Nights Like This: An Unforgettable Night In CIAA

Ray Gatling and Bowie State held on for a three-point win against Virginia State. (Gazzette.net photo)

The CIAA has been around for over 100 years, but it’s probably safe to say it hasn’t seen many nights like Wednesday. The big headline nationally was the soon-to-be infamous “Tie Game” between Johnson C. Smith and Winston-Salem State. While that game may have garnered headlines on all the big media outlets, (though folks in the know read it here first) that was just part of the craziness that went on.

There was also drama in Raleigh. A shoving match broke out at the Shaw/Fayetteville State game, causing a delay in the game and the police to temporarily clear the stands. No one was arrested.

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By the way, Shaw won. 

A few miles down the road, St. Aug looked primed to upset Southern Division-leading Livingstone. St. Aug led 44-29 at halftime, but allowed Livingstone to tie it at 82, forcing overtime. Livingstone managed to hold on for a 90-89 win, picking up its ninth victory in the division.

Livingstone wasn’t the only division leader in the CIAA to find itself in trouble last night. Bowie State found itself in a dogfight with Northern Division rival Virginia State last night. The Bulldogs held on for a 72-69 win, meaning it can wrap up the division title by beating Elizabeth City on Saturday.

Breaking news: JCSU and WSSU will break their tie. The CIAA announced on Thursday that the two teams will complete their overtime period on Friday at 2 p.m.

If WSSU wins, its game against Livingstone on Saturday will be a de facto Southern Division Championship Game.