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The SWAC Conference tournament will be held in Garland, Texas, starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday. Most projections have the winner of the SWAC tournament being one of the absolute worst seeds in the NCAA's, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't pull a win out once they get there.
The Texas Southern Tigers, hailing from Houston, are the #1 seed with a 18-11 mark, including a 16-2 run in conference. Led by senior Kevin Galloway, who almost never leaves the floor, the Tigers defense was the best in the SWAC. They'll open up against the #8 seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, which went 7-23 on the season, with all 7 wins coming in-conference. The Tigers went 2-0 against them this season.
With conference tournaments in full force, NCAA Tournament bids are there to be won this week, and some teams can turn an otherwise sorry season into a good year by earning an NCAA bid. Texas Southern already has had a good season.
As for local schools, TSU has the best chance to prance in the Big Dance. That is apropos, says head coach Tony Harvey, who believes his Tigers are the best college basketball team in the area.
At 18-11, Harvey's team certainly has the best record, and the SWAC regular-season champions head to Garland this week as the favorite to earn the conference's automatic bid at the league tournament.
USA TODAY takes a look at what to watch for during a pivotal week in college basketball as March Madness looms:
Three to watch
Bethune-Cookman and C.J. Reed: The team won its first Mid-Eastern Athletic regular-season title since joining Division I in 1980. Reed, a junior guard playing for his father, Clifford, is averaging 19.5 points and 4.6 assists overall and 40.2 minutes a game in MEAC play. Four of the Wildcats' MEAC games have gone to overtime; nine others have been decided by seven points or fewer.
So Reed has played 643 of 665 MEAC minutes - a big reason the team is 12-1 in those 13 close games.
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The 40th-annual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament is set to begin Tuesday, March 8th and run though Saturday, March 12th, with the winner earning a place among the 68-team field in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats earned this year's top-seed and an opening-round bye on the strength of a 13-3 regular-season MEAC record. The Hampton Pirates and the Coppin State Eagles each earned a share of the league's runner-up trophy with 11-5 marks. The Pirates earned the tournament's second-seed by virtue of a tiebreaker over the third-seeded Eagles. Also receiving opening round byes were fourth-seeded, two-time defending MEAC champion Morgan State (10-6) and fifth-seeded North Carolina A&T (9-7).
NORTHERN DIVISION
Bowie State
Chowan
Elizabeth City State
Lincoln (PA)
Saint Paul's
Virginia State
Virginia Union
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Fayetteville State
Johnson C. Smith
Livingstone
Saint Augustine's
Shaw
Winston-Salem State
Raheem Smith (Shaw University) was named Tournament MVP, and he joined the Bears' Tony Smith and Devon Mclendon (Shaw)on the All-Tournament team. Other players who made the All-Tournament team include Trent Bivens of Elizabeth City State, Eric Vann of Bowie State, CIAA player of the year Trevin Parks of Johnson C. Smith, Sidney Evans of Fayetteville State, and Charles Rhodes of Chowan. Fayetteville State won the John B. McLendon Sportsmanship Trophy at the tournament.
On the women's side, tournament MVP Demaria Liles (Shaw University), Kyria Buford and Aslea Williams (Shaw) joined Liles on the All-Tournament team. Johnson C. Smith was represented by Terran Quattlebaum and Terrica Jones.
Rounding out the All-Tournament team was: Rhon’Neisha Taylor (Virginia State), Allison Sikes, (St. Augustine’s), Umeka Benson (St. Augustine’s) Ransheda Jennings (Chowan) and Vontisha Woods (Winston-Salem State).
ATLANTA | Clark Atlanta University stopped Stillman College one win short of a title Saturday night as the Tigers fell 78-71 in the championship game of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
Clark Atlanta led by 23 points at the half, leading 50-27 going into the break, but Stillman came back to take the lead late in the game. In the final three minutes, however, the Panther’s David Brown made two key baskets to put Clark Atlanta ahead and take the win. Brown ended the game with 20 points.
Also scoring in double figures for the Panthers were Najee Lane with 14, Royce Hamilton with 11 and Antonio Burch with 10.
