003), Charlotte Stings (2003-2005), and Minnesota Lynx (2005-2006.) Butler and the Panthers are the top seed entering the CIAA Tournament after finishing the regular season having won 11 of the last 13 games. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The game featured some strong play by both teams. The graduate student from Winston-Salem State shot 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from three, finishing fourth in the league with 45 made threes. The rest of the list includes Cannedy, Faye, Lincoln (PA)s Korey Williams, Bowie States Quinton Drayton, Jaylon Gibson from Winston-Salem State, and Livingstones Khyree Temple. 9 Virginia Union Universitysits ahead of No. WXII12.com Web Staff. Her lengthy list of accolades includes eight CIAA Championship Championships (five in tennis and three in volleyball) and seven CIAA Coach of the Year honors (four-time Volleyball Coach of the Year and three-time CIAA Tennis Coach of the Year). This is Lowerys first CIAA Coach of the Year recognition, who is in his second season with the Lions and first-time coaching in the league after the 2020-21 was cancelled. (In total, Washington lost 10 players from last season's conference championship team, which was also Coach Washington's first season as head coach of the Lions) The Lions finished this regular season with a 12-4 mark in conference play and an 18-8 overall record. Additionally, Osbornes13 double-doubles on the season are tied for third in Division II.Faye is the CIAA Mens Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the regular season ranked second in Division II in blocks per game (3.4). Here is how it happened, Elizabeth City State makes magic run to title game after thrilling CIAA semis win, Deion Sanders suggests Colorado marching band incorporate a bit of HBCU flavor, Shedeur Sanders was named best HBCU football player for 2022. LU Field 11, Montgomery 10, Pollock 9, Atkinson 9, Walker 4, Brown 2. With 1:37 left, the Broncos managed to cut the lead to 50-47, but Foster, Ridges, and Coleman all missed 3s down the stretch. 2 Lincoln, in the championship Saturday at 4 p.m. No. Published on: February 25, 2023 6:00 AM EST. Worthy, Osborne, Hunter-Whitfield, and Fitzgerald were all-conference selections last season and Temple was on the All-Rookie team in 2021-22. I thought throughout the city, you could see that the CIAA Tournament was here.. The most recent CIAA Basketball Tournament was not only successful for conference champions Elizabeth City State and Winston-Salem State but for the host city, too. 5 seed, followed by No. I think we did that.. The Kings Mountain, NC native shot 43.5 percent from the field, 38 percent from deep, and 79 percent from the charity stripe all top-five shooting splits in the CIAA. His 7.4 rebounds per game rank third in the CIAA and thesophomore from Dakar, Senegal also averaged 7.1 points per gamefor the Vikings. Each bracket is seeded 1 through 12 based on conference winning percentage. Osborne had a very good game, but in those key moments, I thought Alston was able to funnel him into positions that he didnt want to get to. Hill's CIAA journey began as a student-athlete at St. Augustine's College (now-University), where she was an outstanding track & field athlete. The Rams (21-8) captured their 13th CIAA title and second in the past three years under head coach Cleo Hill Jr. Hill follows the strong foundation laid by the late, legendary Clarence "Big House" Gaines, who led the program to an NCAA Division II championship. The four finalists for the 2022 Naismith Trophy Women's Defensive Player of the Year have been announced. This year, the all-rookie team features Winston-Salem State's Jakaiya Mack, Virginia Union's Zoila Martinez, Shaw's Tanashia Hairston, and Lincoln (PA)'s D'Ayzha Atkinson joining Howard on the list. The six-foot-eleven sophomorerecorded at least five blocks insix games.Fields is the CIAA Womens Defensive Player of the Year after lifting Lincoln (PA) to a Northern Division title and the No. Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Office (704) 910-2133 | Fax (704) 910-2855, 2023CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament. Make Yahoo Your Homepage Discover something new every day from News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and more! 2 seed in the conference tournament. In total, Hill coached 76 All-CIAA selections and five CIAA Player of the Years. Robert Osborne and Keleaf Tate each pumped in 26 points as top seed Virginia Union pulled away in the second half to beat No. We spoke it into existence, they walked it and here we are, said Lewis to the media. The freshman from Coppell, TX also averaged 9.1 points while shooting 45 percent from the field. The Lions finished second, one game behind Virginia Union. Were celebrating everything thats great about our HBCU schools.. 