The hot hand of Ronald Thornhill (16 points) was not enough to get JCSU over the hump in the 2010 CIAA Tournament, after a 74-46 loss
Charlotte, NC – There will officially be a new winner of the CIAA Tournament crown after the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University fell 74-46 in the quarterfinals to Chowan University Thursday evening inside Time Warner Cable Arena. JCSU finishes the season 18-10 overall and 12-8 in the CIAA.
Ironically, the newest member of the CIAA has knocked off the two-time defending CIAA Tournament Champions. J.C. Smith defeated the Hawks twice during the regular season, but tonight giving up 28 points off 23 turnovers was too much to overcome.
JCSU jumped out to an early 6-3 lead on two consecutive three-pointers by junior guard
Ronald Thornhill (Alberta, VA). The Hawks fought back and eventually captured an 8-6 lead off a dunk from Lando Morrison. Chowan rattled off an 8-0 scoring run midway through the half to provide some cushion for the remainder of the period. Johnson C. Smith trailed 33-25 at halftime.
The Golden Bulls finished the half shooting 52.6% (10-19) and 66% (4-6) for the three-point range. Thornhill had 14 points, shooting 5-of-6 from the field including 80% from the three-point line (4-5). Morrison had 11 points in the first half, 3-3 from the free throw line. Rhodes added nine points, also 100% from the free throw line, 3-3.
J.C. Smith made a strong push in the opening of the second half for momentum. Three straight scores came off dunks from senior forwards
James Dillard (Apex, NC),
Jerry Hollis (Charlotte, NC), and
Brian Mobley (Charlotte, NC). The inside scoring drew JCSU within eight (39-31) with 16:58 on the clock.
Unfortunately, the Golden Bulls could not cut any further into the Chowan advantage. The Hawks continued to pace the game with fast transitions off defense and strong three-point shooting. Chowan's defense shut down the JCSU inside presence and forced turnovers.
Morrison led the game in scoring with 18 points and five rebounds. Jaleel Nelson had 17 points, eight boards, and four steals. Charles Rhodes added 15 points and four assists.
Thornhill had a team-high 16 points with five rebounds. Dillard had 10 points and six rebounds, followed by Hollis with eight points and four blocks.
Johnson C. Smith has not lost their opening round game in the CIAA Tournament since suffering a loss to Bowie State (68-62) during the 2006-07 season.
Three out of the four top scorers for the Golden Bulls are seniors. The coaching staff will be working feverishly to replace that lost offense and leadership.
