TOURNEY FINALS RECAPS

MEAC (Men)
HAMPTON 60, Delaware State 56

Sixth-seeded Hampton won four games in four days in Raleigh to take its first MEAC Tournament title and NCAA bid since winning back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. In the championship game vs. top seed Delaware State (20-13), the Pirates (16-15) led 23-21 at the half but hit nine of its first 11 second-half shots to jump out to a 16-point lead and then held on down the stretch. Hampton led 46-30 with 7:09 left after Jaz Cowan canned a pull-up jumper. But the Pirates opened the door with three straight turnovers leading to a 13-4 DelState run that had the Hornets down 50-47 with 3:13 left. DSU would cut the lead to two twice in the final minutes but Hampton made 8 of 14 free throws over that stretch to preserve the win. Hampton guard Rashad West, who was 4 for 4 at the line over the final 2:21, was named the tourney's most outstanding player. West had 17 points in both quarterfinal and semifinal Hampton victories.

MEAC (Women)
COPPIN STATE 56, DELAWARE STATE 46

Top-seeded Coppin State, after seeing its 10-point second-half lead dwindle to two points, closed the game with a 14-6 run for the victory over second-seeded Delaware State Saturday in the championship game at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The Lady Eagles (22-8), who won their 21st consecutive contest and their 29th straight against MEAC competition, earned their second consecutive tournament title and trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Tournament MVP Rashida Suber of CSU, had 14 points, 12 in the first half to lead the Lady Eagles. Tanezia Harden had 12 and point guard Shalamar Oakley 11. Katreem Palmer and Najmah Fauntleroy had nine to lead DSU (21-9).

SWAC (Men)
SOUTHERN 57, Arkansas-Pine BLUFF 44

Top seed Southern (18-12) won its first men's championship in 13 years as it ended the Cinderella run of seventh-seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff (12-15) in the title game in Birmingham. Tourney MVP Peter Cipriano was a perfect five of five from the field and hit all five of his free throws to post 15 second-half points and allow Southern to pull away from a 25-17 halftime lead. The lead grew to as much as 21 points, at 46-25 on a fast-break layup by Chris Alexander with 6:52 to play. Cipriano finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Alexander had 13 points. Timothy Hamilton's nine points off the bench led UAPB.

SWAC (Women)
SOUTHERN 61, ALABAMA STATE 58

In a game where the teams were never separated by more than seven points, second-seeded Southern beat back a determined bid by sixth-seed Alabama State and took its third SWAC Tournament title and automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Championship. ASU led twice early in the game and took a short-lived 24-23 lead after trailing 21-18 at the break. Southern (20-10) would regain the lead and stretch it to seven, at 44-37, on a lay-up by tourney MVP Fredrieka Lewis with 9:23 left. ASU's Shaunte Robinson would tie the game at 46 on a 3-pointer with 6:05 to play and the Lady Hornets would pull within one twice in the final minute but SU guard Rolanda Monroe was 10 for 10 from the line over the final 3:45 to keep ASU at bay. Monroe finished with 17 points to lead Southern which included 13 of 13 from the free throw line. Lewis had 16. Tashia Holston's 17 and 13 from Robinson led ASU (15-15).

SOUTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL (Women)
SHAW 68, Wingate 57

Senior guard Carlett Harrell made three straight 3-pointers to start the second half to break open a close game and propel host Shaw (29-4) to its second straight NCAA Div. II South Atlantic Regional championship. Harrell, who finished with 15 points on five 3-pointers, was named the regionals' MVP while CIAA Player of the Year Nastassia Boucicault led the Lady Bears with 20 points. Two three-pointers by Harrell and a lay-up by Boucicault allowed the Lady Bears to go from six up (31-25) at the half to a 14-point cushion (39-25) early in the second half. Wingate narrowed the deficit to 59-52 with 5:24 left by the Lady Bears posted an 8-2 run over the next three minutes to put the game away and earn their second straight trip to the national quarterfinals.

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