Hoops Roundup
SWACThe most unpredictable race in black college basketball continues to be the Southwestern Athletic Conference men where teams one thru nine are now separated by just 2 1/2 games. Southern (8-9, 5-3), who led the SWAC last week, lost back-to-back games Saturday and Monday on the road at Alabama State (52-51) and Alabama A&M (66-59) respectively.
A&M (8-9, 5-2) is now tied with Mississippi Valley State (7-9, 5-2) and Alabama State (7-9, 5-2) for the top spot. The two Alabama schools will be on their Texas two-step swing this weekend (Sat. and Mon.) at Prairie View and Texas Southern.
Alcorn State (11-5, 7-1) leads the women's race and hosts third-place Southern (8-9, 5-3) Saturday.
MEAC
The new hot team in the Mid Eastern Athletic
Conference men's race is Delaware State
(7-11, 5-2) who got home wins over Hampton
(66-64, Sat.) and Norfolk State (50-47, Mon.).
The Hornets are within one-game of current MEAC pacesetter, Coppin State (6-10, 6-1), who takes its turn hosting Hampton Sat. and then travelling to Norfolk State on Monday.
A women's showdown is set for Saturday in Baltimore when Hampton (8-8, 8-0) tries to extend its MEAC lead at second-place Coppin State (11-5, 6-1).
CIAA
Virginia Union (13-1, 3-0 E) and Bowie State
(14-2, 2-0 E) staged their showdown Tuesday (before press time) in
Richmond for E. Div. supremacy with the winner having a leg up on
taking the division title. The two, who will meet again, Tues., Feb. 8
in Bowie, are all but assured of grabbing the first round
tournament byes that go to the top seeds from the division.
VUU is second in the NCAA Div. II national poll, behind Metropolitan State (14-0). Bowie State is 12th. VUU is second and BSU is fourth in the South Atlantic Regional rankings.
In contrast, the West Div. is wide-open and substantially wild. St. Augustine's (6-9, 2-1 W) and Johnson C. Smith (10-8, 2-1 W) are currently atop the West standings but Winston-Salem State (11-4, 1-1 W), Livingstone (11-5, 1-1 W), N. C. Central (10-5, 1-2 W) and Fayetteville State (5-11, 1-2 W) are lurking just behind.
JCSU and NCCU meet in Durham on Tues., Feb. 1 as do FSU and WSSU in Winston-Salem.
The Shaw women (16-1, 3-0 E) are ranked fifth nationally, first in the South Atlantic Region and lead the CIAA E. Div. The Lady Bears will battle second-place Va. Union (8-5, 2-0 E) Tuesday in Raleigh.
JC Smith (15-2, 2-0 W) leads WSSU (10-5, 1-0 W) by just one game in the West and is getting some national attention.
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