The Broncos Blog has a new home

If you’ve reached this page seeking the latest information and commentary surrounding Fayetteville State Broncos Athletics, feel free to peruse what is here from the blog’s inception back in late August 2010.

But the Broncos Blog has a new home where the reader has more options to comment, share and follow Broncos Athletics commentary and analysis, and that can now be found here: FSUBroncoBlog.com. 

The Broncos Blog will now be more readily available to fans of all HBCU athletics by its hosting site, HBCUFanNation.com. 

Aside from a new address, not much will change with the Broncos Blog — there will just be more eyes viewing the latest in FSU Athletics. And that is something sure to drive even more Bronco Pride!

To those who have frequented this site over the last few months, you are the ones who made this happen — allowing the Blog to make a move to keep up with the interest. The Broncos Blog has already generated more page views since the turn of the 2011 calendar than it did from August to December 2010, and the site has had more than 11,000 views just since September, with about 5,000 in just the last two months.

Thanks again, and be sure to check out FSUBroncoBlog.com today!

Fayetteville State’s 2011 Football Schedule Released

FAYETTEVILLE STATE RELEASES 2011 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Two Rivers Classic opens season on Sept. 3; Homecoming scheduled for Oct. 15 against Shaw

FAYETTEVILLE, NC – Football season never feels like it is too far away, and it feels even closer for Fayetteville State Broncos fans as the tentative 2011 football schedule has been released.

Fayetteville State will open its 2011 season with the Third Two Rivers Classic against UNC Pembroke at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3. The game will be played at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium as the two programs clash to open their respective grid seasons for the third consecutive year.

The Broncos, who finished the season 5-5 a year ago to complete a season at .500 or better for the eighth time in head coach Kenny Phillips’ 11 years at the helm, are then scheduled to travel to play St. Paul’s for their first road game of the season on Sept. 10.

After that, Fayetteville State will begin a stretch of four home dates in a span of five games, kicking off with a 6 p.m. game against Elizabeth City State on Sept. 17 before traveling to rival Winston-Salem State on Sept. 24 to open CIAA play. Fayetteville State will then host St. Augustine’s (Oct. 1, 6 p.m.) and Virginia State (Oct. 8, 6 p.m.).

Homecoming is scheduled for Oct. 15 against Shaw. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.

Fayetteville State will close its regular season with three games on the road: at Livingstone (Oct. 22, 1:30 p.m.), Johnson C. Smith (Oct. 29, 4 p.m.) and Virginia Union (Nov. 5, 1 p.m.).

Dates and times are subject to change.

To view a list of the schedule, go here.

My experience at the CIAA Tournament

Yeah, I’m tired. I can admit that. Been tired since day 1 of the CIAA Tournament. (And to find out more about me, go here and here.

But it doesn’t bother me.

And why should it? When Duke and North Carolina was still days away, I had been at the epicenter of college basketball in the state of North Carolina. Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte was electric the last couple of nights as the crowds got larger and the stakes got bigger. 

Where else would a kid who grew up feasting on college hoops want to be? To call it work would be a disservice to those who actually labor for a living, even though some of the days have started at 8:30 a.m. and didn’t let up until 2 a.m.

But why were those days so long? Because my team was winning. And so you will get no complaint out of me.

And that’s the beauty of the CIAA Tournament. As tired as your body might be telling you it is, as loudly as my back screams for the sour treatment the hotel room bed has given it, and for how much my left ear hurts – on the inside, deep in there – because of the two fire alarms last Friday morning, I knew I wouldn’t feel any of it as soon as the ball went into the air to start another game.

Yes, I wanted Fayetteville State to win, no matter what that meant for my work schedule and the continued lack of respect I was showing my mental and physical states. Not that any of that mattered. Because it became clear that caffeine and Tylenol have nothing on a 1-point game winding down its last 30 seconds.

Obviously, that’s adrenaline, but to get it from something so tangible that it’s literally a few feet away from your perch at the scorer’s table is absolutely breathtaking. I have nothing to do with the outcome of the games – my job comes mostly after the contest has been decided (hence the wake-up call’s ugly cousin, the 2 a.m. go-to-bed call).

But to be so wrapped up in what these kids are doing, what their coaches are telling them (“You’ve got to box out! This is a big boy’s game!”) and how it all transpires is a rush that leaves you in some form of hoops existentialism. You are left in this ether, and it’s either an aura of pure joy and satisfaction or utter disappointment.

And until overtime late Friday night, it was pure joy for the Fayetteville State Broncos and me. Before the heart-wrenching loss to Livingstone in the semifinals, watching how the Broncos beat rival and nemesis Winston-Salem State on Thursday night in the CIAA quarterfinals was one thing.

To experience it was another thing entirely. I know what these kids and coaches have gone through this season, but I am also aware that even I don’t know the half of it, that I’ve only seen the couple of layers immediately below the surface that the fans and alumni have seen.

Still, that’s enough for me to feel what those guys felt as they mobbed teammate Sidney Evans following his brilliant performance and game-winning 3-pointer, just the third out of 18 tries from long range he’s connected on all season.

And while the echoes could still be heard in the tunnel leading to the Broncos’ locker room long after the arena had emptied and the calendar had made its initial turn to Friday, the hushed tones didn’t come from the voices of the Broncos’ players.

Those echoes came from the old-timers who were still milling about, somewhere in their own ether and marking time with the ghosts of CIAAs past. It was their take on Fayetteville State’s thrilling 66-63 win that mattered the most. They could put the victory into perspective, into its proper place, and judging by their recollection – and by their feelings – place it among its rightful place in the tournament’s history.

And so that is what the CIAA Tournament is all about. It’s pride, but that pride comes with a price. It is arduous. It is long. And yes, it is tiring.

But it’s also a part of my job. And after that bucket Evans made while falling away into the courtside seats, after that euphoria and after another disjointed night of rest, it became clear to me.

The CIAA Tournament is a part of me.

And that part feels great.

CIAA Men’s Tournament — The Championship

A few quick notes from the CIAA Men’s Championship featuring the South’s No. 3 seed Livingstone vs. the South’s No. 2 seed, Shaw.

First Half

15:32 A huge first 4 minutes for Livingstone. No, the Blue Bears aren’t up by 10 early or something like that, but they do lead 5-3. It was just imperative that Livingstone get off to a decent start against the Bears, who have won games by 23 and 24 points in the tournament, and though they only beat JCSU by 13, they led by 31 in the second half of that game.

This is a good start to enable the Blue Bears to get settled in. The longer they hang around, the more pressure Shaw will feel as the overwhelming favorite. And that can be a tough place to be.

13:25 And now you can classify it as a huge start for Livingstone. 12-5, Blue Bears.

8:49 Call it house money. At least that’s how LC needs to think about it’s start to the game, because Shaw has come back and ripped off a 14-4 run to take a 19-16 lead. Devon McLendon with 10 points and Raheem Smith has seven.

4:13 Huge play for the Blue Bears. After a Raheem Smith deep 3 helped put the Bears up 27-21 — and perhaps on the precipice of a run — Carl Boswell buries a corner 3 while being fouled. He converts the 4-point play, and the Blue Bears are hanging around, 27-25.

Halftime Shaw 32, Livingstone 30

It’ll be interesting how Shaw handles the second half. The Bears have been blowing teams away, and doing it with tremendous shooting the floor — Shaw shot 67 percent deep into the second half against JCSU in the semifinals. All of their games had been decided by halftime. Now, though, they’re in a dogfight, despite still shooting it well, at 52 percent.

McLendon has 14 points while Raheem Morris has 12. That means the rest of the Bears have four.

Boswell leads LC with seven points, four of them coming on one play.

Second Half

17:28 One thing Shaw isn’t doing in this game — and it looks like it has affected the Bears — it isn’t pushing the ball to halfcourt in running its offense. There have been very few fast break or even secondary break opportunities for the Bears, and that’s what they do well. In the tournament, the guards have pushed the tempo, at least past halfcourt, to set up the offense. That’s not happening tonight. SU, 38-34.

16:20 Dwight Bell hits a jumper, and the Bears take their largest lead, 41-34. But Darius Cox answers with a wide open 3 from the top of the key, and the lead goes back to four.

