VUU hoping for NCAA bid after slim CIAA Tournament defeat

Virginia Union University has rested its case. Now it awaits its verdict.

Coach Jay Butler’s Panthers have enjoyed a jubilant season, posting a 23-7 record while advancing to the CIAA Tournament finals last Saturday at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.

But is it enough for a bid to the NCAA Division II version of the “Big Dance”?

The NCAA Selection Committee will announce the 64-team field Sunday, March 6.

Fayetteville State University, by virtue of its 65-62 win over VUU in the CIAA champion- ship game, is in as an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.

Last Saturday’s victory was the Fayetteville State Broncos’ first CIAA crown since 1973.

The 64-team NCAA field includes 23 automatic qualifiers and 41 at-large selections. Other automatic qualifiers in the Atlantic Region are champions of the Mountain East and Pennsylvania State conferences. That means five at-large picks.

The Mountain and Penn conferences will hold their tournaments this weekend.

The most recent Atlantic Region poll had VUU ninth, or one slot out of the eight-team regional lineup.

Since then, however, the Panthers defeated Bowie State University in the CIAA quarterfinals and Winston-Salem State University in the semifinals, but fell behind Fayetteville State because of the CIAA Tournament finale, which was shown on ESPN-U.

VUU would seem to be very much on the bubble in its efforts to gain entry into the eight-team regional.

VUU junior forward Robert Osborne certainly did his part to extend VUU’s season into March. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound forward/center had 25 points and 16 rebounds—including 10 offensive—in the disheartening loss to the Broncos.

“The Wizard of Os” found the Baltimore nets to his liking. He had 16 points and eight rebounds against Bowie State University and 16 points and 12 rebounds against Winston-Salem State. He surely would have been MVP had VUU prevailed.

Osborne, a powerful lefty out of Hermitage High School in Henrico County, and graduate student Jordan Peebles of Emporia were named to the All-Tournament squad. Earlier in the week, both were selected All-CIAA.

The tournament MVP went to the Fayetteville State Broncos’ Jalen Seegars, a 6-foot-5 senior transfer from the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Seegars was joined on the All-Tournament squad by Fayetteville State’s Darian Dixon.

Fayetteville State is coached by Luke D’Alessio, a Caucasian who is a familiar face around the CIAA. In 2003, Coach D’Alessio guided Bowie State University to the CIAA crown.

Regardless of the outcome of the NCAA Selection Committee, the VUU Panthers have much to celebrate looking behind and ahead.

Bouncing back after a season layoff due to the pandemic, VUU relied on a suffocating defense, balanced scoring and the emergence of Osborne to have the school’s brightest season since Coach Dave Robbins resigned in 2008.

Lincoln’s Lady Lions take home first ever CIAA trophy

Number zero was the hero for Lincoln University’s Lady Lions.

Bryanna Brown, wearing jersey No. 0, earned MVP honors while helping Lincoln to its first ever CIAA title.

The native of Brooklyn, N.Y., scored 28 points as the Lions defeated Elizabeth City State University 67-52 in the tournament final at Baltimore’s Royal Farms Arena.

The Lady Lions beat Winston-Salem State University and Livingstone

College in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

The 22-7 Lady Lions now advance to the NCAA Division II tournament.