JCSU men fall to Augusta State

Observer Staff Reports

The moral victory didn’t soothe Johnson C. Smith sophomore forward Jerry Hollis.
Still, Golden Bulls coach Steve Stephen Joyner Sr. wanted his team to remember what they accomplished this season after a 58-54 first-round Division II tournament loss Saturday to No. 10 Augusta State.
"This game indicates to us how much we have improved," Joyner said. "I asked them to please not let this game take away from the things they’ve done this year."
CIAA tournament champion J.C. Smith, a No. 7 seed, almost upset the second-seeded Jaguars on their home court. The Golden Bulls nearly overcame an 11-point halftime deficit, falling just short.
Hollis scored on a layup to pull J.C. Smith (21-10) within one with two minutes remaining.
The Golden Bulls trailed by two before Augusta State All-American senior forward Tyrekus Bowman, who scored a game-high 22, drained two free throws with 12 seconds left to seal the victory.
"We just needed one stop," Hollis said. "We just couldn’t get over the hump. "As a team, we were looking forward to make a deep run in the regionals. It’s bittersweet."

Augusta State (23-6), which will advance to play Wingate in the semifinals at 5 p.m. today, handed J.C. ohnson C Smith its worst loss of the season – a 23-point defeat – Nov. 24 here at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

Hollis scored 14 points with 11 rebounds and four assists to lead J.C. ohnson C Smith. Ryan Scott added 14 points and Edmund Rainey had 11.

J.C. Smith women lose to Wingate

From Observer News Services

Wingate University sophomore forward/center Erica Crumlin (Irmo, S.C.) missed a triple-double by one block as the Bulldogs defeated Johnson C. Smith University 61-50 in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional tournament Friday afternoon. The NCAA contest was held in the Smith University Center on the campus of Francis Marion University.

With the victory, Wingate improves to 24-7 overall. The Bulldogs will play Augusta State University Saturday night at 6 p.m. in the regional semi-finals. The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls conclude the 2007-08 campaign 21-10 overall.

Crumlin posted 14 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high nine blocked shots in 28 minutes of playing time. She hit seven-of-12 field goals and added three assists and two steals to her statistics ledger. Wingate senior guard Kate Edwards (Laurinburg, N.C.) added 10 points and seven rebounds for the victors.

For Johnson C. Smith, sophomore guard/forward Kyria Buford (Charlotte, N.C.) posted a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. In addition to her game-high point and rebound totals, the Florida State University transfer snatched a game-best five steals. Buford was the only JCSU player to hit double figures Friday.

Wingate led 23-17 following a cold-shooting first half for both teams. The Bulldogs started the second half with a 9-2 flurry to take a 32-19 lead on a short jumper by sophomore center Stacie Rhodes (Raleigh, N.C.) with 15:05 to play in the contest. The 13-point bulge was Wingate's biggest lead of the afternoon.

A hoop by freshman forward Jessy Keitt (Charlotte, N.C.) put the Bulldogs up 36-26 at the 12:55 mark. The JCSU Golden Bulls made their move, answering with a 9-2 run of their own to cut the deficit to 38-35 on a three-pointer by Buford with 8:19 to go. Buford had five points during the run.

Johnson C. Smith would get no closer than the three-point deficit down the stretch. The Golden Bulls had the ball only one time with a chance to tie the game. Bulldog junior point guard Anna Atkinson (Marion, N.C.) stepped up and made a steal to end the aforementioned JCSU possession. The 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® first team member was fouled on the play and converted a one-and-one opportunity to give Wingate a 42-37 lead with 5:56 remaining.

Wingate worked the lead back to 13 in the waning moments. Two Atkinson charity tosses put the Bulldogs up 58-45 with 1:02 to go. Wingate hit five-of-six free throws in the final 1:02 to keep JCSU at bay. The Golden Bulls hit two field goals and one free throw in the final 47 seconds to settle the final margin.

Atkinson dished out double-figure assists for the 11th time this season with her game-high 11 helpers. On the afternoon, Wingate made 25 turnovers that JCSU converted into 16 points. The Bulldogs shot 40.4 percent from the floor (23-of-57) for the day. The Golden Bulls managed only 27 percent shooting Friday (20-of-74). Thanks to Buford's efforts, the JCSU bench outscored the Wingate bench 30-16.