The thing is, Livingstone is a tough matchup for Shaw. The Blue Bears are a lot like Shaw — anglular, long and athletic, and perhaps it is that slowing Shaw down. Trone Jackson has picked Shaw up full court quite a bit tonight, and it’s been just enough to slow things down. We have to remember, these two teams split the regular season series, and they each won on their home court. This is a neutral setting.

12:31 Good timeout by James Stinson, the CIAA Coach  of the Year. Tony Smith drove down the lane and and scored out of the secondary break. That was vintage 2011 CIAA Tournament for the Bears, and Stinson doesn’t want to see it again. 47-39, SU.

11:50 Huge 3 for Boswell and the Blue Bears. 47-42, SU.

10:30 Tony Smith couldn’t have looked worse on those foul shots. Could that be tired legs? The Smiths played a lot in those blowouts earlier in the week. SU, 49-44.

8:46 Unbelievable up-and-under reverse layup for McLendon, and Shaw might be breaking those one open. It’s 53-44, McLendon has 17 and Livingstone needs a timeout again.

6:36 Give the Blue Bears credit — they just won’t go away. They scored five straight points out of the timeout, and are right there, 53-48, for the home stretch.

5:56 After a Raheem Smith jumper — he has 19 — Greg Henry has a chance at a three-point play.

But he misses the bonus, 55-50, SU.

5:21 But Henry comes back, finds a gap in the Shaw zone, and hits a mid-range jumper. 55-52.

4:02 Bad shot and he knocked it down. Raheem Smith for 3 with a hand in his face. Bad shot? Not when it goes down. Big shot.

SU, 58-52.

3:38 Bears get out and run after the Tony Smith defensive rebound. David Jones gets the layup, and it’s an eight-point game, 60-52.

1:53 Big possession, Raheem Smith seems to lose the ball in the post, but he corrals and scores off the window. Tough break for LC. SU, 64-57.

1:34 And the foul. Jackson heads to the line for the Blue Bears. Misses, but LC gets the board — and can’t score.

And somehow Shaw’s McLendon gets the rebound from a seated position on the floor. Maybe the most important of his 13 rebounds tonight. SU, 64-59.

50 seconds All of a sudden we have a track meet. Back-and-forth twice, and LC is just down four, 68-64, after Donte Durant’s 3.

41.5 seconds And an offense foul is called. Livingstone ball.

30.2 seconds Cox at the line.

And misses the first.

And the second

But he gets his own rebound. Mid-range jumper….no good. Shaw rebound.

25.8 seconds McLendon with another rebound. He’ll go to the line. Makes the front end of the 1-and-1. And the second. 70-64.

10 seconds Good look for Jackson, down four — no good. Shaw should survive now.

2.7 seconds But Cox drains a 3!  70-69. Not done yet.

2.3 seconds Raheem Smith to the line for two. Gordan Hayward anybody?

Makes the first. And the second.

LC calls timeout. They should get a look.

:00 Henry from halfcourt.

Short.

FINAL: Shaw 72, Livingstone 69.

Raheem Smith with 28 points while McLendon had 19 points and 14 boards.

Cox with 19 and 11 for LC while Boswell and Henry add 10 each.

CIAA Women’s Tournament Finals — Shaw vs. JCSU

We are awaiting the tip off of the CIAA Women’s Tournament finals between No. 2 South Shaw vs. Southern Division champion Johnson C. Smith.

Smith won both of the meetings against Shaw this year, winning by six and seven points, respectively. But the Lady Bears are 7-1 since former Maryland transfer Dee Liles joined the team. Liles has seven double-doubles in her eight games, though one of those losses came against Smith, which has been the class of the league all season and is coached by CIAA Women’s Coach of the Year Vanessa Taylor.

These two teams are accumstomed to this stage, with Shaw winning four straight titles from 2003-2006 and then again in 2008. The Lady Bears defeated JCSU three times, though the Golden Bulls won the title in 2009.

Check back here often for running updates and commentary.

First Half

18:10 Bears had hit their first four shots from the field, with Kyria Buford getting two tough buckets. But a Terran Quattlebaum 3 keeps things close, 8-5.

15:46 A pretty spin move in the open floor by Allyssa Lane gives the Bears a 10-5 lead, but the Bulls are doing a pretty good job of offensive rebounding against the bigger Bears, and after a put-back from LaQwesha Gamble, Terrica Jones will have a chance at a three point play to tie things up at 10.

She misses the bonus, but it’s 10-9. Good start for both teams.

14:59 Liles is just on a different level than most of the players in the conference. You can just see in when she plays. It’s not somehting you can describe. Nice three-point play there, 15-9. Go here for more on Liles, who was a substantial D-1 player at Maryland.

12:53 A jumper by Shaw’s Brittney Spencer makes it an 8-0 run for the Lady Bears, who take their biggets lead, 17-9.

11:06 Three of Shaw’s last three shot attempts have been 3-pointers, with Liles taking two of them. They’re squandering opportunities by doing that. Bears need to use their size. 17-11.

10:15 And after dribble-penetration from Lane, things open up for the Bears. Lane scores on a mid-range jumper, then Buford hits a similar one from the wing. The run is 11-2 and Shaw leads by its largest margin, 21-11.

7:56 No change in the last 2-plus minutes, except still more settling from Shaw on the perimeter. Being up 10 already, if the Bears just get more efficient, they could blow this game open before halftime. Otherwise, they are allowing JCSU to hang around, and if Quattlebaum gets hot (more like, when she gets hot), Shaw is going to rue being 0-for-6 from 3. In fact, after hitting on its first four shots, Shaw is now just 5 of its last 20.

6:58 Perfect. Liles gets the ball in the post, and talent takes over. She converts the three-point play, and it’s a 14-4 run, a 24-11 lead, and Smith hasn’t scored since the 11:27 mark.

5:03 Turnovers on two of Shaw’s last three possessions, and JCSU has answered with a 6-0 spurt and closed to 26-19.

4:40 Racquel Davis with a leaner, and it’s an 8-0 run and a 26-21 game. Right now, JCSU has stepped up its defensive pressure in the Shaw backcourt and is more poised on offense.

3:16 Good strong post move by Gamble, and it’s a 10-1 run. Good entry pass from Quattlebaum. SU, 27-23.

2:14 Buford is tired, breathing through her mouth, and she comes out. Four games in four days getting to the Bears?

1:36 JCSU’s Shakeena Cunningham hits two foul shots, and now it’s a 12-1 run and a 27-25 game. Shaw has not had a field goal since the 6:31 mark.

Halftime: Shaw 27, JCSU 25

Second Half

18:50 Great start by Shaw in the second half, getting two quick buckets to get the bad taste of the last 7 minutes of the first half out of their mouths. 31-25, SU.

17:47 Now Quattlebaum gets a runner and two foul shots. If she gets hot… SU, 31-29.

15:45 Quattlebaum back at the line. This could get her going (3 of 11 from the field). She’s got six straight, and JCSU is within one, 32-31.

12:27 JCSU’s Terrica Jones hits a deep jumper, then buries a 3 on the wing, and the Golden Bulls are on a 13-2 run to pick up the lead, 38-34. Quattlebaum and Jones with 11 points in the run.

10:02 Jones again with another long-range jumper. This one is from the corner, and now the run goes to 18-5 and JCSU builds its largest lead, 43-37. Jones has seven points in the spurt and nine in the game.

7:58 Shaw is turnover the ball over a lot — 17 times. And those 1-shot possessions feel like turnovers, too. JCSU, 45-39.

7:33 And a huge 3 from Shaw”s Spencer, followed by a score from Aslea Williams. Shaw is back in it, 45-44.

6:06 And quickly, eight straight points for Shaw after the three-point play from Williams. Bears re-take the lead, 47-45.

5:10 Seven straight points from Williams after the strong post move. It’s a 10-0 run, and the Bears have absolutely come alive. SU, 49-45.

4:39 Make it a 12-0 run after the run-out by Shaw’s Lane. 51-45. The teams have traded six-point leads.

3:10 Great pass from Williams to Lies. That’s how it’s done — and how it should’ve been done all night. Shaw, 53-47.

1:57 Shaw still holding onto its six-point lead, 53-47. A couple of solid possessions to go with defenisve rebounding, and the Bears will have their sixth title in nine years.

1:18 That might do it. Lane hits a corner jumper to beat the shot clock, and SU takes a 55-48 lead. Devastating shot for JCSU.

