Staff report

CHARLOTTE — Former Carson star Jailen Williams was the MVP as Claflin beat Virginia Union 64-54 on Saturday to win the inaugural Black College Invitational Championship at Bojangles Coliseum.

A graduate student in business administration, Williams scored 19 points as Claflin made a big comeback in the championship game. He shot 5-for-13 from the field and 7-for-7 from the foul line. He made two 3-pointers.

Williams had two assists and three steals.

The BCIC field was made up four of the top teams from the CIAA and SIAC that did get a bid to the Division II regionals. Claflin lost in the quarterfinals of the CIAA Tournament in Baltimore, but was able to get its 19th and 20th wins in the BCIC. It’s the first 20-win season for Claflin since 2018.

Claflin shot 35.6 percent but made up for it with 10 3-pointers and by winning on the boards.

Claflin’s defense was key as Virginia Union scored only 22 points in the second half. Virginia Union led by as many as 11 points in the first half.

• Williams didn’t have a great game in Thursday’s semifinals, scoring four points, but his teammates came through in an 80-64 win against Central State.

Champ Hayden, who was a star at North Hills Christian, scored three points for Central State.