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VIKINGS ADVANCE TO CIAA FINALS WITH 44-36 WIN OVER SHAW
Feb. 26, 2010 CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Last February, Angelo Sharpless and Blake Price were leading their respective high schools through the prep playoffs. A year later, they're on the verge of giving Elizabeth City State its second CIAA title in four years. The two freshmen led a stingy Vikings' defense and helped ECSU (17-13) to a 44-36 win over Shaw in the CIAA semifinals on Friday. "Coming out of high school, I didn't have many scholarship offers, just a couple of Division II," said Price. "I came and met Coach (Shawn) Walker, so I feel this was the right choice. Not many freshmen can say they're going to play for a conference championship their first year." ECSU held the Bears (16-14) to 31.9 percent shooting from the field and their lowest scoring output of the season. "Although it was a defensive struggle, we thought we had a chance to win the basketball game," said Shaw head coach Cleo Hill Jr. " We just broke down defensively and didn't do the things fundamentally that we normally do. On Friday night, that will cost you." The Vikings will face the winner of the second semifinal game between Chowan and St. Augustine's in the CIAA Championship game on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. and the game will be shown live on ESPNU. "There was an article earlier this year that was written that said `Chowan pounds ECSU at home'," said ECSU head coach Shawn Walker. "I taped it to the door and dared our players to take it off. A couple of teams have done that and both of the teams that are left. We have to play our best game to beat their best games." Sharpless had a team-high 10 points and Price added nine while Trent Bivens tallied eight points and eight rebounds. The CIAA Rookie of the Year, Sharpless expects his team to be focused for the title game. "I'll just think championship, that's all," he said of his thoughts over the next 24 hours. "We just have that focus to keep our mindset on a goal. I know if I mess up, my team will have my back. We always have to look ahead to take care of it." Senior Rodney Callwood had a game-high 14 points and five blocks in his last game with the Bears. Raheem Smith contributed five points and six rebounds while Michael Smith had six. "They both made a very good contribution on the court as well as in the classroom to our program," Hill said of Callwood, Smith and his seniors. "They're going to graduate and are definitely good basketball player. They're kind of guys that we need in our program at Shaw." |
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