52 seconds Gamble hits a 3. Off the glass, too. Not over yet. 55-51.

33.9 seconds OK, it is now. Buford with the bank shot. 57-51.

14.1 seconds Then again, maybe not. Tyra Breaux with a DEEP 3. 57-54. Shaw needs to make foul shots.

13.2 seconds Lane will go to the line. One-and-one.

Makes it. Huge. 58-54.

Makes the second. 59-54.

4.2 seconds Shaw will still need free throws — and remmeber, it’s only 1-and-1 — after Quattlebaum hits a jumper off an offensive rebound. 59-56.

3.2 seconds JCSU’s Breaux has no choice but to push Liles after she gets the pass deep and past the defense. It’s an intentional foul, and this one is over.

FINAL: Shaw 62, Johnson C. Smith 56

The CIAA Tournament — Men’s and Women’s Semifinals

As we have had all week, we will continue to have running updates from the day’s action at the semifinal round of the CIAA Tournament, straight from the sidelines.

The action begins at1  p.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena, as the women’s teams return to the floor for the first time since Tuesday.

And when Fayetteville State begins its semifinal game tonight at 9 against Livingstone, go here for that commentary.

And in case you want to go back over any of the previous blogs from the tournament, they can be found here: Day 1 Women’s; Day 2 Women’s; Day 1 Men’s; Day 2 Men’s.

St. Augustine’s vs. Shaw

Dee Liles continues to dominate the women’s tournament as the Maryland transfer leads Shaw to a commanding 43-25 lead over the Lady Falcons at the half of the first game today. She has 10 points and four rebounds to this point, which virutally negates anything the CIAA Player of the Year, St. Aug’s Allison Sikes, has done to this point.

Sikes has a game-high 11 points, but Kyria Buford adding eight points for Shaw and three other Lady Bears’ players with at least six points, it’s easy to see why the game belongs to the Lady Bears right now.

Second Half

A great effort by St. Aug’s to make a run in this gaem and keep Shaw from putting it away early, but there’s just too much size and talent on the Shaw side for the Lady Bears to give away an 18-point halftime lead.

Liles finishes with 17 points and 10 boards  –not to mention seven blocks, a new school record for Shaw – while Buford adds 13 points and eight rebounds to push Shaw to the 74-65 victory. Aslea Williams added 14 points while Brittney Spencer had 12 to pace the Lady Bears.

Sikes did all she could, finishing with a game-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds. CIAA Rookie fo the Year Umeka Benson had 12 points, as did Le’Kiesha White.

Up Next:

Bowie State vs. Johnson C, Smith

12:15 Two evenly matched teams both playing pretty well in the early going, though Bowie State puts a mini-run together to take a 17-12 lead at the second media timeout.

7:27 Bowie begins to stretch things out a little with a 10-2 run, taking its biggest lead, 27-18.

Halftime: Bowie State 36, Johnson C. Smith 27

Teaunsha Robinson, Juliette Turner, Brianna Taylor and Chanita Jordan each have seven points or more for the Lady Bulldogs, who continue to hold the Lady Golden Bulls at bay (Robinson also has six rebounds and is shooting 4-of-5 from the floor). Terran Quattlebaum has three 3-pointers to keep JCSU in it, but right now, it’s not enough to counteract the balance that Bowie is showing out there.

14:32 It didn’t take long for JCSU to make it a game. The Bulls trail by only four, and the last 15 minutes are set up for a thriller. But each time JCSU has clsoed a bit, Bowie has found a way to make a run. Let’s see what happens this time.

5:54 This time Bowie can’t answer, but the Lady Bulldogs are putting upa  strong fight. But this one is going to the wire. BSU leads 56-54.

5:39 And just like, that Shontanette Shaw hits a runner, and JCSU takes a 57-56 lead.

1:57 BSU’s Lakisha Walker buries two foul shots. Clutch. That’s four straight for her, and it gives BSU a 62-60 lead.

45.3 seconds But JCSU’s drills a wing 3-pointer. The Bulls have just kept coming back in thsi one, all day. Now they can play straight-up defense. Don’t need to foul. 64-63, BSU.

34 seconds And Terran Quattlebaum with a steal and a layup! She may have stolen the game for JCSU as well. 65-64, Bulls.

28 seconds And Bowie throws the ball away! Steal by Shaw.

20.7 seconds Quattlebaum with two very calm foul shots. JCSU, 67-64.

4 seconds Taylor’s 3 misses, and Shakeena Cunningham hits the big foul shot. It’s over.

FINAL: Johnson C. Smith 69, Bowie State 64

It will be Shaw vs. the Lady Golden Bulls in the final Saturday at 5 p.m. And the JCSU men’s team could join its women’s team in the finals if it beats Shaw tonight at 7. It could very well be an all-JCSU day on Saturday.

Big games for Quattlebaum and LaQwesha Gamble, who each have 17 points for the Bulls.

Teaunsha Robinson didn’t score for Bowie in the second half, and the Bulldogs didn’t get nearly as much out of Taylor (11 points), Jordan (13) and Turner (16) as they did in the first half.

Up next, the beginning of the men’s semifinals, with Johnson C. Smith vs. Shaw at 7 p.m.

JOHNSON C. SMITH VS. SHAW

FIRST HALF

19:12 That’s the first bad shot I’ve seen Raheem Smith take in three days.

17:11 JCSU has it hits first three shots. 7-2, early.

14:46 Both teams are sharp offensively, and with JCSU leading 13-9 — and still perfect, now 6-for-6 — that has to be the most points we’ve seen all week at the first media timeout.

14:02 7-for-7, and yet JCSU leads just 15-13.

12:30 Six straight points — and two misses for JCSU – and Shaw has a 17-15 lead. Honestly, not a whole lot of defensive effort so far. But the outlet passes have been nice.

12:06 A n offensive rebound off a second missed four shot, and yet Shaw still gets a score, and it’s an 8-0 run and a 19-15 edge.

11:34 The PA announcer said it best: “Tony Smith, all alone.” 12-0 run for a 21-15 Shaw lead. To take that opening punch from JCSU and turn it right around for a big run and a lead? That might be the decisive stretch of the game already.

10:31 Foul shots coming for Tony Smith. Dwight Bell has eight quick points for Shaw, which, if you can believe this, is now out-shooting JCSU (67-63 percent). 13-0 run and a 22-15 lead.

10:07 Jamaar Hosier with the thunderous dunk draws the “S-U!” “YOU KNOW!” chant. It’s also 15 straight for Shaw. 24-15.

9:43 And coach Stephen Joyner has seen enough — for the third time. Raheem Smith cruises through the paint and lays it in, and it’s a 17-0 run and a 28-15 Shaw lead.

7:34 That Joyner timeout has helped. Smith is back to being crisp on the offensive end, and the Bulls have scored the last seven points. Back to a ballgame, with Shaw leading 28-22.

6:04 But Shaw answers with its own 7-0 spurt, and it’s back to a 13-point game, 35-22.

3:02 And that run moves to 13-4, and Shaw is in firm control to this point, ahead by its biggest margin, 41-26. Devin McLendon with 11 points and Raheem Smth with 10. Confident Bears again.

Halftime: Shaw 45, JCSU 30

The run had gotten to 15-4 and a 19-point Shaw lead. The Bears, shooting 62 percent from the field, are doing everything right. Obviously, they look incredible on offense. But it’s how they do it, by pushing the tempo to get into the halfcourt set, then work from there. Shaw doesn’t walk the ball up the floor, that’s for sure.

Another thing: the Bears have been the best team at the tournament in help defense. And that’s leading to a lot of offensive opportunities as well.

Second Half

17:35 What else is new? Twice the shot clock is running down, and both Bell and Johnson hit jumpers. Shaw has done it all tournament.

17:14 Tony Smith with a bucket, and the Bears open the half with an 8-0 run. Bulls burn yet another timeout. Shaw in a runaway, 53-30.

16:47 10-0.

55-30.

15:52 12-0.

57-30.

15:40 14-0.

59-30.

15:01 18-2.

63-32

13:44 22-4.

67-34

And yet another JCSU timeout. And five new players take the floor.

This is incredible. Good thing Fayetteville State and Livingstone are in their locker rooms. They wouldn’t want to see this.

12:00 All five Shaw starters are in double figures.

10:21 An 8-0 barely cuts into it. Still a 25-point game, 67-42.

