For most of the season, Fayetteville State and its first-year head coach Eva Patterson-Heath watched as Virginia State, Johnson C. Smith and Shaw flirted with the NCAA Division II Coaches poll Top 25. In the end, though, it was the Lady Broncos who got the NCAA's attention.
L'oreal Price scored a season-high 22 points to lead Fayetteville State past Bowie State 66-50 for the third CIAA title in school history and first since 2001.
FSU will play in the NCAA Division II tournament for the sixth time.
"This is the greatest feeling in the world," Price said. "I feel like I'm on Cloud 9. I feel like I'm nervous and the game is already over. I'm so proud of my teammates and everybody for just coming through. Nobody thought we were going to be here tonight."
Well, somebody did -- Eva Patterson-Heath, who has filled the team's locker room with everything from Bible scripture to quotes from famous philosophers to inspire her players.
"I told them we were the best team in the CIAA," Patterson-Heath explained.
For this tournament, the Lady Broncos were.
Mercedes Humphries, a surprise starter, added 15 points and hit four of the team's eight three-pointers. Danielle Russell had 11 points.
The team dominated on the glass as well, with Tiffany Haywood collecting 15 rebounds and Deja Middleton grabbing another 12 boards.
For Bowie State (18-8), which still hopes for an at-large NCAA tournament bid, it was a highly disappointing game, especially since the Lady Bulldogs only trailed FSU 29-26 at halftime.
"We didn't shoot the basketball well," Donna Polk, the Lady Bulldogs' head coach, said. "We got out-rebounded 60-41 and I think that's the ballgame. We didn't turn the ball over that much, we just did not do it on the offensive side of the ball."
Indeed, BSU had only one player in double figures in scoring and she was the team's offense. Bianca Lee had 24 points, nearly half of the team's offensive outcome. The next closest player was Lakisha Walker with seven points.
"We were here last year and knew this feeling coming into the game," said Lee. "We should've learned from last year and not wanted this feeling. The team that comes out with the least mistakes, offensively and defensively, wins."
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