Wingate hit six-of-seven field goals (85.7 percent) out of the starting blocks, taking a 12-4 lead on a Crumlin jumper at the 16:11 mark. Wingate scored on its first six possessions. The Bulldogs pushed the lead to 19-10 on a transition basket by senior forward/guard Kasey Gillis (Indian Trail, N.C.) with 10:03 remaining in the opening frame.

The Golden Bulls cut the margin to 19-14 on a long jumper by Buford at the 9:13 plateau. Following the Buford basket, neither team would hit paydirt for six-plus minutes. Edwards broke the scoring drought with a follow shot at the 3:07 mark. The Edwards jumper gave the Bulldogs a 21-14 advantage.

Wingate outrebounded JCSU 28-16 in the first half. The Bulldogs hit 39.3 percent of their first-half field goals (11-of-28), while the Golden Bulls hit only 22.6 percent in the opening frame (seven-of-31). In the first 20 minutes, Gillis and Crumlin led Wingate with six points each. Buford posted seven markers for the JCSU in the first half.

Special day for J.C. Smith and Dr. Yancy

You just knew this CIAA Tournament was going to be special.
Not just the parties and reunions. Those always hold a special place in our hearts til we meet again.

I'm talking about on the court, the venue that gave birth to this extravaganza 63 years ago.

From Virginia State's 30-foot bank-shot buzzer-beater against St. Paul's to Shaw University's first tournament win in six years.
Something was in the air.

Then both Johnson C. Smith's teams made the finals - and the men won the crown, a grand send-off for University President Dorothy Cowser Yancy, who's stepping down after 13 years.

Yancy, her alma mater's first female president, played a huge role in bringing the CIAA to Charlotte. She's also the school's biggest hoops fan.

If you haven't seen her run onto the court to congratulate or console her players at each tournament, you've missed something really special.

Congrats, Dr. Yancy.
And we'll see you next year.

R. Kelly wasn't at the club

So I paid $60 at the Backstage Nite Club Friday night to see R. Kelly.
Problem is he wasn’t there.
I don’t know if I should be outraged that I got ripped off, or if I should be kicking myself for being so gullible.
Here’s what the party listing said: "R. Kelly Official CIAA Best of Both Worlds Kickoff Party hosted by Fat Joe."
In my mind, that means R. Kelly is suppose to be at the club. It would be great if he were actually performing, too. But I’d settle for his mere presence if his name is what’s selling it. Oh, and there was no Fat Joe sighting either, as far as I could tell.
Now correct me if I’m wrong. There were hundreds of people there, so one or both of them could’ve been chillin’ in a back room somewhere, but I doubt it.
Or maybe they made an appearance and left before I arrived. I got there about 11:45, and there was a huge line of people waiting to get in, two lines actually. One was for people who had the laminated flier (or invitation) announcing the party. They could go right in.
The other line was for people paying cash.
I should’ve known something was amiss when I couldn’t get a straight answer from the bouncers organizing the lines.
Is R. Kelly in there? I asked.
One bouncer said yeah in a tone that I now realize was sarcasm. Everybody doesn’t do sarcasm well.
That’s OK. I’ll just stay in line and find out for myself when I get inside.
While in line, every now and then I would turn to somebody in line and say: "R. Kelly’s suppose to be in here, right?"
They weren’t very engaging.
The only guy who gave me a definitive ‘yes’ was the dude who walked up selling invitations for $60. Why wait in this line when you can walk right in with this invitation, he asked.
"It’ll cost you $100 at the door," he said, obviously lying.
Just then, another patron in line said "I don’t like R. Kelly that much."
Ah ha, so at least there’s one other person who thought R. Kelly was suppose to be there.
Anyway, once I got in and looked around I could tell no one else cared.
Maybe they know the code words, like party "hosted by" means the host isn’t necessarily there.
As I shot some photos and mingled, I asked various people had they seen R. Kelly. The guys stared at me like I was an idiot. The girls thought that was my pickup line. All the girls looked so young (insert R. Kelly joke here).
One girl who I photographed was doing a nasty dance on a pole near the dance floor. I started to ask her, but she interrupted me.
"You better not put this on YouTube," she said. She’s concerned about the YouTube audience, but not the 300 people watching her in person.
"I’m serious. I know how to find you," she said.
Hmm, maybe she can find R. Kelly.

