Jan. 23, 2008

Final Stats

Freshman SAC forward Hayward Fain hit two free throws with 17 seconds left and Saint Augustine's College edged Johnson C. Smith 69-68 for first place in the CIAA Western Division at Emery Gymnasium on Tuesday (Jan. 22).

The outcome wasn't decided, however, until Ronald Thornhill (Alberta, Va.) of the Golden Bulls slightly missed a wide open three-point shot at the buzzer, giving the Falcons (12-3, 9-1 CIAA, 4-0 Western Division) the victory.

Senior forward Justin Dickens scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead four double-figure scorers for the Falcons, who shot 47.1 percent. Fain and senior center Jeff Sullivan both scored 14 points and junior forward Robert Shuler added 12 points.

James Dillard (Apex, N.C.) led four double-figure scorers with 14 points for the Golden Bulls (10-6, 4-4 CIAA, 2-1 Western Division), who also got 11 points from Jerry Hollis and 10 points apiece from Maurice Hooper (Reidsville, N.C.) and Edmund Rainey (Buffalo, N.Y.). The Golden Bulls shot 48.9 percent.

The Falcons opened a 49-38 lead on Fain's layup with 16:40 left in the second half, but saw it evaporate. A Dillard jumper gave the Golden Bulls a 58-56 lead with 7:28 remaining. It was the Golden Bulls' first lead since the five-minute mark of the first half.

There were seven lead changes in the final seven minutes. Fain gave the Falcons the lead for good with 17 seconds left after he was fouled driving to the basket.

JCSU moves on to face a tough intra-division opponent in Virginia Union University on Thursday (Jan. 24) at 7:30 p.m.