CHARLOTTE, NC (Feb 22) – On Wednesday, Quincy January (Jr./Atlanta, GA) nearly recorded a triple-double with 26 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks for Saint Augustine's University, but the Falcons fell 86-80 to Fayetteville State University in a CIAA Tournament men's basketball second-round game at Bojangles Coliseum.
The double-double was the 16th this season for January, the two-time CIAA Defensive Player of the Year who ranks among the top 10 nationally in Division II in the category. He posted double figures in points and rebounds for the sixth consecutive game.
Kasey Bryant (Jr./Raleigh, NC) scored a career-high 24 points including 22 points in the second half as the Falcons made the Broncos sweat in the closing minutes after trailing by 15 with just under three minutes remaining. The Falcons guard scored 13 points in the last two minutes including a three-point play to pull the Falcons within 79-75 with 28.9 seconds remaining.
After two Broncos free throws, the Falcons misfired on a three-pointer which would have trimmed the deficit to three. The Falcons would get no closer as the Broncos nailed three of four free throws to hold on for the win.
Jquwan Ruffin (R-Fr./Ahoskie, NC) scored 15 of his career-high 18 points after halftime to help the Falcons (13-16 overall) surge back into the contest. The Falcons guard drained three of four three-pointers in the second half.
The Falcons, the No. 6 Southern Division seed, shot 66.7 percent including 44.4 percent behind the three-point arc in the second half after trailing 39-25 at halftime. The deficit was 68-53 with 2:53 remaining but the Falcons showed grit as they clawed back in the game with a late rally. They outscored the Broncos 55-47 in the second half.
The contest was a sharp contrast to the previous two meetings between the teams this season. They split the season series as both teams won by two points on last-second shots.
On Wednesday, the Falcons started slowly as the Broncos built a 28-14 lead late in the first half. The Broncos (11-15 overall) maintained their 14-point lead into halftime as they shot 56 percent from the floor while the Falcons made 25.8 percent of their shots.
"I thought they guys were a little tense in the first half," Falcons Head Coach MarQus Johnson said. "We relaxed and played our style of basketball in the second half ."
January produced most of the offense in the first half, scoring a team-high 14 points. He received offensive help from Bryant and Ruffin in the second half but the Falcons could not overcome 27 of 38 free throw shooting from the Broncos in the same half. For the contest, the Broncos made 34 of 48 attempts from the charity stripe for 70.8 percent.
Joshua Dawson, who scored a team-high 25 points for the Broncos, connected on 15 of 19 free throw attempts, all in the second half, including 11 of 12 in the final minute. Michael Tyson added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Josh Bryant contributed 11 points for the Broncos, who play Shaw University in a quarterfinal game Thursday, Feb. 23. The Broncos are the Southern Division No. 4 seed.
The loss concludes the season for the Falcons, who lose All-CIAA guard Anthony Gaskins (Sr./Greenville, NC) and forward Andre Stanley (Sr./Virginia Beach, VA) next season. Everybody else is back including January, a two-time All-CIAA forward.
"We have to use this [loss] as fuel for next season so we won't have this feeling again," January said.
