Late Statesmen Rally Falls Short Against Caldwell, 82-74

HUDSON, NC — The Richard Bland College of William and Mary men's basketball team fell to Caldwell Community College on Wednesday night, 82-74. 

The Statesmen are now 6-21 on the season while the Caldwell Cobras improve to 17-11. The Statesmen will return to play on Thursday, March 7 in the first round of the NJCAA Region X Tournament in Pinehurst, NC. 

In a game where the Statesmen were plagued by fouls, RBC battled heartily and were down six points with nine seconds remaining in the second half. The Statesmen controlled the game in the early going, up 8-2 two minutes into the game. After back-and-forth action, Caldwell surged ahead and led 33-28 at halftime.  

In the second half, the Cobras got into a strong rhythm offensively and began to pull away. A late rally by the Statesmen initiated a late game scenario with nine seconds left and Caldwell leading 80-74. A late three from Jordan Cross reduced Caldwell's lead to three points with four seconds remaining. RBC's comeback attempt fell short as Caldwell finished clinched the victory with its final points coming from the free throw line. 

The Statesmen were led in scoring by Sterling Carrington with 17 points, followed by Jalen Spicer with 16 and Ryan Jones with 12 points. Cross was the fourth RBC player in double figures with 10 points.