6:07 Bulls have cut it to 20. If they get it to 10 by the 3-minute mark…

5:01 JCSU on a 20-6 run, and have trimmed it to…19. Shaw still in front 73-54.

3:35 Shaw has stalled, but it’s still a 19-point game, 75-56. But the JCSU bench is up, and players are saying things like, “There’s still time.”

JCSU’s Earl Jackson, clapping furiously, tells his team, “Keep fighting! Let’s go! Keep fighting!”

2:44 Ronald Thornhill with a 3, and it’s 75-59.

2:21 Goaltending against Shaw. 75-61.

Jackson: “Keep fighting!”

2:03 But that should do it. Raheem Smith draws the blocking foul and hits the leaner. It’sa  three-point play, 78-61.

FINAL: Shaw 82, Johnson C. Smith 69

But it wasn’t that close. Not at all.

The next semifinal is coming up between Fayetteville State and Livingstone. For commentary on that game, go here.

CIAA Tournament Semifinals — Broncos vs. Livingstone

BRONCOS FACE LIVINGSTONE IN CIAA TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Fayetteville State run at the CIAA Tournament continues.

For the first time in three years, the Broncos have advanced to the CIAA semifinals, where they will face Livingstone, a team Fayetteville State split the regular season series with.

The Broncos (15-13) come into the game riding an emotional high after Sidney Evans (Jr., Durham, NC) buried a game-winning 3-pointer with 6 seconds remaining to lift Fayetteville State past rival and 2010-11 nemesis Winston-Salem State in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.

“To be a champion, it takes a lot of hard work,” said Evans of the win over the Rams, the Southern Division champion. “Maybe even a little bit of luck, too.”

Evans scored a game-high 22 points in the victory, which came on the heels of tremendous performances by John Herrington (Jr., Jacksonville, FL) and Tyrrel Tate (Fr., Raleigh, NC) in the opening-round game against Virginia State.

The Blue Bears (16-11) are also coming off a big win after slipping past the North’s No. 2 seed Virginia State 59-58 on Thursday. Donte Durant led Livingstone with 13 points and eight rebounds while Greg Henry added 11 points.

It is the first time since 2008 that FSU has reached the tournament semifinals, when the Broncos slipped by Bowie State 67-65 to advance to the finals to play Johnson C. Smith. This is the 10^th trip to the CIAA Final Four for the Fayetteville State, which is 6-3 all-time in CIAA semifinal games. The Broncos and Blue Bears have met three times in the CIAA Tournament, with FSU holding a 2-1 record in that series, including a 70-67 win in the opening round of the 2009 tournament.

The Broncos won the first meeting this season at home against the Blue Bears 92-78 on Feb. 12, despite a career-high 32 points from Darius Cox, knocking Livingstone from the Atlantic Region rankings in the process. But the Blue Bears clipped Fayetteville State 58-56 in Salisbury on Feb. 21, getting 13 points from Quentin Redfern.

Fayetteville State coach Alphonza Kee said the Broncos won’t gameplan the Blue Bears much differently than they have earlier in the season.

“We have our style of play and we’ll do the best we can with that,” Kee said. “We’ll try to do what we do well, just like they’ll try to do what do well.”

Livingstone coach James Stinson was named as the CIAA Coach of the Year at the men’s basketball awards banquet on Tuesday night.

The winner will face either Shaw or Johnson C. Smith in the CIAA Championship on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Check back often for running commentary and analysis.

Pregame news: Fayetteville State starter Jarmel Baxter, a key defensive player for the Broncos, is out of tonight’s game with a sore knee. Freshman Devin Thompson will get the start in Baxter’s place. Thompson helped key a late run in the second half against Winston-Salem State.

First Half

17:44 Seth Hawkins settles the Broncos down with a 3-pointer after FSU has two turnovers in its first two possession while LC looks like its in perfect rhythm. 6-3, LC.

15:30 Broncos are doing a good job forcing Livingstone into jump shots rather than anything on the block. A Time Plummer jumper off an offensive rebound nets five straight for FSU, and this feels like a new game already, especially after how the first 2 minutes went. 6-5, LC.

14:59 Plummer with a put-back, and it’s a 7-0 Broncos run.

14:24 Make a 9-0 run after a deep jumper from Jarrick Jones in the corner.  Big response for FSU, 9-6.

12:30 Tyrrel Tate with a three-point play, drawing the contact as he went up. Savvy, veteran move from the freshman. Broncos lead it 14-10.

Sidney Evans and Plummer with four rebounds each already.

11:16 Livingstone center Nasir Austin picks up his second foul. Big loss for a while there for the Blue Bears.

And Evans hits two from the line and the Broncos lead 16-11.

10:04 Darius Cox with the open 3. Broncos allowed just enough dribble-penetration to allow that. 18-all.

7:57 Livingstone re-takes the lead with a contested 17-footer by Cox. Nothing the Broncos could do about that one. 22-21, LC.

7:21 Plummer looks in great rhythm tonight, offensively and defensively. He buries a 3, and the Broncos hit on five straight points. FSU, 25-22.

5:18 Another contested shot, and again Cox just buries it. This looks like how he started his career-high 32-point night against FSU. He’s got nine already as the game is tied at 27-all.

3:52 Still 27-all, and it’s kind of hard to imagine either team making a large run in this game. These are two of the league’s top scoring offenses, and that’s been on display here. When FSU can make a quick outlet for its first pass in a possession, that tends to lead to a pretty easy basket. It’s about the first step for the Broncos in this one, who scored 92 points in the win over Livingstone and just 56 in the loss.

2:58 After a great steal and score on an inbounds pass by Plummer (he has nine points and six boards already), Livingstone’s Greg Henry posterizes about three Broncos with a one-handed jam. Then Trone Jackson gets a put-back up and in while being fouled. LC, 31-29.

2:23 Refs want to look at the monitor to see Evans use his elbow to push away Jackson, who had been called for a foul after reaching in to try to force a jumpball. Evans did use his elbow, but it was nothing more than something the refs could’ve evened out by just talking to Evans and Jackson.

And  it doesn’t appeared that the monitor has it. Play on, with LC up 33-29.

1:10 Second foul charged to Herrington, who will have a seat. Herrington doing a nice job off the bench again with seven points. LC leads 35-33 after the foul shots.

35.4 seconds Andre Best’s dribble-drive draws Cox’s second foul. Good play for the Broncos. Cox has 13 and is in rhythm. Being in even a little bit of foul trouble could take him out of that rhythm. 37-34, LC.

:00 seconds Jones scores on a putback at the buzzer, and FSU trails by just one, 37-36 at the break. This one’s going to the wire.

Second Half

18:56 Donte Fields with a put-back and Hawkins with a long 2 — no, wait, give him 3 after the montior review. Five straight to start for FSU and it’s a 7-0 run. FSU, 41-37. Hawkins with nine points.

17:08 Both teams trying to find a rhythm again in the second half. 43-41, FSU.

16:27 Austin with his third foul, and Livingstone goes to a zone. Broncos score quickly against with an Evans put-back. 45-41, FSU.

15:00 Cox hasn’t gotten many touches in the second half thus far, and it shows in the stagnation of the LC offense. 45-43, FSU.

14:03 Fields called for the foul as Jackson puts in the runner. The foul shot is no good, but LC ties it at 45.

13:13 Tate, like Cox, needs to get touches. This time Andre Best finds him, and Tate swishes a 14-footer. 47-45, FSU.

11:42 The pace has considerably slowed, and the odd thing about that is … it’s hurt BOTH teams. Neither one has any flow. But they’re equal. FSU 47-45.

11:00 Great, great offensive rebound by Tate, and the Broncos lead 49-45. Offensive rebounds just kill a zone.

10:30 Tate with two foul shots, and the Broncos take their biggest lead, 51-45. A modest, yet important, 6-0 run.

8:39 After six straight points right back from Livingstone — four by Quintin Redfern, Evans bounces back with a three-point play to give FSU a 54-51 lead.

6:35 Livingstone has slowed things way down on offense. Trying to spread the floor. Instead, they just throw it away late in the shot clock. 54-52, FSU.

5:27 Cox draws the foul against Evans, his third, and the Broncos’ 10th. LC in the double-bonus the rest of the way. Cox hits one, and it’s 54-53, FSU.

