SIAC Basketball Tournament Day 4 Recaps-Tuskegee Surges On
In todays action both Tuskegee Men and Women advance fairly easy, Kentucky State women’s team advances to the finals and Benedict continued their hopes toward a SIAC Title and a shot at participating in the NCAA Regionals in a week.
Kentucky State 57 Stillman 53 (W)
Kentucky State was not nearly as dominant in its matchup against Stillman as it was in the first two games of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s tournament. But the Thorobrettes did just enough to move within one victory of the league title. Mattie Jones scored 17 points and Kiarra Morgan added 13 as No. 3 seed Kentucky State held off the seventh-seeded Lady Tigers 57-53 at Fair Park Arena Saturday afternoon. The Thorobrettes (19-10) will face Tuskegee tomorrow at 1 p.m. CDT. The game will be shown on ESPNU on tape delay. KSU got off to a slow start, missing six of its first seven shots and turning the ball over four times. But after falling behind 9-2, the Thorobrettes rebounded to take the lead at 15-13 with six minutes left in the first half – a lead they would not relinquish. Stillman trailed 19-17 at the half but tied the game on three occasions in the first six minutes of the second half. Kentucky State, though, would break the game open when it opened an 11-point advantage with seven minutes to go. The Lady Tigers would make one final push, getting within three twice in the final minutes, but a free throw by Jonta Moss with four seconds remaining put the game out if reach. Tiffany McGhee scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds – both game-highs – while Sylbrena Johnson (17 points, seven rebounds) and Bianca Burton (nine points, nine rebounds, six assists) also played well for Stillman, which finished the season 12-18.
Tuskegee 88 Fort Valley State 73 (M)
Less than 24 hours after a draining double overtime win over LeMoyne-Owen, No. 7 seed Tuskegee continued its impressive run through the tournament with an 88-73 win over third-seeded Fort Valley State. Preston McCarter scored 22 points, Rashaune Walters added 17 and Jermale Jones chipped in with 13 – all off the bench – as the Golden Tigers (14-16) advanced to their first title game since 1984. The will take on the winner of the Clark Atlanta-Benedict game Sunday at 4:30 p.m. CDT, a game which will be shown on ESPNU on tape delay. Tuskegee only trailed once – at 17-16 midway through the first half – but used a 21-6 run late in the opening period to take control. The Wildcats (15-14) got a jumper from Brandon Dixon near the buzzer but still trailed 37-27 at halftime. Fort Valley State got to within eight points with an early basket in the second half but Tuskegee’s frenetic pace allowed it to methodically stretch its advantage throughout the second half. A Reginald Robinson layup with eight minutes remaining gave the Golden Tigers a 73-43 lead – their biggest of the game – and pointed them towards the championship game. Darrell Aiken scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Martez Scott added 10 points and six rebounds for Fort Valley State. Byron Fisher was Tuskegee’s only starter in double figures, finishing with 11 points.
Tuskegee 91 Clark Atlanta 76 (W)
Twenty-five point leads are generally sufficient enough to guarantee victory in college basketball. Saturday night, Tuskegee’s women’s team learned that the only guarantees come when the final buzzer sounds. Tuskegee jumped out to a 27-point advantage in the first half against Clark Atlanta, then nearly allowed Clark Atlanta to erase the entire lead. But the leadership of seniors Aisha Johnson and Crystal Benton, along with junior Rishaundra Gartrell helped top-seed Tuskegee hold on for a 91-76 win in the semifinal of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament at Fair Park Arena. Tuskegee will face Kentucky State today at 1 p.m. for the SIAC crown and automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. It’s the fourth time in seven years the Golden Tigerettes will play for the title, the first since 2004. After watching the Tuskegee men erase a 20-point deficit Friday night en route to a double overtime victory, Benton said the Golden Tigerettes (20-8) wanted to use their effort for motivation. Tuskegee was sizzling from the field in the first half and no one was hotter than Benton. She made six of her first seven shots, including three 3-pointers, as the Golden Tigerettes opened a 20-point lead midway through the first half. The Tuskegee led by 27 late in the first half and went to the locker room ahead 53-32. Clark Atlanta, though, came storming back in the second half. After Johnson (23 points) scored to give Tuskegee a 61-40 cushion five minutes into the period, the Pantherettes began to make their charge. A Jessica Wright 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the game cut the deficit to 68-64. Tuskegee would push its advantage back into double figures in the final minute to secure the victory. Shantrell Moss scored a game-high 30 points, Danielle Walker added 13 and Wright chipped in with 11 for Clark Atlanta, which finished its season at 18-11.
Benedict College 81, Clark Atlanta 57 (Men)
Five Benedict Tigers scored in double figures and the number one seed advanced to the SIAC tournament finals, by beating the Clark Atlanta Panthers 81-57. Clark Atlanta kept it close in the first half and trailed 37-33, but Benedict broke it open in the second half, shooting 66 percent from the field. The Tigers shot 50 percent from the field, led by Charles Gibbs, who sank 7-of-11 shots. Benedict’s Michael Holmes (15 pts and 13 rebs.) and Woody Martinis (13 pts. And 11 rebs.) recorded double-doubles. Ale Burt and Paul Nickerson led the way for Clark Atlanta with 10 points each. The difference in the game was the 45-24 rebounding advantage enjoyed by Benedict. Benedict advances to face Tuskegee who defeated Fort Valley State University 91-76.
Dem Franchise Boyz also was in attendance with a stellar performance at half time of the Benedict vs. Clark Atlanta game.
2008-mens-basketball-tournament-bracket-day4.pdf
2008-womens-basketball-tournament-bracket-day-4.pdf
Photograph courtesy of Patrick Major Photography