Robert Williams had 18 points, three steals, and three assists in the 84-80 divisional win over Saint Augustine's
Box Score Charlotte, NC –The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team pulled out an 84-80 divisional victory against Saint Augustine's University on Wednesday, January 22nd at Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU improves to 12-6 overall, 4-4 in the conference, and 1-1 in the Southern Division; while the Falcons drop to 10-7 overall, 3-4 in the CIAA, and 0-2 in the division.
Both teams were hot in the first half, which featured plenty of transition plays. The opening period had nine ties and eight lead changes. JCSU shot 55.6% (15-27) from the field, while the Falcons shot nearly 52% (15-29) from the floor. The Golden Bulls gained a slight first half edge by making 7-of-11 free throw attempts compared to 3-of-4 for Saint Augustine's.
Senior forward
Robert Williams (Atlanta, GA) drilled a three pointer at the 7:31 mark for the ninth and final tie (24-24) of the initial period. Junior guard
LaMarquis Letchaw (Dallas, TX) made a layup on the following possession for a 26-24 lead. JCSU maintained an advantage for the remainder of the half.
The first half was back-and-forth between both teams with the Golden Bulls leading by a slim 39-38 at halftime. The second half remained tightly contested, reaching a 14th tie with 8:59 on the clock.
The Falcons held their last lead of the contest (59-57) on two Joel Kindred free throws with 9:25 left. Neither team led by more than six points until the Golden Bulls took a 69-61 lead with 4:58 remaining. With time winding down, Raheem Jolliffe hit a sixth three pointer to trim the Falcons' deficit to 82-80 with 4.2 seconds left.
However, Letchaw sealed the win for JCSU with two free throws for the final margin with three seconds remaining.
Junior forward
Emilio Parks (Ashtabula, OH) finished with a team-high double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Williams added 18 points, three steals, and three assists. Letchaw concluded the game with 16 points, six assists, and no turnovers. Rounding out the JCSU scorers with double digits was senior forward
Antwan Wilkerson (Greensboro, NC) with 10 points and three blocks. The Golden Bulls connected on 6-of-6 free throws in the final 36 seconds to hold off the Falcons.
Amere May scored 27 points, followed by Jolliffe dropping 20 points. Kindred pitched in 11 points for the Falcons.
JCSU will continue to enjoy the comfort of home for their next contest against divisional rival Livingstone College on Saturday, January 25th. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. inside Brayboy Gymnasium.
