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Wf)t Cliarlotte $of(t
SPORTS
THURSDAY MARCH 2, 2006
Section
CIAAis
more than
week of
parties
Basketball is serious
for teams looking for
place in history
“Psst, psst, where’s the party?’
This is the normal rallying cry
when the CIAA tournament comes to
town. Instead of who’s going to win,
most fans - a term used lightly-just
want to know where the parties are.
For us basketball purists, however,
the only parties during
the weeklong event in
Charlotte are the danc
ing feet on the hard
court.
At parties you like to
meet new friends and
forge new relation
ships, but this year’s
basketball social may
wind up with the same
couple leaving togeth-
CIAA TOURNAMENT
Bonitta
Best
Shaw coach Jacques Curtis didn’t
fool anyone with his tales of woe at
the preseason coaches luncheon in
October. The Bears did have their
toes stepped on on the dance floor
after losing four games last semester,
but are ready to swing to a fourth
straight championship
Critics will argue that the CIAA
women are down this year - as of
Wednesday only five of the 12 teams
were above .500 — but no one was
beating Shaw the previous three
years when the league was up. So
shaddup'
Shaw’s dancing partner will be one
its quite familiar with.
The main worry for Vu'ginia Union
fans is whether the team will look
past the tournament to the Division
II playoffs.
Union’s toughest competition for
Shaw’s attention will be St.
Augustine’s. The Falcons, predicted
to finish third, and who usually self-
destruct by early February, have won
at least a tie for the Western Division
title with the top-scoring offense in
the conference.
While the Bears await their date,
Johnson C. Smith coach Vanessa
Tbjlor gets the tiara as women’s
coach of the year. Yes, Smith lost to
Shaw twice - who hasn’t? - but they
are the only blemishes on the Lady
Golden Bulls’ record. Smith still has
n’t lost a division game
Holding Tbylor’s hand is Robbins,
our men’s coach of the year. Robbins
has the unfortunate disease called
Dean Smithitis The former UNC
Rease see HANDING/2C
A’s Bradley
reports to
training eamp
Wc .ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX - Outfielder Milton
Bradley reported to the Oakland A’s
spring training camp three days eariy
Sunday, which pleased his new man
ager and general manager
Manager Ken Macha was g^ad to
hear Bradley was on hand on the first
day as pitchers and catchers woriced
out at the Papago Park facility
“It will be helpful for the staff to get
to know him," he said. "Once the full
squad gets here, things get a little hec
tic.’
Position pla>’er8 are due to report
Wednesday with woriiouts scheduled
for Thursday.
“He’s haf^y to be here," general
manager Billy Beane said about his
new acquisiticai. “And he’s quick to,
smile."
Beane acquired the switch-hitting
Bradley and infielder Antonio Perez in
December fix)m the Loe Angeles
Dodgers in exchange for outfield
prospect Andre Ethier.
After the deal went down, Bradley
invited Bay Area repeaters to talk to
"'.M
PHOTO/CUHTIS WILSON
Johnson C. Smith guard Judene Wright leads the Golden Bulls’ fast break during Tuesday’s 65-54 win over
Bowie State in the quarterfinals of the CIAA women’s tournament. JCSU plays Elizabeth City State Friday.
J.C. Smith women eye
ultimate prize at home
Bv Cheris F. Htxlees of beine at home eet to them. 2 at home and if Chariot
Taylor
By Cheris F. Htxlges
cherishodgesfi thecharloturpostran
The West Division crown is
nice, but Johnson C Smith
women’s basketball isn’t
resting on that They want
the crown resting on Shaw’s
head.
With the tournament in
Charlotte for the first time,
winning at home would be
historic for the Golden Bulls
(19-9), who’ve never won a
women’s championship But
they haven’t let the pressure
of being at home get to them.
They proved that by beating
Bowie State in the quarterfi
nals to advance to Friday’s
semifinals against Elizabeth
City State at 1 p.m.
“Since we’re at home, we’re
working extremely hard to
take advantage of that home
court advantage with
Brayboy (Gym) being just
down the street,” head coach
Vanessa Thyior said.
Home has been good to the
Bulls this season. Smith is 9-
2 at home and if Charlotte
Bobcats Arena is home away
finm home, then a finals
appearance is a possibility
“The challenge is getting
ready for the tournament
because you have 12 teams
fighting to win the tourna
ment,” Thyior said “We’re
excited about being here Of
course there is a little bit of
pressure because we are
home.”
