No. 6 Richard Bland Falls At No. 16 Louisburg (N.C.) 71-66

LOUISBURG, N.C. -- Sophomore Deandre Clark/Orange scored a team-high 17 points, but No. 6 Richard Bland College dropped a 71-66 Region X Conference men's basketball road decision at No. 16 Louisburg (N.C.) College on Saturday afternoon in Louisburg, North Carolina. Classmate Gevon Arrington/Petersburg added 13 points for the visiting Statesmen (13-3, 6-1), who led 37-29 at halftime before having their nine-game winning streak stopped in a contest matching two NJCAA Division II Top 20 nationally-ranked teams. Josh Bougher scored a game-high 19 points for the host Hurricanes (11-3, 5-1), who won their fifth-straight contest.

Richard Bland, ranked in a tie for sixth in this week's NJCAA Division II Top 20 Poll, took the eight-point lead at halftime, 37-29, behind a combined 26 first-half points scored by Clark (10), Arrington (9) and sophomore Jaquan Wooten/Kinston, North Carolina (7).

Louisburg, ranked 16th in this week's NJCAA Division II Top 20 Poll, rallied at home during the second half, outscoring the Statesmen 42-29. Bougher, a transfer from NCAA Division I Tennessee Tech, scored 13 second-half points for the Hurricanes.

Clark led Richard Bland with his 17 points, including three three-point field goals, adding five assists. Arrington added 13 points for the Statesmen, including two three-pointers, while Wooten finished with nine points and eight rebounds.  Sophomore Myles Markland/Petersburg contributed seven points.

Bougher led Louisburg with his 19 points, while Jordan Oakley added 13 points for the Hurricanes.

Richard Bland and Louisburg were playing for the eighth time in the sport of men's basketball, and the Hurricanes now lead the closely-played rivalry series at 5-3.

It was the first loss for Richard Bland in over two months, as the Statesmen last fell on the road at NJCAA Division I Monroe (N.Y.) College, 62-48, on November 13, 2016.

Richard Bland will return home to play Fayetteville Technical (N.C.) Community College on Monday night, January 16 at 7 p.m. on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Statesman Hall -- a contest rescheduled from Jan. 7 due to the effects of Winter Storm Helena. The Statesmen remain at home next week to play Pitt (N.C.) Community College on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. It's free admission for all home contests at Richard Bland.