5 seed Winston-Salem States 45-44 win over No. Hilliard, a Seventy-First High product, was the CIAA Rookie of the Year during the 2005-06 men's basketball season for the Vikings. 2 seed in the conference tournament. Figures for this years tournament have yet to be released. The top four seeds will each have a bye in the opening round. Founded in 1912, theCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)isthefirst,and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA men's tournament in Baltimore opens Tuesday. 8 Johnson C. Smith University. Now in her third season with Elizabeth City State, Coach Lewis is confident that she has a team willing to do what it takes to be successful both on and off the court. Winston-Salem State coach Cleo Hill Jr., who led the Rams to its second conference title since 2020, was pleased with the environment in and around Baltimore. 6 seed Lincoln (PA) topped the No. All 32 NFL teams scouted the HBCU Combine. Last June, Baltimore officials and the CIAA agreed to maintain the basketball tournament in the city through the 2025 season. Updated: 11:00 AM EST March 1, 2023. Winston-Salem State wins CIAA Tournament championship, The CIAA Tournament finals are set. Eric Butler scored 21 points and Jaquantae Harris added 19 points for the Vikings, who trailed 31-29 at the half. This is a first step in fulfilling a legacy that will make Lincoln University proud.". Virginia Union led 39-32 midway through the second half, but the Rams came back to tie the game at 41 and take their first lead of the game with 3:36 remaining. 2021 CIAA Player of The Year, All-Conference Awards The CIAA has released its 2021 postseason awards, including Offensive And Defensive Players of the Year, as well as it's all-conference team. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Offensively, Elmore was also one of the top scorers in the conference at 12.9points per game. The improvements they made, they were visible. The Pittsburgh Steelers GM showed up, too. 3 seed, followed by No. They say that the CIAA Tournament does not officially start until there is an upset and the No. Bryant, Jones, and Tucker were all-conference selections in 2021-22 while Bowens was an all-conference performer in 2018-19. CIAA Details Title IX Initiatives for the 2023 CIAA Basketball Tournament, including Friday's Title IX Day, CIAA Honors Five Current HBCU Administrators as Title IX Trailblazers, CIAA Recognizes Five More as Title IX Trailblazers Ahead of the 2023 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championship, CIAA Honors Five Pioneers as Title IX Trailblazers, Official Site of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. He scored at least 25points in eight games this year and he has three of the six 30-point performances that came in conference play. We had played them earlier in the year, and we had a 30-point lead at our place, and we lost it at the buzzer, he said. Off the left-hand dribble, its 90% going [in]., The game winner @WSSU_Athletics x #CIAATourney pic.twitter.com/N7Rd1p5qnP. Well, before heading to the CIAA tournament Lewis instructed the staff to leave the back of the lockers blank, because she wanted to wrap the lockers with championship pictures from a tournament they had yet to play. I think that was a big difference in the game for us, Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said. Howard was named the CIAA Women's Rookie of the Year after leading the conference with 10.6 rebounds per game. Its everything that as a leader with a passion for this conference you could have hoped for, that people feel loved and connected, that we see them and they see us, that they hear us and we hear them. In the quarterfinals, the winner of Livingstone/Elizabeth City State advances to face Virginia Union Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. and Fayetteville State awaits the winner of Bowie State and Shaw for an 8:50 p.m. Wednesday tipoff time. Both freshmen play for Johnson C. Smith. Tate shot 9-of-14 from the field with six boards, five assists, and four steals to earn Food Lion Game MVP honors. 