FSU's Jacob Barge

FAYETTEVILLE STATE’S JACOB BARGE QUALIFIES FOR NCAA D-II CHAMPIONSHIP

Broncos’ top player and Fayetteville native finishes tied for 4^th

BY ALEX PODLOGAR       

HERSHEY, Pa. – They rode along in silence. Cramped in a rented passenger van early Wednesday morning, the streets still wet from two days of rain, they sat next to each other, riding along unfamiliar roads 472 miles from home.

There was pressure in the van. It was evident, but it was not felt among all of the players. Not individually, anyway. The team score had become mostly irrelevant by that point, and the silence, had it been considered born solely out of disappointment, would have been misinterpreted. Some of it came from despair, surely, but there was fatigue in there as well. The sun had only shone for a few minutes, after all, and it had been a grueling two days on the golf course.

Pressure, though, was a significant part of this all-encompassing hush. Fayetteville State golfer Jacob Barge, riding in the back seat with teammate Mike Wallace, would soon step onto the East Course at Hershey Country Club for the third and final round of the NCAA Division-II Atlantic/East Super Regional. When he left the 18^th green less than 24 hours earlier, he was tied for 30^th. By the time he would step out of the van onto the damp pavement, he stood tied for fourth.

A berth in the NCAA Championship was within his grasp, and he knew it.

So he did what any nervous guy does. He whipped out his cell phone.

Suddenly, the silence snapped. A voice rinsed with gravel broke the stillness.

“The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game every minute, every second.”

Pouring out of Barge’s phone was the voice of actor Al Pacino, giving the climatic speech in the film “Any Given Sunday.” The Broncos had watched the clip before, most recently before capturing Fayetteville State’s 26^th CIAA Championship last month. Barge remained silent, watching the YouTube clip, soaking in each and every word.

The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game every minute, every second.

“The scene is about just fighting for everything you can,” Barge said. “You just have to keep fighting and fighting.”

That’s just what Barge did, shaking off an unsteady stretch of holes in firing a 4-over 75 in the final round to finish in a tie for fourth and clinch one of two individual berths into the NCAA Division-II National Championship.

“It’s just unbelievable,” said Barge, who competed in the National Junior College Championship a year ago. “There’s nothing but joy in me.”

Far from silent any longer, Barge could revel in his accomplishment. But he had to earn it.

Standing on the 10^th tee, his 17^th hole of the day after the shotgun start, Barge was moments from qualifying for the NCAA Championship. He had been brilliant through his first eight holes, playing them in even par and rocketing up the leaderboard into a tie for second.

But then he bogeyed three straight. Barge managed a birdie on the par-5 sixth, but two more bogeys on the next three holes dropped him to 4 over on the day, 13 over for the tournament. One more dropped shot, and a berth in the NCAA Championship could be gone.

Just like that.

“The golf course is hard, but for those few holes, I just wasn’t thinking,” Barge said. “I was pretty shaky and nervous.”

The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game every minute, every second.

The 10^th hole featured one of the tougher pin placements of the regional. And after pulling his approach shot on the left fringe, Barge was faced with a 70-foot putt for birdie. He rolled it 8 feet past the cup.

He took a look at the break.

“What’s interesting is, when you talk about inches, the break was about an inch break right to left,” Barge said of the momentous par putt. “I hit it right on line at the right speed, and it was dead center.”

The 420-yard par-4 11^th was next, Barge’s final hole of the regional. Teammates had let him know where he stood on the 10^th tee, and so another par figured to be enough.

Then Barge pulled his drive into the woods.

“I tried a hero shot, and got pretty lucky,” he said of punching out of the woods. “I got within about 40 yards in front of the green and hit a littler spinner, leaving me about 16 foot short of the hole.”

Barge read the line, and addressed the ball.

The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game every minute, every second.

“I hit it right where I wanted to,” Barge said. “I figured it was a putt I needed, and I did.

“I had a nice little fist-pump after that one.”

Moments later, the third and final round finally official on the rain-soaked 6,984-yard course that gave every team fits, Barge could celebrate qualifying for the NCAA Championship, which will be played from May 15-19 at the Cardinal Golf Club in Louisviille, Ky.

“I am ecstatic to represent Fayetteville State,” Barge said. “It’s been an amazing first year here. I got a call earlier – I made 3.5 (grade-point average), I made nationals – what a crazy week. It’s just a great, great feeling.”

Fayetteville State saved its best performance for the final round, turning in its lowest team score of the regional with a 311. The Broncos finished tied for 13^th as a team with three-day total of 960, just 15 strokes behind fifth-place St. Thomas Aquinas, the last team to qualify for the national championship.

The Broncos’ Brandon Jobe (Fr., Fayetteville, N.C.) shot a 6-over 77 to finish in a tie for 52nd at 241 while Jedidiah Frazier (So., Havelock, N.C.) had a 7-over 78 to tie for 71^st at 246. Lincoln Jackson (Sr., Fayetteville, N.C.) carded an 81 in his final collegiate round to finish in a tie for 86^th at 251 while Wallace (Sr., Fayetteville, N.C.) added a 97.

Wilmington-Deleware’s Paul Tighe matched the low round of the day with a 72 to win the regional wire-to-wire at 4-over 217, eight shots ahead of Indiana University of Pennsylvania teammates Brad Boyle and Zack Kempa.

Wilmington was also the team wire-to-wire winner, topping Indiana Pa., by six strokes.

Richard Medlin

The Fayetteville Observer caught up with former Fayetteville State football star Richard Medlin recently and had a wonderful Sunday centerpiece feature story on the Miami Dolphins running back. Medlin, after starring for four seasons with the Broncos, was activated by the Dolphins for their last regular season game a year ago after spending time on Miami’s practice squad for the bulk of the NFL regular season. Stephen Scramm’s piece catches up with Medlin and what he’s doing today to stay in NFL shape as he hopes to make the team again this year.

An excerpt:

“Obviously they see enough in you to keep you around, but you’re just not quite there,” Medlin said.

In late December, the Dolphins saw enough. Medlin was summoned to the general manager’s office after practice one day.

“It was one of those nervous times, you don’t know if it’s good or bad,” Medlin said.

A spot had opened up on the active roster. The Dolphins wanted him to fill it against the New York Jets in the season finale.

“I didn’t want to jump up and down in front of him,” Medlin said. “I just shook his hand, gave him a hug. … That was a really big moment. It was truly a blessing.”

Please read the full story here.

To read more about Medlin’s first NFL rush when he was a member of the New England Patriots during last season’s exhibition season, go here.

