BOWIE, Md. – Quincy January (So./Atlanta, GA) scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Saint Augustine’s University in a 78-62 CIAA men’s basketball loss to Bowie State University at Jordan Arena on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016.
Keith Crawford (Sr./Richmond, VA) added 11 points and Julius Murphy (So./Goldsboro, NC) chipped in 10 points for the Falcons, who led most of the first half and trailed only 43-42 with 13:12 left in the game. But the Bulldogs gradually pulled away from the Falcons, outscoring the visitors 35-20 the rest of contest.
The Bulldogs used a full-court press to break the game open. The Falcons committed 14 of their 20 turnovers in the second half.
The miscues offset 59.1 percent shooting from the Falcons in the second half including 50 percent behind the three-point line. They shot 44.7 percent overall, which was the third-highest percentage for the Falcons this season, and better than what the Bulldogs shot from the field (39.7).
The Falcons also held their own on the boards. They outrebounded the taller Bulldogs 39-37 which led to an 11-8 edge in second chance points.
The Bulldogs took advantage of the Falcons’ turnovers, however. They outscored the Falcons 23-4 in turnover points which contributed to the final margin. The Falcons forced 15 Bulldog turnovers.
Another key was the difference in free throw attempts in the second half. The Bulldogs were 16 of 22 from the charity stripe while the Falcons made 9 of 14. Justin Beck, who scored a game-high 25 points for the Bulldogs, was 15 of 18 from the free throw line including 11 of 13 in the second half.
Miles Jackson scored 15 points and Ahmaad Wilson added 10 points for the Bulldogs (9-5 overall, 2-1 CIAA). Jeremy Saunders (Jr./Hampton, VA) tallied eight points and four rebounds and Murphy pulled down five rebounds while Crawford handed out four assists for the Falcons.
The Falcons (5-8 overall, 0-3 CIAA) jumped out to an early lead in the first half. They led 19-12 by moving the ball with precision and playing solid defense. The trio of January, Crawford and Murphy each scored four points during the run including a thundering two-handed dunk by January off a missed shot. A late run gave the Bulldogs a 26-24 lead at halftime.
The Bulldogs seemingly had momentum entering the second half, but the Falcons would not go away. Crawford canned a jumper for a 31-29 Falcons’ lead with 18:46 remaining. The lead would not hold, however, as the Bulldogs used their defense to go on a game-clinching final run.
The Falcons will play their second road game in three days when they visit Lincoln (Pa.) University on Saturday, Jan. 9. Game time is 4 p.m.
— Office of Sports Information
