Fayetteville State Rallies Past Bluefield State To Win CIAA Men's Tournament Title

2026 Food Lion CIAA Men’s Basketball Tournament was won by Fayetteville State in the second half after a furious rally to take the lead against Bluefield State.

Terrell Williams Was On Fire During The Championship Game | CIAA

Fayetteville State overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat Bluefield State 71-68. Terrell Williams led the Broncos with 29 points, helping them win the 2026 CIAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

A gritty second-half surge propelled Fayetteville State, which outscored Bluefield State 39-28 after the break, to win the 2026 CIAA Men's Basketball Championship 71-68 Saturday night at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore.

Terrell Williams - Championship Game Postgame Interview | CIAA

Williams, Championship Game MVP, was nothing short of spectacular in the biggest game of the season. The guard went 10-of-18 from the floor, drilling 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and adding 5-of-7 from the free-throw line to finish with 29 points in 40 minutes of action — a virtuoso effort that proved to be the engine driving Fayetteville State's comeback.

Guards Larry Howell and Darius Boben each added 14 points in support, with Boben distributing seven assists to help orchestrate the Broncos' efficient second-half attack.

KEY MOMENTS IN SECOND HALF

Bluefield State controlled most of the game, but Fayetteville State responded like champions. Terrell Williams' finger-roll layup gave the Broncos a 60-59 lead with 3:46 left.

The Big Blue squad answered within 10 seconds to reclaim the lead, 62-60, at the 3:34 mark in the second half.

Behind two straight shots by CIAA Player of the Year Larry Howell, Fayetteville State opened its advantage 69-65 with 1:32 on the clock.

Bluefield State’s Myles Pierre buried a three-pointer to narrow the Broncos' lead, 70-68, with 30.7 seconds remaining for the title.

Solid defense and rebounding allowed FSU to hold the lead after Larry Howell hit one of two free throws, expanding the margin to 71-68. Elija Preedy missed a three-point attempt with 2 seconds left, and the Broncos won the championship title.

The game remained extremely close with 10 lead changes and four ties. Bluefield State held the lead for a staggering 32 minutes and 56 seconds to Fayetteville State's 5:34, yet it was the Broncos who made the clutch shots in the end.

Bluefield State's Pierre finished with 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting, connecting on 3-of-10 from three-point range. The Big Blue entered the championship at 16-14 overall but punched their ticket to the title game by winning three consecutive contests, including a hard-fought 71-66 semifinal victory over Virginia State.

Fayetteville State improves to 23-6 on the season under new head coach Devin Hoehn who the Broncos hired after parting ways with now Bluefield State head coach Luke D'Alessio. The Broncos entered the tournament ranked seventh in the Atlantic Region and await the selection committee's seeding for the NCAA Division II Tournament.

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Scores from Friday, February 27:

SEMIFINALS RESULTS

Women's Semifinals

• Claflin University 32, Winston-Salem State University 67

Part of @wssuwhoops HC Tierra Terry postgame presser. Video courtesy of of the great @WSSU_Athletics SID @_air_is …Rams will play for CIAA Championship tomorrow afternoon. @WFMY #wfmysports pic.twitter.com/Lz2XrlHeZU

— Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) February 27, 2026

• Fayetteville State University 49, Bowie State University 46

Men's Semifinals

• Bluefield State University 71, Virginia State University 66

• Johnson C. Smith University 68, Fayetteville State University 90

WOMEN'S FINAL SCHEDULED

The CIAA Women's Final is set between Fayetteville State versus Winston-Salem State at 1:00 PM ET.

MEN'S FINAL

Bluefield State will face Fayetteville State for the Men's Championship game.

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Scores from Thursday, February 26:

Fayetteville State Holds Off Virginia Union to Advance to CIAA Semifinals | CIAA

Women’s Tournament Results

o Claflin University 56 vs Virginia State University 42

o Virginia Union University 49 vs Fayetteville State University 56

Johnson C. Smith Stuns Virginia Union in Final Seconds, Advances to CIAA Semifinals | CIAA

Men’s Tournament Results

o Bluefield State University 70 vs Claflin University 68

o Johnson C. Smith University 64 vs Virginia Union University 63

SEMIFINALS GAMES SCHEDULED

Women's Semifinals

• Claflin University vs. Winston-Salem State University (Noon ET)

• Fayetteville State University vs. Bowie State University (6:00 PM ET)

Men's Semifinals

• Bluefield State University vs. Virginia State University (2:00 PM ET)

• Johnson C. Smith University vs. Fayetteville State University (8:00 PM ET)

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CIAA EVENTS (Friday, February 27)

8th Annual Samaritan’s Feet Shoe Distribution Presented by COKE | Friday, February 27 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is proud to continue its “10 Years and Beyond” partnership with Samaritan’s Feet for the annual “Shoes of Hope” distribution event.  Approximately 500 pairs of shoes will be distributed to students during events held at Lakewood Elementary School and Hilton Elementary School in Baltimore. Student-athlete representatives from all 12 CIAA member institutions will be on site to assist with the distribution, demonstrating the conference’s continued commitment to service, community engagement, and youth empowerment. Through this meaningful initiative, the CIAA and Samaritan’s Feet aim to provide essential resources to local students while fostering hope, confidence, and support within the Baltimore community.

CIAA FanFest Presented by Nationwide | Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 | Baltimore Convention Center.  The CIAA extends the celebration beyond the courts with a two-day FREE Fan Fest. A popular site to meet and get in the spirit, Fan Fest offers music, food, dance, and socializing. Visuals include band competitions, cheer competitions, step shows, and concerts. 

Tech Summit House presented by Verizon | Friday, February 27 from 10AM – 5:30PM | Rita Rossi Colwell Center. The Tech Summit House has become a staple at CIAA Tournament Week. Attracting some of tech’s brightest minds from the African American Community, our panel discussions foster conversations around growing ecosystems, career opportunities, digital equity, and upcoming innovations. Our Summit has showcased exhibitions by Google, Dell, plus local emerging tech companies. This event convenes tech creatives and celebrates tech, music & culture. Hosted by Big Fred.  

Ditch Day Party, StaDAYium “All Black Edition” Party | Power Plant Live! | 12 noon- 6 pm Baltimore's ultimate CIAA day party. 7 venues, 6 hours, one ticket. DJs, food vendors, hookah lounges, and indoor/outdoor vibes all afternoon.

All Black Edition | M&T Bank Stadium South Club | 7 pm - 12 am

Ambience Entertainment, A Party Life, and The Flywire are taking StaDAYium back to where it all began for CIAA! 

Tip Off Party with 2Chainz | Power Plant Live! | 9 pm - 2 am

The official tournament kick-off celebration. Live entertainment, premium bottle service, and the energy that sets the tone for championship weekend.

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DAY 2 REPORT

Scores from Wednesday, February 25:

Women’s Tournament Results

o Winston-Salem State University 71 vs Bluefield State University 49

o Livingstone College 51 vs Bowie State University 72

Men’s Tournament Results

o Johnson C. Smith University 61 vs. Elizabeth City State University 60

o Bluefield State University 65 vs. Winston-Salem State University 55

o Lincoln University (PA) 60 vs. Virginia State University 76

o Bowie State University 83 vs. Fayetteville State University 86

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CIAA Women - Bowie State vs. Livingstone College | CIAA

Thursday, February 26 Match-Ups:

Women’s Quarterfinals CFG Bank Arena

(Times are approximate) Contests will begin 20 minutes after the end of the prior game. Televised on ESPN+)

Game 3 - Clafin vs. Virginia Sate -12:00 pm

Game 4 - VA Union vs. Fayetteville State 6:00 pm

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CIAA Men - Virginia State vs. Lincoln | CIAA

Men's Quarterfinals

Game 3 - Bluefield State vs. Clafin - 2:00 pm

Game 4 - Johnson C. Smith vs. VA Union - 8:00 pm

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CIAA EVENTS (Thursday, February 26)

Career Expo Presented by the CIAA | Thursday, February 26, from 10:00AM-2PM | Baltimore Convention Center

The CIAA Career Expo provides organizations the opportunity to engage with recent graduates, current students, career seekers, and career switchers to recruit for available career and educational opportunities. The CIAA not only has a rich and storied tradition in intercollegiate athletics but also has an equally extensive list of alumni who have gone on to make tremendous strides in many different professions.

CIAA Health and Mental Health Summit presented by CareFirst | Thursday, February 26 from 10AM-3PM | Rita Rossi Colwell center

The Health and Wellness Summit is a series of panel discussions focused on mental health and health disparities within the African American community. We will be tapping some of our local athletes and medical professionals to lend their expertise to help the panels delve into a variety of topics that affect our student-athletes and our community at large, like mental health, nutrition, diabetes, etc.

StaDAYium Welcome Happy Hour at Horseshoe Casino | Thursday, February 26 from 4-9 pm | Horseshoe Casino

Kick off CIAA Baltimore 2026 at the official welcome celebration. Connect with HBCU alumni and fans over signature cocktails, live DJs, and pure Baltimore energy.