2012 BRONCOS ATHLETIC AWARDS CEREMONY

Below is much of the script for the 2012 Broncos Athletic Awards Ceremony, which took place on Monday at the Seabrook Auditorium on thr campus of Fayetteville State. You will find here each award-winner from the 2012 ceremony, as well as the introduction for each winner, sport and presenter.

Nia Trawick and Ervin Brinkley open the program with the Occasion and Welcome, welcoming Chancellor Dr. James A. Anderson and the First Lady Nancy Anderson; The Chancellor’s Cabinet, The Board of Trustees and all special guests.

FSU corporate sponsors:

Coca-Cola                               FSU Foundation           1,000 Broncos

DoubleTree Hotel                  FSU Athletic Club

CenturyLink                            Church’s Chicken

ACADEMIC AWARDS

Let it be said that no other institution in the CIAA places as much emphasis on its student-athletes’ academic success than Fayetteville State. With that in mind, at this time, please join Chancellor James A. Anderson, Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Leonza Loftin and Academic Advisor Coordinator Dr. Paris Jones as we recognize the 2011-12 Academic Award winners for each team. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Academic Award winners are:

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Female Student-Athlete of the Year

And now, to present the Female Athlete of the year award, please welcome Antonio Mayo and Fayetteville State Director of Athletics, Dr. Edward McLean.

Female Student-Athlete of the Year

The Fayetteville State Student-Athlete of the Year did not only enjoy one of the best individual seasons of any student-athlete on the FSU campus, but rose to great heights in the CIAA, leading her team to a league championship. She was one of the elite players in the conference and performed her best at the most critical time. Already an MVP winner tonight, the 2012 Female Student-Athlete of the Year is Kiara Reid.

Male Student-Athlete of the Year

And now, to present the Male Athlete of the Year award, joining Dr. Edward McLean, is Britney Whitehead.

Male Student-Athlete of the Year

The Fayetteville State Male Student-Athlete of the Year goes beyond just excellence on the playing fields and courts. He must be a team leader in and out of competition and a standout in the classroom, setting a high standard for not only his teammates, but all student-athletes at Fayetteville State University. A tenacious worker, he dramatically improved his game in the offseason and emerged as the team’s go-to player down the stretch in tight games. For all these reasons,

The 2012 Male Student-Athlete of the Year is Tyrrel Tate.

BY ALEX PODLOGAR

ETTRICK, Va. – Just give her the ball, and Brittany Lane will do the rest.

After shouldering a staggering workload on Friday, Winston-Salem State ace Brittany Lane fired a two-hit shutout to force a decisive game in the championship round before coming back with a three-inning save in Game 2 to lift the Lady Rams to their second straight CIAA Softball Championship on Saturday.

Winston-Salem State, which fell to the losers’ bracket on the tournament’s opening day on Thursday, needed two wins to capture the league title, and did so by winning 1-0 and 3-0 on Saturday, spoiling Virginia State’s hopes of securing the championship on its home field.

Lane, who earned the win after working the complete game in a 13-inning classic against Chowan on Friday, picked up two wins and a save after pitching 20 of Winston-Salem State’s 27 innings over three games on Friday. Named the Tournament MVP, Lane finished the weekend with four wins and two saves.

“I did it for my teammates,” Lane said of the workload. “It’s not hard to do when you’re working for your teammates. I knew they always had my back, and that is all that matters to me.

“I never got tired,” Lane added in a near-whisper, losing only her voice in tournament play. “We have a great training staff, and they made sure I was OK.”

She was better than OK.

Lane was just as spectacular in the championship round, and did it against the pitcher who entered the game as the league’s hottest hurler in the tournament.

In a game befitting a matchup between the league’s two aces, Lane remained nearly unhittable in Winston-Salem State’s 1-0 win to force a decisive second game in the championship round.

 After working out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the first inning, she settled in and mowed down the Lady Trojans’ lineup, retiring 15 of the next 16 batters in order, and 21 of 23 to finish the game. Lane did not allow a Virginia State runner to reach second base after the first inning.

Virginia State ace Jessica Mattia remained sharp, and extended her scoreless inning streak at the CIAA Tournament to 23 innings before a throwing error by Lady Trojans first baseman Caitlin Underwood allowed Shantel Haskins to cross home with the game’s only run with two outs in the top of the third inning.

The patient Lady Rams coaxed four walks out of Mattia (20-17), who finished her fourth tournament game without allowing an earned run, having led Virginia State to three straight 1-0 wins in tournament play entering Saturday’s first game. She allowed five hits and struck out three.

But Lane was masterful, retiring 11 straight in one stretch to make up for the lack of production against Mattia. Winston-Salem State was just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding seven.

Yasmin Lee got the start for Winston-Salem State in the second game, and was effective in four innings, preserving the Lady Rams’ 1-0 lead after working out of a jam in the top of the fourth inning thanks to tremendous play from shortstop Brittany Rich.

Lee gave way to Lane to start the fifth, and Lane promptly got out of her own jam in the fifth when Rich snared a line drive off the bat of Mattia and fired to second in time to double off the runner and end the threat.

Winston-Salem State, which had scored the first earned run given up by Mattia in 29 tournament innings on Britney Cato’s sacrifice fly in the third, tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, the big blow coming on Latoya Lynch’s run-scoring double.

That was more than enough for Lane, who after fanning the side in the sixth, closed the game out and clinched the CIAA championship for the Rams with a scoreless seventh.

“Her discipline, her dedication, being a leader for her team and her passion for the game as her fighting spirit – that’s what kept her going out there game after game,” Winston-Salem State coach LaTaya Hillard-Gray said.

Lane, Lynch, Rich, Haskins, Francesca Edgerton and Tanaya Pettus were named to the All-Tournament team from Winston-Salem State while Mattia and Sharron Lipford from Virginia State were honored. Rounding out the All-Tournament was Alora Lincoln (Chowan), Kayla Brady (Chowan), Kiara Washington (Bowie State) and Cara Nance (Bowie State).

LOSERS’ BRACKET

North No. 1 Chowan 12, South No. 4 Johnson C. Smith 0

PETERSBURG, Va. — Alora Lincoln fired a no-hitter and the Chowan bats came alive as the Hawks staved off elimination with a 12-0 thumping of Johnson C. Smith in five innings in morning action at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

Lincoln (15-14) hit Samantha Smith to lead off the game, but then immediately settled down and retired the next 15 in order, facing just one batter over the minimum and allowing only one ball out of the infield. She struck out seven in five complete innings.

The Hawks, unbeaten in Northern Division play during the regular season, will play Southern Division champion Winston-Salem State in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. at the Petersburg Sports Complex. The winner will play for the right to earn a berth in the championship round.

