Phillip Wood had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the 65-56 loss to ECSU
Box Score vs. ECSU
Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team suffered a 65-56 conference loss to Elizabeth City State University on Saturday night inside a packed Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU moves to 6-6 overall and 1-1 in the CIAA, while ECSU improves to 8-4 in the standings and 2-0 in the conference.
JCSU did not score their first points until five minutes into the period. Junior center
Delonta Boyd (Washington, D.C.) put the Golden Bulls on the scoreboard with a layup and converted free throw. Elizabeth City State held a 12-3 advantage at the 14:45 mark on of the first half.
The Golden Bulls eventually caught a rhythm and tied the game 16-16 off a 13-3 scoring run. Senior guard
James Otey (Roanoke, VA) drilled a three with 6:25 on the clock for first JCSU lead of the game. Junior guard
Trevin Parks (Hickory, NC) popped a 16-foot jumper at the buzzer to end the period. Johnson C. Smith closed out the half with a 31-27 advantage.
In the first half, Parks had nine points. Junior guard
Phillip Wood (Suitland, MD) produced with eight points and seven rebounds. Boyd and Otey supported the scoring effort with six points each. JCSU shot 35% (12-34) from the floor compared to 31% (10-32) shooting from the Vikings.
The Golden Bulls could not find their mark in the second frame. The team scored a season low 25 second half points. Meanwhile, ECSU shot 56% (14-25) in the second half and put up 38 points.
JCSU had season-lows in points (56), field goal percentage (30.8%), and three point field point percentage (19%) in this contest. Parks and Wood finished with a team-high 14 points apiece. Wood had a double-double grabbing 10 rebounds. Boyd ended the evening with nine boards and eight points.
The Vikings had three score double figures, led by Omar Jones' 18 points and five rebounds. Angelo Sharpless chipped in 16 points and six boards.
“Surprisingly, we showed a lack of mental focus tonight,” said head coach
Stephen Joyner, Sr. “We didn't come out an execute our game, we only made eight field goals in the second half and shot 30 percent for the game; that's just not like us.”
The Golden Bulls travel to Lincoln University, PA for their first of a four-game conference road stretch. JCSU squares off against the Lions of Lincoln (PA) on Monday, January 9th at 7:30 p.m. inside Manuel Rivero Hall.
