mm 2C 6>»0 SP0RTS/1[|e Clarlone $ot Thursday, March 9, 2006 Golden Bulls set sights on Division n regional Continued from page 1C tunviVfTn into 16 loinUr For all but minute* and 30 .“locoral*. wi- wave them all wi- harl," Smith coach Ste^'e Jo\TV>r «aid “At alxjut that time, we fell ai«ul a little bit with a series of turnovers and missed shots and free throws and that was the dif ference in the game ” Without the ClAA crown, the Bulls will clumge focus on the regional, where Smith and VUU are the lone CIAA teiuns in a field of eight Joyner admonished his play ers to look forward to contin uing a winning season “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster but I told the guys to point to the many positive accomplishments this year - 23-7 is an out standing record, finishing first in the division is out standing, so they’ve done some outstanding things.” Including beating VUU, which Smith managed on Jan. 7 in an 87-77 win at Brayboy Gym. The Bulls are already thinking about a fourth meeting in Richmond. “I think without a doubt we could see them again,” Joyner said MEAC tournament pits Delaware State against the field Continued from page 1C ITie I lonv'tfi going to (liizzle anycjne with offcnBC, but find ways to win DSU ip brth out of 11 U'iimp in scor ing offense ' 57 5 {xjints |)er giime). yi*t have urtipped up first place in the regular sea- iHiti How -* DSU is trough on fiefense, tojtping the MICAC at 57 6 {xjintp j>er game. Homething coach Gn*g Jackson has built the pro gram on. That’s why it’s diffi cult to go against the I lometa and top scorer Jtihsha Bluhtt ‘ 14 7 jxjints per game) • Bethune-rhokmtun IS IS. 11-6) The Wildcats are the only other MEAC pn>gram with a winning overall record If therfj’e going to be a serious challenge to Delaware State’s drive to the title, itll come out of Daytona Antonio W’ebb leads the league in scoririg at 16.6 points per game and Michael Williams is ninth at 14 5 • Coppin State (11-17, 11- 6) The Eagles went 0-for-the season in nonconference games, but don't feel sorry for CSU. Coach Ron Mitchell JCSU makes tourney field Continued from page 1C uliw season. Smith lost by eij^t points Taylor Haiti the Hulls played lothiirgically in Raleigh, but were a different team in the championship gtune. Tou know that vSfuiw is going to come hanl, ’ Taylor smtl “We came to meet fin' with fin* and giv(f our»t4ve8 a chance " Sophomon- Shemika Jones led the Bulls with 16 points and afUfr the game she said she’s looking ahead so that n*xt year’s tournament will have a diffen-nt outcome “Personally I think I need to work on my ball handling,” Jont's said T shot 7 for 14 tmd to me that’s not good ’fhe Hulls only lose one H*nior. and Jones said she hopes the women will stay in CTiarlotte over the offseason imd j)r}ictice tf^ther Tf we could all stay here that would be great, l)asically since wen* hxiing me senior wen* still the siune team and we can build more chemistry." Jones smd fV PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON Johnson C. Smith guard Ashley Chase (center) is consoled after the Golden Bulls lost to Shaw 53-50 in the CIAA women's championship game. The Golden Bulls still advanced to the Division II tournament for the first time since the 1992-93 season. Korea trip more than gootiwill Continued from page 1C Friday he hopes to find a land that may a lie more rece|> five to others of mi.\ed blood tbim it might have been not long ago Tm proud of Ward “y proud of our Koretui her itage," said Wiuxl, whose niune is tattooed in Korean on his right arm “It's some thing I should have done a long time ago and it’s going to be very emotional /\nd 1 hof)e they accept me for who I lun “ The 29-year-old Ward a four-time Pro R)wl receiver and the Sterders' career receiving leader, was bom in Sl^juI but left with his moth er luid father at age 1 and settled in the United States, where WanlV mom hoped “■xiety would be more accepting of the multiracial fiunily Wanl's ptments did not stay together long but, even after they split up, his mother remained in .