Johnson C. Smith ended the regular season on a high note, knocking off the Claflin Panthers 80-74 on senior night, improving their overall record to 14-11.
The win marked a significant milestone for head coach Stephen Joyner Sr., bringing him to 600 career wins.
He becomes the fourth NCAA HBCU head coach to reach the 600-win milestone and the third CIAA head coach (Clarence Gaines, Winston-Salem State; Dave Robbins, Virginia Union).
Congratulations to Coach Steve Joyner for reaching 600 Wins today with the win over Claflin! 💛💙💪🏿🏀 pic.twitter.com/iVb3P9YnOI
— Johnson C. Smith U. (@JCSUniversity) February 25, 2024
After beginning his coaching career with the women’s basketball team, Joyner became the head coach of the men’s team in 1987 and has served in that role ever since.
In his 35 years with the team, he led the Golden Bulls to seven division and three conference titles. He has also been named CIAA Coach of the Year three times, including in 2001 when he was named NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
The Golden Bulls enter the CIAA tournament looking for their first conference championship since 2009.
