Statesmen Defense Creates Final Seconds Win

By Bryant Marks

SPARTANBURG, SC -- Playing away from Statesman Hall, the Richard Bland College basketball team's stellar defense came up big with a huge stop that turned into a game-winner in the final seconds over Spartanburg Methodist on Thursday, 69-67.

Now with a record of 14-13 and riding a three-game win streak, the Statesmen are set to take on their last challenge of the regular season before tournament play begins.  For the last game of the regular season, the team will drive up from South Carolina to North Carolina to face Caldwell Community College on Friday, February 28, at 7 PM.

RBC traveled down to Spartanburg, South Carolina on Thursday to play their second conference matchup against rival school, Spartanburg Methodist.  The team started off the first half sluggish and out of rhythm offensively.  To make matters worse, they could not find an answer for the Pioneers outside shooting as they poured in multiple three-pointers.  Spartanburg did what they wanted offensively during the first in what seemed to be one of their best halves of the season.  Despite this outstanding play from the opponents, they only led 40-33 with RBC still hanging around.  With the second half now underway, Richard Bland put the first half behind them and came out playing RBC basketball, going on several runs throughout the half.  Attacking the paint, scoring at the rim, and finding wide-open jump shots in rhythm are cornerstones of Bland basketball and the team went back to this bread and butter to find success in the second.  With Spartanburg still leading in the final seconds of the game, the Statesmen forced one of their biggest stops of the season on defense and drove down the court to nail a game-winning bucket in the final seconds of the contest to give them a two-point victory over Spartanburg, 69-67.

Big play from the Statesmen on Thursday came from Corbin Slayton with 23 points, Kenneth Southerland with 18 points, and Jared Watkins with 13 points.