-Xmerica to be w ith her son Despite know ing no English before luriv- ing, she worked as many as three jobs at a time - among them, at an airport, a conve nience story iuid in a school cafeteria - to suirjxirt her son imd give him some of the things his wealthier class mates eryojed At times, he felt embar rassed by their background, but he aocm came to apjireci- Bte what his mothi-r was tkiing for him Now. Ward thinks some of the traits that miule him into one of the NF’L's tc^ receivers, includ ing a willingness to block with the passion of a lint' man while placing a skill jjosition, came from his mother's commitment to hard work Even after Ward began making milhons in the NIT., his mother retunred to h‘r school cafeteria job in Forest Park, Ga. after quitting for a coufde of months, sajing she felt bored and depressed while not working 1 want to see where she grew up I want to see where I was bom I want to see where she pla}'ed hooky and hung out I want to leam more about my heritage,” said Ward, who has never returned to Korea since leav ing as a toddler, though his mother has gone back 3-4 times “I want to leam every thing" Wiuxl and his mother planned the weeklong trip before the Super Bowl, where Ward made five catch es for 123 yards and a touch down in a 21-10 Steelers vic- toiy over Seattle But what was supposed to be a pri vate" trip for Ward devoted to sightseeing, shopping, meeting relatives and eating Korean food has since beccme a media event Ward is expected to meet Korean dignitaries during a trip that begins April 1 Fie also wimts to spr-nd time with some of the children being helped by Pearl S Buck International, an orga nization that aids biracial children in Kwea “When 1 was there, it was n't cool to be a mixed kid There probably was some hatnxl there." Ward said “Some of the kids are treated liadly imd, sadly, it happens, but it's not the kids' fault' Wiml is encouraged because his success has led to considerable media atten tion in Korea of how society treats those of multiracial backgrounds A recent edito rial in the JoongAng Daily, the country’s largest news paper with a circulation of more than 2 million, cited the praise being heaped on Ward and urged the end to the “embarrassing habit of discrimination against mixed-blood people.” The editorial concluded, “We should open our minds and hold their hands to raise the second and third Hines Ward in Korea ’ Ward plans to help fund a scholarship in his mother’s name for Korean-American children He was chosen for a similar scholarship while attending the University of Georgia, even though he was also on an athletic scholar ship. "It’s like my mother still tells me, 'Always be humble, never forget where you came finm,"’ Ward said "My story is kind of a perfect stoiy, of how I was able to overcome all that. Maybe some other kids can use that as motiva tion " Charlotte’s ultimate source for HBCU sports. Clie Cliarlottc $)ost put his Eagles through a treacherous non-MEAC schedule for two reasons: income and tliis tournament. If those early season beat- downs result in a cFiampi- onship, it’s worth it. • S.C. State (12-15, 10-7) - The Bulldogs have been up and down, and as a result, may be the hardest dark- horse to figure out. S.C. State has been solid on defense (65.1 ppg), but need to get more scoring balance in order to contend • Hampton (12-15, 10-8) It wasn’t that long ago the F^rates were the toast of all black-college basketball. This year, their role is to get a good showing at tourna ment time. With an offense that averages 67.3 points per outing and defense that allows 65.1, Hampton could string together enough fire power to surprise. • Norfolk State (11-17, 10- 8). The Spartans are good defensively at 64.5 points per game, but outside of Tbny Murphy (16 points per game) NSU needs more offensive contributions in order to be a force. Virginia Union guard Quincy Smith swoops in for a layup in the Panthers’ win over Elizabeth City State in the CIAA men’s tournament last week In Charlotte. The Panthers try to duplicate last year’s national title starting this week end at the South Atlantic Regional in Richmond. PHOTO,CURTIS WILSON Your source for championship sports coverage Cljc Cljarlotte ^ost