RALEIGH, N.C. - The backcourt tandem of Raheem Jolliffe (Sr./Fayetteville, NC) and Anthony Gaskins (So./Greenville, NC) nearly carried Saint Augustine's University to victory against Fayetteville State University on Saturday, January 31, 2015.

The duo combined for 41 points in a 77-75 CIAA men's basketball loss at Capel Arena. The defeat dropped the Falcons to 9-11 overall and 2-3 in the Southern Division. The Broncos improved to 11-10 overall and 2-3 in the Southern Division.

Jolliffe scored a game-high 23 points and Gaskins added 18 points to keep the Falcons in the contest. Forward Quincy January (Fr./Atlanta, GA) added 10 points and six rebounds, and guard Keith Crawford (Jr./Richmond, VA) added nine points. Guard Tayron Gibson (Sr./Alexandria, VA) had seven points and four rebounds, and forward Marquis Hines (Jr./Fayetteville, NC) chipped in six points and six rebounds.

Jolliffe and Gaskins combined to make 15 of 24 field goal attempts including 7 of 11 three-point attempts. Jolliffe did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 17 points before intermission. Gaskins picked up the slack in the second half, pouring in 14 points. They helped the Falcons shoot 49 percent from the floor including 59 percent (10 of 17) from the three-point arc.

Unfortunately, the Falcons were not as successful at the free throw line. They were 15 of 35 for the contest including 7 of 20 in the second half. Despite their woes from the charity stripe, the Falcons almost pulled off a win on the road. Down two points, the Falcons had possession in the final seconds, but Jolliffe's short-range jumper rattled out as time expired.

"It's hard to win a game shooting 15 of 35 from the free throw line including 7 of 20 in the second half," Falcons' Head Coach MarQus Johnson said. "It's amazing we were still in the game. The guys played hard and they toughed it out. We had a chance to win but the shot rimmed out. I give all the credit to Fayetteville State for the victory."

Torian Showers came off the bench to score 15 points for the Broncos, who shot 38 percent for the contest including 19 percent behind three-point arc. Joshua Dawson added 13 points. He was 10 of 14 from the free throw line as the Broncos made 25 of 36 free throw attempts.

The Broncos knocked down 17 of 21 free throw attempts in the first half to keep pace with the Falcons, who spurted out to an early lead. January converted a three-point play for a 14-2 lead, but the Broncos gained momentum. They opened a 33-23 lead late in the first half.

That's when Jolliffe heated up. He drilled three three-pointers to help the Falcons regain the lead at 37-36. A deep three in the corner by Gibson sent the Falcons into halftime leading 42-40.

The Broncos led most of the second half, but the Falcons stayed within striking distance. A layup and two free throws by Gaskins tied the score at 74-74 with 43 seconds left. The Broncos regained the lead at 76-74 on two free throws with 35 seconds remaining, but forward Nick Moyer (Jr./Martinsville, VA) made a free throw to trim the deficit to one with 19 seconds left. The Broncos pushed the lead to two with a free throw before Jolliffe attempted the game-tying jumper.

The Falcons will visit Virginia State University at Daniel Gymnasium in Ettrick, Va., on Wednesday, February 4. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m.