RALEIGH, N.C. – The one-two punch of guard Anthony Gaskins (Jr./Greenville, NC) and forward Quincy January (Soph./Atlanta, GA) proved to be too much for crosstown rival Shaw University on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.
Gaskins (Jr./Greenville, NC) poured in 26 points and January added 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Falcons toppled the Bears 71-67 for their third straight CIAA men's basketball victory. With the win, the Falcons improved to 3-2 in the Southern Division. The victory sets up a big rematch against division leader Winston-Salem State University at Emery Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 6. The Rams are 4-1 in the division.
The Falcons fell behind early but spurted ahead midway through the first half to go into halftime leading 42-34. The lead reached 13 points early in the second half on Gaskins' three-pointer, but the margin whittled to one after a Shaw free throw with a little over six minutes remaining. The Falcons finished the contest on a 12-9 run to outlast the Bears.
Free throw shooting keyed the Falcons down the stretch. From the 5:05 mark to the 26-second mark in the second half, the Falcons were 7-for-9 from the charity stripe.
TURNING POINT I
The Falcons trailed 14-10 with 12:32 in the first half before catching fire on offense. They scored 13 consecutive points to seize control of the game. The run whipped their fans into a frenzy inside Emery Gymnasium on the Harvey D. Heartley, Sr. Court and the Falcons never trailed again. Five different players scored during that 13-0 run which put the Falcons up 23-14 with 7:41 remaining.
TURNING POINT II
Shaw closed within two points at 63-61 on a three-pointer and appeared on the verge of stealing the game from the Falcons. Gaskins came to the rescue, however. After the Falcons rebounded their own miss, Gaskins pulled up for a three over the outstretched arms of a Shaw defender on the right wing and canned the shot for a 66-61 Falcons' lead with 3:02 left. The Bears would never get closer than three points the rest of the way.
RECORDS
Saint Augustine's University 8-13 overall, 3-8 CIAA, 3-2 Southern Division; Shaw 9-13 overall, 6-4 CIAA, 2-3 Southern Division.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
After a slow start, the Falcons are now in a second-place tie in the Southern Division with Johnson C. Smith University at 3-2. The Falcons can move into a first-place tie with division leader Winston-Salem State at home on Saturday.
The victory also proves that the Falcons are gelling at the right time. They are getting the job done with a deliberate offense which features nice ball movement and a sticky defense which bottles up opposing teams. In their last three victories, the Falcons have held opponents to under 70 points.
TOP PLAYERS FOR THE FALCONS
Gaskins: The long-range sharpshooter was 5-for-9 behind the three-point arc and 8-for-17 from the floor. No three was bigger than the one he hit late over a Shaw defender to preserve the Falcons' lead. Gaskins added five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
January: The sophomore forward came on strong in the second half to post his CIAA-leading 10th double-double of the season. January finished with nine points and nine rebounds in the second half to help fend off the Bears. Ranked among the top CIAA field-goal percentage leaders, January was 7-for-9 from the floor.
Nick Tennell (Sr./Port St. Lucie, FL): The senior guard was perfect from the floor, making all four shots he attempted.
Keith Crawford (Sr./Richmond, VA): The senior guard contributed on both ends of the floor. He totaled six points, four rebounds and four assists.
Marquis Hines (Sr./Fayetteville, NC): The senior forward tallied five points, four rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Nick Moyer (Sr./Martinsville, VA): The senior forward has played well of late. He chipped in four points, four rebounds and two assists. Moyer was 2-for-3 from the floor.
BY THE NUMBERS
3 – The Falcons have won three consecutive games.
7 – The number of three-pointers made by the Falcons, who were 7-for-15 behind the arc for 46.7 percent.
36.7 – The shooting percentage in the first half for Shaw.
56.7 – The shooting percentage in the first half for the Falcons, who opened an eight-point halftime lead.
49.0 – The overall shooting percentage of the Falcons, which is the second-highest this season. They have shot 43.5 percent or higher in their last four games.
TOP SHAW PLAYERS
Joell Hopkins, Jr. led the Bears with 18 points and nine rebounds. Quentin Judd added 14 points and Larry Richardson, II added 12 points.
NEXT GAME
The Falcons host Winston-Salem State University in a key CIAA Southern Division contest at Emery Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m.
