The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) basketball tournament crowned its basketball champions on March 2nd in Baltimore, Maryland, at the CFG Bank Area. The Lincoln University (PA) Lions men’s basketball team and Fayetteville State University women’s basketball team were crowned champions after their victories.
Fayetteville State had a chance to sweep in the CIAA championship as their men’s also made it to the championship game but fell to Lincoln, 54-51.
The Lions wrapped up the regular season with a 17-13 record, 10-7 in the conference; with this championship victory, they have cemented themselves in CIAA and Lincoln history. This was their first men’s basketball championship, and they had an automatic bid in the NCAA Division II tournament.
The final score indicates how close this game was; a back-and-forth battle all game saw the Lions pull away in the final minutes. The Lions outscored the Broncos 12-9 in the final 3:56 minutes to escape with a championship.
Peter Sorbet was named CIAA Tournament MVP; he was a key player in the Lion’s performance in the tournament. He finished with nine points, four blocks, and six rebounds. Forward Ethan Garita finished with a team-high 15 points and three blocks, earning himself MVP of the game.
“Our guys stayed focused and stayed in the moment. It was wonderful to see our fans be here with us this whole week and cheer us on,” head coach Jason Armstrong said. “ We came back this year and did what we wanted to do. Now, we get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
The women of Fayetteville State finished off their impressive season (27-2, 17-1), securing their 5th conference title, first since 2020, with a 64-59 victory against the defending champions Elizabeth City State University.
The stifling defense from the Lady Broncos held ECSU to 27% shooting from the field and forced 17 turnovers.
Keayna McLaughlin led the Broncos in scoring with 17 points, and three other of her teammates were also in double figures. Talia Trotter, Aniylah Bryant, and Nyah Wilkins all contributed with 12 points. Wilkins helped on the board with nine rebounds.
Guard Aniylah Bryant was named HBCU National Player of the Week for her performances throughout the tournament.
McLaughlin was named Food Lions Championship Game MVP with her performance. The ladies have booked their spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
