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MEAC, SWAC leaders take charge
Lut Williams
BCSP Editor
The leaders in the MEAC have established themselves as solid favorites for conference honors while the SWAC race is much tighter as the 2009-10 basketball season heads for home.
The men of Morgan State (16-7, 8-0) and the women of
North Carolina A&T (14-7, 8-0), both defending champions and
pre-season favorites, are both undefeated and relatively unchallenged in
conference play with a little over a month left in the MEAC regular season.
In the SWAC, Jackson State (10-11, 8-1) has moved past Texas Southern (11-10, 7-2) into the first place in a tight men's race while defending women's champion Prairie View A&M (11-7, 8-1) has a half-game lead over Southern (13-6, 7-2).
Morgan State, seeking its third regular season title in a row under fourth-year head coach Todd Bozeman, is taking everybody's best shot and beating them back. The Bears' closest decisions have been a five-point win (72-67) on the road at South Carolina State and a 100-94 win in overtime Saturday at Norfolk State.
Seven of the Bears' final nine conference games are in the friendly confines of Hill Field House at home in Baltimore, a distinct advantage for Bozeman's talented bunch led by league scoring leader Reggie Holmes (22.8 ppg.) and rebounding leader Kevin Thompson (12.4 rpg.).
Patricia Bibbs's Lady Aggies results have been similar but not as dominant as MSU's. They have four-single digit wins in conference play the closest being an 82-81 win over Hampton at home on Jan. 18.
Bibbs has three players scoring in double figures led by senior guard Tawuana Cook's 15. 8 ppg. Five of the Lady Aggies' nine remaining games are at home.
Texas Southern fell 62-61 to Alabama State
Saturday, a loss that knocked the Tigers out of first place
in the SWAC. Tevester Anderson's Jackson State squad got wins
over Mississippi Valley State (77-59) Saturday and
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (72-67) Monday to take over the top
spot. JSU has won four SWAC games in a row. Its only loss is to TSU, 51-44
at home on Jan. 18.
JSU has games coming up on the road Feb. 13 at third-place Prairie View A&M and the rematch on Feb. 15 at Texas Southern. Six-five senior guard Garrison Johnson is the Tigers' scoring leader at 15.6 points per game.
Alabama A&M handed Cynthia Cooper's Prairie View Lady Panthers their first conference loss of the season Saturday, 68-62. Cooper's troops bounced back to knock off Alabama State, 69-50 Monday to retain its slim lead over Southern.
Prairie View is led by its dynamic duo of Candice Thomas (15.9 ppg.) and Latara Darrett (15.2 ppg.) who are second and third in SWAC scoring. Last year's tournament MVP Gaati Werema (13.5 ppg.), gives Cooper three players scoring in double figures. Werema is second in the league in rebounding at 8.8 per game.
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