Chowan (25-25) immediately jumped all over Johnson C. Smith (17-27), batting around in the first and second innings, plating four runs in the first and six more in the second. Kayla Brady was 3-for-3 with three RBI for the Hawks, while Liz Hipple added two hits and two RBI. Leigh Ward and Amber Matthews also had two hits apiece.

South No. 1 Winston-Salem State 5, North No. 4 Virginia Union 3

Defending CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the early innings and held on to stave off elimination and set up a matchup of division champions in the losers’ bracket after a 5-3 win over Virginia Union at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

Tanaya Pettus and Andreya O’Brien each had a pair of hits while Brittany Rich drove in two runs and the Lady Rams (26-17), the Southern Division’s champion, moved on to face Northern Division titlist Chowan in one of the more anticipated elimination games in recent memory.

Monet Daly allowed three runs – two earned – on five hits in five innings to earn the victory while All-CIAA First Team pitcher Brittany Lane worked two scoreless innings to pick up the save.

Winston-Salem State led 5-1 through four innings before Virginia Union (12-28) struck for two runs in the fifth to creep closer and chase Daly. But The Lady Panthers could get no closer.

Shireese Borden was 3-for-4 to pace Virginia Union at the plate.

WINNER’S BRACKET

North No. 3 Virginia State 1, North No. 2 Bowie State 0

ETTRICK, Va. – Give Jessica Mattia one run, and she’ll do the rest.

For the third time in the CIAA Softball Tournament, the Virginia State ace fired a shutout in a 1-0 win, this time allowing a scant three hits to Bowie State to lift the hometown Lady Trojans into the championship game on their home field.

The title game will be played at noon on Saturday on the campus of Virginia State. The Lady Trojans are the lone unbeaten team remaining in the tournament.

And a lot of that has to do with Mattia (20-15), who hurled a 1-hit shutout of Fayetteville State in the first round, and then gave up just four hits in a 1-0 victory over Northern Division champion Chowan on Thursday. She struck out six against Bowie State and worked out of a first-and-third, two-out jam in the bottom of the seventh inning to close out the win.

Mattia even took care of that lone threat herself, snaring a lineout off the bat of Haley Snyder.

Virginia State, the Northern Division’s No. 3 seed, scored the lone run it needed on Jamishia Smith’s sacrifice fly in the second inning. Smith drove in the game-winning run against Chowan a day earlier.

Bowie State starting pitcher Mariela Hernandez took the loss, scattering seven hits in 3 1-3 innings. Bowie State will play Winston-Salem State at 5:30 p.m. for the right to face the Lady Trojans in the championship round. The Rams beat Chowan 4-3 in 13 innings.

LOSER’S BRACKET

South No. 1 Winston-Salem State 4, North No. 1 Chowan 3, 13 innings

PETERSBURG, Va. – In a classic matchup befitting two division champions, Tireka Brooks slapped a one-out single with the bases loaded to hand defending CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State a 4-3 win in 13 innings over Chowan in an elimination game on Friday at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

Brooks’ walkoff hit capped a brilliant performance by both teams and their respective starting pitchers. Winston-Salem State’s Brittany Lane, a First Team All-CIAA pitcher, earned the win after working all 13 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while fanning.

Lane made one mistake, serving up a three-run home run to Amber Matthews to tie the game at 3 in the top of the sixth inning.

Before then, it was all Lady Rams, who beat Chowan in the tournament final a year ago. Winston-Salem State, which was led with three hits each from Brittany Rich, Latoya Lynch and Francesca Edgerton, built a 3-0 lead through five innings.

But Chowan starter Alora Lincoln, who earlier in the day pitched a five-inning no-hitter, kept the Rams right there to give the Hawks an opportunity to rally for the win. Lincoln was tagged with the loss despite working 12 1-3 innings. She scattered 16 hits and allowed four runs while striking out three.

Winston-Salem State will face Bowie State at 5:30 p.m. on the campus of Virginia State for the right to the play Virginia State in the championship round.

LOSER’S BRACKET

South No. 1 Winston-Salem State 4, North No. 1 Chowan 3, 13 innings

PETERSBURG, Va. – In a classic matchup befitting two division champions, Tireka Brooks slapped a one-out single with the bases loaded to hand defending CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State a 4-3 win in 13 innings over Chowan in an elimination game on Friday at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

Brooks’ walkoff hit capped a brilliant performance by both teams and their respective starting pitchers. Winston-Salem State’s Brittany Lane, a First Team All-CIAA pitcher, earned the win after working all 13 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while fanning.

Lane made one mistake, serving up a three-run home run to Amber Matthews to tie the game at 3 in the top of the sixth inning.

Before then, it was all Lady Rams (27-17), who beat Chowan in the tournament final a year ago. Winston-Salem State, which was led with three hits each from Brittany Rich, Latoya Lynch and Francesca Edgerton, built a 3-0 lead through five innings.

But Chowan starter Alora Lincoln, who earlier in the day pitched a five-inning no-hitter, kept the Rams right there to give the Hawks (25-26) an opportunity to rally for the win. Lincoln was tagged with the loss despite working 12 1-3 innings. She scattered 16 hits and allowed four runs while striking out three.

Winston-Salem State will face Bowie State at 5:30 p.m. on the campus of Virginia State for the right to the play Virginia State in the championship round.

South No. 1 Winston-Salem State 5, North No. 4 Virginia Union 1

Nikki Lynch was 3-for-3 with two RBI and Brittany Lane was masterful as the defending CIAA Champion Winston-Salem State Lady Rams cruised to a 5-1 victory over Virginia Union in an opening round game of the CIAA Softball Tournament.

Lane allowed just two hits and struck out 16 to earn the win.

The Lady Rams (25-16), who moved on to the winner’s bracket to face Bowie State, scored four runs with two outs in the fourth inning, using two hits and two errors to break open a 1-0 game.

Tanaya Pettus added two hits and drove in a run for Winston-Salem State.

Virginia Union (11-27) fell to the loser’s bracket to play St. Augustine’s.

North No. 1 Chowan 7, South No. 4 Johnson C. Smith 6

Liz Hipple belted a two-run double down the left field line to rally Chowan by upset-minded Johnson C. Smith 7-6 in an opening round game of the CIAA Softball Tournament.

After the Lady Golden Bulls scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-4 lead, the Hawks came back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to advance in the winner’s bracket.

Hipple had three hits while Leigh Ward, Amber Matthews, Jordan Peay and Kayla Brady had two hits apiece for the Northern Division champion, which banged out 14 hits.

Elizabeth McElveen had two hits for Johnson C. Smith, which will play Fayetteville State in the loser’s bracket.

The game was tied at 2 through five innings before the teams combined for nine runs in the last two innings.

North No. 3 Virginia State 1, South No. 2 Fayetteville State 0

Jessica Mattia won the game with her arm – and her bat.

