Men’s Basketball Season Comes to a Close in Region 10 Semifinals

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA – The Richard Bland College Men's Basketball team closes the season at 13-18 overall, 7-9 in conference play after traveling to Catawba Valley Community College for the Region 10 Atlantic District Championship Tournament. The #6 seeded Statesmen took on #4 Wake Tech in the Quarterfinal round of the tournament on Thursday afternoon. Richard Bland advanced to the Semifinal round after defeating the Eagles, 81-72.

In the quarterfinal round, the Statesmen came out hot scoring 40 points in the first half, just one less of the Eagles. Through a back and forth battle, Richard Bland only allowed the Eagles to score 31 points, 10 less than the Statesmen, to hold on for the 81-72 win. All five starters tallied double-digit points in the win, led by Larry Howell with 25 points, 10 points, four assists, and four steals. Martin Kawa tallied 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in the game. Kawa notched his 1,000^th career point late in the second half. Ibrahim Kourouma chipped in with 14 pints, four assists, and two rebounds. Tim Robinson was credited with 13 points, six rebounds, and one steal, and Jalen Smith had 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists on the day.

Richard Bland went 91.7% from the charity stripe, 47.4% from the field, and 50.0% from the perimeter.

In the semifinal round, #6 Richard Bland, faced #7 USC Salkehatchie in a nail biter right down to the final buzzer. Although Richard Bland trailed by 20 points, 24-44, at the break, the Statesmen went on to outscore the Indians 53-38 in the second half, but it was not enough as Richard Bland fell in a heartbreaker, 77-82. Three Statesmen had double-digit figures in the loss led by Howell and Kawa who had 20 points each. Howell also had seven rebounds, five steals, and one assist, while Kawa had five assists and four rebounds. Kourouma tallied 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal on the day. Jalen Smith chipped in with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal, while Mekhi Phipps-Dedrick added five points, and Tim Robinson four.

Richard Bland went 83.3% from the charity stripe, 43.8% from the field, and 30.0% from the perimeter.

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