Virginia Union University’s women survived the play-in round of the CIAA Tournament’s basketball competition in Charlotte, N.C.

Ashle Freeman scored 25 points and Lady Walker added 22 points as the Panthers defeated Saint Augustine’s 74-71.

With the victory, the 8-17 Panthers advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinals against Lincoln University, which Lincoln won 59-51.

Women’s semifinals are 1 and 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27. The final is at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, with live ASPIRE TV coverage.

In other news:

If Livingstone College is to win the CIAA women’s tournament, it must prevail without leading scorer and rebounder Kyra Crosby.

In a shocking move last Saturday, the Salisbury, N.C., university reported Crosby as an “uncertified player” and forfeited 18 games.

Crosby’s name has been removed from Livingstone’s roster and statistics, ending her college basketball career.

Despite her absence, Livingstone, which is seeded fourth in the CIAA’s Southern Division, routed Bowie State University

91-73 in Tuesday’s tournament play-in game.

Livingstone was to play Johnson C. Smith University in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. With the forfeits, Livingstone’s record went from 24-1 to 6-19.

At one juncture, Livingstone was 22-1 and ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division II. The 6-foot-1 Crosby previously played at Gulf Coast State College in Florida and University of Alabama.

She also was enrolled at Georgia State University in her hometown of Atlanta between stops at Alabama and Livingstone.

Shaw University, eyeing its fifth straight CIAA women’s crown, is led by conference Player of the Year Verdine Warner, a 6-foot-4 senior from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.