CIAA Announces 42nd Annual Women’s Basketball Tournament Bracket

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CHARLOTTE^nd Annual Women's Basketball Tournament bracket.  The 2016 CIAA Basketball Tournament will be held from Tuesday, February 23^rd – Saturday, February 27^th at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Women's competition will kick-off at 10:00 a.m. EST.
, North Carolina  -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) releases the official 42
"This is the most exciting time of CIAA basketball.  We have great pairings, great parity, and you never know who is going to be crowned champion", says CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams.

"The twenty-two game schedule will definitely be the highlight of this year's tournament experience as the legacy continues."

With the conclusion of regular season competition, the 2016 Women's Basketball Tournament pairings and bracket have been announced by the CIAA Basketball Tournament Committee.  Pairings are based on the highest divisional winning percentage.  In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker rule begins with head-to-head competition results followed by head-to-head point differential.  If a tie situation remains, the highest conference winning percentage will be utilized.  The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds of each division receive a first round bye.

Virginia Union University (VUU) captured the Northern Divisional Title with a 9-1 record.  For the second consecutive season, Shaw University (SU) has been crowned the Southern Division Champion with a 9-1 record in divisional play.

Chowan University (CU) represents the North at the No. 2 seed with an 8-2 record.  Livingstone College (LC) will represent the South as the No. 2 seed and Fayetteville State University (FSU) will compete on Tuesday as the South's No. 3 seed, as determined by the following tiebreaker scenario. Both teams finished with a 6-4 divisional record and split victories in head-to-head contests.

However, Livingstone earned a 14-point advantage with the 82-64 victory on February 10^th compared to the 2-point (65-63) FSU advantage on January 20^th.

Fayetteville State will open the tournament at 10:00 a.m. versus the North's No. 6 seed Bowie State University (BSU).  No. 3 seeded Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (LUPA) will take on Saint Augustine's University (SAU), the South's No. 6 seed, at 12:10 p.m.  Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), the South No. 4 seed, will play the North's No. 5 Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) at 2:20 p.m.  Concluding women's play on Tuesday will feature the North's No. 4 Virginia State University (VSU) versus the South's No. 5 Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) at 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday's action will begin at 10:00 a.m. with No. 2 North Chowan awaiting the winner of the FSU/BSU matchup.  The South's No. 2 Livingstone will play the winner of the LUPA/SAU battle at 12:10 p.m.  The JCSU/ECSU winner will advance to face-off versus the Northern Division's top contender, Virginia Union, at 2:20 p.m.  Women's contests will close with a battle between Shaw (South No. 1) and the winner of VSU/WSSU.

Tournament play will continue with semi-finals on Friday, February 26^th starting at 3:00 p.m.  The Women's Championship Game will tip-off on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and air live on the ASPiRE Network.

For more information regarding the 2016 CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit ciaatournament.org.  Follow the CIAA on social media via Facebook (TheCIAA), Twitter (@CIAAForLife), Instagram (@CIAASports), or download the CIAA mobile app available for Apple and Android devices.

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