Mattia, the league-leader in strikeouts, hurled a 1-hit shutout and drove in the game’s only run as Virginia State (18-17) clipped Fayetteville State (10-36) 1-0 in an opening round game at the CIAA Softball Tournament.

Mattia, the No. 9 batter, singled up the middle with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie, then retired Sencerae Locklear with a runner on second base to close out the victory.

Mattia (18-15) struck out 11 and faced just three batters over the minimum. She retired the first 10 batters in order to start the game before Maya Washington singled.

Tia Caldwell (5-9) took the hard luck loss, scattering seven hits while fanning six.

Dominique Johnson and Mattia each had two hits for Virginia State, which advanced to play Chowan in the next round.

Fayetteville State fell to the loser’s bracket to face Johnson C. Smith.

North No. 2 Bowie State 12, South No. 3 St. Augustine’s 1 (5)

CIAA Rookie of the Year Cassandra Clayborne was 3-for-3 as Bowie State drubbed St. Augustine’s 12-1 in five innings in an opening round game of the CIAA Softball Tournament.

The Lady Bulldogs (19-14) banged out 12 hits with Justine Smith and Amanda Ray joined CIAA Player of the Year Cara Nance with two hits apiece. Haley Snyder drove in a game-high five runs.

Bowie State scored five runs in the first inning and added three more in the second to break the game open early.  Haley Flint (5-5) struck out eight and scattered five hits in five innings to earn the win.

Ramadana Simmons had two hits to pace St. Augustine’s (12-21) at the plate.

Bowie State advanced to play Winston-Salem State in the winner’s brackwet while St. Augustine’s falls to take on Virginia Union in the loser’s bracket.

LOSER’S BRACKET

South No. 2 Fayetteville State vs. South No. 4 Johnson C. Smith

Tenesha Simmons belted a three-run triple to spark a seven-run sixth inning as Johnson C. Smith rallied past Fayetteville State and eliminated the Lady Broncos from the CIAA Softball Tournament after prevailing 11-6.

Fayetteville State (10-37) led 5-1 after four innings and was in front 5-2 entering the top of the sixth inning. But the Golden Bulls (17-26) opened the inning with three straight hits, the third a two-run double by Ashton Byrd to bring Johnson C. Smith within one, 5-4, setting up the rally.

Samantha Smith and Alexandra Buckley had three hits apiece for Johnson C. Smith, which racked up 15 hits. Elizabeth McElveen and Byrd were each 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Jessica Randolph and Sencerae Locklear each had three hits and two RBI for Fayetteville State while Shaniqua Edwards, Tia Caldwell, Sierra Holmes and Clarissa Pitts had two hits apiece.

Johnson C. Smith will play either Chowan or Virginia State at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

North No. 4 Virginia Union 5, South No. 3 St. Augustine’s 4

Three players had three hits apiece as Virginia Union staved off elimination after clipping St. Augustine’s 5-4 in the loser’s bracket of the CIAA Softball Tournament.

Shireese Borden, Renesha Chiles and Danielle McEachern were each 3-for-4 while Takesa Rhodes had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Lady Panthers (12-27), who will play at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

Quincy Lewis (7-13) earned the win for Virginia Union, allowing four runs – one earned – on 10 hits.

Renitta White, Michelle Shackleford and Cierra Neal had two hits apiece for St. Augustine’s (12-22), which was eliminated from the tournament.

WINNER’S BRACKET

VIRGINIA STATE’S MATTIA LIFTS HOMETOWN TROJANS INTO SOFTBALL SEMIFINALS TO FACE BOWIE STATE

Mattia hurls a pair of 1-hit shutouts on opening day of tournament

PETERSBURG, Va. – The argument can be made that Jessica Mattia was the CIAA’s best pitcher in 2012.

There seems to be little debate now.

The All-Conference First-Teamer hurled two 1-0 shutouts in the opening rounds of play at the CIAA Softball Tournament, lifting the Virginia State Lady Trojans into the tournament’s semifinals where they will face Bowie State on the Virginia State campus at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Mattia (18-14), who tossed a 1-hitter to beat Fayetteville State to start the day, beat Northern Division champion Chowan 1-0 in the nightcap of games at the Petersburg Sports Complex on Thursday. She scattered four hits and struck out nine while walking just one against the Hawks.

The game was scoreless through three innings before Virginia State’s Jamishia Smith slapped a two-out single up the middle to score Brittany Payne with what turned out to be the game’s only run.

It was more than enough for Mattia, who drove in the lone run in the seventh inning in her win over Fayetteville State.

The Northern Division’s No. 3 seed, Virginia State (19-17) will play Bowie State, the North’s No. 2 seed, in the tournament semifinals.

Chowan (24-25), which got three hits from Leigh Ward, will play Johnson C. Smith at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Petersburg Sports Complex. Alora Lincoln (12-12) gave up six hits and struck out three in the loss.

WINNER’S BRACKET

North No. 2 Bowie State 7, South No. 1 Winston-Salem State 1

CIAA Player of the Year Cara Nance was 3-for-4 with two RBI as Bowie State clubbed defending league champion Winston-Salem State 7-1 to advance to the semifinals of the CIAA Softball Tournament.

League Rookie of the Year Cassandra Clayborne added two hits, as did Justine Smith as the Lady Bulldogs broke the game open with five runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Bowie State (20-14) chased Winston-Salem State starter Yasmin Lee (11-10) after four innings, then ripped All-CIAA pitcher Brittany Lane for five runs – four earned – on five hits in three innings.

Bowie State starter Shelby Snyder (8-3) allowed just one run on only three hits in the complete game effort.

The Lady Bulldogs will play Northern Division No. 3 seed Virginia State in the tournament’s semifinals at 12:30 p.m. on Friday on the campus of Virginia State. Winston-Salem State (25-17) will take on Virginia Union at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Petersburg Sports Complex.

Fayetteville State's softball team gathers together to show off their "Mama Who" breast cancer awareness T-shirts at a CIAA event on Wednesday in Petersburg, Va. Head coach Miguel "Coach Who" Justiniano is at left. Justiniano is married to Edna, an 18-year breast cancer survivor.

LADY BRONCOS MAKE A STATEMENT TO HONOR COACH AND HIS WIFE

FSU softball team dons breast cancer awareness shirts honoring ‘Mama Who’ as they embark for CIAA Tourney

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – There were tears in Edna Justiniano’s eyes before she even got out of the car.

Arriving on the Fayetteville State campus to send off her husband Miguel and his team, the Fayetteville State Lady Broncos softball club, on their trip to the CIAA Tournament in Petersburg, Va., the Justiniano family was greeted by 20 girls in black T-shirts.

