East No. 2 Talladega, East No. 3 Rust dominate

Photo by Trent Spruell. Talladega advances to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2022.

February 28, 2026

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - On the second day of 2026 Hope Credit Union Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) quarterfinals, East No. 2 seed Talladega College shook off the rust in the second quarter to storm past West No. 3 seed Philander Smith University. East No. 3 Rust College out-paced West No. 2 Paul Quinn College Friday at Stillman College's Birthright Alumni Hall.

EAST No. 2 TALLADEGA 73, WEST No. 3 PHILANDER SMITH 55
Boxscore | Broadcast

Talladega's path to a dominant victory was led by a trio of game-high scorer Teanna Watts (18 PTS, 4 STL), Olympia Chaney (16 PTS, 3-6 3FG, 3 STL), and Ceara Myers (14 PTS, 7 REB)
In a game where team performance was defined by poor shooting, Philander Smith's Samya Johnson still managed to have an effective night of 11 points (3-6 FG, 5-5 FT) to go along with 11 rebounds and 5 steals; she was the only Panther in double figures
Despite a strong 18-13 start after the first quarter, Philander Smith would be outscored in each of the remaining three quarters
Efficiency struggles would be too much for Philander to ever overcome; they shot a mere 32.7% from the floor, on top of only 17.4% from deep, and Talladega took advantage
Talladega will move on to the semifinals to face West No. 1 Wiley University at 2 p.m. It's makes its first semifinal appearance since reaching the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship game in 2022.
Philander Smith concludes its season 15-10. It's the first time since 2021 that it fell short of the semifinals.

EAST No. 3 RUST 72, WEST No. 2 PAUL QUINN 58
Boxscore | Broadcast

Unique Miller's 18 PTS and 15 REB, along with her effective defensive efforts and passing out of the post, led the way for Rust this afternoon; her teammate Patsy Johnson led all scorers with 24 points
Zaire Brown provided 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-6 FT) to go along with 10 rebounds to pace the Lady Tigers; she was one of four double-figure scorers for Paul Quinn
Taliya Cawthon made a layup with 8:53 left in the second quarter, giving Rust an 18-16 lead, which they would not lose the rest of the contest; from late in the second quarter through the end of the third, Rust went on a 38-22 run, enough to take a 58-39 lead and hold off any late push Paul Quinn may have had in the final 10 minutes
Rust will proceed to face East No. 1 Oakwood in the semifinal round at 6 p.m. Saturday for its fifth appearance in the last six seasons.
Paul Quinn finishes 14-11

SATURDAY'S SEMIFINALS

2 p.m. West No. 1 Wiley University vs. East No. 2 Talladega College | Live Stats | Broadcast

6 p.m. East No. 1 Oakwood University vs. East No. 3 Rust College | Live Stats | Broadcast

About the HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.