4:17 Broncos haven’t scored since the 8:39 mark, but LC hasn’t done much with it, scoring only two points from the line in that stretch. LC’s last field goal came at 8:50. 54-53, FSU.

3:15 Livingstone gets two foul shots from Cox, and now the Blue Bears lead, 55-54.

3:03 Plummer whistled for a player control foul. I thought the Oscars were last week. C’mon, it’s a 1-point game inthe final 3 minutes. Let ‘em play.

2:54 Jackson with a runner in the lane, the fiert field goal for either team in about 6 minutes. Livingstone leads 57-54. It’s six straight points.

2:00 After nothing would go down, somehow Greg Henry makes an off-balance leaner to go. 59-54, Livingstone, and 8-0 run.

1:52 Plummer is fouled though, and heads to the line.

He misses the first.

Makes the second. 59-55.

1:22 Hawkins with a steal after LC had the offensive rebound.

1:07 Evans with a big bucket on the put-back. Broncos’ first field goal since the 8:39 mark. It’s a ballgame again, 59-57.

1:00 Broncos need a stop.

33 seconds Bad possession for LC, which tries to spread the floor. BUt they get a tough shot at the shot clock buzzer.

29.7 seconds And Best is fouled in the open flooor. Double-bonus, so Best can tie it.

But Best appears to be hurt. And he doesn’t look Broncos.

FSU will have to sub the foul shooter, and it has to be somehone who wasn’t on the floor.

And it’ll be Fields, who rattles the first one home. But he misses the second one. 59-58.

Long rebound to Jackson, who’s going in for the layup.

BUT IT’S BLOCKED BY FIELDS! WHAT A PLAY!

Broncos ball, and FSU calls timeout with 18.2 seconds left.

It’s win or go home.

Put Ariel Robinson in. He’s had a rough night, but you know the drill by now…

He always makes the big shot.

2.1 seconds Plummer to the rack.. he’s fouled.

Missed the first.

Have to pray for overtime now.

Timeout, Livingstone.

There’s the horn. Here we go.

Nets.

59-59.

OVERTIME

4:39 Henry gets the lop and lays it in while being fouled. Broncos have to be careful they don’t fall behind too much too early. It’s their first OT game of the year. Three-point play, 62-59.

4:24 Good answer from Evans. 62-61.

3:47 Good defensive possession for the Broncos, and Fields draws the foul against Cox, his fourth.

Lane violation wipes out Fields’ make. Still 62-61, LC.

3:32 Broncos working offense-defense with Herrington and Fields.

3:21 Tyler Johnson with a three-point play. Damn. 65-61, LC.

2:18 The ball just fell into Cox’s hands. Plummer blocked a shot with the shot clock winding down, but the ball went to Cox. And he buries a 15-footer from the baseline. What can you do? 67-61, LC.

2:08 FSU turnover.

1:59 Jackson is fouled, and hits ‘em both. The slipper doesn’t fit. 69-61.

1:48 Evans fouls out.

Redfern hits both. 71-61. 12-2 in OT.

1:41 Then again, Robinson makes big shots, just like that 3. Not done yet. 71-64.

1:40 FSU chooing to extend the game here, sending Johnson to the line. He hits one, 72-64.

1:37 FSU turnover.

1:35 Henry hits two foul shots. 74-64.

1:32 Robinson is fouled, and he calmly hits both. Still 90 seconds left. 74-66.

1:30 Broncos are going to keep extending it. Good plan. Make Livingstone earn its first trip to the finals.

And so far, they are. Henry hits 1 of 2. 75-66.

1:21 Need to score in a hurry, but that shot awas a little rushed. Rebound goes out of bounds to Blue Bears. And Redfern heads to the line.

Missed both.

1:14 Plummer is fouled. Good aggressive move. But it looked like it might go down. That would’ve been huge.

Plummer misses the first. Makes the second. 75-67.

1:12 Redfern back to the line. And he makes 1 of 2. 76-67.

55 seconds Broncos get a couple of looks at the basket, but nothing will go down.

35.6 seconds The iron unkind. Broncos have just three field goals since the 8:39 mark of the second half. It’s not meant to be. Only a matter of time running off now. 78-67

FINAL: LIVINGSTONE 81, FAYETTEVILLE STATE 71

CIAA Men’s Tournament — Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the CIAA Men’s Tournament — the quarterfinals.

Once again the blog will come to you live from the sidelines at Time Warner Cable Arena as the quarterfinals of the men’s CIAA Tournament take place on Thursday.

And, as always, though this is a Fayetteville State blog, we will cover all of the action of the all of the CIAA teams.

As for Fayetteville State’s third meeting with rival Winston-Salem State, to view that commentary, go here.

And in case you want to go back over any of the previous blogs from the tournament, they can be found here: Day 1 Women’s; Day 2 Women’s; Day 1 Men’s.

Up first today,

NO. 3N ELIZABETH CITY STATE (18-9) VS.NO. 2S SHAW (19-8)

And we are under way from Time Warner Cable Arena, where Devon McLendon gets Shaw off to a 3-0 start with a quick 3 to open the game.

16:48 A big start for the Bears, who get an outlet to Tony Smith, who dunks it home for a 7-0 lead. Smith has four quick ones already.

14:08  It’s going to be a heckuva atmosphere today, with Urban Sports Network televising the games and the scoreboard replay screen showing play-by-play and crowd shots. Big day ahead.

13:35 Shaw out and running early, pushing the tempo and getting baskets in transition while ECSU is stalled in its haklfcourt set. 12-4, Shaw.

12:51 And ECSU coach Shawn Walker is livid after another transition basket for Shaw, and he takes it out on his clipboard. Bears’ secondary break is flat-out killing the Vikings right now. SU, 14-4.

9:08 Raheem Smith for a bucket, and very few Shaw shots are being contested. The same can’t be said on the other end of the floor.

8:35 And now Tony Smith crosses halfcourt, then turns on the jets and streaks to the hole. He lays it in and an is fouled. Smith makes the foul shot, and Shaw is in control early, 19-6.

6:47 It’s amazing how collected Shaw is,e ven as the shot clock is winding down. The Bears did this a few times yesterday against Lincoln. And Raheem Smith is a big reason why. SU, 23-8.

5:10 ECSU shooting just 5 of 21 to start — 24 percent — including 1-for-8 from 3.

4:08 Tony Smith drills a deep 3 — stop me if you’ve heard this before — as the shot clock was winding down. All Shaw, 28-11. Smith now has 10 points as the Bears are shooting 57 percent from the field.

2:11 Shaw’s Jamaar Hosier was drilled on that play, and yet the hook shot goes down. So does the foul shot. 31-13.

1:27 Two foul shots for Dwight Bell makes it a 20-point game, 33-13. I’d try to figure out what the scoring run exactly is, but isn’t 33-13 enough?

41.4 seconds Give Tony Smith two more from the line for 12 points a 35-13 Shaw lead.

Halftime Shaw 35, ECSU 13

No doubt, Shaw’s offense has been extremely sharp in the first half — the Bears are shooting 54 percent after all — but their defense has matched their offensive prowess. ECSU isn’t playing well because isn’t allowing it. The Bears are owning the boards — 23-14 — and flat-out guarding in the halfcourt. I don’t see how the Vikings get back into this one, and Shaw is working on its second blowout.

Second Half

19:35 The second half starts the same way the first half… well the way the entire first half went: ECSU missed a contested shot, and Shaw scored in transition, this time with Raheem Smith. It leads to an immediate timeout called by ECSU coach Shawn Walker. 37-13. Did anyone see this coming in a CIAA quarterfinal game?

18:15 Tony Smith.

As the shot clock was winding down.

Again.

39-13.

16:38 Tony Smith, from deep — and yes, as the shot clock was winding down — and he buries the NBA-range 3. He’s also knocked to the floor, but just looks over to his bench and smiles. That kind of day. SU, 44-17.

15:31 Tony Smith is owning this game, not unlike Raheem Smith owned the opener. Tony with 19 points in 24 minutes.

11:55 ECSU can cut it to 22, but that’s about it. Time to make a run to at least make Shaw break a sweat is running out.

11:18 Shot clock vs. Raheem Smith.

Seems like Smith, and Shaw, win every time. 52-30.

