LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
MLK CLASSIC: Howard’s Steve Settle III dunks here Monday vs. Notre Dame. The six-ten sophomore led the Bison with 25 points and nine rebounds in the MLK Classic at Howard’s Burr Gymnasium. The Bison battled gamely but fell 71-68 in the first game for the Irish at an HBCU arena.
With COVID-19 disruptions reduced to a mini- mum, men’s and women’s basketball games were in near-full swing this week.
SWAC
The race in the SWAC took a twist this weekend as both pacesetters, Southern and Alcorn State, suf- fered losses.
Southern (9-8, 4-1 SWAC) fell at Grambling State Saturday 83-77, while Alcorn State (5-12, 4-1) fell Monday at home to Prairie View A&M, 74-73.
Grambling (5-12, 3-2) had four players reach double-figure scoring led by Cameron Christon’s 23 in knocking off Southern. Tyrone Lyons led the Jags with 25 points.
Six-five graduate guard William Douglas led three Panthers in double-digits with 21 points in PV’s win over Alcorn.
Jackson State (4-12, 2-3) and Florida A&M (5-11, 3-2) were double winners over the weekend. Boosted by football star Malachi Wideman, JSU defeated Prairie View 75-64 Saturday and subdued Texas Southern Monday 61-58. The 6-5 athletic wide receiver contributed 12 points and five boards vs. PV and 7 points and 2 rebounds vs. TSU.
M. J. Randolph was the star in FAMU’s 71-66 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (25 pts., 8 rebs.) and the Rattlers’ 78-70 win over Miss. Valley State (22 pts., 6 rebs., 4 assists).
This week Alcorn State plays at FAMU Satur- day and at B-CU Monday. Jackson State is on the same Florida trip, at B-CU Saturday and at FAMU Monday. Southern hosts UAPB Saturday and MVSU Monday. Grambling hosts the same two, MVSU Sat- urday and UAPB Monday.
The Texas schools, TSU (5-10, 3-3) and PVA&M (2-12, 2-4), host the Alabama schools, Alabama A&M (4-11, 3-2) and Alabama State (4-13, 3-2), on Saturday and Monday
MEAC
The Norfolk State men (12-4, 3-0 MEAC) are setting the pace in the MEAC after wins this past week over Howard (77-74) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (72-58).
The double-digit scoring threesome of 6-1 senior guard Joe Bryant (16.4 ppg.), 6-9 redshirt senior center Kris Bankston (11.7 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) and 6-3 senior guard Jalen Hawkins (10.8 ppg.) along with 6-2 junior guard Christian Ings (9.9 ppg.) and 6-7 redshirt junior Dana Tate (8.0 ppg.) are parts of a formidable rotation for the Spartans.
Bryant, certainly the early leader for the league’s player of the year, averaged 24.5 points in the two wins to take over the scoring lead in the conference at 16.4 points per game. Hawkins averaged 17.5 points in the two wins while Bangston averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 boards.
After its close loss to NSU at home on Saturday, Howard (6-8, 0-1) battled Notre Dame to a close 71- 68 loss on Monday at the MLK Classic. Steve Settle III had 25 points in the loss to Notre Dame but shot just 2 of 12 from the field and tallied 12 in the loss to NSU.
The shot heard around the conference came Sat- urday in the crosstown Baltimore matchup of Coppin State and Morgan State. Six-four redshirt freshman lefthander Nendah Tarke launched a desperation
heave from beyond half court that went in giving the Eagles (3-14, 2-0) a dramatic 79-76 win. The game- winning 3-pointer was the last of his team-high 22 points in the win. Tarke also had 10 rebounds
Morgan State (6-8, 1-1) got game-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds from 6-4 junior De’Torrian Ware. Six-eight senior Lagio Grantsaan added 15 points and nine boards for the Bears.
Things should heat up this week as Norfolk State entertains Coppin State on Saturday and Morgan State on Monday. Howard plays at Morgan State Sat- urday and at Coppin State Monday.
N. C. Central (6-9, 0-0) plays its first conference game Saturday at Delaware State (2-12, 0-1) and then plays at Md-E. Shore (5-7,0-2) on Monday. SC State (7-10, 0-2) is at E-Shore on Saturday and at DSU on Monday.
SIAC
SIAC West leader Miles (11-3, 6-1 W) got divi- sion wins over the weekend vs. Central State (65-56) and Kentucky State (76-52). Six-five junior Yasim Hooker (19.0 ppg.) and 6-7 soph Mykayle Carter (16.5 ppg.) led the Golden Bears.
East leader Benedict (11-4, 7-1 E) fell to More- house Saturday (86-79) and defeated Albany State Monday (86-77). Morehouse (10-6, 7-2) got a game- high 22 points from Noah Morgan in its win. Bene- dict has Savannah State in Monday while Miles is at Spring Hill Saturday and at Tuskegee Monday. Morehouse is at Clark Atlanta Monday.
CIAA frontrunners to clash
The hoops schedule in the CIAA now turns to intra-divisional play over the last month of the sea- son leading up to the league’s basketball tournament which will run Feb. 22-26 in Baltimore. Those games began Wednesday and will continue this Saturday.
On Saturday, Fayetteville State (9-5, 4-0, 1-0) and Winston-Salem State (10-4, 4-2, 1-0), the most successful teams so far from the South Division, will meet in Fayetteville (4 p.m.). The North Division front runners, Virginia Union (12-3, 5-0) and Lin- coln (Pa.) (11-5, 4-1, 0-1) will clash in Richmond, Va. Saturday (4 p.m.).
The CIAA and SWAC got all its men’s and women’s games in Saturday and Monday. The MEAC had two men’s game (involving N. C. Central) and one women’s game cancelled.
The SIAC had two men’s games cancelled over the weekend and one women’s game. All those games involved Clark Atlanta’s teams.