The men of Johnson C. Smith took the court at 7 p.m., playing the Shaw Bears like their female counterparts did yesterday. And much like the women, the arena was half full. Maybe the recession has kept fans away from the CIAA tournament this year. Then again, it was Thursday night and there were several parties outside of the arena.

One thing that's interesting to note about the tournament this year: there are more older people in the arena. Maybe this is the year that only the retirees can afford to come.

The Golden Bulls, last year's champions, were hoping to avoid an upset at the hands of the Shaw Bears. They'd beaten the Bears twice in the regular season.

Side fashion note: Old men are rocking the cowboy hats this year. And Mr. CIAA is working the crowd as usual. At 7:17 p.m., he was decked in gold — long trench coat and a fedora with a glittering gold band.

Back to the game, with 11:13 in the first half, J.C. Smith had a 14 to 8 lead and a horrible percentage from the free throw line. But Shaw couldn't hold on to the ball with a handle, so it balanced out.

Side fashion note: Even though the Cosby Show is in reruns on TV Land, it is not OK to pull out the old sweaters Bill wore on the show and wear them now. Especially the ones that don't fit.

With about 3:13 left in the first half, J.C. Smith had an 11 point lead and the arena started filling up.

At halftime, Smith led Shaw 39 to 27. The halftime entertainment was an American Idol finalist, LaKeisha Jones. She had on some nice shoes, but it's obvious why she lost the competition. What got the crowd going, however, was the infamous line dance the Cha-Cha Slide. Fans rushed to the floor to dance and even CIAA staff got into the spirit.

The second half started with a pair of turnovers that neither team could convert on. But the Golden Bulls started clicking and led the Bears, 47 to 29 with 14:36 left in the game.

Side fashion note: Pants should not be pulled up to your chest, especially if they are sweatpants. Perhaps the recession has bit into the CIAA attendees fashion budgets. But, it doesn't mean you can mix seasons. If it is cold enough for a wool pea coat, you shouldn't be wearing open-toe sandals. And Spanx are your friend.

While it looked as if J.C. Smith was about to blow out the Bears, fouls and turnovers almost allowed Shaw to get back in the game. With 7:52 left in the game, Smith's lead was 20 points. Both teams lost key players who fouled out in the second half. Brian Mobley for Smith was a defensive presence on the court. But his loss didn't stop the Bulls who piled on more offense before advancing to the semifinals to defend their CIAA crown.

Side fashion note: Windbreaker suits are for the gym to workout in, not to watch basketball in. The only people who should wear mohawks are little boys.

Final score: JCSU: 82 Shaw: 63