7:13 The lead got as high again as 28 points before a Trent Bivens 3. Shaw keeps pushing the tempo, at least past halfcourt, then, if the break is still there, the Bears attack. If not, they are content to run their halfcourt sets, which have been really effective.

The big thing about Shaw right now? The Bears are so confident. They wince when they pass up what looked like even a possible open shot, as if they missed a prime opportunity, even in a 25-point game. Shaw is scary good right now.

60-35.

6:26 It’s as if the Bears are toying with the shot clock. But that’s the thing. That’s how confident they are in what they are doing, and that confidence begats poise. The Bears have boatloads of both right now, just two games from a possible CIAA title. 62-38.

4:37 Chemistry, too. This is a really good passing team as well. 66-40.

24 seconds Give. Go. Give back. Oop.

Greg Thomas with the capper. Sweet play.

FINAL: Shaw 71, Elizabeth City State 48

As impressive a performance as we’ve seen at the tournament so far. Tony Smith with 21 and Raheem Smith with 19.

Up Next:

NO. 3S LIVINGSTONE (15-11) VS. NO. 2N VIRGINIA UNION (15-8)

17:00 This just in: Darius Cox is good. He hits two straight jumpers, and Livingstone is off to an 8-2 start.

14:13 Livingstone’s Nasir Austin hits back-to-back jumpers, and the Blue Bears lead 12-5 early.

11:57 Virginia Union doing a better job pushing the tempo, and it’s getting better looks at the basket for it. Instead of settling for long-range jumpers, the Panthers are going to the rack. Livingstone leads 12-9.

10:21 Greg Henry with a fadeaway jumper and is fouled. He swishes the foul shot,a nd Livingstone again pushes the advantage to seven, 20-13.

10:08 But Nasir Austin picks up his second foul and will have to take a seat. Big loss for Livingstone.

5:06 Donte Durant with a 3 at the shot clock buzzer, and following a Trone Jackson jumper, the Blue Bears are on a 9-2 run for their biggets lead, 29-16.

Halftime A great first have for the Blue Bears, who close with a couple of buckets to take a 10-point lead into the half, 37-27.

Second Half

15:50 Braxton Byerson might be the only thing keeping VUU in this one right now. He leads all players with 13 points, but still the Trojans trail Livingstone 41-35. James Theus’ 3 helps, though, because Livingstone was up nine just moments ago.

13:41 Durant with a wing 3, and now Livingstone is back in front by 12, 49-37. VUU better make a run soon, because Livingstone believes that this game is theirs.

12:44 Byerson is trying. His contested 3 goes down, and VUU trails by nine again, 49-40.

9:34 Five straight points from VUU, and the run might be brewing. Livingstone has to weather this storm and put good possessions together.  51-45, LC.

9:09 Byerson keeps them in it, and hits a 3 to make it 51-48.

6:21 Off the glass, for Wayne Ford. 52-50, and VUU is all the way back.

3:43 Still 52-50. Livingstone looks awfully tight, but VUU is having trouble getting over the hump. Darius Cox with a big blocked shot to preserve the slim lead.

3:05 Neither team has made a field goal for 6-plus minutes. Still 52-50.

1:52 And Byerson gives Union a lead. Livingstone hasn’t made a field goal for 10 minutes, and VUU has come back to take a 54-52 edge.

1:25 Austin with a foul shot, 54-53.

1:11 VUU’s Jeffrey White with the layup, and it’s 56-53.

1:00 Cox gets Livingstone within one, snapping the field goal drought. Still a ballgame, 56-55.

52 seconds After a Byerson turnover, Cox banks it in, and even though he may not have called it, it counts. 57-56, LC.

33.9 seconds  Ford with the cool jumper. 58-57.

10.8 seconds Livingstone’s Trone Jackson makes two foul shots, and the Bears lead it, 58-57.

1.8 seconds And VUU’s 3-point try doesn’t go. It looked good when it left his hand. Livingstone gets the rebound, and that should do it.

FINAL: LIVINGSTONE 59, VIRGINIA UNION 58

And you should hear the Livingstone team as it races down the hall to its locker room. Wow.

And this was probably something that could be seen from a look at the conference standings before the tournament, but there’s a chance four teams from the Southern Division could reach the semifinals. With Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State due up next, there will be at least three.

For the running commentary of FSU and WSSU, go here.

CIAA Tournament — Broncos vs. Winston-Salem State

BRONCOS, RAMS SET TO MEET AGAIN, THIS TIME IN CIAA TOURNAMENT

Rams swept the regular season series, beating FSU just five days previous

CHARLOTTE, NC – And so they will meet again.

The Fayetteville State Broncos will get a third chance at knocking off rival Winston-Salem State in its return to the CIAA – and they could do on the conference’s grandest stage.

The Broncos (14-13) and Rams (19-6) will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the CIAA Tournament quarterfinals at Time Warner Cable Arena following Fayetteville State’s 74-58 victory over Virginia State in the tournament’s opening round on Wednesday.

John Herrington (Jr., Jacksonville, FL) came off the bench to record his first double-double since mid-February with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Tyrrel Tate (Fr., Raleigh, NC), an All Rookie selection, enjoyed another good game against Virginia State, adding another 17 points as the Broncos shook off a 1-point deficit early in the first half to race past the Trojans for the third time this season.

But while Fayetteville State understands the rigors of defeating a CIAA team three times in a single season, it too could fall victim to the same sort of three-peat when it tips off against Winston-Salem State.

“That is a team five years in the making,” Fayetteville State coach Alphonza Kee said of the Rams. “We know it’s going to be a very tough game.”

The Broncos held an incredible 57-26 edge in rebounding against the Trojans, including 21 offensive rebounds to hold a 26-6 advantage in second-chance points. But the Broncos struggled to rebound against the physical Rams, who boast the conference’s top rebounder in Paul Davis. In the last meeting just five days ago, the Rams held a decisive 46-32 edge on the glass.

“The problem last time was we tried to jump with them,” said Herrington. “This time we have to box them out first and then go after the rebound.”

While the Rams’ offense was spread out among All-CIAA selection Shelton Carter, Stephon Platt and Marcus Wells, Seth Hawkins (So., Greensboro, NC) led the Broncos with a career-high 17 points while Tate added 16. Fayetteville State will need more balance to advance past the CIAA quarterfinals for the first time since reaching the tournament’s title game in 2008 and perhaps have a chance at winning its first CIAA title since 1973.

“We just have to relax and play the best basketball we can play,” says Kee. “That’s all we were looking for when we came into the tournament. We were a little nervous in the beginning (Wednesday), but that’s because we wanted it so bad.”

The Broncos have been wanted a third shot at the Rams pretty badly as well.

Check back here often after the 7 p.m. tipoff for live running commentary from the game.

First Half

20:00 And the ball is in the air. Here we go.

17:47 Overanxious Tim Plummer picks up his first foul already. Still no score, as both teams are trying to establish an inside game.

16:21 Plummer’s heel looks fine, evident by the dunk from a straight vertical jump, 2-2.

15:33 Doesn’t matter how well Plummer’s heel feels now. He just picked up his second foul.

14:57 This is beginning to play out like the first meeting between these teams on Jan. 22. There, the Broncos had 30 fouls called against them to just 14 on the Rams. And John Herrington just picked up his second. 3-2, WSSU.

12:19 Five straight points for Winston, after a 3 from Lamar Monger. 8-3, WSSU.

12:07 But Tyrrel Tate comes right back with a three-point play, and the Broncos, considering they are just 2 of 12 from the field, are doing well to be down just 8-6. Now, if only they could get to the half without any more foul trouble.

10:29 Good, strong move by Sidney Evans, especially after Paul Davis had sent one right back at him. All tied at 8.

8:24 Broncos are slow to close out on Shelton Carter, who buries the 3-pointer with ease.

8:08 And now Carter gets a steal and runout. It’s WSSU, 18-10.

7:50 Make it 20-10 after goaltending is called on Donte Fields. It’s a 12-2 run in a matter of 2 minutes, and Carter has seven points in the run. Broncos get a dead ball with the goaltending, and get a much-needed media timeout as well.

4:19 Big long jumper from Andre Best snaps the run, and though Tim Plummer picks up his third foul with 5:01 left, Herrington makes a sweet move deep in the paint to bring FSU within six, 20-14. WSSU is allowing the Broncos to hang around.

