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Posted: Feb 06, 2016

STATESMEN NIPPED BY CATAWBA IN REGION X CONFERENCE THRILLER, 75-72

STATESMEN NIPPED BY CATAWBA IN REGION X CONFERENCE THRILLER, 75-72
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Game Leaders
Catawba Valley Community College
Pts: JaQueaz Jackson - 27
Reb: Cornelius Johnson - 11
Ast: Mon'Darius Black - 9
Richard Bland College
Pts: Troy Gibson - 17
Reb: Troy Gibson - 12
Ast: Gerard Dean-McBride - 7
Team Stats
Full stats

PETERSBURG, Va., (Feb. 6, 2016) – In a distinct two halves of basketball, visiting Catawba Valley Community College came back from a 17-point halftime deficit to nip the Richard Bland College men's basketball team, 75-72, on Hall of Fame/Alumni Day at Statesman Hall on Saturday afternoon.

After playing its finest first half of basketball this season, the Statesmen saw a determined Red Hawks team roar back from a 43-26 halftime disadvantage. Although it took Richard Bland five minutes to score its first basket of the second half, the Statesmen still held a 45-35 lead. Catawba proceeded to go on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to tie the contest at 45-45.
 

Catawba continued to insert its will and at the 7:11 mark had built its largest lead, 60-52. The Red Hawks maintained a four-point lead until the final minute, when a free throw by sophomore guard Gerard Dean-McBride with 42 seconds to play cut the Catawba lead to 70-68. After Catawba got a layup from JaQueaz Jackson, Dean-McBride answered with his own layup with 11 seconds left to draw RBC within 72-70. A single free throw by Catawba's Cornelius Johnson pushed the visitors lead to 73-70 and on the Statesmen's next possession, McBride was fouled on a desperation 3-pointer with seven seconds left. He connected on two of three attempts to draw RBC within 73-72. Catawba got two free throws from Mon'Darius Black with 3 seconds to secure the 75-72 victory. The Statesmen had one last shot to force overtime, but a McBride 3-pointer fell short.

The loss ends a three-game winning streak for the Statesmen and leaves RBC at 12-11 and 8-5 in Region X Conference play heading into Sunday's 3:00 p.m. game at Bryant & Stratton. Catawba improves to 17-7, 10-3, and next hosts No. 8 nationally ranked Patrick Henry on Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
 

"I applaud Catawba, they played hard and have veteran players," said Richard Bland head coach Chuck Moore. "We were flat in the second half and not getting on the board for the first five minutes is hard to overcome. We have a tough stretch of games with Bryant & Stratton on Sunday and Louisburg next Wednesday. The first half today shows want we're capable of. We played great defense, shared the ball and were terrific."

The Statesmen were electric in the first half, building a 43-26 halftime lead on the strength of forcing 15 Catawba turnovers, limiting the Red Hawks to 35 percent shooting and connecting on 50 percent of its field goal attempts. Richard Bland scored 26 points in the paint and a spirited bench contributed 18 points in the opening 20 minutes and 35 for the game.
 

Sophomore captain Troy Gibson led the Statesmen in scoring and rebounding with 17 points and 12 rebounds, his sixth double-double of the season. Petersburg native Gevon Arrington had 13 points and 8 rebounds. McBride chipped in with 12 points and seven assists and Jordan Griggs had 10 points.

Catawba Valley, which shot 48 percent in the second half, got a 27-point performance from Jackson and 20 points from Johnson, who also hauled in 11 rebounds.