Standouts Anthony Gaskins And Quincy January Carry Falcons To Victory

RALEIGH, NC (Jan 6) – This time, the Saint Augustine's University men's basketball team was smiling after an overtime contest against Bowie State University.

Quincy January (Jr./Atlanta, GA) posted a double-double and Anthony Gaskins (Sr./Greenville, NC) was one rebound away from a double-double as the Falcons erased a double-digit second-half deficit to top the Bulldogs 77-71 at Emery Gymnasium. The Falcons handed the Bulldogs their first CIAA defeat this season and won for the seventh time in nine games including their second straight victory.

The preseason All-CIAA picks carried the Falcons (3-1 CIAA, 9-6 overall) to victory against the Bulldogs. Gaskins poured in 22 points including 4 three-pointers and snatched nine rebounds and January added 20 points and 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. The standout forward is now eight points away from scoring his 1,000-career point, a milestone Gaskins reached earlier this season.

No basket was bigger for Gaskins than his deep three-point bank shot late in regulation. With the shot clock running down, the stellar guard hoisted a tray near midcourt which banked in to give the Falcons their first second-half lead at 61-60 with one minute left. His three-pointer capped a comeback from a 14-point deficit.

The shot was payback from last season when the Bulldogs defeated the Falcons in the CIAA Tournament quarterfinals after Julian Livingston nailed an improbable three-pointer to send the contest into overtime. Livingston hit a high bank shot as he was falling away deep in the corner.

After Gaskins' basket, the Falcons led by three twice in the closing seconds, the last time at 65-62 on two free throws by Antonio Watson (So./Raleigh, NC) but the Bulldogs (3-1 CIAA, 6-8 overall) forced overtime for the second consecutive time against the Falcons. Brian Kelly canned a three-pointer as time expired after the Bulldogs came up with two offensive rebounds after a missed free throw.

In the extra session, both teams exchanged one-point leads twice, but the Falcons seized control for good down the stretch. Down 71-70, the Falcons scored seven consecutive points in the last 1:16 to put away the Bulldogs.

Kenneth Collins (Jr./Clayton, NC) added eight points and Ishmael Baldwin (Jr./Kinston, NC) grabbed seven rebounds as the Falcons heated up after halftime. They shot 71.4 percent in the second half and 50 percent in overtime after making 32.3 percent of their shots in the first half. For the contest, the Falcons shot 48.3 percent.

Gaskins and January did most of their damage in the second half, combining for 25 points and nine rebounds. January had 10 points and five rebounds and Gaskins totaled 15 points and four rebounds. They helped the Falcons overcome a first half which saw them fall behind 34-24 at halftime after the Bulldogs scored the last nine points.

The Bulldogs momentum carried over in the second half as they built a 43-29 lead in the first five minutes. At that point the Falcons began to assert themselves. Keyed by seven points from January, the Falcons climbed back in the game. They tied the score at 49-49 on Baldwin's layup with eight minutes remaining in regulation. The Bulldogs led briefly afterward but the Falcons were determined to win after what happened in last year's tournament game.

Ahmaad Wilson scored 20 points and had seven rebounds for the Bulldogs. Enuoma Ebinum added 13 points and Khary Doby scored 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

The Falcons are back on the court Saturday, Jan. 7 for their third consecutive home game in six days. They will host Lincoln (Pa.) University at Emery Gymnasium beginning at 4 p.m.