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The Chronicle
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'Sports Week -^r::
1 From Tke Press Box
?? ??
Sam Davis
^ewchalngcs await CIAA
is it moves on to Raleigh
The CIAA's stay in Winston-Salem
has been great for the conference,
but Commissioner Leon Kerry
ays its time now to move on.
Winston-Salem, which has hosted the
ournament for the previous five seasons,
ost its bid for the years 2000-2002. When
his year's tournament shuts down after the
nen's championship game on Saturday
light, Winston-Salem will have seen the last
if the tournament for awhile.
The 55th edition of the tournament will
* played in Raleigh, where Kerry says new
:hallenges await the conference.
According to the commissioner, the
ippeal of the conference is at an all-time
ligh and his job is to take advantage of
hat. Last year the conference signed a
ecord-breaking $2 million contract with
Eoca-Cola. Since then, the league has
enewed its contract with Reebok and
Nation's Bank has also come to terms on a
ucrative pact with the league. Several other
leals are in the works, including one with a
najor national rental car company and
mother with a telephone company.
Having a good corporate image is
mportant to the conference, Kerry says.
Especially now that the conference is mov
ng from the 14,500 seat Lawrence Joel Vet
erans Memorial Coliseum to Raleigh's new
irena, a 23,000 seat facility, which has yet
o be named.
Kerry said the league has learned some
essons from its experiences over the past
itw years. One is making sure that it ties
nto the Corporate world, while maintaining
ts ties to the fans.
"We've never had to market the tourna
nent," Kerry says. "But this is a competitive
vorid that is changing and wherever we go
ve have to realize that.
"The CIAA is still evolving," he adds.
'But we're still the pne to beat. Right now
ve're the third largest basketball^ tourna
nent in the country."
Kerry says the conference must continue
o woo sponsors and fans to maintain its
)iece of the pie.
"Everybody needs corporate America,"
te says. "They pay the bills. They help give
is the part that we don't have. They put mil
ions of dollars back into ourschools.
I can say a lot of good things about
hem because they are helping us to get our
nessage out in the community. Most of
hem buy blocks of tickets, but they give
hem out to people. What that does for us is
telp keep our name and spread our message
nit in the community."
Among historically black college tour
laments, the CIAA far exceeds all others,
rhat is because of the league's unique mix
)f loyal fans and supporters.
! "I think we have three different groups
')f fans," Kerry says. "We have students, we
lave alumni, we have people who support
urograms but have no ties to the schools
ind then we have people in the cities where
he tournament is hosted. We have to make
;ure that we continue to offer something for
ill of them."
See Pf>w Box, on B4
Well-rested Rams eager to get started in CIAA Tournament
, Photo by Bruce Chapman
Rebounding it key for WSSU't chances.
By SAM DAVIS
THE Cwomci-F
A week of rest is just what the
doctor ordered for Winston
Salem State as it opens play in
the' CIAA Men's Basketball
Tournament today at Lawrence
Joel Veterans Memorial Colise
um.
The Rams, who come into the
tournament as the No. 2 seed
from the Western Division is
scheduled to play agajnst the
winner of Wednesday's opening
round game between Livingstone
and Bowie State.
WSSU finished in a tie with
North Carolina Central and
Johnson C. Smith for first place
in the division, but was awarded
the No. 2 seed and the accompa
nying bye by virtue of its 2-2
record against NCCU and JCSU.
Coach Rick Duckett of
WSSU said his team has taken
advantage of its time off. The
Rams concluded their regular
season last Thursday night when
they defeated Columbia Union.
"Our spirits are fine, but we're
banged up a little," Duckett said.
"We have a couple of guys who
are trying to get over little nag
ging injuries."
The injuries that concern
Duckett the most are the bruised
knee and shin splints that point
guard Tyrone Thomas is suffer
ing through. Winded Owens is
encountering problems with his
wrist and doctors aren't sure if it
is a sprain or slight fracture. In
addition, Marcus Best, who was
recently voted CIAA Rookie of
the Year, has a touch of the flu.
Regardless of how the Rams
finish, Duckett said the team has
already exceeded his expecta
tions. No one gave the team
much of a chance to be a factor
in the league standings. WSSU
was picked to finish last in the
conference by the coaches.
"This team has been a bunch
of over-achievers all year,"
Duckett said. "From being
picked to finish last and then
tying for first, that's a huge
accomplishment. In this confer
ence, that's not been done very
See lui, om M
West sparks Lady Rams
to victory in opening
round of CIAA Tourney
By SAM DAVIS
The Chronicle
Christa West came off the bench and
scored a career-high 22 points to spark Win
ston-Salem to a n 81-65 victory over Virginia
State in the opening round of the CIAA
Women's Basketball Tournament on Monday.
