Statesmen Pull Off Big Region X Win Over Cape Fear

Statesmen Pull Off Big Region X Win Over Cape Fear

By Bryant Marks

WILMINGTON, NC -- The Richard Bland College men's basketball team pulled off a huge comeback after being down by 18 in the second half to overcome Cape Fear Community College for their first Region X Conference win of the season on Wednesday, 68-66.

The team is now 5-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play.  With another hard-fought, close win under their belt, RBC basketball next travels to Maryland to play Alleghany College of Maryland, Friday at 7 pm.

The game on Wednesday saw the Statesmen in their first Region X Conference game of the season against Cape Fear.  After the opening tip-off, Bland pushed the pace early as they jumped out to a 17-7 lead.  The team experienced big highs and big lows in the first half with that run being the high part.  Cape Fear would go on after that RBC run to go on a 23-5 run of their own that carried them into halftime up 30-22.  Coming out for the second half Cape Fear picked up where they left off and ran off a 10 point run where they held RBC scoreless and down 40-22.  This was the turning point of the contest as the Statesmen would hold Cape Fear to only scoring 26 more points in the half as Bland poured it on offensively.  The Statesmen amped up the pressure on defense which created opportunities on the offensive end.  Coming down to the wire, Darius Jones nailed a huge three-pointer to put RBC up 64-61 and the team never trailed after that basket.  Jones and Jared Watkins would both add in a pair of clutch free throws late in the half to secure the team's first conference win of the year with a final score of 68-66.

For the Statesmen in Wednesday's big win, Corbin Slayton scored 14 points, Darius Jones scored 12 points, and Derrick Redmon added in 10 points.