RALEIGH, N.C. – Senior center Jonathan Crawley (Richmond, VA) led Saint Augustine’s University with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but the Falcons lost 82-78 in double overtime to Claflin University in a men’s college basketball game at Emery Gymnasium on Tuesday, November 19, 2013.
Junior guard Raheem Jolliffe (Fayetteville, NC) also scored 17 points off the bench for the Falcons, who suffered their first loss in three contests. The Falcons were defeated on a night when senior guard Joel Kindred (Raleigh, NC) reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career. Kindred finished with 13 points as well as junior guard Amere May (South Haven, MI). Jarrod Denard scored 27 points to lead Claflin (3-2 overall).
The Falcons led 33-21 at halftime, but Claflin came back to tie the game 61-61 at the end of regulation. The contest was knotted at 68 after the first overtime, which forced a second extra period. The Falcons were outscored 14-10 in the second overtime.
The dagger was a deep three-pointer by Denard with less than three seconds left in the second overtime for an 80-78 Claflin lead. Needing to go the length of the court, the Falcons committed a turnover on a long inbounds pass which sailed out-of-bounds on the other end of the court. Kendall Jackson made two free throws to clinch the win for the Panthers (3-2 overall).
The Falcons, averaging 107 points their first two games, outshot the Panthers 45 percent to 39 percent, but committed 19 turnovers including key turnovers in the late stages of regulation and the extra sessions.
“We had opportunities to win it twice in regulation and we had opportunities to win it in overtime,” said St. Aug Head Coach Tony Sheals, whose team outshot Claflin 64 percent to 44 percent in overtime. “We are young and growing. We were not on Cloud Nine thinking we were a great team. I have to give [Claflin] a lot of credit. They came in and stole one in our gym. The kid from Claflin made a big shot at the end of the game.”
Though the Falcons lost, it was a big night for Kindred, who scored the 1,000th point of his college career at the 18:28 mark of the second half on a layup. Kindred was honored during the first media timeout of the half. He received a commemorative encased basketball from St. Aug Athletic Director George Williams and posed for a photo with Williams, his mother Victoria Smith and brother Jon Kindred, who was a teammate on the St. Aug basketball team the past three seasons.
“It’s a great moment and highlight in his career,” Sheals said about Kindred. “I’d like to congratulate him on scoring 1,000 points which is a great honor for him. He is a great person.”
Needing 11 points entering Wednesday, Kindred scored nine first-half points to tie Jolliffe for team high honors. They sparked the Falcons to a double-digit lead which climbed as high as 15 points. The Falcons entered the locker room at halftime with a 12-point lead.
The Panthers rallied to take a 53-51 lead with 7:21 remaining in regulation. The Falcons moved back ahead 60-55 with 3:28 left on a layup by redshirt sophomore guard Keith Crawford (Richmond, VA) but the Panthers forced overtime with a 6-1 run. The Falcons held a 68-63 lead in the first overtime, but the Panthers scored five consecutive points to send the game into the second overtime.
Both teams traded the lead in the second overtime. The Falcons were ahead 78-75 with 50 seconds left on Crawley’s layup, but Claflin scored the last seven points for the win.
The Falcons did not have Kindred nor sophomore forward Daniel Clark (Danville, VA/7 rebounds) in overtime. Both players were whistled for their fifth foul in regulation. Junior guard-forward Tayron Gibson (Alexandria, VA/6 rebounds, 4 assists) fouled out with one second left in the second overtime.
The Falcons will play this weekend in the Mount Olive Classic in Mount Olive, N.C. They will face host Mount Olive College at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 22 and Barton College on Saturday, November 23 at 5 p.m.
— Sports Information Office