Atlanta, GA- The Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) (22-9) are back on top of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) after a 69-54 win over the Miles College Lady Bears (21-8) to capture the 2011 SIAC Women’s Basketball Championship. The win gives FVSU Head Coach Lonnie Bartley his 10th SIAC title. This was the second Lady Wildcats championship in the past three years.
In a closely contested first half, there were four ties and two lead changes. With 4:18 remaining before the intermission, the Lady Bears held their largest lead of the half, 28-20. However, the nine-time SIAC Champion Lady Wildcats ended the first half with a 13-3 scoring run to take a 33-31 halftime lead.
ATLANTA, GA – Junior Toccara Charles scored 17 points to lead the Lady Bears (21-8) as they fell to Fort Valley State University Lady Wildcats (22-9) in the SIAC Women’s Basketball Championship game 69-54 today at Frank Forbes Arena. The Lady Wildcats walked away with their tenth SIAC title.
Holding on to a slim two point halftime lead, Fort Valley State went on a 12-4 run pushing the lead to double-digits with 12:31 left in the game. After a Lady Bear time-out, the Lady Wildcats went on another 6-2 run for the largest lead of the contest with 14 points (53-39). Miles would go on a run of their own to slice the Lady Wildcats lead to seven points 53-46 with 6:45 left. Fort Valley quickly answered with a 6-3 run of their own to forge ahead by 10 points (57-49) with 3:17 left. Miles’ gave it one more surge cutting the Lady Wildcats lead back to seven points 59-52 with 3:07 remaining. That would be as close as the Lady Bears would get, as the Lady Wildcats cruised to victory 69-54.
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By Fort Valley State University and Miles College Media Relations
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Raheem Smith scored 28 points including two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the game to give Shaw a 72-69 win over Livingstone Saturday for its second CIAA men's championship in school history.
Victory wasn't assured until a desperation three-pointer by Livingstone misfired, setting off a celebration inside Time Warner Cable Arena. Smith was named Tournament MVP, and he joined the Bears' Tony Smith and Devon Mclendon on the All-Tournament team. They led the Bears (22-8 overall), the No. 2 Southern Division seed, to victory over a game Livingstone squad making its first CIAA finals appearance.
"I can't say enough about this team," Shaw Head Coach Cleo Hill, Jr. said. "I'm proud of them and we fought throughout this tournament."
Mclendon added 19 points and 14 rebounds and Tony Smith scored 11 points for the Bears, who shot 52 percent from the floor including 54 percent in the second half. Livingstone, who put Darius Cox and Greg Henry on the All-Tournament team, shot 46 percent for the game including 50 percent in the second half, to make the game close.
The win gave Shaw a sweep of the men's and women's tournaments, which is a first for the private Raleigh, N.C., school. Hill, Jr., claimed his first crown in only his third season as head coach after being an assistant coach on the 2001-02 team which won the CIAA Tournament with former NBA player Ronald "Flip" Murray, who was the NCAA Division II player of the year for the Bears at the time.
Videographer: Cwallace281; Shaw University Choir joins Wake Forest Baptist Church in Wake Forest North Carolina, featuring soloist Brandi Hancock. Song: Lord Make Me An Instrument
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Livingstone men’s basketball team fell in its bid to win the 2011 CIAA Championship Saturday, falling in its first-ever title game, 72-69 to the Shaw University Bears at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Livingstone finishes its 2010-2011 campaign with a 17-12 overall record.
The Blue Bears were led by game MVP and All-Tournament Team selection Darius Cox who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow All-Tournament Team selection Greg Henry finished with 10 points and six boards. Also in double figures was Nasir Austin with 11 points and Carl Boswell who added 10 points.
Mush as they had all tournament, the Blue Bears jumped out to an early lead on Saturday. Livingstone led 12-5 with 13:42 left in the first half, but a 14-4 run by Shaw gave the Bears a 19-16 edge with 8:58 remaining in the opening half. Towards the end of the first half the Blue Bears stayed close and went into the break only down two, 32-30.
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By Livingstone College and Shaw University Media Relations
The SWAC Conference tournament will be held in Garland, Texas, starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday. Most projections have the winner of the SWAC tournament being one of the absolute worst seeds in the NCAA's, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't pull a win out once they get there. 
