JCSU women's basketball in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. – The Johnson C. Smith University men's and women's basketball teams briefly took some time to admire the monuments and statues in our nation's capital before facing off against their counterparts at Bowie State. The women's game tips off first at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m., both games will be played at the A.C. Jordan Arena.
Both Golden Bulls' teams enter their matchups coming off a conference loss to Lincoln (PA). The women's team holds a record of 4-7 overall and 1-1 in the CIAA. JCSU has lost three out of their last four contests and their second leading scorer, junior guard
Karnina Bunch (Vicksburg, MS), is out with an injury. The Golden Bull women are 3-0 at home, but just 1-6 on the road.
The Lady Bulldogs come into the contest with a 4-5 overall mark and 1-0 record in the conference. BSU has built some momentum with victories in two of their last three games, including a 76-61 CIAA win at home over Livingstone. Bria Robinson is the top scorer for Bowie State with 11.5 points per game average.
JCSU leads the overall series 26-16 with game dating back to 1986. These two teams last met on December 3, 2011 in Bowie and the Golden Bulls won 76-63.
On the men's side, this will be a bout between the two teams and two of the top scorers in the nation. Senior guard
Trevin Parks (Hickory, NC) leads JCSU and ranks third in the NCAA Division II in scoring with an average of 26.2 points per game. However, the nation's leading scorer is Bowie State guard Byron Westmorland with 26.9 points per contest.
Both JCSU and BSU men's teams have lost two of their last three, including a loss in the conference opener. The Bulldogs dropped a home game to Livingstone 85-72. However, the Golden Bulls have a 7-4 overall record compared to a 4-6 mark for Bowie State. JCSU has an even 3-3 record on the road.
The last time these two teams met (01/19/12), Bowie State was victorious 70-60 at home. In that game, Parks was held to a season-low 11 points. The Golden Bulls hold a 30-13 series advantage, which dates back to 1981.
Along with viewing the presidential monuments, both teams observed the most recently erected the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is located in West Potomac Park, southwest of the National Mall. Covering four acres, the memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011. The official address of the monument, 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., commemorates the year that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law.
Both coaches agreed that this was an excellent experience for their programs and added some educational and historically value to the road trip.
Live stats will be available for both games, courtesy of Bowie State Sports Information.