Did anybody else think R. Kelly was going to be at Backstage Nite Club? And were there other no-shows at other clubs? Was Keith Sweat at the Woods on South Blvd? Post your comments in the section below.

George Clinton concert

Most of all we need the funk.
And trust me, last night I got all the funk I needed when George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic landed in Charlotte.

Clint and the P-Funk mob (all 14 of them) jammed for about three hours on a small stage at the Neighborhood Theatre in the North Davidson district, or NoDa as we call it in the Queen City.

First, they told us to free our minds and our (butts) would follow. Harken back to 1975 when they first landed the Mothership. And many in the crowd did there best. I could tell by the smell of whatever they were puffing and passing.

There was a mix of eclectic NoDa regulars and out-of-town funkateers, who knew every word to every song. Some of them knew the names of all the band members, even the relatively new ones, like the guy dressed as Sir Nose. He had ripped abs, so I’m guessing he was in diapers when the original Sir Nose was introduced in the ‘70s.

And speaking of diapers, yes Gary Shider (Clint’s right-hand man) still wears one on stage. Gary, you know you’re my dog, but when you’re almost 60, it’s not a diaper. It’s a Depends. (That line brought to you by editor Glenn Burkins).

But he’s just as funky as he ever was on guitar and vocals. They all were.

The group, which had 13 top ten hits between 1967 and 1983, played some of everything: "Flashlight," "Funkentelecky," "Cosmic Slop," "Maggot Brain," "Atomic Dog," "Knee Deep."
The songs went on and on. Just when you thought it was the finale (they played every song like a finale) they’d strike a familiar chord, and the fans would go nuts again.

Clint, who is 67, still has his stage legs. He must be taking good care of himself, maybe even gave up smoking. Then the joint made its way on stage.
Guess not.

Time to party (Wish I could dance)

OK, the CIAA Tournament finally is in full swing.
The arena seats are filling up, alums are reuniting, steppers are stepping and vendors and vending.
Now it’s time for me to party.
Quick, somebody teach me the latest dance so I won’t have to do the rock-from-side-to-side move the whole weekend.
Like many of you, I haven’t been to a dance party since last year’s tournament, unless you include a Charlotte Observer’s Christmas party, where I showed up and did the water sprinkler dance.
But with the lineup of parties I’ve been assigned to cover, I’m going to shake my tailfeathers till they ruffle.
Thursday, it was George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic at the Neighborhood Theater.
Tonight, R. Kelly at Backstage Nite Club, Biz Markie at HOM and Doug E. Fresh at the Hilton Center City.
I was planning to check out Jermaine Dupri’s party at Jillian’s, but a guy at the arena handed me a flier for a Keith Sweat party at Woods on South Boulevard.
The guy had a great sales pitch: "Keith Sweat is $10 if you get there before 10."
Sorry, Jermaine.
Y’all know what I’m talking about. I’ve heard you complaining about the cost of some of these parties, too.
I like the "Day Parties" but even those are expensive. A friend of mine defines day party as a party before the police come out.
We attended one last year (I won’t say where) that charged $20 and they didn’t even have hors d’oeuvres.
The night parties cost $30, some $40, even $60 to hang out with the celebrity hosts.
For instance, Floyd Mayweather’s party at Jillian’s Thursday cost $30. For VIP advance tickets it was $75. I don’t know about you, but for $75 I want to see Floyd hit somebody, even if it’s just one of the guests.
Come to think of it, if you read the fine print, the flier I have never says Keith Sweat is actually singing at his party, either.

Can today's games top Wednesday's?

If you missed Wednesday's games, you missed some really good drama play out.

In the 7 p.m. game, Virginia State beat St. Paul's at the buzzer when Jamar Fleming hoisted a 30-footer that banked in for a 57-54 win.

Then in the 9 p.m. game, Shaw shot 72 percent in the second half to upset Livingstone, 74-60. It was Shaw's first postseason victory since 2002.

If tonight's games are half as exciting, we're in for great CIAA Tournament quarterfinals.

