Trevin Parks had a team-high 23 points in the the 74-61 road win over Claflin
Box Score Box Score vs. Claflin
Orangeburg, SC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team rolls past Claflin University for a 74-61 victory on Wednesday evening at the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Physical Education Center. JCSU improves to 5-2 overall, while the Panthers fall to 2-5 in the standings.
The Golden Bulls got off to a slow start in the first half, despite shooting 50% (13-26) from the field. JCSU committed 10 turnovers in the opening, compared to just two for Claflin. The Panthers capitalized by scoring 12 points off turnovers en route to a 43-30 lead at the break.
Babatunde Sanuasi had 16 points for Claflin at halftime, which included 4-of-5 shooting from the three point line. Junior forward
Robert Williams (Atlanta, GA) led the way for JCSU with eight points, followed by senior guard
Trevin Parks (Hickory, NC) with seven.
Claflin fell apart in the second half and watched their double digit lead disappear. JCSU outscored the Panthers 14-3 in the initial seven minutes of the second half. With 6:20 on the clock, Patrick Bendegue went one of two from the foul line to give Claflin a 61-59 advantage. That would be the last point scored for the duration of the game for the Panthers.
JCSU held Claflin scoreless in the final minutes and closed out the contest with a 15-0 run. The Golden Bulls connected on 18-of-19 (95%) free throws in the second half, while the Panthers shot just 17% (6-35) from the floor.
Trevin Parks finished with team-highs of 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Williams wrapped up his night with 15 points, four boards, and three assists. Senior forward
Terrence Washington (Charleston, SC) produced 12 points and five rebounds, followed by sophomore forward
Emilio Parks (Ashtabula, OH) with 10 points, four blocks, and three boards.
Sanuasi led Claflin with a game-high 25 points, shooting 70% (7-10) from beyond the arc.
JCSU will now travel to Florida to participate in the St. Petersburg Sports Alliance Series against hosting Eckerd College. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. at McArthur Center on the Eckerd campus.
