SAVANNAH, GA — The semifinal round of the 2024 SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket saw
Clark Atlanta and
Miles advancing to championship play after matchups March 9.
Tipping off the semifinals was the No. 1 seed in the east division, Clark Atlanta (24-5, 16-5 SIAC), securing its spot in the championship game with a 78-68 victory over
Benedict (23-7, 15-6 SIAC) the No. 3 seed in the east division.
The Panthers’
Chris Martin had his sights set on the win, recording a game-high 22 points, with a dominating
Andrew Stewart not far behind, putting 19 points on the board.
Jalen NeSmith and
Jalen Williams significantly contributed to this hard-fought Panther win, recording 14 points and 11 points respectively.
Kharye Cayne, 2024 SIAC Defensive Player of the Year, played a season-high 40 minutes in addition to recording rebounds in double figures for the seventh consecutive contest.
The first half of the ballgame saw Clark Atlanta trailing behind and struggling to find their momentum as they shot 27.2% from the field, but the Panthers turned the tide in the second half, narrowing the margin to two points on the Tigers’ lead.
The Tigers gained a second lead for five points, but were answered by an Andrew Stewart layup, bringing the Panthers back to a three-point deficit (53-50).
A Chris Martin 3-pointer would tie the game at 10:53, placing the Tigers in jeopardy of falling to the Panthers.
The teams went point for point until a Cayne layup gave the Panthers a 60-58 lead ahead of a 7-1 run that would unknowingly seal the Tigers’ fate. A
Gabriel Gob foul placed Andrew Stewart at the charity stripe, adding two points to Panthers’ lead and securing the victory for Clark Atlanta.
Tiger Arena saw
Morehouse (20-10, 16-9 SIAC), the No. 2 seed in the east division, make its exit after a 68-53 matchup to Miles (23-5, 16-4 SIAC), the No. 1 seed in the west division.
A jumper by the Maroon Tigers’
Cedric Taylor III gave Morehouse a short-lived lead to begin the game, but Miles would dominate the boards, never to trail again in the ballgame.
The first half saw a 16-point margin for the Golden Bears, but decisive plays by the Maroon Tigers narrowed the deficit to seven points headed into halftime.
The second half opened with high energy from Morehouse and Cedric Taylor III chipping away at Miles’ lead. The 2024 SIAC Freshman of the Year went into production, recording a jumper at 19:51.
A
Damion Mitchell foul placed the ball in Miles’ territory and the 2024 SIAC Newcomer of the Year,
Alvin Miles, at the charity stripe. A good bucket added points to the board, and a
Corey Trotter layup would produce additional numbers in the paint.
Almost four minutes went by without a score from either team until sophomore forward, Trotter, would record a jumper 30 seconds later, securing a 12-point margin for the Golden Bears.
Miles would defend their lead for the remainder of the ballgame, closing the contest with
Chase Ballard at the foul line, solidifying the Golden Bears’ victory and spot in the championship game.
The 2024 SIAC Basketball Championship presented by Cricket is being hosted at Enmarket Arena March 10 in the beautifully historic Savannah, Georgia! The women’s and men’s championship games will be streamed live on ESPN+ at noon and 3 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
Visit the tournament
championship page for more information and follow the SIAC on
Facebook,
Instagram and
X (formerly known as Twitter) for championship updates.
About the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors seven men's and six women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.