LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
The defending champion men of Miles and the women of Benedict are the favorites as the 2020 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tipped off its basketball tournament Monday at the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center in Rock Hill, S. C.
West Division leader Miles (21-4, 16-3) had ripped off 13 consecutive wins before losing its regular season ender to LeMoyne-Owen last week. The win streak vaulted the Golden Bears into the 19th spot in the D2SIDA national Media Poll.
Fred Watson’s troops opened tournament play Wednesday (March 4, 2:15 p.m.) vs. Savannah State, the East’s fourth seed. SSU defeated Spring Hill Monday in an opening round contest, 79-66.
East Division leader Benedict (24-3) had the best conference record (14-2) for the women by two games over West Division leader Miles (19-7, 14-4). The Lady Tigers first opponent Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. is Paine, the fifth seed from the East, who won an opening round game Monday vs. Spring Hill, 71-55.
The SIAC Tournament runs through Saturday, March 7 (see bracket) with the women’s championship game at 4 p.m. and men’s final at 7 p.m.
MEAC
Bethune-Cookman (22-5, 14-1) is in as the top seed on the women’s side but a showdown Thursday in Durham, N. C. between rivals North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central will determine the top seed for the men in next week’s (March 10-14) basketball tournaments at the Norfolk (Va.) Scope Arena.
NCCU (16-13) and NC A&T (16-14) have identical 12-3 conference marks as they enter Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. regular season finale. NC A&T won the first meeting in Greensboro 77-60 on Feb. 17.
With Savannah State leaving the conference (moving to the SIAC) and Florida A&M ineligible for tournament play, the format for this year’s tourney is different. There will be two sessions of two games (four games total) from Tuesday’s opening round through Friday’s semifinals with women’s games being played at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and men’s games to follow at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The four opening round games on Tuesday (March 10) involve women’s and men’s teams seeded 7th through 10th.
The top six men’s and women’s teams advance to quarterfinal play on Wednesday and Thursday. Seeds No. 1 and 2 for both the women and men play on Wednesday (March 11) with seeds No. 3 and 4 playing on Thursday (March 12).
Saturday’s women’s championship game will be played at 1 p.m. with the men’s final to follow at 3:30 p.m.
SWAC
The SWAC has two more dates on its regular season schedule (Thursday, March 5 and Saturday, March 7) before its tournament begins next week.
Only the top eight teams in the regular season advance to next week’s tournament that begins with quarterfinal games at the home of the higher seed on Tuesday, March 10.The tournament will then shift to the Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama on Friday, March 13 for the semifinals and Saturday, March 14 for the finals.
On the men’s side of the ten-team conference, Mississippi Valley State, at 2-15, will not make the tournament field. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, at 3-14 is also likely out. For the women, Grambling State and MVSU will not make the field.
The top seed for the women will likely be Jackson State (17-9 15-1) who closes Thursday at Alabama State and Saturday at Alabama A&M.The top men’s seed will likely be Prairie View A&M (17-11, 13-2) who closes on the road at Alcorn State (Thurs.) and Southern (Sat.).
INDEPENDENTS
The West Virginia State men (18-9, 13-9) finished fourth in the Mountain East Conference and the women (9-19, 7-15) finished ninth as they began tournament play on Wednesday (March 4) at the Wesbanco Arena in Wheeling, W. Va.
The WVSU women played Wednesday (2:15 p.m.) vs. No. 8 West Liberty while the men play Friday, March 6 (8:15 p.m.) vs. No. 5 Wheeling.
The Hampton men (13-18, 8-10) finished fifth in the Big South regular season while the Lady Pirates (17-10, 13-5) are in second place with two games left to finish out the regular season.
The men’s tournament opened play on Tuesday, March 3 with Hampton playing its first game Thursday (March 4, 8 p.m.) vs. No. 4 Longwood at Radford University. The women’s tournament begins on March 10. Higher seeds host games throughout both men’s and women’s Big South Tournaments.
The Tennessee State men (17-14, 9-9) finished tied for fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference race while the TSU women (4-24, 2-16) finished 11th. The women did not make the postseason tournament field.
The TSU men opened tournament play Wednesday (March 4, 6:30 p.m.) vs. No. 8 Morehead State at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, site of the men’s tournament.