3 seed Virginia State. She becomes the fifth LU student-athlete - third this season - to earn Player of the Year honors from the conference. The Women's and Men's CIAA Players of the Year were Amaya Tucker (Winston-Salem State)and Robert Osborne (Virginia Union), respectively. Panthers guard Jordan Peebles is the only current player who was on Virginia Union's 2018 CIAA championship team. Shaw (Tanayja London & Brittiney Seymour) and Lincoln (PA) (Kania Pollock & Fields)each placed two players on the listing. ECS Armfield 20, Hashim 9, Banks 5, Nowlin 5, Kinney 4, Pitts 4, Blango 2, King 2, Adams 2. Teel making a decision whether to drive, pull up or pass to Jaylin Parker was the third. 1 Virginia Union on Friday in the CIAA Tournament semifinals. LU Garita 11, Hudson 11, Williams 10, Cleveland 8, Sorber 7, Young 4, Coates-Sinues 2. Fields is fourth in the league in rebounding (7.9 per game), seventh in scoring (14.7 per game), and third (among qualified players) with a field goal percentage of .423.Howard was named the CIAA Womens Rookie of the Year after leading the conference with 10.6 rebounds per game. The Apex, NC native also averagedat 4.1 rebounds per game. Tucker, Aniylah Bryant from Fayetteville State, Virginia States Sommer Blakemore, Virginia Unions Ny Langley, and Lauren Banks from St. Augustines make up the rest of the all-conference team. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The opening round continues on Wednesday with Lincoln (PA) and Johnson C. Smith playing at 10 a.m. and Winston-Salem State and St. Augustines playing at 12:30 p.m. Learn how your comment data is processed. 2/21/2022 6:00:00 PM. The second half was all Shaw. Virginia Union is seeking to avenge last seasons loss in the conference championship game.Washington was named the CIAA Womens Basketball Coach of the Year after guiding Lincoln (PA) to a second-straight Northern Division title and the No. The second-seeded Lincoln (PA)Lions (19-8) heated up when it counted to take a 78-57 win over the seventh-seeded Virginia State Trojans (12-16) in the Quarterfinalsof the 2023 CIAATournament. 3 seed entering the tournament. Women's basketball players have become empowered to look feminine on the court - but that shift hasn't come without outside resistance . Set to play in Tuesdaysopening round of the tournament, Elizabeth City State University receives the No. These standout individuals are beingformally recognized today during the annual CIAA Tip-Off Awards banquet. Monroe, a 78-year-old former basketball star at Winston-Salem State, was in his New York City home trying to watch the CIAA championship game between the Rams and Lincoln (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon. Ive got several players who can do this, which hopefully takes the pressure off them individually., Johnson C. Smith's Alexis Daley-Ellis, right, is defended by Elizabeth City States Isa Banks in the first quarter of Friday's CIAA Tournament semifinal at CFG Bank Arena. The Tip-Off Awards banquet also serves as the openerto the 2023 CIAA Basketball Tournament, which takes place February 21-25 in Baltimore, MD at CFG Bank Arena. The six-foot-two guard led the conference with 2.6 made threes a game and he also averaged 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. This year, Lewis understood she had a team with a we over me mentality, and believed in the history they were about to make. Faye is the CIAA Men's Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the regular season ranked second in Division II in blocks per game (3.4). The league and partners spent the rest of the year planning for what seemed possible then before the basketball season and tournament were canceled. He boosted his scoring slightly in conference games to 10.1 points per game, including a 25-point effort at Shaw late in the season. (Kevin Richardson / Baltimore Sun). Howard has two of the top three rebounding performances in the conference this year, including grabbing a conference-high for the season, 22 rebounds in a game against Elizabeth City State. Jaylen Alston led a balanced scoring attack as No. Led by eight first-half points from Parson and seven apiece from Gibson and Alston, the Rams built a 30-15 halftime lead while holding the Falcons to 17.9 percent shooting from the field. The Lions started with a 13-7 run to go ahead 36-31 with 10:10 left, forcing Fayetteville State coach Luke DAlessio to call a timeout. The tournament moved to Baltimore in 2021 after 15 years in Charlotte, North Carolina. Johnson C. Smith's Alexis Daley-Ellis, right, is defended by Elizabeth City States Isa Banks in the first quarter of Friday's CIAA Tournament semifinal at CFG Bank Arena. In addition to being named rookie of the year, Howard was a 2022-23All-CIAA selection.Cannedy finished the regular season as a top-five scorer in the conference as a freshman, averaging 15.4 points per game to earn CIAA Mens Rookieof the Year honors. One thing