The Golden Bulls lose consecutive games for the first time this season with the 72-69 overtime loss to Chowan
Box Score
Murfreesboro, NC – The Johnson C. University men's basketball team falls in overtime to Chowan University on Thursday, January 9th in a CIAA cross-divisional contest at the Helms Center. JCSU moves to 10-4 overall and 2-2 in the CIAA standings, while the Hawks improve to 4-7 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
JCSU trailed for the entire first half and faced a 37-30 deficit heading into halftime. The Golden Bulls began to chip away at the deficit at the start of the second half. Junior guard
Dre Huntley (Marshville, NC) fed sophomore forward
Alandre Davis (Wilson, NC) inside for a layup at the 14:24 mark to take a 43-42 lead; their first of the game. The Hawks grabbed the momentum back with 10:04 left in regulation after a three pointer by Kyree Bethel gave Chowan a 48-46 advantage.
Both teams exchanged baskets over the next eight minutes of play. JCSU trailed by a narrow margin of 58-56 with 2:44 remaining. Sophomore guard
Joshua Linson (San Antonio, X) drilled a three pointer to regain a 59-58 advantage. Junior forward
Emilio Parks (Ashtabula, OH) followed up with an old-fashioned three point play for a 62-58 lead with 1:12 remaining.
Chowan trailed 65-61 with just nine seconds left. A lay-up by Phoenix Butler-Poole brought the Hawks within two points with four seconds to spare. The Golden Bulls committed a turnover on their final possession of regulation. Kortez Smith tipped in a shot off the glass after a missed three pointer right at the buzzer and forced the contest into overtime.
The first three minutes of overtime were scoreless for both teams as JCSU and Chowan failed to make a field goal or free throw. Parks broke the scoring drought making his second of two free throw attempts at the two minute mark. Ten seconds later, Smith was on the free throw line shooting two. He made both for a 67-66 lead.
Smith scored again for the Hawks and increased their lead to 69-66 at the 1:07 mark. Junior guard
LaMarquis Letchaw (Dallas, TX) hit a trey and knotted the game up at 69-69 with nine seconds on the clock. On Chowan's next possession, officials whistled Letchaw for a foul while Smith launched a three point shot. Smith went to the foul line and drained all three for a 72-69 victory as time expired.
Parks produced a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds. Linson pitched in a season-high 12 points and three assists. Letchaw finished the game with 10 points.
Smith led Chowan with a game-high 23 points and six assists. Bethel and Butler-Poole each chipped in 12 points.
JCSU shot 52.1% (25-48) on the evening while holding the Hawks to a 39.1 (25-64) field goal percentage.
The Golden Bulls return to action on Saturday, January 11th against Elizabeth City State University. Game time is slated for 4:00 p.m. at the R.L. Vaughan Center. The contest will be televised.