3:44 If the Broncos can get into the break down by six or so, and without any more foul trouble, they’re in pretty good shape. FSU is shooting a miserable 23 percent from the field (6-for-26; 0-for-9 from 3) and yet they’re in the game.

3:19 Pretty little floater from Seth Hawkins, who scored a career-high 17 points against Winston in the last meeting in Fayetteville. 21-16, WSSU.

3:01 Devin Thompson comes off the bench and buries an absolutely huge 3 for the Broncos. They needed that. Now only down three, 22-19.

56.2 seconds Gorgeous left-handed scoop layup by Best, and FSU is down only one, 24-23.

But Best is whistled for an intentional foul after a turnover.

Halftime

But the Broncos hold them to just two points on the trip, and go into the half down just 26-23. That has to be considered a win for the Broncos. They were down 10, shooting under 25 percent and in serious foul trouble. And yet, at the break, they are only down one possession. Great damage control for the Broncos.

Second Half

20:00 Tim Plummer is ready to inbound the ball, but he’s waiting for the media timeout to clear. Dude can’t stand still. He’s bouncing, rocking back and forth — all with that Tim Plummer grin.

19:18 That may have been Fields’ best move of the season. Gorgeous reverse layup. Broncos back within one, 26-25.

18:42 Remember when the Broncos were slow on the close outs in the first half, leading to that 12-2 WSSU run? They do it beautifully this time, and it results in a shot clock violation.

18:24 Plummer with the putback, and FSU leads, 27-26, its first lead since 3-2.

17:03 Paul Davis, the CIAA’s Defensive Player of the Year, has seven rebounds and three blocked shots, but he hasn’t been an offensive option at all for WSSU so far. FSU, 29-28.

16:06 Broncos have been matching WSSU in rebounding until this possession, going back to jumping with the bigger Rams instead of boxing out.

16:04 And then they lose another chance at a rebound, with Carter grabbing the board and getting the leaner to go with the foul, the third on Tate. WSSU, 31-29.

14:29 Not much you can do about that one. Carter from NBA-range with Devin Thompson’s hand in his face. He just flat-out buried it. Carter with 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting. He’s carrying the Rams right now. WSSU, 37-33.

13:54 Plummer asks to guard Carter.

12:16 He just makes big shots. Ariel Robinson for the Broncos, from the top of the key. Broncos lead 38-37 after five straight points.

11:52 It’s not any one guy who’s doing it for the Broncos tonight, although Andre Best is playing one of his best games of the season to this point. Six Broncos have at least four points. FSU, 39-38.

10:43 Low post move by Plummer and then a brilliant layup by Evans gives the Broncos a 43-38 edge — their largest of the game — and in the midst of a 10-1 run.

9:47 Paul Davis picks up his fourth. Huge. Freaking Huge.

Evans hits a pair of foul shots, and FSU leads 45-42.

7:49 Broncos had two chances at a Plummer alley-oop, and either one of them would’ve blown the roof off the Time Warner Cable Arena. Alas, the Broncos totally missed Plummer the first time and them made a bad pass the second time. And then Winston-Salem State gets the board and scores on the other end on a putback. Ugh. WSSU re-takes the lead 46-45.

Heckuva ballgame shaping up here.

7:00 Plummer draws his fourth foul. Broncos have been beaten on the back door play the last two trips, and are starting to lose control of the boards. WSSU, 48-45.

6:13 Great tip by Evans. Broncos aren’t out of this, not by a long shot. But they have to rebound better. 48-47, WSSU.

5:26 What did I say? He just hits big shots. Robinson 3 from the corner, and FSU has the lead again, 50-48.

4:32 And Tate picks up his fourth. Broncos are going to have to be near perfect to win this one. 52-all.

3:54 Tied at 52, with the media timeout. Alphonza Kee to his players as they come to the bench: “You’ve got to box out! It’s a big boy game!”

3:39 Herrington with two foul shots, and the Broncos lead 54-52.

2:49 It looked like Best was pushing the ball too fast there, but Herrington is there for the offensive board, the put-back and the foul — the fifth against the Defensive Player of the Year, Paul Davis.

And with Stephon Platt fouling out a minute ago, the Rams just got a lot smaller.

Herrington rattles in the foul shot. FSU, 57-54.

2:23 See above, only for Winston’s McIntoche Alcius, who converts a three-point play on a putback, drawing Herrington’s fourth foul. We’re tied at 57.

2:10 Plummer with a pair of foul shots. Up 59-57. FSU just needs stops — which means rebounds.

1:53 Dagger. Andrew Jackson with a deep, deep 3. 60-59, WSSU.

1:00 SIDNEY EVANS FROM 18 FEET! BRONCOS LEAD 61-60.

52.7 seconds WSSU timeout.

49 seconds Steal by Best!

47.2 seconds Dunk by Evans! 63-60, FSU

41.0 seconds Alcius with a corner 3. My God.

Tied.

63-63.

6.0 seconds SIDNEY EVANS FOR THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT’S OVER! IT’S OVER!

AND EVANS IS MOBBED BY HIS TEAMMATES! BEDLAM IN CHARLOTTE!

FINAL: FAYETTEVILLE STATE 66, WINSTON-SALEM STATE 63

The CIAA Men’s Tournament — Day 1

We’re back on the sidelines for at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte for the start of the CIAA Men’s Tournament. As always we’ll be breaking down the highs and lows of all of the games today, which begin at 1 p.m. with Lincoln taking on Shaw. Be sure to check back at this page for blow-by-blow analysis of all the games.

And, as we’ve said before, just because this is a Fayetteville State blog site, we’ll cover all of the CIAA teams. As for FSU’s game against Virginia State today, follow that commentary here.

(See the blogs from Day 1 and Day 2 of the women’s tournaments.)

Up Next:

No. 6N Lincoln (4-22) vs. No. 2S Shaw (18-8)

If there is a team playing on Day 1 of the men’s tournament that might be considered the best bet to advance to the CIAA finals, it’s probably Shaw. The Bears have played their best basketball as the season has come to a close, and should have no problem getting past Lincoln in the opening round today.

That said, the Lions have one of the league’s top scorers in Denzel Mooney. If he has a special day, then who knows?

First Half

15:29 Good start for Shaw, which is getting Dwight Bell involved early. The teams were a little apprehensive in the opening 2 1-2 minutes combining for five turnovers, but that’s to be expected in the opening minutes of the first tournament game.

Dwight Bell has four points and two boards already, and after two Tony Smith foul shots, it’s 8-0, Shaw.

15:10 Denzel Mooney with four quick points, cutting the lead in half, 8-4.

 13:28 Lincoln’s defense is starting to give Shaw some problems, forcing a shot clock violation and then a turnover. 8-4.

12:00 Tip-in by Lincoln’s Eugene Smith, and now it’s 8-6 after six straight points from Lincoln, which looks like the more poised team right now. Lions are forcing the Bears to take long jump shots, and the Bears, now 3 of 11 are misfiring.

10:58 Make it an 8-0 run by the Lions, and we’re tied. Great response by Lincoln, which is showing no fear.

 8:38 Shaw starting to settle down again. Devon McLendon hits a 3 from the wing, and the Bears have scored five straight. SU, 13-8.

 5:38 Tony Smith with an NBA-range 3 from the wing. Big shot as the clock was winding down. SU, 18-11, nearing its biggest lead of the game so far.

4:43 Raheem Smith with a 3 as the clock is winding down again. No panic out of the Bars as the clock gets near the end. Still paitient. It’s a 13-3 run and Shaw leads 21-11.

1:52 Raheem Smith is taking this game over for Shaw. After a layup following a McLendon steal, Smith follows that with a deep 3 over Mooney from the top of the key. All Shaw now, and the Bears are threatening to run away. It’s a 20-5 run and Shaw leads 28-13. Smith has 10 points in the game, all in this run.

Halftime: Shaw 30-18 over Lincoln.

Raheem Smith has taken this game over, scoring 12 of Shaw’s last 14 points fo the half. That gave the Bears a 30-15 lad until Lincoln’s Quinton Hector hit a much-needed 3 from the corner. Shaw looks to be in complete control, though, aside from Lincoln’s 8-0 run early.

Second Half

16:31 Terron Jones with a jumper for Lincoln, and the Lions are back under double-digits, 34-25.

14:26 But Shaw rips off five straight again, and takes it back to a 14-point lead, 39-25.

