J.C. Smith hung tight with Virginia Union. But then the dam burst in the CIAA finale.
Virginia Union completed its march from CIAA afterthought to league champs.
The Panthers, who beat Johnson C. Smith 82-52 for the tournament championship Saturday at Spectrum Center, were dominant on both ends of the court. The win was punctuated by a thorough second half in which they led by as many as 32 points to win their first title under coach Jay Butler, who won three championships as a Virginia Union player from 1994-96.
The two teams swapped the lead five times and forged four ties in the first half before Virginia Union pulled ahead late for a 36-28 advantage. The Panthers exploded in the second half as they grabbed a double-digit advantage early and expanded it by exploiting their advantage inside. Four Virginia Union players scored in double figures, led by Todd Hughes with 22 points, followed by Andre Walker’s 19. William Jenkins added 16 points and Kory Cooley 13.
J.C. Smith (20-11) struggled on offense, managing only 31.7 percent shooting (19-of-60) and a season-low points scored. The Golden Bulls couldn’t handle Virginia Union’s size and athletic ability in the lane, especially in the second half where the Panthers connected on a sizzling 59.3 percent (16-of-27) of their shots.
Three who mattered
Andre Walker: The Panthers’ 6-10 center dominated inside with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He hit 6-of-9 shots in addition to all four free throws.
Todd Hughes: Virginia Union’s guard led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting.
Robert Davis: The CIAA’s player of the year paced J.C. Smith with 12 points, including seven in the first half on 3-of-9 shooting.
Observations
▪ Virginia Union hit the boards hard, outrebounding J.C. Smith 49-29, which led to a 22-16 advantage in second-chance points.
▪ As efficient as Walker was in the paint, J.C. Smith outscored the Panthers in the lane 14-10 in the first half.
▪ Roddric Ross, Jonathan Curtis and Robert Davis were named to the all-tournament team.
Worth mentioning
▪ The championship is Virginia Union’s 19th in school history, and first since 2006.
▪ J.C. Smith coach Steve Joyner is 3-6 all-time against Virginia Union in tournament play, 18-30 overall.
▪ Virginia Union swept the championship hardware. The Panthers beat Bowie State for the women’s title.
CIAA championships
Results from the CIAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament at the Spectrum Center:
MEN
Saturday’s final
Virginia Union 82, Johnson C. Smith 52
All-tournament team
Kory Cooley (MVP) – Virginia Union
Richard Granberry – Virginia State
Omari George – Bowie State
Todd Hughes – Virginia Union
Roddric Ross – Johnson C. Smith
Robert Davis – Johnson C. Smith
Cameron Burhannon – Livingstone
Jonathan Curtis – Johnson C. Smith
Willie Gillmore – Fayetteville State
Quincy January – Saint Augustine's
2018 CIAA Sportsmanship Award
Livingstone College
WOMEN
Saturday’s final
Virginia Union 73, Bowie State 57
All-tournament team
Alexis Johnson (MVP) – Virginia Union
Kiara Colston – Bowie State
Chrisanna Green – Virginia State
Michelle Fitzgerald – Lincoln (Pa.)
Kyaja Williams – Bowie State
Shareka McNeill – Virginia Union
Shecquan Bailey – Lincoln (Pa.)
Rachael Pecota – Virginia Union
Alex Smith – Virginia State
Sada Chatman - Bowie State
This story was originally published March 3, 2018 at 10:04 PM with the headline "J.C. Smith hung tight with Virginia Union. But then the dam burst in the CIAA finale.."