I felt we had to do was shut down their guard play. FSU Ridges 12, Coleman 9, Foster 7, Myers 7, Worthy 4, Hauser 4, Elliott 3, Baucum 3. After a 70-year hiatus, the CIAA Basketball Tournament made its return to Baltimore in 2022, which saw massive success according to local officials. The five-day Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's and women's basketball tournaments return to Baltimore for a second year after attracting nearly 66,000 people to the city last. 9 Virginia Union in the first round and upset No. Elizabeth City State's Amadou Faye was named the Men's CIAA Defensive Player of the Year and Anyssa Fields from Lincoln (PA) earned the women's honor. Lincoln (PA)shot 52.2 percent shooting from the field, including 62.5 percent from beyond the arc. 5 seed and playing in the opening round of the tournament. 6 seed Shaw 55-40 for its first ever CIAA women's basketball title at CFG . Pitts, a native of Raleigh, NC, leads the CIAA at nearly two blocks per game and ranks second in the conference at 7.6 rebounds per game. Chance Jamison and Nemo Johnson scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Falcons, who finished their season at 8-18 overall. 1 Fayetteville State in the quarterfinals. The Women's Basketball All-CIAA Team has three players from Johnson C. Smith (Howard, Shaniya Jones,and Le'Zarea Bowens), the most in 2022-23. Teels jumper, which swished through the hoop with 11.3 seconds remaining, was the game-winner in No. 4 seed and a bye and the No. "We want to be team-oriented. Virginia State was carried by a terrific individual effort by senior guard and all-conference player Sommer Blakemore, who was the only Trojan to reach double-digit scoring with 24 points in the game. FSU stole the lead in the fourth and grew its command to seven points but JCSU never wavered. We were able to get them to turn the ball over more than normal, and to be able to score off of that.. Elizabeth City State manifests Tynesha Lewis vision with CIAA title, HBCU Gameday x Protect Your Skull Player of the Year. Sophomore Tanayja London and senior Brittiney Seymour, who were both named All-CIAA forwards Monday night, scored 16 points apiece. Fayetteville State University, under the guidance of Head Womens Basketball Coach Serena King-Coleman, clinched the Southern Division and the top overall seed in the tournament after finishing the regular season with a 14-2 conference record. Tori Reid grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for JCSU's stat leaders. CIAA Player of the Year Robert Osborne (18 points) then tied the score with a baby jumper, and All-CIAA forward Raemaad Wright (three points, 12 rebounds) later put the Panthers up one with a free throw. 9 seed Elizabeth City State 75-64 in the Men's Basketball Quarterfinals of the CIAA Tournament at CFG Bank Arena. The win also snaps the four-game winning streak that Virginia Union held over the Rams a stretch that includes the semifinal in last years tournament. Led by head coach Jay Butler,Panthers finished the regular season with a 12-4 record in CIAA action and earned their second consecutive Northern Division title. In 2022, the tournament brought in over 66,000. Blue led the CIAA in scoring during the regular season with 18.9points while ranking fourth in the conference at 7.4 rebounds per game and ninth with 2.7assists per contest. The six-foot-five forward led the Panthers in assists per game (3.3; fourth in the conference) and steals per game (1.4). Since taking over as head coach in 2016, King-Coleman has guided Fayetteville State to four division titles in six seasons. She is the Broncos' winningest coach in volleyball program history with 331 overall victories, including 202 wins in conference play and 12 winning seasons. The finalists are listed below: The SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC all get one. 8 Johnson C. Smith 52. From theciaa.com: Atlanta, GA (August 14, 2019) - The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced today the 2019 Watch List for the Black College Football Player of the Year Award with nine players from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) being named to the list.The list of CIAA players on BCFHOF watch list is led by Fayettville State With a career-high 20 rebounds, plus 21 points in the 88-83 overtime win over Fairmont State, Raemaad Wright logged a rare 20-point, 20-rebound double-double for the CIAA. Elizabeth City State's Amadou Faye was named the Men's CIAA Defensive Player of the Year and Anyssa Fields from Lincoln (PA) earned the women's honor. The Golden Bulls took a 16-10 lead after the first quarter but