Adorned with a pink ribbon is white script reading “Broncos support.” On the back, above a batter swinging a pink streak across the black landscape is Edna’s nickname, “Mama Who.” For the 18-year breast cancer survivor who only a couple of weeks ago was honored by the team and threw out the ceremonial first pitch of Fayetteville State’s Breast Cancer Awareness Game, it was almost too much to bear.

“She was shocked,” says Miguel Justiniano, known affectionately as “Coach Who.” “She didn’t know the team would do that for her. She was speechless, and that doesn’t happen very often.”

Junior infielder Ashley Wlezen (Charlotte, N.C.) joined teammates Rebecca Polascheck (So., Raeford, N.C.), Sencerae Locklear (Fr., Fairmont, N.C.) and Sacari Miller (Fr., Shelby, N.C.) in launching the idea, which took off as several members of the team played different roles in making it happen. Among others, Wlezen designed the shirts and Locklear found an outlet willing to print them for a reduced price. And all the players happily put them on Wednesday morning.

“Without ‘Mama Who,’ we don’t have Coach Who,” says Miller. “She always shares Coach Who with us, through all the practices and all the games and everything else. It just felt right to try to do something for a couple who have meant so much to us as a team, as a university and as a family.”

The Lady Broncos open tournament play against Virginia State at noon on Thursday as the No. 2 seed out of the CIAA’s Southern Division, the fifth straight year under Coach Who that Fayetteville State has both qualified for the tournament and finished second or better in the division standings. The game will take place at Petersburg Sports Complex, where the Lady Broncos will wear the shirts under their jerseys.

“This has meant so much to my wife and I,” says Coach Who. “For them to think about my wife and her ordeal, and to do something to honor that, it’s just amazing.”

Wlezen says that it was just the right thing to do.

“She’s been with us all from the beginning,” Wlezen says. “We all know how much Coach Who loves his wife, and we just wanted to do something special for them. “

Maya Washington (So., Red Springs, N.C.) says the shirts are in memory of many people as well.

“So many of us know somebody who’s been affected by breast cancer, and this is a way for us to not only show our support for someone we know and love dearly, but for all of those that went before and were lost,” she says. “Anything that can bring awareness is important (to the cause).”

But make no mistake, that’s Edna Justiniano’s nickname on the back.

“Coach Who and Mama Who mean so much to all of us,” Locklear says. “We’d each do anything for each of them. We love Mama Who and Coach Who.”

Baylor assistant coach Rekha Patterson

REKHA PATTERSON, DAUGHTER OF FAYETTEVILLE STATE COACHES, HELPS NO. 1 BAYLOR REACH FINAL FOUR

Patterson, daughter of Tim Heath and Eva Patterson-Heath, is in her first season as an assistant coach at Baylor

BY ALEX PODLOGAR

DENVER – Eva Patterson-Heath finally relented after two years.

Rekha, her daughter, knew the game. After all, she spent about as much time in a basketball gym or on a football field as she did in her own home. Maybe more. There was no offseason in their lives, not with summer camps rolling right into her dad’s football season before meshing into mom’s basketball season.

Her mother may have been in the midst of a Hall of Fame coaching career at Red Springs High School, marching her way toward 503 wins, but the little girl knew at least this much: she could keep the scorebook.

“She didn’t tell you that I had to beg, did she?” Rekha Patterson says. “I wanted to keep the book in fifth grade. She didn’t let me until I was in the seventh grade.”

FSU head coach Eva Patterson-Heath

Patterson-Heath, now the Fayetteville State head women’s basketball coach, would hear the complaints, even on the sideline. What’s a kid so young doing keeping the book at the scorer’s table?

“The thing is, she kept a perfect book,” Patterson-Heath says. “Rekha was always so detail-oriented. Her attention to detail was astounding. The book was spotless. No mistakes.”

Please. A high school scorebook? Varsity level? This was child’s play.

Literally.

**

Rekha Patterson starred at Red Springs High School before becoming a four-year letterwinner at North Carolina A&T. She was a team captain for two of those years. Talk to her for 10 minutes today, and instantly you’ll know why.

Patterson worked a year for the NCAA, then in 2002 put together a polished resume seeking a graduate assistant position on a collegiate bench somewhere. Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey read it, and immediately sought Rekha out.

“Coach Mulkey said she had never seen such a mistake-free resume from someone seeking a grad assistant job,” recalls Patterson-Heath. “Rekha got the call.”

Patterson served as Baylor coordinator of basketball operations for three seasons and was the program’s graduate assistant from 2002-04, where she was primarily responsible for film exchange, coordinating recruiting correspondence and visits. Her efforts helped pave the way for the Lady Bears’ 2005 NCAA championship. In her first two seasons, Baylor was the 2003 WNIT runner-up and advanced to the 2004 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.

She returned to Baylor before this season after coaching stops at Creighton, Ball State and Eastern Illinois. Led by National Player of the Year candidate Brittney Griner, the Lady Bears have been ranked No. 1 the entire 2011-12 basketball season, and capped the season with a dominating 80-61 win over Notre Dame on Tuesday night in Denver to claim the school’s second national championship. The Lady Bears became the first team to finish a season 40-0.

It’s been quite a rise for the 33-year-old from the dusty sandhills of Red Springs, N.C.

“I feel like everything happens for a reason, and I’ve had tremendous support growing up,” Patterson says. “I feel like I’m supposed to be here. I mean, I had two parents who were coaches. My whole life has been in and around gyms, watching games and watching kids play. That’s not abnormal for me. That’s just what we do. This has been my life.”

**

It didn’t take long for Patterson-Heath and her husband, Fayetteville State running backs coach and director of intramurals Tim Heath, to see what their daughter did best.

Sure, she could play. Whether it was basketball, tennis or track and field, Rekha Patterson stood out. But her interests went deeper.

FSU's Tim Heath

“It wasn’t just basketball. She got to where she had a real in-depth knowledge about football,” says Heath, her father. “And it wasn’t just from the standpoint of being able to do stats. She understood schemes and could break down personnel. It was like, ‘Dad, you should take this player off of that player and move him here.’ And she’d be right.”

The begging aside, Patterson’s parents indulged their daughter and soon began to make her a larger branch of the coaching tree. Heath would bring home video tapes of football games and watch them with her. Patterson-Heath did the same with basketball.

“She could break down film as a kid,” Patterson-Heath says. “I mean really break it down. Coaching seemed like a natural next step.”

Only Patterson wasn’t done playing yet. But she didn’t mind the film study – she was being paid for it.

“I didn’t babysit,” Patterson says. “I watched film.”

