Morehouse and Virginia Union finish the 2017-18 basketball season on top of the Urban Media Today Top 25 HBCU Men’s and Women’s Basketball Polls.
Coach Grady L. Brewer in his 18th season at the helm of “The House” had his Maroon Tigers on the hunt finishing with 25 wins against 3 losses, improving on his best season as head coach since 2003-2004 (25 wins and 6 Losses).
The Maroon Tigers roared out to a fast start winning their first 19 games before finally incurring their first loss of the year (85-72) to Claflin. The House who was led by senior guard Tyrius Walker and 22.8 points per game did not suffer another loss until the second round of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic conference Tournament. This time falling agains to Claflin 77-69. The Historic season for Morehouse came to a close in the first round of the NCAA Division Two National Championship Tournament with a 98-97 loss to Florida Southern. This marked the first time in school history Morehouse hosted a Division II National Championship Tournament playoff round.
Virginia Union Rules as the Queens of the Court.
The Ladies of Virginia Union concluded their 2017-18 season with only three losses (28-3). Panthers Head Coach AnnMarie Gilbert who lead her team to the D-2 Final Four a year ago had her ladies firing on all cylinders again this season. The eventual Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association champs started the season rebounding from a loss in the second game of the year (Edinboro 89-79) by going on a 20 game winning streak (between November 17,2017 and ending February 3,2018). The Panthers were finally tripped up by Chowan 85-79. Union was led by 6’0″ Senior Guard Alexis Johnson and her 16.9 points per game finishing the regular season without another loss. Virginia Union and breezed through the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA D-2 Championship tournament as the host institution for the first time in school history. Coach Gilbert’s Troops season would come to an end in the first round, losing for the third an final time of the year in the game against CIAA nemesis Bowie State (63-56).
Dana Ford is leaving Tennessee State to take over at Missouri State.
Tennessee State will be looking for a new head Men’s Basketball Coach For the 2018-19 season as Tigers head coach Dana Ford is moving on after four years at TSU to take the helm at Missouri State Univeristy. Wednesday (03/22/18) Tennessee State Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips announced that Ford notified TSU that he accepted the position at MSU. In four years at the Head of the Tigers program Ford led Tennessee State to 57 wins against 65 losses while competing in the Ohio Valley Conference. This past season the Tigers finished 15-15. Tennessee State is starting a National Search for its next head coach immediately.
Cheyney University is reclassifying it’s Sports Programs .
Cheyney University will longer participate in athletics as a Division II school. The Oldest Historically Black College and University in the Nation (Established February 25, 1837 in Chester County Pennsylvannia) will operate in sports as an independent until financial issues are resolved. The Wolves finished this past football season with only one win against 10 losses and that program will remain suspended until improvement is established in the Instituitions finance department. Cheyney will seek to join another conference for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams which participated in the Pennsylvannia State Athletic Conference finishing with records of 2-23 and 6-22 respectively. The Wolves move also includes the Women’s volleyball team which finished this past season winless at 0-26. The University has been experiencing Financial and administrative problems in the past prompting changes.
Trevin A. Jones
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