Tonight's lineup:
(No. 3) Elizabeth City vs. (No. 6) Fayetteville State, 1 p.m.
(No. 1) Virginia Union vs. (No. 8) Virginia State, 3 p.m.
(No. 4) J.C. Smith vs. (No. 5) St. Augustine's, 7 p.m.
(No. 2) Bowie State vs. (No. 10) Shaw, 9 p.m.

Barry, it's cold outside

Great, it's 9 a.m. on Day 3 of the CIAA Tournament and there are snow flurries over here in northwest Charlotte.

Did this cold spell have to hit in the middle of the tournament? Wednesday is suppose to be cold and windy. Thursday even colder. Throw in some scattered showers later in the week and some of us are gonna have to change outfits at least two or three more times a day.

I mean, it's hard enough planning what to wear to the CIAA parties when the weather's mild. But if you're a true fan, I guess the cold is just another reason to accessorize. Grab a scarf and matching hat, and you're set.

With that in mind, I wonder what my friend Barry Anderson is going to do now. We were just talking the other day about his wardrobe plans for the week. This year Barry's not spending too much on clothes. You know, gas prices and the economy and all, he says.

One day it'll be jeans, a nice blazer and some cowboy boots. The next day, maybe this pin-striped suit he got for a bargain at Value City. What kind of shoes with the suit, Stacy Adams?

"Nah, I'm not old enough for Stacys yet. That's old school," says Barry, who's 37 and looking at me like he thinks I own a pair. "I'm wearing some Cole Hahns."

Oh well, I just looked outside again and noticed the snow has stopped and the sun is out. Things are looking up. I guess I can throw the snow boots back in the closet and put on my Stacys.

Gloomy day brightened by old friends

The day started out gloomy, usually a bad sign for attendance, especially on the second day of the CIAA women's tournment.

But the rain stopped by late morning and the few early fans - mostly locals - started filing in for the games.

And for me it was like old home week already. Out of about a thousand people, I knew a bunch of them.

First, I ran into my friend and Down East homey Ellie Howard on the concourse. I'm from Rocky Mount and he's from nearby Murfreesboro, home to Chowan University, whose football team will join the CIAA next year. He was with his friend Reggie McKinney, a local bail bondsman. Let me get your card, Reggie. You just never know.

Then I saw my 7th-grade guidance counselor Betty Payne, a Fayetteville State grad. She's also one of my mother's best friends. She was with her friend Althea Rudrow, a J.C. Smith grad. Ms. Payned wanted me to put a good word in for Fayetteville State's women, who beat St. Augustine's. "We don't get much coverage around here."

Then there's Cornelia Curry, JCSU class of 63, and Constance Sims, class of 64. I know them from the McCrorey YMCA, my home away from home.

If Tuesday was any indication of what the week's going to be like, I can't wait for the crowds really start coming in.

The CIAA tournament starts today (See Brackets)

Hey, CIAA fans. Welcome back to Charlotte.

Today kicks off the CIAA Tournament's third straight year in the Queen City, and it's going to be here at least three more years. I couldn't be more excited. I know you are too because many of you have let me know through emails and comments on this blog over the past month leading up to the tournament.

I can't wait to hit some of the parties and check out this year's lineup of recording artists like R.Kelly, CeCe Winans, Bow Wow and Omarion. I mean, where else could you catch entertainment like this in one three-day span?

But I'm just as excited about the games. You should be too, because that's what brought us all here. So enjoy yourselves at all the various entertainment venuse, but by all means, please go support your teams too. In fact, here's a breakdown of who's playing and when. Enjoy!

Women's Tournament
Monday, February 25
(7) Elizabeth City State University vs (10) Virginia Union University 7:00pm
(8) Livingstone College vs (9) Virginia State University 9:00pm
Tuesday, February 26
(4) St. Augustine's College vs (5) Fayetteville State University 1:00pm
Winner of ECSU/VUU vs (2) Bowie State University 3:00pm
Winner of LC/VSU vs (1) Shaw University 7:00pm
(6) St. Paul's College vs (3) Johnson C. Smith University 9:00pm
Friday, February 29
Winner of SAC/FSU vs Winner of 7:00pm game 1:00pm
Winner of 3:00pm game vs Winner of SPC/JCSU 3:00pm
Saturday, March 1
Women's Championship Game 5:00pm

