The Dillard Bleu Devils continue to shock the GCAC world as they advanced to the championship game of the GCAC tournament and face Philander Smith College on Saturday, March 2, at 4:30 p.m. at Barton Coliseum. The game is dubbed “The Battle of the HipHopPrez” since Dillard’s president (Dr. Walter Kimbrough, a.k.a. the ‘HipHopPrez’) spent the last seven years as Philander’s president. The only challenge that he gave Dillard’s athletic teams before the year started was to “defeat Philander Smith.”
In the semi-final of the GCAC tournament, Dillard pulled off another astronomical upset with a 58-54 victory over Southern University at New Orleans. Freshman Tyrone Williams finished with 26 points, hitting 10-of 16 shots from the field and nailing 4-of-6 three pointers. Williams also pulled down six boards, produced two steals, one block and one assist in 40 minutes of action. GCAC Freshman of the Year Jarrain Jenkins finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Dillard played fantastic defense throughout the game and held SUNO to just 32 percent shooting from the field.
In the first round of the GCAC tourney, the #8 seed Dillard University pulled off the upset of a lifetime with a 59-56 victory over the #1 seed Xavier University in the first round of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament. Thanks to Dillard’s stellar zone defense, Xavier shot just 30 percent from the field for the game.
Jenkins scored a game-high 23 points, nailing 10-of-18 shots from the field. He also pulled down nine rebounds, produced two assists and two steals in just over 37 minutes.
Sophomore Jordan Kilson filled up the stat sheet for the Bleu Devils with 14 points, six boards, five assists and four steals, and Williams had a stellar game as he finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block in 40 minutes of action for Dillard.
Dillard is 0-2 this season against Philander and suffered losses of 22 and 29 points respectively.
Courtesy: Dillard University Athletics
