Races tighten in SWAC, CIAA
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman was to turn himself in to authorities in Virginia Tuesday while South Carolina State head coach Jamal Brown returned to the bench Saturday apparently clearing up two controversies that had dogged the first-year coaches over the past week.
While Bozeman was prepared to take care of his business Tuesday, going down to Farmville, Va., to answer charges of misdemeanor assault and battery and curse and abuse, his team moved into second place in the MEAC with wins in two of its last three games.
The Bears are currently 8-4 in MEAC play, only two games behind two-time regular
season champ Delaware State, who leads the
conference at 10-2. MSU blew a 14-point lead and lost
67-65 to Hampton on Saturday but came back to get
a 71-61 win over Norfolk State Monday.
"Contrary to popular belief it hasn't necessarily been rough," said Bozeman of the last week. "Anytime you get falsely accused it's unfortunate. I have to wait to get my chance to defend myself. It is what it is."
With the Bears at 10-13 overall and in second place in the MEAC race, Bozeman is likely the leading candidate for conference coach of the year honors. The Bears won four games all of last season.
Brown returned to the S.C. State bench on Saturday after missing three games for what he termed "family issues." Brown said prior to Saturday's game, "I'm definitely going to be here," putting to rest rumors that the first-year coach would not continue.
"In anything that goes on, I think regardless of who you are, we should all have our own private moments, and my life is not a book for everybody to read nor is everybody else's," Brown said to the Orangeburg Times and Democrat Friday. "So, regardless, people are going to have their opinions. They're going to have their speculations about anything. You can't please everybody, so I just have to live my life the right way."
After going 2-1 in Brown's absence, the Bulldogs lost back-to-back overtime games with the coach back. They fell to Florida A&M Saturday (72-69) and to Bethune-Cookman (46-44) Monday. SCSU is currently at 7-7 in conference play, alone in seventh place.
Over in the CIAA, the Bowie State men extended their winning streak to six games as they went to Raleigh, N.C. and got wins over St. Augustine's and Shaw.
The St. Aug's game Thursday was not only a battle between two of the top teams in the CIAA but pitted CIAA and Div. II scoring leader Gil Goodrich (26.9 ppg.) of BSU against St. Aug's high-scoring guard Antonio Fitzgerald (21.9 ppg.).
Goodrich was unstoppable, scoring 41 points, 24 in the first half, and handed out eight assists as the Bulldogs gained a season split with the Falcons in a 116-104 win. Fitzgerald, fighting a stomach virus, scored 26 points and handed out nine assists in the loss. St. Aug's won the first meeting 87-80 on Dec. 12.
After its 86-68 win over Shaw Saturday, Bowie State is at 11-5 in CIAA play, tied with St. Aug's, a 61-60 loser to Fayetteville State Saturday, behind conference leader Virginia Union (12-4). BSU's Tyronne Beale (21.1 ppg.), is the Bulldogs' secret weapon. The 6-9 power forward had 31 points vs. Shaw and 22 vs. SAC.
Last week in the SIAC, Benedict (20-2, 17-1) got wins over Stillman (59-50) and Morehouse (68-66) to remain atop that conference's race. The Tigers had a big date Tuesday (Feb. 13) vs. second-place Paine (15-6, 13-4) before facing Tuskegee Thursday and Stillman again on Saturday.
Entering play over the past week, Benedict (20-2, 17-1) was the top team in the South Region of NCAA Div. II basketball with Paine ninth. Virginia Union was third in the Southeast Region with St. Aug's sixth, Bowie State seventh and Virginia State tenth.
The CIAA and SIAC finish regular season play next Saturday (Feb. 24).
In the SWAC, Texas Southern held conference and Div. I scoring leader Trey Johnson (28.2 ppg.) to 20 points and the TSU's Chris Moore had 29 points and 11 rebounds in a 90-83 overtime win vs. the Blue Tigers Saturday. TSU knocked off Prairie View A&M Monday and is now tied at 8-4 with Mississippi Valley State a half-game behind JSU (9-4). MVSU is at TSU Monday.
Both the SWAC and MEAC will begin tournament play a week after the CIAA and SIAC. The MEAC begins Monday, March 5 in Raleigh while the SWAC begins Wed., March 7 in Birmingham.
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