**

Patterson-Heath’s high school coaching career is legendary, and Heath has been a mainstay on the Broncos’ football staff for many years since starring in the backfield during his college days.

But there came a time when Patterson-Heath was eager to try something new. The opportunity came in 2009 in the form of coaching Fayetteville State. Patterson-Heath liked the idea of moving into the collegiate ranks, but admits there was some trepidation.

So she called Rekha.

“When mom called me the first time seeking basketball advice, I was like, ‘Whoa!” Patterson says. “This was new.”

It wasn’t the last time, either.

“The roles have reversed,” says Patterson-Heath. “I’m her mother, but she’s been at the college level a lot longer than I have. She has a wealth of knowledge coaching at that level, so I’m happy to lean on her.”

The two talk about twice a week, even during the season, and sometimes as many as four or five times a day if there’s a pressing subject to discuss, on or off the hardwood. They only see each other about three times a year – the Final Four, though, will bring them together this weekend for an extra visit – and while the topics can run heavy on hoops at times, it’s not always that way.

Besides, as Patterson likes to say, basketball is basketball.

“Really, the only difference between our levels is that our players are bigger, stronger and faster,” Patterson says. “Nobody’s reinventing the game of basketball.”

But they do check each other’s teams out.

“I’m always on Twitter, getting updates on FSU,” Patterson says. “That way I can have it almost instantaneously. I watch the webcasts, read everything on the website and check out the interview videos. She knows I’m her biggest fan.”

But there are times when the phone calls have to wait a day.

“I know what I’m like after a loss, so I don’t tend to call other people after they’ve had a loss,” Patterson says.

Not that Baylor has to worry much about losses.

“Lately, it’s been less about basketball than talking about what they’ve seen me wearing on TV,” Patterson says.

**

The parents are flying to Denver on Saturday morning. Patterson-Heath has been wearing a Baylor warmup jacket around the FSU campus for the last few weeks. Their seats will be pretty good ones, you can count on it. It’s a proud moment for both parents, no matter what happens in college basketball’s final game of the season.

“Obviously, we’re swelled with pride,” Heath says. “To see our child advance in this profession and then get to the highest level at its absolute peak, that’s basically the ultimate feeling.”

Says Patterson-Heath: “It’s very, very exciting. I get the opportunity to be a fan. I don’t have to coach. I can just enjoy the game and be fanatical about the Baylor Lady Bears.”

And now, Lady Bears have finished off a perfect season.

For two parents, though, it already has been.

FSU assistant basketball coach Mike Moses Jr.

FAYETTEVILLE STATE’S MOSES WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO CHASE HIS DREAM

Hard work and long hours don’t faze Broncos’ assistant basketball coach as he tries to climb in the profession

BY ALEX PODLOGAR

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – A long bus ride on a road trip in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is Mike Moses Jr.’s kryptonite. It’s only at 65 miles an hour on an open interstate that he can slow down.

The gentle hum of the road, even with a book in his lap and the consistent mounting pressure as he continues his graduate school work, is often too much for the 27-year-old assistant coach at Fayetteville State. One moment, he’s reading about sports administration. The next moment, it’s all black – until the tap on his shoulder.

“Coach (Alphonza) Kee will see me sleeping on the bus – it gets me every time if it’s a long trip – and he’ll just tell me to hang in there, that I’ll be all right and that I’ll make it,” says Moses. “It helps to hear that, I can tell you that much.”

Moses hears a lot of encouragement from a lot of difference sources. It could be from his dad, Mike Moses Sr., a former All-Big East guard at St. John’s who coached around the country at several high-major Division-1 schools. It could be from his kindergarten students at Fayetteville’s Trinity Christian School. Or it may come from Broncos head coach Alphonza Kee, who brought on an ambitious Moses when Kee took the head coaching job at his alma mater in 2009.

“I was a grad assistant, yes,” quips Moses. “And a manager, and a … well, anything he needed me to be.”

Moses will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He wants to coach basketball at the collegiate level, and has even gone so far as to interview for a position with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. He has the necessary pedigree to break into the business – he’s been a Division-II standout guard at Fayetteville State and is the son of a well-known coach and player. (Mike Moses Sr. teamed with Mark Jackson and Chris Mullin on the 1985 St. John’s team that reached the Final Four.)

But Moses understands that the road to his dream is long and arduous. He knows because he’s been on that road for a while now.

On this road, though, there is no time for naps.

**

Yes, Mike Moses wants to coach. Be he’s raising a family, too. There are needs beyond the darkened film room, where hours can fly by like seconds, and if you’re not careful, years melt away while the family moves on without you.

He wakes each day before 7 a.m. Moses has to be at Trinity Christian School by 7:30 to teach his kindergarten class until 11 a.m.

He then has meetings with the Fayetteville State coaching staff as soon as he can arrive on campus. Meetings begin at 11 a.m. in Kee’s upstairs office at Felton J. Capel Arena, the same building where Kee and Moses each played, almost a decade apart.

“I get to those meetings at 11:07, usually,” Moses says. “But Coach Kee allows me to catch up.”

After that, it’s desk work for Moses two floors down in a cramped half-window office he shares with another coach. Here he can work on his recruiting notes, his practice notes, watch some game film on the outdated television parked in a corner and prepare for workouts with Broncos’ players. Moses works with the Broncos’ guards, many of whom have enjoyed significant improvement after a year under Moses’ tutelage.

A few hours of that, and Moses makes the mad dash by to Trinity Christian. Moses also serves as mentor as the school’s T.R.A.C.K.S program (Together Reaching All Community Kids Successfully). He interacts with and tutors fourth- and fifth-graders who are deemed at-risk students, usually from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday.

“All of my kids mean so much to me, from our players to my kindergarteners to those older kids after school,” Moses says. “I feel like I can be somebody for them to look up to. A lot of them come from hard lives, but they can see me, dressed in a tie every day, working hard, still in school, and hopefully take something away from that. I know so many kids haven’t been as blessed as me.”

After that, the Broncos typically hold practice during the season. After practice (or workouts in the offseason), Moses returns home to see his children, Aaidan, 4, and Aadriana, 2. The kids are in bed by 9 p.m., and then it’s time for his own schoolwork. Moses is on track to receive his Master’s degree in Sports Administration in December, but the work normally keeps him busy until around midnight.

It’s only then he can begin to wind down.

“I go to bed every night around 2 or 3 a.m.,” he says. “Then I start it all over again.”

It’s a tough road each day, but it’s only a sidestreet at this point for Moses. The fast lane is off in the distance somewhere.

**

Mike Moses gets it. He understands the sacrifice. And he knows he has it pretty good. He credits his children’s mother, Kiamesha Smith, and their grandmother, Avil Smith, for helping him stay on track. He knows without their help at home, none of what he’s trying to accomplish is possible.

