SAU Begins Men's Basketball Season At Shaw Classic This Weekend (Nov. 10-11)

RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 9) – Saint Augustine's University (SAU) makes its men's basketball season debut in the Shaw University Classic at Spaulding Gymnasium this weekend.

The Falcons travel crosstown to face two teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). They take on East Stroudsburg University on Saturday, Nov. 10, and Mansfield University on Sunday, Nov. 11. Tipoff for both games is 2 p.m.

Click HERE for live video, which is also available on shawbears.com, theciaasn.com and saintaugfalcons.com. Live stats is available on shawbears.com and saintaugfalcons.com.

For the first time in five years, basketball standout Quincy January is not on the Falcons' roster. The high-flying January graduated in May 2018 after collecting three consecutive CIAA Defensive Player of the Year Awards. The three-time All-CIAA forward finished his four-year career with over 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds.

But six Falcons are back from last season's 14-15 squad including Preseason All-CIAA guard Tyre Gathright (Sr./Wilmington, NC). He averaged a team-high 15.2 points per game and made the All-CIAA squad as a junior.

The other returnees are forward D.J. Harrison (Jr./Winston-Salem, NC) and guards Otis Hill Jr.
(Jr./Shallotte, NC), Rashad George (R-So./Raleigh, NC), Craig McDaniel (Sr./Holly Springs, NC) and Carnell Norfleet (Sr./Williamston, NC). George was selected to the All-CIAA Rookie Team as a freshman. Falcons' guard Jquwan Ruffin (Jr./Ahoskie, NC) is back on the roster after sitting out last season.

The newcomers are guards Dante Edwards (Fr./Durham, NC) and Jalen Gaddy (Jr./Raleigh, NC), and forwards Mel'Quan Ames (Jr./Weldon, NC), Hirk Williams (Jr./Manassas, VA), Miguel Brown (So./Wilson, NC) and Aaron Johnson-Cash (Fr./San Francisco, CA). Head Coach MarQus Johnson enters his fifth season as Falcons' head coach.

The Falcons face a nationally-ranked team in East Stroudsburg on Saturday. The Warriors, who finished 27-6 last season, rank 15^th nationally in the NABC Division II preseason poll. Last season, they won the PSAC championship, the Atlantic Region crown for the first time and reached the Division II Elite Eight in possibly their best season in school history. The Warriors return half of their 10-man rotation from last season including point guard Jakwan Jones, who earned second team All-PSAC East honors.

Mansfield posted a 7-19 overall record last season. The Mountaineers return six players and added nine newcomers including point guard Ryan Bernstein, a Division I transfer.

SAU and Shaw, both CIAA members and crosstown rivals, are not scheduled to meet in the Classic. They face each other Jan. 26, 2019, at Shaw and Feb. 16, 2019, at SAU.

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