Seven in, seven out of D2 playoffs; WSSU women run to region final
All seven teams, four women’s and three men’s squads, are out of the NCAA Div. II playoffs after the first week of play but not before some impressive performances.
The women of Winston-Salem State, champions of the CIAA Tournament, were by far the most impressive.
The Lady Rams, under first-year head coach Tierra Terry, were seeded third in the Atlantic Region in Indiana, Pa. They posted double-digit wins in Friday’s quarterfinals (88-71 over 6th-seed Glenville State) and Saturday’s semifinals (67-48 over 7th-seed Gannon) to earn a spot in Monday’s regional championship game vs. top-seed and host Indiana, Pa. A spot in the Div. II Elite Eight this week in Pittsburgh went to the winner.
The Lady Rams, with leadership from sophomore point guard Ah’Khiya Pye, played solidly and led for most of the game. They had a 64-60 lead with :36 seconds left before two costly in-bounds turnovers led the two IUP baskets, the last a 3-pointer with :06 seconds left resulting in a heartbreaking 65-64 loss. Pye led WSSU (28-4) with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Reserves Makayla Waleed and Alana Biosse had 14 and 11 points respectively while sophomore center Maia Charles had 7 points and a team-high 13 points.
The men of Virginia Union, under head coach Jay Butler, got the only other win.
The Panthers, the CIAA North Division champs knocked out in the CIAA Tournament quarterfinals, were seeded seventh in the Atlantic Region. They faced 2nd-seed West Liberty, a team averaging 98.8 points per game, second best in all of Div. II. VUU came in leading the nation in scoring defense giving up just 59.9 ppg.
In the quarterfinal, the Panthers shut down the West Liberty offense, holding the Hilltoppers to 27.9% (17 of 61) shooting from the field including 14.3% (5 of 35) from 3-point range, to garner a 52-46 win. Bobby Gardner had 23 points and Noah Richardson-Keys had 11 to lead the Panthers.
In the semifinals vs. 6th-seed Indiana (Pa.), VUU trailed 30-25 at the half, went down by as much as ten, 44-34 with 12:14 to play, before coming back to take the lead before settling for a 56-all tie at the end of regulation. IUP outscored the Panthers 10-6 in the extra period to pull out a 66-62 win. Gardner again led VUU (25-6) with 19 points. Malachi Dark and Richardson-Key had 11.
Fourth-seeded Seton Hill needed two overtimes to subdue fifth-seed women’s CIAA Tournament runners-up Fayetteville State 88-85 in the Atlantic Region quarterfinals.
Alabama A&M women in WBIT, three more in WNIT
The Alabama A&M women’s basketball team, the regular season SWAC champion, has earned one of 16 bids to compete in the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), marking another milestone in a historic season for the Bulldogs.
The Lady Bulldogs (22-10), under head coach Dawn Thornton, who lost on a last-second shot in the SWAC Tournament semifinals, will face top seed Brigham Young University (22-11) on Thursday, March 19 in the opening round of the tournament. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
WBIT semifinals will air on ESPNU and the championship game on ESPN2.
Three other black college women’s teams are in the WNIT.
Alcorn State (17-13) out of the SWAC and Maryland-Eastern Shore (19-14) out of the MEAC were automatic qualifiers. MEAC member Norfolk State (18-14) received an at-large bid.
Maryland-Eastern Shore will play at Wake Forest (14-17) on Friday, March 19 at 6 p.m. Norfolk State is hosting Loyola Chicago (14-17) on Saturday, March 21 (2 p.m.). Alcorn State hosts South Alabama (16-18) Saturday at 4 p.m.
Forty-eight (48) teams are in the WNIT field. Automatic berths were granted to the highest ranking team from each of the nation’s 31 conferences. The remaining selections were at the direction of the WNIT Committee.
