From Staff Reports

Livingstone repeated as the CIAA tournament conference champion on Saturday. Led by forward Eric Mayo and guard Derek Traynham, the Blue Bears ran past the Winston-Salem State Rams 106-91 in the tournament final.

Along with the backing of the fans, the Blue Bears received a congratulations and well-wishes from Gov. Pat McCrory.

“I’d like to congratulate the young men from Livingstone College on their berth into the NCAA Tournament after winning their second-ever CIAA crown,”  McCrory said. “Livingstone is well known for its academic and athletic excellence. I’d like to wish the team and coaches the best of luck as they go on to the NCAA Division II Tournament.”

The Blue Bears (19-9) find out on Selection Sunday who they play in the regional tournament. The regional tournament is March 14-17, and the Division II Elite Eight is March 25-28 in Evansville, Indiana.

Livingstone finished the regular season Feb. 21 with a thrilling 86-83 come-from-behind victory at New Trent Gym to claim a share of the Southern Division title.

The Blue Bears won all three of their CIAA Tournament games by double digits. Their winning streak has reached five games, and they have 11 victories in their past 14 games.

Eric DuBose and Hakeem Jackson are Livingstone’s leading scorers with 15.7 and 14.4 points per game. Both are in the top 10 in the conference in scoring. Eric Mayo is third in the league with 8.8 rebounds per game.