By Maliik Obee
Special to the AFRO
On the fourth day of the women’s 2024 CIAA Tournament, Calflin helped to narrow down the playing field to four teams headed to the semifinals on March 1. The Panthers steamrolled over Shaw and registered a 71-45 victory in the history books.
Claflin players started the day with a remarkable shooting touch, knocking down 15 of 30 attempts (50 percent) from the field. On the defensive end, the Panthers forced the Bears to turn the ball over 22 times, resulting in 30 points.
Guard Nya Morris led all scorers with 25 points and recorded a double-double (10 rebounds). Fellow backcourt mate Ashari Lewis (15 points) and forward Leigha Harris (13 points) scored in double-figures, staking Claflin to a convincing half-time lead 42-24.
In-addition to forcing 22 turnovers by Shaw, Claflin went to the free throw line (and converted) often (16-for-22).
All-CIAA forward Alexis Radcliff scored 13 points on 5-8 shooting for Shaw, but guard Elisha Quinn was the only other Bear to record double-digits.
Claflin moves on to the semifinals to face top-seed Elizabeth City State Vikings on March 1 at 12 p.m. on ESPN Plus.
Virginia State pulls off 51-42 comeback victory over Johnson C. Smith
No. 2-seeded Virginia State pulled off a spectacular 51-42 comeback victory over the third-seed Johnson C. Smith on Feb. 29. Proving that they could surpass another test on the road to the semifinals, the Trojans now look ahead to Friday’s matchup against top-seed Fayetteville State.
It was a rough start for Virginia State, after the Trojans fell behind 17-5 in the first period. Their shooting woes continued in the second, converting just 3-of-14 attempts from the field.
Virginia State, steadied by its defense, still entered halftime barely holding onto a 23-18 lead, setting the stage for the Golden Bulls to come roaring back in the third period.
The Golden Bulls outscored their opponents 20-6 in the third period quarter and rallied for a 38-29 lead.
But momentum is a funny thing.
The Trojons called on their scorers to carry them home. All-CIAA guard and most valuable player recipient Mijhae Hayes (21 points) combined with fellow all-conference forward Amesha Miller (14 points) for 35 points. Hayes’ ability to get to the basket resulted in her shooting 7-for-10 from the free throw line, while converting 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
In the fourth quarter, the Trojans turned up the intensity again, out-scoring the Golden Bulls 22-4 and limiting them to 2-for-10 shooting from the field.
Following the contest, Hayes spoke about the run in the fourth that helped her team move forward in the tournament.
“Basketball is a game of runs at the end of the day,” she said. “It’s going to happen. It’s bound to happen. We just stuck together and told each other ‘We got this’. We’re down right now, but we still have 10 minutes to go.
“So, we just kept fighting until the end. The game isn’t over until it’s 0:00 on the clock. That’s really all it was, just keep motivating each other to never give up.”
Virginia State coach Nadine Domond commended the challenge from Johnson C. Smith, then praised her program for fighting back.
“I have an amazing bunch of young ladies,” she said. “Every day they continue to show up. They are resilient, tough and they were committed to taking this game. They did not want to go home.”
Virginia State and Fayetteville State compete in the semifinals on ESPN Plus at 6 p.m. EST on March 1.