Men's Tournament
Wednesday, February 27
(8) Virginia State University vs (9) St. Paul's College 7:00pm
(7) Livingstone College vs (10) Shaw University 9:00pm
Thursday, February 28
(6) Fayetteville State University vs (3) Elizabeth City State University 1:00pm
Winner of VSU/SPC vs (1) Virginia Union University 3:00pm
(4) Johnson C. Smith University vs (5) St. Augustine's College 7:00pm
Winner of LC/SU vs (2) Bowie State University 9:00pm
Friday, February 29
Winner of 9:00pm game vs Winnder of FSU/ECSU 7:00pm
Winner of JCSU/SAC vs Winner of 3:00pm game 9:00pm
Saturday, March 1
Men's Championship Game 8:00pm

All CIAA Basketball Teams announced

Men's All-CIAA Basketball Team:
Joshua Johnson, Sr. forward, Bowie State
David Paris, Sr. center, Bowie State
Anthony Hilliard, Jr. forward, Elizabeth City
Jerry Hollis, Soph. forward, J.C. Smith
Damola Obadina, Sr. forward, Shaw
Brad Byerson, Sr. forward, Virginia Union
Phillippe' Harris, Sr. guard, Fayetteville State
Andy Gebru, Jr. guard, Fayetteville State
Maurice Hooper, Sr. guard, J.C. Smith
William Gill, Jr. guard, St. Augustine's
Trey Mines, Soph. guard, Virginia State

Women's All-CIAA Basketball Team:
Markeya Watson, Jr. forward, Bowie State
Allyson Swailes, Sr. forward, Bowie State
Celeste Trayan, Sr. center, Elizabeth City
Kyria Buford, Soph. forward, J.C. Smith
Rochelle Bodie, Sr. forward, J.C. Smith
Nicky Souter, Sr. forward, Shaw
Katchona Johnson, Sr. forward, Virginia Union
Bianca Lee, Soph. guard, Bowie State
Leticia Dickson, Sr. guard, Fayetteville State
Ashley Chase, Sr. guard, J.C. Smith
Jamie Goshen, Sr. guard, Shaw
Katania Walker, Jr. guard, Virginia Union

CIAA Players of the Year

The CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Coaches Associations have selected the honorees of the 2008 All-CIAA Teams and Players of the Year.

This year's Players of the Year hail from the same institution, Elizabeth City State University. Celeste Trahan and Anthony Hilliard will mark the third Player of the Year duo in CIAA history to claim the title in the same year; and a first for ECSU. (Previous years: 1995 Norfolk State and 2005 Bowie State) This also marks Trahan's second year in a row as CIAA Player of the Year.

Both Trahan and Hilliard lead the conference in scoring (23.7ppg/20.1ppg), total rebounding (15.9rpg/11.9rpg) and defensive rebounding (11.1rpg/8.5rpg). Trahan, who broke ground this season as the first NCAA Division II women's basketball student-athlete to score 2,000 career points and 2,000 career rebounds, is also the 2008 CIAA Defensive Player of the Year. Celeste leads the conference in rebounding (15.9rpg), blocked shots (2.13pg), defensive (4.7rpg) and offensive rebounds (11.1rpg).

The 2008 Men's Defensive Player of the Year, Brad Byerson hails from Virginia Union University. Byerson currently ranks second in the conference in rebounding with 8.0rpg and third in blocked shots with a 1.25 avg. Not only is he a dominant defensive player, he shows versatility, ranking third in the conference in scoring, 16.8ppg.

The All-CIAA Teams and Players of the Year will be honored at the Women's and Men's Tip-Off Banquets on February 24th and 26th, respectively, in Charlotte.

CIAA tickets and parking pass for sale

I have 1 booklet of tickets, section 221, Row L, Seat 18 for sale for $125.00. This is for the whole tournament Monday-Saturday. I can be reached at rlewis555@carolina.rr.com or 704-248-1376
Ronald

Mr. Hart,
Please post that I have two CiAA Basketball Tournament Books for sale. Each priced at $225. The seats are in Section 117, terrific floor views. I can be reached at williamjsin@aol.com and 703-981-0585.
Jay

And here's a reader offering a parking pass:
I have a parking card for an uptown parking deck that can be used for $100 for the week with a $20 deposit.
I can be contacted at d_greenhouse@hotmail.com or 704-779-4261.