the Broncos stampede back, outscoring JCSU 19-14. Any of us can drop 20, 25, 30 points if we wanted to, Armfield said. The Vikings, however, didnt need Blangos scoring Friday, as it was DyJhanik Armfield who carried the load with 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting with a trio of 3-pointers. UP NEXT: Virginia Union, the Northern Division champion and last season's CIAA runner-up will face either Winston-Salem State or Claflin in Friday's 12 p.m. semifinals matchup. Head Coach Tynesha Lewis manifested her teams tourney success in the form of a blank wrap in the teams new $150,000 locker room. "There are a lot of great players in the CIAA and to be named the best is an honor that will last a lifetime. We feel like its unfinished business for us, said forward Jessica Adams, who transferred to the school this season. 6 Shaw, a 59-45 winner over No. CHARLOTTE, NC The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) announced its postseason superlatives, and the Lincoln University men's basketball team has three representatives, the conference announced today (Monday, March 21, 2022). . Armfield led the team during the regular season with 10.7 points per game, but she scored 20 or more just twice in 25 games entering Friday. VU Osborne 18, Harding 17, Sims 4, Wright 3, Joseph 2. The Lady Panthers and the Hawks met once this season in Murfreesboro, NC with Chowan coming out on top 85-76. They would never trail again. Men's- #1 Virginia Union8 75, #9 Elizabeth City State 64 (Quarterfinals). Shaw (Tanayja London & Brittiney Seymour) and Lincoln (PA) (Kania Pollock & Fields) each placed two players on the listing. Jones step-back jumper in the final seconds bounced off the rim to end Johnson C. Smiths tournament run. Butler was named the CIAA Men's Basketball Coach of the Year after Virginia Union grabbed the Northern Division crown for the second straight year and led the Panthers to a 9-1 division record, a 12-4 conference mark, and a 22-6 overall record. CHARLOTTE - The CIAA announced the 2022-23 All-CIAA Preseason Men's and Women's Basketball Teams, as voted on by the CIAA Basketball Coaches Associations and the Sports Information Directors Association, and the predicted order of finish as selected by the men's and women's head coaches. Virginia State was carried by a terrific individual effort by senior guard and all-conference player Sommer Blakemore, who was the only Trojan to reach double-digit scoring with 24 points in the game. Mens quarterfinal action will continue Thursday with Virginia State facing either Lincoln (PA) or Johnson C. Smith at 6:00 p.m. and Claflin playing either Winston-Salem State or St. Augustines at 8:00 p.m.All 22 games will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+(https://plus.espn.com/)with the championshipgames also being shown on ESPNU. Butler, who played from 1992 to 1996 and won three CIAA titles for his alma mater, relays his experience at the tournament to his players hoping to inspire and encourage them. Hill was a four-time CIAA Volleyball Coach of the Year (1995, 1996, 1998, & 2007), qualifying for six conference championship finals in volleyball, winning three CIAA titles, and earning five NCAA Division II Regional Tournament appearances. Elizabeth City State's Amadou Faye was named the Men's CIAA Defensive Player of the Year and Anyssa Fields from Lincoln (PA) earned the women's honor. The Panthers, using a 15-3 run, ballooned their lead to 19 pointsin the second half and the margin stayed in double digits the rest of the way. Virginia Union's Robert Osborne, (23), tries to dunk the basketball against Winston-Salem's Issac Parson in the second half. Print Friendly Version Players Mentioned #3 Cress Worthy, Fayetteville State: Worthy ranked seventh in scoring (13.3), fifth in assists (3.2) and eighth in steals (1.5). Coming into this program where we know what happened last year, it just makes us that much more hungry.. Blue is fourth in the CIAA in rebounding (7.4 rpg), fifth in field goal percentage (48.4%), fifth in steals (1.5 spg), and ninth in assists (2.7 apg). Virginia Union coach Jay Butler then drew the final play up for Osborne to drive to the hoop, but Winston-Salem State crowded the lane and the senior forward passed to Devon Sims, whose 3-point attempt seconds before the buzzer clanked off the rim. This is big for us, because last year we came here and didnt reach our goal, Teel said. Lowery, who started three freshmen for most of the season, had a team picked to finish fifth in the six-team Northern Division on the cusp of a divisional championship until the last week of the regular season.