JCSU center Rochelle
See GOLDEN/2C
Who’s
hot, not
on court
By Bonitta Best
im: TRi.wau: mavyK
Yippy ki-yea, the wait is over!
The CIAA tournament is
underway
Sniff sniff what’s that smell?
Upsets a-brewing, blood pres
sures a-boiling and unemploy
ment a-looming.
In keeping with our tradition
al tourney celebration, we are
going to grade the entire lot.
Yep, all 24 teams. Some of you
won’t like it, but then if you
liked CC, we wouldn’t be doing
our jobs now would we? So let’s
get to it.
WOMEN
Shaw (23-4, 16-0), Let’s bretik
it down for ya: It’s the Lady
Bears, and then there’s every
body else. Shaw has won 20
straight regular-season games
and 73 consecutive CIAA con
tests. The only way Shaw will
not win its fourth straight title
is if opponents do three things:
shut down senior fireball
Nastassia Boucicault (15.7
points, 5.2 assists), slow down
the Lady Bears’ fast-paced
offense and hit 60 percent of
their shots. That’ll about do it.
• Johnson C. Smith (17-8,12-
2). The Lady Golden Bulls had
one of their most successful
seasons ever under coach
Vanessa Thyior. Smith was in
the championship final two
years ago but was no match for
Shaw.
• N.C. Central (20-5,11-4),
The Lady Eagles gave Shaw
one of its better games of the
season, and matches up well
with the Lady Bears, Junior
forward Cassie King has a
strong supporting cast, but the
entire team will have to per-
foihi on another level to
dethrone the champs.
• Ehzabeth City State. A
nasty little rivalry has devel
oped after Shaw accused the
Lady Vikings of “disrespecting’’
them a few weeks ago.
Sophomore center Celeste
Tbahan is worth the price of
admission alone, but she can’t
defeat Shaw alone.
MEN
Wrginia Union. The No. 1
ranked Panthers have lived up
to their billing. The defending
national champions are the top
defensive team in the league,
with the best player in the con
ference (Darius Hargrove) -
according to the SIDs - and the
best coach (Dave Robbins). And
that will be enoug^i
• St, Aug’s. Can a team shoot
its way to a championship? The
Please see WHO’S3C
First-round bye affords JCSU
extra time for recovery, scouting
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Johnson C. Smith players and coaches displayed
their CIAA West Division championship trophy at the
league’s basketball banquet Tuesday.
By Herbert L. White
herb.whiieCo thecharlottepostcom
A first-round bye in the
CIAA tournament pays off
in time.
There’s an extra day to
rest regular-season aches.
More time to fine-tune
schemes. It’s one less day of
wear and tear.
“It gives us an extra day
of preparation, an extra
day of scouting,” Johnson
C. Smith coach Steve
Joyner said. “Hopefully, itil
give us an advantage on
the two teams we mi^t
face.”
The (jolden Bulls, who
play Virginia State today at
9 p m. at Chailotte Bobcats
Arena, earned a bye as
West Division champion.
The drawback to an extra
day off is establishing flow
against an opponent who
has already played and
won a game. Rust isn’t a
major concern, but continu
ity needs to be established
quickly
“You’ve got to establish a
pattern, a rhythm you get
only when by playing,”
Joyner said. “Hopefully,
See BYE/4C
He Cut Me: Panthers release Davis, Smart and Buckner
Rease see OAKLAND/2C.
««OI
By Herbert L. White
thtchartnofpostjcxm
Age, injuries and income
have cau^t up to three core
contributors to the Carolina
Panthers' most recent- playoff
teams.
Carolina cut running back
Stephen Davis, defensive tack
le Brentsm Buckner, and spe-
cial teams player Rod Smart
Wednesday
“Each of these men played an
important role in the success
we have eigoyed here,” head
coach John Fox said “It is not
easy saying good-bye to them
They were productive players
and their contributions played
a major role in our going to the
Super Bowl in 2003 and
returning to the NFC
Championship game last sea
son.”
Davis, 32, finished as the sec
ond leading rusher in team
history with 2,085 yards and
set a team record for career
rushing touchdowns with 20.
He played in 29 games, start
ing 27, but has been slowed by
a knee injury the last two sea-
sons. His best season was in
2003 with a franchise record
1,444 yards rushing.
“Stephen set a physical tone
for us in 2003 that played an
important part in our run to
the Super Bowl,” Fox said.
“We were fortunate to have
hini. He is unselfish and a
great person as well as team-
See DAVIS«:
mmmmmmmmmmmm
Davis