Any others with tickets or parking passes for sale, post them in the comments section below or email me at khart@charlotteobserver.com

JCSU vs. Shaw women on Fox Sports

Hey, CIAA fans. Check out the Johnson C. Smith women vs. Shaw on television Saturday, February 16. It will be televised on CSTV and Fox Sports Net. Time Warner Cable subscribers in the Charlotte area can turn to channel 40 (Fox Sports) or channel 139 (CSTV) to watch the game. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

Use the following link to watch the game live via the internet.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH GAME LIVE!

Townhome, room for rent during CIAA

If you can't a find a hotel rate to your liking or you'd just rather stay at a house or condo, a couple of readers offer these options:

I live in a towmhome on the eastside of charlotte not far from uptown, and if anyone is interested in renting a room i have one for rent for the week of ciaa conference, i can be contacted at 704-713-8587.

Hi Kelvin,
My name is LaTasha and I’m new to Charlotte. This will be my first CIAA, pretty excited. Wanted to let you know that if you know of anyone looking for a place RIGHT uptown, I’ve got a townhome available for $375/night. It can accomodate up to four people. It’s on Fifth and Poplar, really nice. lcartersolo@yahoo.com

From Ice:
I live in charlotte and I have a house that I rent out normally but will be using to house tournament watchers, I still have room left. If more people would come up with alternative living arangements for each others maybe hotels would lower their prices based on the new competition.919-491-5566

If anyone else has homes, apartments or rooms to rent, put your contact info in the comments section below or email me at khart@charlotteobserver.com

Hotel rates an issue already

As the CIAA draws near, the price of hotels always goes up. But one curious reader has checked into whether the prices are up higher for CIAA week than they will be for the ACC tournament. The ACC tournament is actually March 13-16, so the rates he or she checked for March 5-9 are not comparable. But it would be interesting to see if the rates are lower during the ACC tournament. Hmmm

Hello Mr. Hart:
A conversation about hotels raising their prices during the CIAA sparked a debate on whether hotels have a right to raise their rates when an influx of people are visiting Charlotte.

Which brought up the question whether the hotels would charge more during CIAA weekend than they would during the ACC weekend.

My curiosity peaked, so I did some research by performing an internet search of hotel rates from Wednesday, February 27 through Sunday, May 2nd and compared them with hotel rates from Wednesday, March 5th through Sunday, March 9th.

Many of the hotels were already sold out CIAA weekend, however, two hotels (Doubletree-Gateway and Hilton Executive Park) had availability and the rates for CIAA were drastically higher ($100-$150).

This result makes me wonder what pricing has already been sold to CIAA attendees. I called the Doubletree and their first response was that it's a longer stay; when I clarified the hotel stay was for the same days and same amount of days; I was referred to the voicemail of the Sales Office.

Is it price gouging?

Anonymous

JCSU men and women win

Men
The Golden Bulls ran their winning streak to three games Tuesday with
an 85-57 CIAA win against Virginia State at Brayboy Gym to remain in
second place in the West Division behind St. Augustine’s. J.C. Smith
(14-7, 8-5) put together one of its best efforts of the season,
connecting on 63.5 percent of its shots, including a torrid season-
best 70.4 percent in the second half. Herb White

Women
Virginia State took an early five point lead over the Lady Golden Bulls but their efforts would not last long as JCSU pulled away late in the first half and never looked back en route to a 70-50 victory. JCSU’s record improved to 14-7, 10-3 in league play.
JCSU took a double-digit lead capitalizing on 19 Lady Trojan turnovers. The Bulls quickly turned that into 19 points. By the time the first half was over with, JCSU controlled a 13-point lead, 37-24. Kristene Kelly

JCSU vs Virginia State, 7:30 tonight

Johnson C. Smith takes on Virginia State tonight at 7:30 at Brayboy Gym. Smith has won its last 3 our of 4 games, including a win over perennial power Virginia Union.

The Golden Bulls' most recent win was an overtime victory Saturday against Livingstone. Virginia State is also coming off a win last Saturday against St. Paul's.