West, a starter as a freshman last season
and most of this season, broke out of a long
slump. She did most of her damage with
slashing drives to the basket and was either
convert them or get to the free throw line after
being fouled. -
West jump started the Rams' offense when
she came into the game midway through the
first half with WSSU trailing. Her inside pres
ence helped the Rams make up for their sub
par outside shooting.
West was four of nine from the field, but
made 13 of 16 free throws .in route to her
career-high. West, who came into the game
averaging only 8.2 points, also handed our
two assists and grabbed three rebounds.
Coach Debra Clark of WSSU said West's
play helped her team shake off some early
cobwebs.
"We came out. a little slow," Clark said.
"That's okay because sometimes we come out
fast and can't sustain it. But we came out slow
and picked up gradually. It was great for
(West) because she had been really strug
gling." .
Renee' Cameron and LaToya Cobb also
played well for the Rams. Cameron was a sur
prise starter and played a key role during a
stretch midway through the first half when
the Rams came back from a slight deficit to
take the lead for good.
"With (Cameron) in the game it gives you *
more of an up-tempo game," Clark said. "Her *
intensity and speed gave us a big boost."
Cobb came off the bench to back West
with 13 points. They were the only two Ram
players to reach double figures. Erica Leggett,
the Lady Rams' leading scorer, with a 13.2
average, struggled to a two-for-12 shooting
performance and scored only seven points.
But the Rams were able to pound the ball
inside and get to the free throw line. WSSU
went to the free throw line 48 times and made
33 of them.
"We knew they played pretty tight
\
? See Lady Rom?, on H
St. Paul's Toya Davis
trying to carve her niche
)y DAMON FORD
fhe Chronicle
Toya Davis loves to watch bas
cetball. But if she could have her
vay she would be a participant
nstead of a spectator at one of
Friday's semi-final games during
he 25th Annual Women's CIAA
Tournament.
Her St. Paul's College team
went down to the hands of a
young feisty Fayetteville State
University squad 77-55 in the
opening round of the tournament
Mi Monday afternoon.
The 5-10 sophomore from
Winston-Salem 'saw 20 minutes of
action ofT the bench for the Lady
Tigers. Davis scored four points
and grabbed three rebounds in a
losing effort.
The loss not only ended a sea
son full of disappointing losses but
it also closed the door on any
chance of the soft spoken 19-year
old winning a CIAA Champi
onship in front of her home crowd.
Next year the tournament
moves to Raleigh's yet to be built
state of the art coliseum.
Now the only thing she can do
is dream of what winning the tour
nament in Winston-Salem would
be like.
"I wish we could have made
the championship game last year
and this year." Davis said. "I wish
(the tournament) could be here for
my last two years."
"I love playing in Winston
Salem, I just love coming back
nome 10 piay.
Technically, Davis always
plays before a home crowd since
her parents attend every game she
plays no matter how far away it is.
"When we go to Bowie State
(in Maryland) they're there," she
said.
Davis' father. Harrison, should
See Davis, on M
Toy a Davit
? _t M
Excitement in the air at CIAA
By DAMON FORD
The Chronicle
Excitement ran high as the
2Sth annual CIAA Basketball
Tournament got under way with
four games on Monday night.
The afternoon session fea
tured two games pitting the Lady
Falcons of St. Augustines and
against the Lady Panthers of Vir
ginia Union.
Both teams struggled from
the field in the first half but the
Lady Panthers 32 percent shoot
ing was good enough to give ?
them a nine point lead (30-21) at
the half.
All-CIA A pick Norfortiria
Grant and Erica Barnett led VU
with nine points a piece.
St. Augustines was paced by
Anastacia Sands' six points and
five rebounds.
In the second half the six
foot Sands took her game to
another level in the scoring and
rebounding departments finish
ing the game with a double-dou
ble (12 points, 15 rebounds)
along with three blocks and four
steals but the senior remained as
the only bright spot for her team
as the Lady Falcons finished the
game shooting 25 percent from
the field.
Virginia Union improved its
shooting from 32-39 percent and
ran away with a 64-43 victory
behind the scoring of Grant and
Barnett (15 and 13). Shelly Sin
gleton joined them in double fig
ures with 12 points.
St. Augustine finished their
season at 9-18 while Virginia
Union moved*on to the quarterfi
nals with a 16-11 record.
The second game of the
afternoon featured St. Pauls, a
team that had won just six games
the whole season against upstart
Fayetteville State University.
Within four minutes after the
jump ball the Lady Broncos had
taken control of the game using
See Iwmdup, on E>
the opening round.
Nation's Numbs* Ons Sports Section, Among African American Newspapers, For The Second Consecutive Teariii
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