RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 31) – Tyre Gathright (Sr./Wilmington, NC) tied a season-high with 27 points and recorded a career-high 12 rebounds, but Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) fell in overtime to Livingstone College 69-66 in a CIAA men’s basketball contest at Emery Gymnasium on Wednesday, Jan. 30.
Gathright connected on 13 of 15 free throws, including three free throws with 15.8 seconds in regulation to send the game into overtime. He reached the charity stripe after Livingstone fouled him attempting a three-pointer atop the key.
In overtime, the Falcons trailed by six but Gathright swished a three-pointer and Mel’Quan Ames (Jr./Weldon, NC) added another three to tie the score at 66-66. Roger Ray put Livingstone back ahead 68-66 on a short jumper with 32.2 seconds left and the Blue Bears rebounded a Falcons’ miss on the next possession.
The Falcons had a chance to send the contest into a second overtime after the Blue Bears made one of two free throws with 4.3 seconds left but misfired on a heavily contested three just inside midcourt near the SAU bench.
Rashad George (R-So./Raleigh, NC) added 10 points and Jalen Gaddy (Jr./Raleigh, NC) scored nine points for the Falcons, who scored 20 points off turnovers. Ames tallied eight points as the trio were part of a Falcons’ bench that scored 30 points.
Lydell Elmore finished with 17 points and Ray added 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Blue Bears, who outscored the Falcons 42-20 in the paint. Damante’ McNeill totaled 13 points off the bench.
Before the game, Gathright and Kelsee Arnold (Sr./Fayetteville, GA) of the SAU Lady Falcons were recognized at midcourt for being nominees of the Lowe’s CIAA Senior CLASS Award, which goes to a male and female basketball student-athlete who excel on and off the court. They received framed action prints from the Lowe’s representatives and took a group photo with SAU President Dr. Everett B. Ward, SAU Athletic Director George Williams and the Lowe’s representatives.
The Falcons took charge in the first half as they built a 12-point lead. But the Blue Bears (4-1 Southern Division, 13-7 overall) made a late run to cut their deficit to 30-23 at halftime. Gathright had 12 points in the first half for the Falcons and Ray scored seven for the Blue Bears.
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Falcons, who played eight of their last nine games at home. Their one away game was also in Raleigh, N.C., against Shaw University last Saturday, Jan. 26.
The SAU men (2-4 Southern Division, 6-13 overall) venture away from Raleigh, N.C., for the first time in over a month when they visit Fayetteville State University in a Southern Division game in Fayetteville, N.C., on Saturday, Feb. 2. Game time is 4 p.m.
— Office of Sports Information