Rules for buying CIAA tickets TODAY

From JCSU

A limited number of ticket booklets for the CIAA basketball tournament will go on sale at Johnson C. Smith at 7 a.m., Friday, Feb. 1 at Brayboy Gym. Tickets must be purchased in person at the gymnasium or by calling one of four telephone numbers set up for ticket sales: (704) 378-1087, (704) 378-1278, (704) 378-1083, and (704) 378-1145. Once allotted tickets are sold, the telephone sales lines will be closed.

Ticket prices: $275; $175; $100; $50 (students).

These are the rules that will govern the orderly and timely sale of CIAA tickets. There will be no deviations from these rules during the sale process.

1. Access to the campus will be through the Martin Street entrance, with parking in the Jack S. Brayboy Gymnasium parking lot.
2. The gates will open at 5 a.m.
3. Security will oversee the formation of an orderly line outside the gymnasium.
4. The doors of the gymnasium will be opened at 7 a.m. Ticket sales will commence immediately thereafter.
5. The university will make available a limited number of tickets to purchase over the telephone. The university is not guaranteeing that calls will get through immediately because of the anticipated call volume. Please do not leave voicemails. You must speak with a person. The university will start taking telephone calls at the same time the gymnasium opens for walk in purchasers at 7 a.m. These tickets will be mailed to the purchaser for an additional fee to cover shipping and handling.
6. Once the allotted tickets for telephone sales are sold, the telephone lines will be immediately shut down.
7. Tickets to be sold at the Jack S. Brayboy Gymnasium will continue until all tickets are sold. Once all tickets are sold, the doors will close.
8. Student tickets will be sold in conjunction with the general public tickets. 9. Cash, credit cards and debit cards (with the Visa or Mastercard logos) will be the only accepted form of payment. No money orders, checks or bank drafts.
10. The university will not guarantee that seating will be together. Tickets that are on hand will be sold regardless of where the seating is located within the Bobcats Arena.

Why not cover CIAA like the ACC?

Each week, I'll answer some reader questions about the CIAA tournament. Here are a few of them:

QUESTION: Hey, here’s an idea, why not cover the CIAA like it’s a sporting event. The Observer leaves me cold with it’s coverage of the CIAA. It’s more than a party. Are you all going to cover the ACC the same way as you all cover the CIAA? Anonymous

ANSWER: True, it is more than a party. The games are the reason the tournament exists. And we do cover the games. But you must admit the CIAA is an experience that no other tournament can match. The fellowship, the cultural events, the $27 million it brought in last year.Meanwhile, the ACC is all about the games. UNC and Duke are national powers. When they lose, their fans go home too. Not so at the CIAA.In fact, most of the e-mails I get about the CIAA are about the parties and events surrounding it. Haven’t gotten one yet asking about an ACC party.

QUESTION: I find it interesting that on the (charlotte.com) sports page, both UNCC and Davidson have team pages, but JCSU does not... I think it would not only draw more attention to Smith, but also to your website as people who went to Smith can easily read about what’s going on sports wise... What would it take to get Smith a link on the Sports page? Lance Albright

ANSWER: Good question. We set up team pages as the interest level and coverage of the team grows. For instance, we just started the Davidson team page 3 months ago because of all the national interest and stories about Stephen Curry. News coverage dictates a lot of it because you wouldn’t want a team page and not have lots of stories on the page. That would look skimpy. By those standards, I agree it may be time to start a JCSU and/or CIAA page year-round. So stay tuned.

QUESTION: How about going to a JCSU game and actually write about something you know?!?! It’s really sad how you’re being pimped by this paper. Anonymous

ANSWER: That’s cold. I’ve been following the CIAA standings for much of the season. Myself and the guys at the McCrorey YMCA talk CIAA hoops all the time. And I plan to go to the JCSU vs Livingstone game this Saturday.
I would go to more games, but I work weeknights at the paper. You know, it’s hard out here for a pimp.

Tickets go on sale at JC Smith on Feb. 1

A limited number of ticket booklets for the CIAA basketball tournament will go on sale at Johnson C. Smith University at 7 a.m., Friday, Feb. 1 in the Jack S. Brayboy Gymnasium on the university campus.

Tickets must be purchased in person at the gymnasium or by calling one of four telephone numbers set up for ticket sales - (704) 378-1087, (704) 378-1278, (704) 378-1083, and (704) 378-1145. Once allotted tickets are sold, the telephone sales lines will be closed.

