RALEIGH, N.C. (Feb. 23) – The duo of Tyre Gathright (Sr./Wilmington, NC) and Jalen Gaddy (Jr./Raleigh, NC) were more than enough for Saint Augustine's University in an 86-70 CIAA men's basketball victory over Fayetteville State University in the regular season finale at Emery Gymnasium on Saturday.
The victory landed the Falcons in the No. 5 Southern Division spot entering the CIAA Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., next week. The Broncos are the No. 6 Southern Division seed.
Gathright led all scorers with 26 points and Gaddy added 22 points for the Falcons, who shot 56.1 percent for their second-highest field goal percentage this season. They combined for over half (48) of the Falcons' total points.
The backcourt tandem combined to make 10 of 16 three-point attempts for the Falcons, who made 13 of 29 as a team for 44.8 percent. The Falcons also connected on 9 of 11 free throw attempts for 81.8 percent.
Gathright scored 13 points and Gaddy added 11 points in the first half to spark the Falcons to a 41-31 halftime lead over the Broncos. They both scored the same amount of points in the second half as the Falcons opened a 16-point lead with 9:39 left in the game.
The Broncos made a brief run, cutting the Falcons' lead to nine twice, but the hosts pushed the margin to 17 with 3:23 remaining on a layup by Craig McDaniel (Sr./Holly Springs, NC).
D.J. Harrison (Sr./Winston-Salem, NC) and Otis Hill, Jr. (Jr./Shallotte, NC) each scored eight points and McDaniel tossed in seven for the Falcons, who scored 22 points off turnovers and outscored the Broncos 26-16 in the paint.
Will Brown finished with 14 points for the Broncos, who shot 35.1 percent from the floor. Mark Burton and Raymon Pratt each scored 12 points for the Broncos, who outscored the Falcons 15-2 in second chance points to stay within striking distance.
Before the contest, five Falcons were recognized among 10 men's and women's basketball and cheerleading student-athletes on Senior Day. They were Gathright, Harrison, McDaniel, Carnell Norfleet (Williamston, NC) and Ishmael Baldwin (Kinston, NC).
Wilbert Johnson, the father of SAU men's basketball coach MarQus Johnson, was also honored before the game. A 1969 Saint Augustine's graduate, Johnson will be recognized at an N.C. State University game on Sunday, Feb. 24, for being the Wolfpack's first-ever black basketball coach as either a head coach or assistant.
The win avenged a one-point loss to the Broncos three weekends ago. The Broncos hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds for 63-62 victory in Fayetteville, N.C.