And he also understands that it’s not so bad. He’s not working the night shift as a security guard anymore (“That was midnight to 6 a.m.,” Moses says. “Now that was tough.”), using his Education degree from Fayetteville State to land the teaching job at Trinity Christian.

But he does want more. Kee and others get that. They’ve all been where Moses is today.

“I talk to my dad every day, and he is my everything,” Moses says. “I know that what I’m going through, every other coach has gone through. The coaches I see on TV, around me, everywhere, they’ve all been where I am right now.”

It’s a keen understanding for the younger Moses as he tries to climb the basketball ladder. A Division-1 recruit out of high school in Detroit, Moses went the junior college route before planning a jump to a historically black college. He visited several schools in the CIAA, including Bowie State and Elizabeth City State, but settled on Fayetteville State in 2005 because of Capel Arena’s atmosphere and his comfort with the coaching staff.

Upon arrival, Moses ran into a serious blast from the past – an old elementary school friend from his days growing up in New York. Jamel Austin was a standout guard for the Broncos, starting 69 of 70 games in two years, but remembered Moses from the fourth grade.

“It was like, ‘Mel?’ And he was like, ‘Moses?’ It picked up from there,” laughs Moses today.

Did it ever. Perhaps foreshadowing Moses’ future work ethic, Austin and Moses quickly found they each enjoyed training themselves and other players almost as much as they did playing basketball. It started as helping out teammates by formulating drills and running through those drills with the players. Then they starting moving to Fayetteville State’s Lilly Gymnasium, where Austin and Moses would work out would-be walk-ons ahead of tryouts, or kids just wanting to be better in intramurals.

Soon, Austin developed workouts for women. Together, he and Moses started Above Average Training, a group that Austin has since developed into a side business. Austin has returned to his native New York and has begun seriously training professional and collegiate basketball players, though he and Moses still communicate each day.

“He wanted to go the training route, and I want to go into coaching,” says Moses. “We feel like we could split apart, but still come together again in the future. He handles the training, and I handle the coaching.”

It’s all part of the same dream.

**

In reality, this is all just the beginning. Sure, it’s been a winding road already, and life on the road has proven to be a grind at times. But when a lengthy bus ride proves to be comforting, that’s a good sign that Moses has chosen the right path for him.

Where the road leads now is anyone’s guess. There will be turns. There will be bumps. Forks in the road will force difficult decisions. The road is jammed with up-and-comers, hard workers and down-and-outs. They’re all there, riding shotgun with each other.

Moses has chosen to stay the course, no matter what life throws at him. He’ll just keep grinding away, bypassing each exit and rest stop along the way.

There are six teams left heading into the final day Monday. Fayetteville State is facing Bowie State in the winner’s bracket while St. Augustine’s plays Winston-Salem State and Virginia State takes on Elizabeth City State in the elimination bracket.

Winner’s Bracket

FSU vs. BSU

The matchup everyone has been waiting for kicks off Monday’s play in the winner’s bracket, asn the defending champion Lady Broncos take on 2010-11 runner-up Bowie State. The Lady Bulldogs sent shockwaves through the building by romping in the opening Baker match of the best-of-seven series, rolling FSU 149-114.

But Fayetteville State, which won its ninth straight division title this season, showed its championship mettle, coming right back to even the series after a 164-157 win before throttling Bowie State 202-147 to take a 2-1 advantage.

The fourth game was even tighter, with FSU holding on for a 151-148 victory for a 3-1 edge.

Game 5: Bowie State stays alive in the match as Fayetteville State again struggles mightily, not unlike the first game of the series. The Lady Broncos leave six open frames and finish with just 118 pins, falling behind early and never mounting a charge in a 146-118 loss. FSU still leads the series, 3-2.

Game 6: A nice comeback for FSU, which after missing six frames in the last game, connected in eight of the 10 frames to close out the match, 4-2, after a 166-144 win. FSU opened the match with spares in six of the first seven frames before a strike by last season’s CIAA Rookie fo the Year, De’Andrea Bethea. BSU, meanwhile, had three open frames in the first four, and could never recover. FSU will await to see whom it plays next.

In elimination matches, both matches have gone on to a decisive Game 7. Nobody wants to leave Durham early.

And Winston-Salem State eliminates Southern Division rival St. Augustine’s after a 165-149 win in Game 7. The scores from the matches:

199-162, WSSU

130-121, WSSU

167-143, WSSU

173-146, SAC

146-135, SAC

180-146, SAC

165-149, WSSU

And in the other elimination match, Virginia State’s anchor, Latoya Gee, closed out the 10th frame with three straight strikes, and the team clsoed with four in a 196-131 win to eliminate Elizabeth City State.

The scores:

130-124, VSU

164-140, ECSU

158-151, ECSU

137-130, VSU

215-165, ECSU

144-132, VSU

196-131, VSU

ELIMINATION BRACKET

Play continues in the elimination bracket, with Winston-Salem State and Virginia State ready to start their series to determine the opponent for Bowie State.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE VS. VIRGINIA STATE

Game 1: The bowling order for each team:

WSSU: Raven Forrest, Tyler Baringer, Candice Spence, Sharice Marshall and Jameka Johnson

VSU: Amber Slater, Kiara Raiford, Briana Robinson, Kelley Dove and Latoya Gee

VSU got in front early and stayed there, and did not have an open frame until the seventh. WSSU couldn’t keep the same consistency, and VSU rolled behind two strikes from Tyler Barringer, picked up a 172-140 win to take a 1-0 edge in the match.

Game 2: The Rams come back hot to open the second game, with only one open frame in the first five while VSU suffers from four straight open frames between the second and sixth frames. Sharice Marshall’s strike pretty closes it out by the ninth frame, and WSSU evens the match after a 159-126 win.

Game 3: Wow. WSSU appeared to be in control for much of Game 3, but VSU made a late run in the final five frames, and after Jameka Johnson, WSSU’s anchor, couldn’t close out a relatively easy spare to prolong the 10th frame, the door was left open for Latoya Gee, who closed out ECSU with three strikes in the 10th frame earlier Monday. Gee needed only six pins after picking up her 10th-frame spare, and got just enough, leaving four and giving VSU a come-from-behind 157-156 win. Things got awfully quiet after that one. VSU leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: WSSU gets off to a consistent start with spares in the first three frames while VSU misses on two of the three. But VSU picke sup a spare in the fourth frame and then rattles off three straight strikes from Gee, Amber Slater and Kiara Raiford. VSU is never threatened the rest of the way on its way to a relatively easy 178-158 win for a 3-1 edge, pushing WSSU to the brink of elimination.

