JCSU Golden Bulls Trumps Tuskegee 73-69 for second victory

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team improves to 2-0 with a 73-69 win over Tuskegee University on Saturday, November 9th at the Forbes Arena. Four Golden Bulls scored double figures led by junior forward Emilio Parks (Ashtabula, OH) with a game-high 18 points.

The first half was tightly contested and ended tied up 30-30. There were nine times when the score was knotted up in the opening including just before halftime. Tuskegee held a 30-28 lead with less than a minute to play. On the final possession of the half, senior guard Richard Daniels, Jr. (Winston-Salem, NC) penetrated down the lane and released a 10-ft teardrop shot that evened the score.

Senior forward Antwan Wilkerson (Greensboro, NC) set the tempo for the Golden Bulls in the initial half. Wilkerson shot 5-of-8 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line for 12 points and seven rebounds. Parks had nine points at the break. JCSU shot 38% (11-29) from the field, but 80% (8-10) from the foul line.

Graham Olatunji carried the load for the Golden Tigers with eight points and three boards in the opening. Tuskegee shot 42% (13-31) from the field and won the rebounding battle 23-14.

The Golden Bulls created some distance in the second half with a 10-0 run. Freshman guard Patrell Rogers (Wilson, NC) checked in and scored a layup to give JCSU a 36-35 lead at the 17:09 mark. Senior forward Robert Williams (Atlanta, GA) added five of the next nine points for a 45-35 advantage with 13:30 remaining.

Tuskegee managed to cut their deficit down to two points on a few occasions, but trailed for the remainder of the contest after the JCSU scoring run. Williams sealed the game for the Golden Bulls with a free throw for a 73-69 lead with four seconds on the clock.

JCSU shot 65% (13-20) from the field in the second half to finish the game shooting 49% (24-49).

Parks shot 60% (6-10) from the floor and had four rebounds, two assists, and a block. Wilkerson missed a double-double by one board with 16 points and nine rebounds (seven defensive). Williams finished with 15 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the free throw line. Junior guard LaMarquis Letchaw (Dallas, TX) had a full stat line of 13 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Olatunji had a team-high of 14 points for Tuskegee. Javier McKinney and Richard Dixon chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively for the Golden Tigers.

The Golden Bulls return to action at home on Friday, November 15th in the annual JCSU Claude Saunders/Wendy's Tip-off Classic. JCSU will face Allen University inside Brayboy Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION