CIAA Players "represent" in Black College All-Star Game

April 25, 2004

By Oralia Washington

Atlanta, Ga…The CIAA held it down in Hotlanta.

Selected student-athletes from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association represented the conference in a Black College All-Star Game that was held on the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia this past weekend.

The East All-Stars from the CIAA included Virginia Union University’s Sharron Atkins and Danielle Hoggard along with Shaw University’s Latasha Shipman and Margealla Mobley. The MEAC and the CIAA made up the East while the SIAC and the SWAC made the West team.

There were a few butterflies on both teams.

In the women's game, the West pulled out an 8-0 lead in the first 5 minutes. The East then went on a 10-0 , but the west used speed and quickness to overcome a distinct size disadvantage to pull out the victory, 79-53. Sharron Atkins had 8 points while Danielle Hoggard chipped in 6 points. Shipman and Mobley contributed 3 and 2 points respectively.

In the second game of the double header, the men’s team included six players from the CIAA. Player of the Year Desmond Peoples from Saint Augustine's College was joined by Anthony Greenup from Shaw University, Anton Jenifer of Bowie State University, Jonathan Harris of Elizabeth City State University, Melvin Whitaker and David Young of North Carolina Central University.

The East team was down by as much as nine points in the first half, but thanks to the hot shooting of Young, they came away with the victory, 82-80. Young finished the game with 20 points including 6 for 7 shooting from the 3-point line to earn MVP honors.

Peoples finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Whitaker dropped in 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Greenup had 6 points and 9 boards. Harris had 7 points and Jenifer finished with 1.

The weekend's events included a meet and greet with the players, a block party, men and women’s 3-point contest, women’s free throw contest, men’s slam-dunk contest and the World Basketball Association (WBA) Inaugural College Draft.

The City of Raleigh will host one of the teams in the league along with seven other cities including Macon, GA; Rome, GA; Peachtree City, Georgia; Jackson, MS; Campbellsville, KY, Chattanooga, TN and Tunica, MS. The WBA season will start in late April and will continue through June.