Entrance to the gymnasium parking lot for ticket purchasers is restricted to the Martin Street gate, which will open at 5 a.m. on Feb. 1. Gymnasium doors will open at 7 a.m.

Prices for the tournament booklets are $275, $175, and $100. Individual game tickets are not available. Cash, credit card, or debit card payments only will be accepted. For more information, check the JCSU Website at www.jcsu.edu for more information.

CIAA players to watch as tournament approaches

When the CIAA tournament starts, make sure you check out Bowie State because they tell me point guard Carlos Williams is worth the admission.

He's the spark that's got Bowie State breathing down the neck of perennial CIAA power Virginia Union, who's holding on to first by a thread in the Eastern Division.

Williams was recently named one of six Division II finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which honors the nation's top point guard. The list includes point guards from all NCAA levels.

Williams, a senior from Louisville, Kentucky, leads the CIAA in Assists per Game (6.4), ranks second in CIAA Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.17), first in team Free Throw Attempts (52), Free Throws Made (39) and Steals (19). The finalists will be announced on Feb. 1 and the winner will be presented with the award at the NCAA Men's Final Four in San Antonio Texas on April 7.

Mens' Player of the Week
Anthony Hilliard, ECSU, Jr., Guard, 6-3, 205, Fayetteville, NC.
Notes of interest: With his career high 42-point performance against Lincoln, Hilliard became the first Viking since 2004 to score 1000 career points. He followed that with 23 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists against Fayetteville State, helping the Vikings remain undefeated at home this season.

Womens' Player of the Week
Celeste Trahan, ECSU, 6-2, Center, Senior, Stockton, CA.
Notes of Interest: Besides her 32-point, 16-rebound, 4-block performance in a two-point loss to Fayetteville State, Trahan registered a 25-point, 24-rebound, 4 block game against Columbia Union College on January 16th. She now has 76 career double-doubles and is 74 points and 90 rebounds shy of 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds in a career, which would make her the first ever to do so in NCAA Division II women's basketball history.

Read more about other CIAA players, coaches and team standings at http://www.theciaa.com/

It's official: CIAA is here through 2011

The CIAA will indeed be in Charlotte for another three years.

That came straight from CIAA commissioner Leon Kerry Thursday during a press conference at the Convention Center. Watch the video.

"The next three years it's going to be Charlotte. We're working on that. Will we put it up for bids in the next few years, I don't know, probably... Things you gotta watch for is hotels. We're trying to get great rates from the hotels. Fans drive here, gas is high, you gotta pay tipping, you gotta pay for parking. But the good thing about Charlotte is the new rail system, you can ride in... Sometime in February we'll submit a deal to be in Charlotte through 2011."

Kerry also said ticket sales are going well.

"We still got about 2,000 upper-level seats, 100 box seats... They're still selling tickets at the individual schools. My office has sold over $1 million in tickets already. So ticket sales are ahead of schedule, compared to last year."

Other highlights from the press conference:

- Entertainment will feature gospel great CeCe Winans and rapper Chingy.

- The Steve Harvey Morning Show will return. (Big hit last year).

- Golf tournament at Ballantyne.

- The CIAA's official Web site will show tournament game highlights.

For the complete list of events and dates, go to http://www.ciaatournament.org/

Comments, questions: Post them below. Thanks

News about CIAA Tournament Thursday

The CIAA tournament will be here before you know it, back for its third straight year in the Queen City.

And so am I, back to provide a running dialog with the fans about all things CIAA.

I know it’s a little early, but I’ve already gotten questions from some of you about this year’s tournament, which runs Feb. 25-March 1.

For instance:
Question: Did Charlotte get the CIAA tournament for 2009-2011??
Gail A. Hoggard, Atlanta.

Answer: Not yet, but CIAA Commissioner Leon Kerry said in September that he wants to make Charlotte the CIAA’s permanent home. It won’t be official until other cities are allowed to bid on it.

The answers to some of your questions may be answered Thursday when CIAA and city organizers hold an 11 a.m. news conference at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The press release says they’ll discuss ticket sales, new CIAA events, national artist appearances and an MLK community event, among other things.

So stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted.

If you have questions or comments, you can put them in the comments section below. Thanks.