locals attend CIAA Tournament
Published 9:31 am Friday, March 11, 2011
Franklin-area residents attending the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Basketball Touarnament were Jacqueline Porter, seated; second row from left, Ernest and Sylvia Claud, Deborah Riddley, Joe Ingram, Victor Picot and Derek Mallory; and in back, Dorothy Jones, Roger Owens, Debora Lawyer and Clarence Baker. The residents attended Saturday night’s championship games, with the men’s and women’s teams from Shaw University of Raleigh, N.C., taking titles. -- FRANK A. DAVIS | TIDEWATER NEWS
BY ALMETA DAVIS/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Adavis3@charter.net
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Several Franklin-area residents attended the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association 66th Annual Men’s and Women’s Basketball tournaments from Feb. 28 to March 5 at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.
The CIAA is recognized as one of the most successful basketball tournaments in the nation. In 2010, more than 175,000 fans attended the weeklong tournament that contributed about $37.5 million to the Charlotte area.
Local residents can be added annually to fans who contribute to the final count. Ernest and Sylvia Claud of Southampton County probably get the award for most years in attendance. Ernest Claud said their long-term couples’ group is narrowing due to death and illness.
Clarence Baker, president and chief executive officer for Baker Homes in Franklin, took a number of his friends to the tournament aboard his custom bus “Flash G.”
Many were pulling for the Chowan University men’s and women’s teams. After defeating the Lady Blue Bears of Livingstone College 56-53 in the first round of the tournament, the Chowan Lady Hawks lost 71 -52 to the Lady Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University.
The men’s team lost in the first round 67-60 to the Golden Bulls.
Normally in the spirit of the CIAA, teams have mascots, cheerleaders, bands and spectators. Chowan’s teams were the only ones of the 13 member institutions in the conference who did not have anything present.