JCSU Blows By Fayetteville State, 97-78; Tie for Southern Division Lead

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  –  The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team shot 50.8% from the field, including 53.3% from long range and had three players in double figures and routed visiting Fayetteville State 97-78 on Saturday afternoon in Brayboy Gym.  The win coupled with a Winston-Salem State loss at St. Augustine's pulls JCSU back into a tie for first place in the CIAA Southern Division.

The Golden Bulls improve to 11-10 overall, 6-6 in CIAA play and 4-2 in the Southern Division while FSU drops to 10-12 overall, 4-8 in league play and 2-4 in divisional play.

Senior Stedmon Lemon (Lithonia, Ga.) finished with 24 points and nine rebounds while Diondre Pratt (Morven, N.C.) had 23 points on an 8-of-14 shooting effort including a perfect 3-of-3 from long range and 4-of-4 from the line.  Alandre Davis (Florence, S.C.) continued his solid play, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the year.

Fayetteville State got 19 points behind Michael Tyson and 10 from Isaiah Vinson in the loss.

The first half saw the two division rivals battle through eight lead changes, with Fayetteville State holding their largest lead at the 15:38 mark at 11-7.  The lead would go back-and-forth through the first half, with JCSU taking a 47-46 lead into the halftime break.

In the second half, JCSU jumped ahead by 10 points after Lemon tipped in his own miss, making it 56-46 with 17:31 remaining.  After FSU closed to 56-50, JCSU went on a 14-3 run that gave JCSU the 72-53 lead with 10:30 left.

JCSU never let the lead get below 12 points the rest of the way as the Golden Bulls pulled away for the 97-78 win.

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COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION