#10 RICHARD BLAND FIGHTS OFF PATRICK HENRY IN REGION PLAY

PETERSBURG, VA, January 15, 2014- A day after climbing the national rankings nine spots to number 10, Richard Bland defeated cross state rival Patrick Henry Community College 81-71. The Statesmen now stands at 15-1 and 4-1 in NJCAA Region X Division II, while the Patriots fall to 10-4 overall.

The Statesmen were led by Micah Thomas who scored 14 of his 23 points in the first half. Thomas was followed by Tavon Mealy with 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Melvin Gregory chipped in 11 points and pulled down 19 boards collecting his third consecutive double-double. Freshman point guard Lequan Thomas added 11 points to go along with five assists. The Patriots were led in scoring by Bruce Elder, Jr. who had 23 points.

Richard Bland is back in action on Sunday, January 19, 2014 against Potomac State of WV. The tip-off is scheduled for 2pm.