BSU Celebrates Student Excellence at CIAA Basketball Tournament

Tournament More Than an Athletic Competition for BSU Fans

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – The Bowie State University community celebrated student excellence throughout last week’s Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association (CIAA) Basketball Tournament. View photos from the tournament.

The women’s team fell to Elizabeth City State University 59-56 in an upset during the quarterfinals. Despite the heart-breaking loss, the team remains #5 in the NCAA’s Atlantic Region and received a post-season bid. Sunday’s Selection Show can be viewed on ncaa.com at 10 p.m. Before the start of the tournament, Head Coach Sade Swan was named CIAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

The men’s team cruised to a 77-55 victory over Fayetteville State University Wednesday before falling 79-74 to Livingstone College in the quarterfinals Thursday.

The tournament was more than an athletic competition for BSU fans. It was also a time to celebrate student achievement. The annual CIAA Essay Contest recognized outstanding student writings with scholarship funds, with more than 400 students applying this year. Bowie State had more scholarship winners than any other CIAA school. Ruth Montgomery, a junior nursing major, was one of the $5,000 grand prize winners and was honored at halftime during the championship game. The $1,000 first place winners include Kai Deberry Bostick, senior business administration major; Cobi Heron, a junior mathematics major; and Chelsea Okroh, sophomore business administration major.      

Student-athletes, along with President Aminta H. Breaux, participated in a service opportunity with Samaritan’s Feet, washing the feet of local children and providing them with clean socks and shoes. Putting a national spotlight on Bowie State, President Breaux appeared on the syndicated radio show, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, to highlight BSU student achievements and the fact that Bowie State will be the host institution for the tournament when it moves to Baltimore in 2021-23.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, criminal justice, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit www.bowiestate.edu.