Courtesy of the SIAC
SAVANNAH, GA – The 2024 SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket Wireless saw electrifying postseason play in its first round of action with Lane, LeMoyne-Owen, and Edward Waters all advancing to the second round of action inside Tiger Arena on the campus of Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia.
The men’s bracket tipped off with a gripping defensive matchup between Lane and Albany State. The three-seeded Dragons used a nine-point run to gain momentum, establishing a significant lead by halftime, ending in an eleven-point victory, 80-69.
Junior guard Floyd Williams recorded a team-high 18 points, while Jeremiah Foster and Darell Johnson bolstered a strong defense, significantly contributing to the team’s win over Albany State.
Johnson finished the night with 17 points, three blocks, and five defensive rebounds, while Foster showcased his dominance on the boards with seven defensive rebounds, three blocks, and two steals against the Golden Rams.
Lane advances to the second round to take on four-seed Allen Tuesday night at 7:30 at Savannah State University.
In their second meeting this season, sixth-seed LeMoyne-Owen completed the sweep over Fort Valley State in an early contest Monday afternoon, 86-78. Chris Peoples emerged as the Magicians’ leading scorer with 16 points while sophomore forward Matthew Spears would lead on the defensive front, securing five defensive rebounds and one block during the matchup.
The Magicians’ victory propels them to the second round where they’ll face third-seeded Benedict on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 at Tiger Arena.
Entering play as the East Division’s sixth seed, Edward Waters took on a formidable opponent in Central State.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Cabral Huff, the Tigers clinched an 81-76 victory with Goliath Mitchell leading all scorers with 23 points. The junior guard was also a dominant force in the paint, accounting for five defensive rebounds.
The Tigers advance to the second round to face Spring Hill on Wednesday night at 7:30 at Tiger Arena.
2024 SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket women’s round one recap
SAVANNAH, GA – Day one of the women’s bracket opened with an upset and defensive battle that sent LeMoyne-Owen and Spring Hill to an early exit.
Benedict (4-23, 1-18 SIAC), the number seven seed in the east division, defeated LeMoyne-Owen (13-14, 8-11 SIAC), the number six seed in the west division, 54-51 after fighting off a late effort surge by the Lady Magicians in the fourth quarter.
After falling to a 10-point deficit in the second quarter, the Lady Magicians tied the game twice in the final two minutes of the game but were unable to take the lead.
Benedict out-performed LeMoyne-Owen shooting 32 percent from the field and 17 percent from the three-point line compared to LeMoyne-Owen shooting 20 percent and 11 percent in the same stat lines.
Taylor Christmas led the Lady Tigers with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Benedict will advance to the second round where the team will face Clark Atlanta (14-11, 11-8 SIAC), the number three seed in the east division, at noon on Wednesday at Tiger Arena.
Albany State (6-22, 5-14 SIAC), the number six seed in the east division, consolidated their regular season win over Spring Hill (6-18, 6-13 SIAC), the number seven seed in the west division, 58-41 in the final women’s first-round matchup.
The Badgers struck first, scoring a two-point jumper to start the game, but the team lost the lead moments later and never regained it.
After a low-scoring first half by both teams, the Lady Rams had more offensive productivity in the third quarter squaring 24 points, extended their lead to 17 points to start the fourth quarter.
Milana Holmes was the leading scorer for Albany State and recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Lady Rams will take on Lane (13-13, 11-8 SIAC), the number three seed in the west division, in the second round on Wednesday afternoon at five from Tiger Arena.
The 2024 SIAC Basketball Tournament presented by Cricket is being hosted at Savannah State University from round one to the semifinals on March 3-9. The championship games will be played at Enmarket Arena on March 10. All tournament games are streaming on ESPN+. Visit the tournament championship page for more information, and follow the SIAC on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly known as (Twitter) for tournament updates.