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Things to know as 2024 CIAA basketball tournament tips off in Baltimore this week

monica holland, fayetteville observer
·4 min read

The CIAA basketball tournament is back in Baltimore, Maryland, this year with 24 games set to determine the men's and women's 2024 champions.

Fayetteville State men's and women's teams swept the Southern Division regular-season titles and both will carry a No. 1 seed and first-round bye into the league tournament.

The tournament starts Monday, Feb. 26, at CFG Bank Arena and concludes Saturday with championship games set for 1 p.m. (women) and 4 p.m. (men). Both championship games will be televised on ESPNU.

First-round byes put both Broncos squads in Wednesday's quarterfinals, with the FSU women facing the Bluefield State-Livingstone winner at 4:30 p.m., and the FSU men awaiting the Bowie State-Livingstone winner at 6:40 p.m.

Elizabeth City State, coached by former NC State All-ACC and WNBA guard Tynesha Lewis, is the reigning women's CIAA tournament champion after claiming the first title in program history last season. It takes the No. 1 seed from the Northern Division into the postseason.

The Fayetteville State men (16-12, 11-7) claimed their second straight Southern Division title, sharing an 8-4 division record with Claflin but earning the top seed by virtue of a tiebreaker based on the winning margins in head-to-head matchups. That puts the Broncos on the same side of the bracket as reigning champion Winston-Salem State, which has won two of the last three CIAA titles — with FSU claiming the other.

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Here's what you need to know as the first HBCU conference holds its six-day showcase in Charm City.

2024 CIAA basketball tournament info

  • When: Feb. 26-March 2

  • Where: CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore

  • Watch: ESPN+, ESPNU for Saturday championships

2024 CIAA basketball tournament schedule

WOMEN

Monday, Feb. 26

  • 7S Winston-Salem State 64, 6N Bowie State 61

Tuesday, Feb. 27

  • 4N Bluefield State 59, 5S Livingstone 56

  • 4S Saint Augustine's 64, 5N Lincoln 52

  • 6S Shaw 65, 3N Virginia Union 64

  • 3S Johnson C. Smith 65, 7S Winston-Salem State 59

Wednesday, Feb. 28 (times are approximate)

Quarterfinals

  • 1N Elizabeth City State 64, 4S Saint Augustine's 60

  • 1S Fayetteville State 59, 4N Bluefield State 45

Thursday, Feb. 29

  • Women's Quarterfinal 3 — 6S Shaw (14-14) vs. 2S Claflin (16-10, 10-8), noon

  • Women's Quarterfinal 4 — 3S Johnson C. Smith (14-12) vs. 2N Virginia State (22-4, 13-4), 6 p.m.

Friday, March 1

  • Women's Semifinal 1 — 1N Elizabeth City State (19-10) vs. Quarterfinal 3 winner, noon

  • Women's Semifinal 2 — 1S Fayetteville State (25-2) vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner, 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 2

  • Women's Championship — 1 p.m. (ESNPU)

MEN

Monday, Feb. 26

  • 6N Bluefield State 50, 7S Saint Augustine's 48

Tuesday, Feb. 27 (times are approximate)

  • 4N Bowie State 69, 5S Livingstone 65

  • 5N Elizabeth City State 70, 4S Shaw 67

Wednesday, Feb. 28 (times are approximate)

  • 6N Bluefield State 67, 3S Winston-Salem State 66 (OT)

  • 3N Virginia State 66, 6S Johnson C. Smith 56

  • 1S Fayetteville State 77, 4N Bowie State 53

  • Men's Quarterfinal 2 — 5N Elizabeth City State (11-18) vs. 1N Lincoln (14-13, 10-7), 9:50 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 29

  • Men's Quarterfinal 3 — 3N Virginia State (15-14) vs. 2S Claflin (16-9, 13-5), 2 p.m.

  • Men's Quarterfinal 4 — 6N Bluefield State (9-21) vs. 2N Virginia Union (13-17, 8-9), 8 p.m.

Friday, March 1 (times are approximate)

  • Men's Semifinal 1 — Quarterfinal 2 winner vs. Quarterfinal 3 winner, 2 p.m.

  • Men's Semifinal 2 — 1S Fayetteville State (17-12) vs. Quarterfinal 4 winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 2

  • Men's Championship — 4 p.m. (ESPNU)

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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: CIAA basketball tournament 2024 scores, schedule