Sports

The road to the Elite Eight passes through Pennsylvania for Johnson C. Smith men’s and women’s basketball.

The Golden Bulls men (23-7), who won a second straight CIAA championship last month in Charlotte, are the fourth seed in the Atlantic regional. They’ll open against No. 5 Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.) College (26-5) from the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on March 14 at Gannon University in Erie, Pa.

Alderson-Broaddus lost in its league final to Pitt-Johnstown 74-73 in double overtime. The Battlers are led by 6-3 senior guard Stan Hall, a three-time first-team all-conference pick who was third in the WVIAC in scoring at 23.1 points per game.

JCSU and ABC shared four common opponents from West Virginia: West Virginia State, Conford, Charleston and Bluefield State. The Bulls went a combined 6-0 while the Battlers went 4-1.

Seven of regional men’s tournaments will be played March 14, 15 and 17. The West regional is March 13, 14 and 17. The quarterfinalists advance to the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., March 25-26. The title game is March 28.

The JCSU women (20-8), winners of the CIAA championship, are seeded seventh in the Atlantic regional bracket. It’s the third appearance in four seasons for the Bulls under coach Vanessa Taylor. Smith will play second seed Indiana (Pa.) University (25-5), winner of its third straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship March 13 at California (Pa.) University.

California (Pa.) University is the top seed. Fayetteville State (19-7) of the CIAA is the sixth seed and will play third seeded Gannon (24-4).

Eight regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each, will be conducted at campus sites March 13, 14 and 16. The regional champions will advance to the NCAA Women’s Elite Eight March 24, 25 and 27 at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas.

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