Game 5: VSU advances with ease to face Northern Division rival Bowie State after clubbing WSSU 204-136 in the final game of the series. The Trojans led by 40 pins just five frames into the match, using back-to-back strikes from Kelley Dove and Gee to take control. It was all arithmetic from there. VSU advances with a 4-1 win.

Not bad for a VSU team that was itself on the brink of elimination when it trailed 3-2 to Elizabeth City State earlier today.

Up next, VSU takes on Bowie State.

BOWIE STATE VS. VIRGINIA STATE

Bowling order:

BSU: Demetria Venable, Quinn Armstrong, Ashanti Moore, Ambrianna Bankston and Shayla Lightfoot

VSU: Amber Slater, Kiara Raiford, Briana Robinson, Kelley Dove and Latoya Gee

Game 1: One probably could’ve seen this coming. After a break, Bowie State gets off to a slow start while VSU continues to keep rolling. Fresh off a 204 game, VSU opens with two strikes and takes control early. BSU never makes up ground, and the Trojans cruise to the 181-139 win after a turkey 10th frame by Gee.

Game 2: VSU takes a 2-0 lead on Bowie State in a game in which neither team played well. VSU wins 122-116, and has to feel like it got away with one. This series could go on a while.

Game 3: Cause for concern now for VSU. While the Trojans got away with a win despite rolling just a 122 in Game 2, they come back with a 127 that was another struggle. BSU, meanwhile, rolled a solid 162, opening the game with two straight strikes from Venable and Armstrong to take a nice lead, then rolled through the later frames with four straight spares to stay in front. VSU holding a tenuous 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4: Strikes by Bowie State’s Ambrianna Bankston, Shayla Lightfoot and Venable in the 4-6 frames power the Bulldogs to another comfortable win, 190-161. BSU looked dominant in that game, with just one open frame through the first seven. Make it 2-2.

Have to wonder if fatigue is beginning to set in for VSU, which is working on its third straight best-of-seven match of the day.

Game 5: An extremely close match, with ebbs and flows, but even after a 10-pin spare by Vanable in the sixth frame seemed to give BSU some real energy, VSU answered with three straight spares , making it 137-136, VSU entering the 10th frame. Lightfoot picked up a spare for BSU, which was followed by a 5-4 10th for Gee, essentially giving the match to BSU. A big comeback for the Bulldogs, who are now just one win away from bowling FSU for the title. BSU wins Game 5 162-152.

Game 6: Through seven frames, VSU led 105-100, with Kiara Raiford and Quinn Armstrong matching strikes. Briana Robinson then followed with an eighth-frame strike for VSU, breathing life back into the Trojans, who closed out the match 181-166 to force a decisive seventh game.

Game 7: Not how you want to open game 7. Venable with a bagel in the opening frame, putting BSU in a deep hole right off the bat.

Kelley Dove with a strike in the fourth frame for VSU, and it’s very loud in VSU’s pit — and very quiet in BSU’s.

It only gets louder after Gee’s fifth-frame strike.

VSU wins handily, 201-122.

What a fantastic response for VSU after two games in the 120s.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

FAYETTEVILLE STATE VS. VIRGINIA STATE

Bowling lineups:

FSU: Kelly Wakerhauser, Daisy Weishman, De’Andrea Bethea, Crystal Mujica and Kiara Reid.

VSU: Amber Slater, Kiara Raiford, Briana Robinson, Kelley Dove and Latoya Gee

Pregame: Two things that may dictate early how this match is going to go: FSU hasn’t bowled since it beat Bowie State around 11 a.m. (the title match will begin around 2:20 p.m.) Will FSU be rusty to start? And will VSU, after three straight matches played today — one after another after another, with only 10- and 15-minute breaks in between — will VSU show any fatigue?

And will VSu show any signs of intimidation against the vaunted Broncos, who have dominated the CIAA for two straight years?

We are about to find out.

Game 1: Incredibly different countenances on the two two teams. In the early frames, a strike brings a wild celebration out of VSU, with the bowler doing it pumping their fists and smiling.

FSU? Three straight strikes from Bethea, Mujica and Ried leave nothing but grim looks and straight lines across their respective mouths. The teammates cheer and yell, but the bowler is stone-faced. Bill Belichick would be proud.

FSU is off to a great start, getting five straight strikes after two from Wakerhauser and Weishman. Broncos are well in front and are on their way to romping to a Game 1 win.

Signs of rust? No way. FSU takes an emphatic 1-0 lead after a 224-146 win.

The 224 is the highest score in competition today.

Game 2: Through five frames, FSU is up just five pins, 75-70. Good effort by VSU with four straight spares.

And after Wakerhauser leaves an open frame in the 6th, VSU has the door open after a strike by Amber Slater.

Daisy Weishman comes back with a spare int he seventh, but the Trojans have gone in front by five pins, 108-103. Weishman is giving FSU a nice lift so far out of the No. 2 position in the Baker lineup.

And Bethea picks up a 4-6 bsplit for a much-needed spare after an open frame by VSU. The game is ebbing back and forth.

Mujica strikes in the ninth (her third of the match so far), and FSU has regained control. Two big, big spares by Weishman and Bethea that helped decide it. FSU takes a 2-0 edge after a 159-145 win.

 Now, will fatigue catch up with VSU?

Game 3: What a lift from Weishman. She’s rolled five frames so far, with two strikes and five spares. When your lowest average (still well over 150) player is rolling it like that, you are tough to beat.

FSU coach Bobby Henderson was hoping his team would be peaking still this weekend after a great showing in Fayetteville in the final division meet of the year, and said he hoped all his players could “arrive at the same place at the same time.” It looks like they have. FSU in total control as VSU looks completely wiped out to start the third game. Broncos lead 78-37 through four frames.

VSU comes back and finds a rhythm after leave three open frames to start, and if it’s not too late in the match, could be building momentum for the rest of the match. Two spares and a two strikes from frames 4-7.

FSU rolls on with a 3-0 advantage after a 173-146 win.

Game 4: Here’s VSU’s chance to regain some footing in the match. FSU leaves the second and third frames open while the Trojans pick up three straight spares to open the match.

Make it four straight. Through four frames, VSU leads 64-42.

But VSU opens the door right back up for FSU, though Wakerhauser and Weishman can’t push the Broncos through it. Still, VSU only leads 97-89 through seven frames.

On to a fifth game…

Not so fast. Kiara Reid picks up a 5-10 split spare in the 10th frame to keep FSU alive in the fourth game, and after Gee misfires on the 6 pin, Reid knocks down seven for an improbable 146-145 win.

And with that, FSU wins its second straight CIAA Bowling Championship and its third league title in the last five years.

Now there are all smiles around.