Bethune-Cookman holds off Jacksonville
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Clemmye Owens scored 19 points, and Ricky Johnson scored six of his 12 from the free throw line in the four minutes as Bethune-Cookman held off Jacksonville 52-47 Saturday afternoon in Moore Gym.
Johnson went 10-11 from the line to help the Wildcats (3-6) snap a three-game losing streak.
Mikel Trapp added 10 points for the Wildcats.
Kori Babineaux led Jacksonville with 17, followed by Marcel White with 10.
The Wildcats begin Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play Monday night at South Carolina State.
Short, Gaston Lift Norfolk State over Morgan State
NORFOLK, Va. – Led by the junior tandem of Jeff Short and RaShid Gaston, the Norfolk State men’s basketball team opened up MEAC play on Saturday evening with an 85-65 victory over Morgan State at Joseph Echols Hall.
Short hit 9-of-10 from the field for a game-high 24 points, while Gaston tallied his fourth straight double-double with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 12 rebounds. NSU scored a season high in points thanks to a 31-of-49 effort (63.3 percent) from the floor, one of the best shooting nights the Spartans have ever had in the Division I era.
The win moved NSU’s overall record to 5-4 and 1-0 in the MEAC.
Aside from 20 turnovers, there was much to like about NSU’s night, especially after the Spartans began to pull ahead late in the first stanza. They led by 12 at the half and by at least eight points throughout the second half.
D’Shon Taylor also reached double figures on the night with 10 points while adding five boards. Senior Malik Thomas contributed nine points and six rebounds, helping NSU finish with a 41-26 edge on the glass.
Of MSU’s 26 rebounds, though, 15 came on the offensive side of the ball.
For the third game in a row, the Spartans had a big edge in points in the paint, this time outscoring MSU 44-24.
Cedric Blossom led Morgan State with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Blake Bozeman added 11. MSU shot 21-of-61 (34.4 percent) overall, including and 8-of-25 effort from beyond the arc. The Spartans on the other hand converted on 4-of-8 attempts from the 3-point line.
Morgan State did outscore the Spartans 22-12 in points off turnovers, as NSU had 20 compared to just 12 for the Bears. But the Spartans also shot 19-of-23 from the free throw line, while Morgan State hit just 15-of-28.
NSU’s 63.3 shooting clip stands as the third-best in the D-I era.
The Spartans will host Coppin State Monday at 7 p.m. in another MEAC matchup.
Cephas and Fripp not enough as Coppin State falls to Hampton
HAMPTON, Va. – Taariq Cephas and Arnold Fripp combined for 25 points during Coppin State’s 71-52 setback to Hampton in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s basketball opener at the HU Convocation Center Saturday night.
Playing its third game in five days, Coppin State was outscored by 15 points in the second half and dropped its second straight contest. Overall, the Eagles are in a stretch where they are playing five games in 10 days and four in seven.
Cephas led the Eagles (1-6 overall, 0-1 MEAC) with 13 points. Fripp added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Cephas and Fripp each made two 3-pointers for the Eagles, who entered the game 10th nationally in 3-pointers made per game.
Jahvari Josiah contributed nine points and five rebounds for the Eagles. Daquan Brickhouse, who missed Wednesday’s game at Towson, finished with eight points. Sterling Smith led the Eagles with six rebounds for the second straight game.
In winning their second straight game, the Pirates (3-5, 1-0) had three players reach double figures led by Deron Powers, who scored a game-high 17 points. Dwight Meikle had 15 points and Quinton Chievous finished with a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds).
Coppin State concludes its three-game road trip Monday night when it plays Norfolk State, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Miller, Carlton lead Howard past North Carolina A&T
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On a day when leading scorer James Daniel scored the fewest points in his career, the Howard University men’s basketball turned to James Miller and James Carlton to help pull out a 54-47 win over North Carolina A&T in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Burr Gymnasium.
Daniel, who came into the game averaging 16.2 points per game, failed to score in double figures for only the second in his career. The sophomore guard from Hampton, Va. missed all four of his shots in the first half.
But Carlton and red-shirt junior reserve center Oliver Ellison combined for 14 of the Bison’s points in a 28-23 halftime advantage.
The Aggies (1-8, 0-1 MEAC) continued their shooting woes and missed 26 of 34 shots in the second stanza. The Bison shot 45 percent from the field and held a decided 34-16 advantage in points in the paint.
Bruce Beckford led all scorers with 19, while James Whitaker and Khary Dobby contributed 8 and 7, respectively.
Miller finished with 17 and Carlton with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.
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