13:11 Make it a 7-0 run as Mooney is struggling mightily for Lincoln. He misses a layup and is 2 of 10 from the field. SU, 41-25.

12:38 Raheem Smith again for 3. He’s got 19 for the game, and it’s a 10-0 run.

11:46 More from Smith. What a performance. He is fouled on the layup and goes to the line for a chance at a three-point play. He hits it, and it’s a 15-0 spurt and a 49-25 Shaw lead. Smith has 22.

10:53 Eighteen straight points for Shaw after a Tony Smith 3. The Bears have doubled up on the Lions. 52-25.

9:16 20 straight.

7:27 23 straight. Raheem Smith again.

7:13 Jones bookends the 23-0 run with a 3. It’s 57-28.

Smith, it should be noted, hasn’t missed today. He’s 9 of 9 from the field, 4-for-4 from 3 and 3-for-3 from the foul line.

4:26 Shaw seems perfectly willing to keep both Tony and Raheem Smith in the game despite the near-30-point lead. They haven’t had a seat yet, playing 36 minutes each. Shaw would have to win four games in four days to win the CIAA, and will play Thursday at 1 p.m. Hmmmmmm.

3:30 And the Smiths are out. They combined for 35 points.

FINAL: Shaw 67, Lincoln 43

Up next, Virginia State vs. Fayetteville State. For commentary on that game, go here.

Back on the CIAA blog now, and up next is:

NO. 6S ST. AUGUSTINE’S VS. NO. 3 N ELIZABETH CITY STATE

At the half, ECSU clings to a 24-20 lead. St. Aug’s is shooting just 23 percent from the floor, and yet the Falcons are right there in the ballgame. All three games have begun with long stretches of nervous play, and while ECSU holds a lead at the break, the Vikings need to slow down Keith McAllister, whose eight points are keeping St. Aug’s alive and dreaming of an upset in the opeing round. ECSU is led by Paul Goldsmith’s six points. ECSU holds a sizable 23-15 rebounding edge.

Second Half

ECSU continues to hold St. Aug’s at bay, leading 44-36 with 7:30 to go. Both teams are having trouble shooting from the floor, with each of them in the low 30s. Disjointed game.

5:21 St. Aug’s continues to hang around. The Falcons trail just 49-45.

1:00 Finally, ECSU put them away. A 12-1 run did it in the last 4 minutes, and ECSU will advance to play Shaw at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Final: ECSU 65, St. Aug’s 51

 Up Next:

N0. 5N CHOWAN VS. NO. 4S JOHNSON C. SMITH

7:59 Right now it’s been al Chowan, which leads 24-16 through the first 12 minutes. The Hawks hold an incredible 17-4 edge on the glass so far, and that’s led to their early dominance in this one. Charles Rhodes has nine points to pace Chowan while Trevin Parks, one of the most electric scorers in the conference, has eight to keep Johnson C. Smith afloat.

Halftime: JCSU 30, Chowan 28

Give JCSU credit, it has come all the way back. The Golden Bulls close the half on a 14-4 run to take the lead into the break, and Chowan, while certainly still in it, doesn’t seem like such a likely Cinderella anymore.

 SECOND HALF, LATE

Give Chowan credit, after falling behind by double-digits by the midway points of the second half, Chowan, behind Charles Rhodes, came all the way back to trim the deficit under three with under a minute remaining.

But as good as Rhodes was (21 points and big shots from all over), so was JCSU’s Trevin Parks, who led all players with 26 points. A big 67-60 win for JCSU, but one that took a lot of effort. This one may be felt more down the line in the tournament than anything.

Up Next:

NO. 6N ST. PAUL’S (8-17) VS. NO.  3S LIVINGSTONE (14-11)

 16:56 Some tension between St. Paul’s coach Edward Joyner and one of the officials. Lots of jawing already. Livingstone, meanwhile, is up 6-0.

15:00 Livingstone off to a 10-0 start. Look out. St. Paul’s is 0-for-8 from the field. And the most telling stat? Darius Cox has just two points. Greg Henry has six.

13:29 Carol Boswell with a 3 from the corner, and this is quickly becoming a laugher already. It’s 13-0, and St. Paul’s can’t even get a good look at the basket. Fans might be headed for the exits before halftime if this keeps up.

12:14 Good God, Cox’s jumper is smooth. 15-0.

11:43 We’re at the second media timeout, and the Tigers will get their best look coming out fo the timeout — from the foul line. Of course, they missed two earlier, and they are o-for-10 from the field. What’s worse inside that stat? It means St. Paul’s has had just two shot attempts in the last 3-plus minutes.

Never want to hear the derisive cheer for getting into the scoring column 8 minutes into the game. But that’s what Kedrick WIlliams just had to endure. 15-2.

11:16 And Jason Davis gets the first field goal.

10:47 And now George LeSeur buries a deep 3 from the top of the key. All of a sudden, it’s a 7-0 St. Paul’s run. That’s pretty stout. 15-7.

10:00 It’s a 9-0 run after a Williams layup. Who could’ve seen this coming after the first 8 minutes? 15-9.

8:06 Livingstone coach James Stinson is forced to burn a timeout just ahead of the media timeout. Why? Because St. Paul’s is back in the game. The Tigers are working on a 15-4 run and now trail by just four, 19-15.

6:20 Livingstone puts together six straight, and the Blue Bears are beginning to stretch things out again. They’re being more careful with the ball in this stretch, and getting better looks. 24-15, LC.

5:46 But then LC suffers two quick turnovers, and now Ibn Rassoull converts the three-point play. St. Paul’s fires five straight right back at Livingstone. 24-20, LC.

3:51 Big break for St. Paul’s. Cox picks up his second foul, and will likely hit the bench for the rest of the half. St. Paul’s trails 27-20, but with have 1-and-1 coming up after the media timeout.

13.3 seconds And here again come the Tigers. They score seven straight points, several of them from the foul line, and it’s a two-point game again, 31-29.

:00 seconds And they shot of the tournament goes down. Williams gets a steal as the game clock is winding down, and from about 40 feet away, let’s it fly. It banks off the glass, then rattles in, and St. Paul’s closes on a 10-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 32-31 into the half.

Second Half

19:23 The break didn’t cool Williams off. He buries a corner 3, and it’s now a 13-0 spurt and a 35-31 St. Paul’s lead. The bench and the Tigers fans who are here are feeling it.

 15:45 Pretty good basketball going back and forth here. Tied up at 39 at the first media timeout. It doesn’t look like St. Paul’s is going away anytime soon.

12:19 Spin move, and it’s beauty, from Rassoull. Livingstone, 44-43.

12:08 Ouch. LeSeur with his fourth foul. Oh boy. He’s clearly the emotional leader out there for St. Paul’s As much emotion as the Tigers are riding right now, they need his intensity.

9:31 Livingstone has managed to build a five-point lead since LeSeur has left the game. St. Paul’s is certainly still competing well, but Livingstone is getting to the line while St. Paul’s is struggling with offensive rebounding. 51-45, LC.

8:33 Livingstone’s Henry hits a pair of foul shots. It’s a 9-2 Blue Bears run, all with LeSeur on the bench, and the Blue Bears lead 53-45.

7:48 The Tigers’ bench is chanting “DEE-Fense!” “DEE-Fense!” How often do you hear a college basketball team do that? They need stops, and they know it. This could be the decisive run unless the Tigers find a way to stop it in its tracks.

7:10 Livingstone’s Trone Jackson gets into the open floor and hits a contested layup. LeSeur has to come back in now, and he does. Bears lead 55-45 on the 11-2 spurt.

6:31 Honestly, that might do it. St. Paul’s turns it over, and though Jackson misses the layup, Cox is there to jam it home. It’s now a 13-2 run and the Blue Bears push it to a 12-point lead, 57-45.

6:18 I wish I could buy stock in “Edward Jordan will get a tech before this game ends.” He is working the officials hard, especially with a 10-4 foul discrepancy.

5:01 Ref just tells the scorer’s table that Joyner has been warned. LC, 57-49.

3:05 St. Paul’s just will not go away. Livingstone will have to earn this one. Maurice Reevey gets hacked while hitting the bucket off the glass, then buries the foul shot. It’s 65-57, LC.

Not enough, though. Heckuva fight, though.

FINAL: Livingstone 77, St. Paul’s 61