CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 26) – Craig McDaniel (Sr./Holly Springs, NC) swished a deep three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to give Saint Augustine's University a 97-94 men's basketball victory over Lincoln (Pa.) University in a CIAA Tournament first-round game at Bojangles' Coliseum on Tuesday.
The Falcons (11-16 overall), seeded fifth in the Southern Division, will take on crosstown rival Shaw University, the Southern Division champions, in a Wednesday quarterfinal game at 8:50 p.m. Lincoln, the No. 4 Northern Division seed, ends its season at 14-15.
McDaniel hit the game-winner after Lincoln's Bernard Lightsey tied the score at 94-94 with six seconds remaining. The SAU senior dribbled downcourt and canned a contested fadeaway three-pointer from approximately 25 feet to put the Falcons back ahead. A desperation shot from Lincoln about 75 feet away was well off target.
"I remember when we played Fayetteville State [during the regular season] and lost on a buzzer-beater," McDaniel said. "It was the same situation. I could have drove and taken the shot, but I didn't. This time, I took the shot with a lot of confidence."
"Craig made a great shot," said SAU Head Coach MarQus Johnson, whose Falcons won their third straight game and fourth in five contests. "We were able to survive and advance."
Jalen Gaddy (Jr./Raleigh, NC) scored a career-high 30 points to lead four double-figure scorers for the Falcons, who led 89-80 with 51.8 seconds left. The Falcons' guard drained 8 of 10 shots behind the three-point arc. The eight three-pointers were a career-high for Gaddy.
Tyre Gathright (Sr./Wilmington, NC) scored 19 points and Rashad George (Jr./Raleigh, NC) contributed 17 points as the Falcons made 32 of 44 free throws for 72.7 percent. Gathright was 11 of 15 and George was 12 of 17 from the charity stripe. McDaniel finished with 17 points.
Gathright, named to his second straight All-CIAA team on Monday, surpassed the 1,000-point career mark in the contest in just two seasons with the Falcons.
Cameron Campbell of Lincoln led all scorers with 34 points. Deaquan Williams added 17 points and Zahrion Blue scored 16 points while Lightsey chipped in 14 points for the Lions, who made 17 of 28 free throws for 60.7 percent.
Both teams were hot from the floor. The Falcons shot 54.2 percent and the Lions made 53.3 percent of their buckets. The contest was similar to the regular-season meeting between both teams, which resulted in a 72-62 Falcons' win in Raleigh, N.C., on Jan. 12. That day, SAU shot a season-high 59.1 percent including 57.9 behind the three-point arc.
On Tuesday, the 97 points were a season-high for the Falcons, who connected on 13 of 28 three-point attempts for 46.4 percent.
Gaddy was especially hot in his first-ever CIAA Tournament game. He only missed two jumpers the entire night, shooting 9 of 11 from the floor. Most of the damage was done in the second half as he connected on 5 of 6 three-point attempts.
Led by Gaddy's 19 points and the free throw shooting of Gathright and George, the Falcons sizzled in the second half, shooting 70 percent, including 63.6 percent behind the three-point line. They were also 73.3 percent from the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes as they twice opened a 12-point second-half lead after leading by three at halftime.
"We were playing our game, which is a lot of ball movement," Johnson said. "We were able to shoot well and make our free throws."
The margin was nine after two Gathright free throws with 51.8 seconds remaining. The Falcons withstood a late Lions' defensive press, however, before advancing to the quarterfinals. Lightsey capped an improbable 14-5 Lincoln run with a game-tying three-pointer, which put Falcon fans in a panic.
But McDaniel saved the day for the Falcons. He dribbled downcourt and pulled up for the three over the outstretched arms of a Lincoln defender. His game-winning three put Bojangles' Coliseum in a frenzy and sparked a celebration on the court by the SAU players.
"I felt like we played good defense on [McDaniel]," Campbell said. "It was a better offensive play."
The Falcons now face their crosstown rival in a rubber match on Wednesday. Both SAU and Shaw split their regular-season series, winning in each other's home gymnasium. This time a CIAA semifinal berth is on the line.
The Falcons, led Gaddy and Gathright, will look to carry their offensive momentum against Lincoln over to Wednesday against Shaw.
"We have to lock in and play the way we played tonight," Gaddy said.
