BOX SCORE

(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) Bowie State University surrendered a late lead as Johnson C. Smith University edges Bulldogs 80-75. The loss, Bowie State's first in the conference (5-1 CIAA, 10-3 overall), snaps a five-game win streak.

Bowie State and Johnson C. Smith were meeting for the second time this season, this time counting in the conference standings. The BSU Bulldogs and JCSU Golden Bulldogs met over the Thanksgiving break in Milwaukee (WI), with Bowie State earning a 95-81 victory in the opening game of the Fresh Coast Classic.

Juniors Jay Gavin (Seat Pleasant, MD, Bishop McNamara, Virginia Commonwealth University) and Travis Hyman (Annapolis, MD, Old Mill, Anne Arundel C.C.) scored 26 Bowie State first half points, shooting five-of-10 and four-of-seven field goals respectively in the first 20 minutes. As a team, Bowie State shot 13-of-33 from the field in the first half (40 percent), but went into intermission trailing 38-37.

Johnson C. Smith connected on 12-of-35 field goals in the first half (34 percent) and knocked down 11-of-15 free throws.

Trailing 9-4 in the first two minutes of the game, Johnson C. Smith erupted on a 14-0 run over the next five plus minutes to take a 18-9 advantage.

Bowie State responded with an 11-1 run to pull within one at 19-18 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs tied the game three times in the final 2:05 of the opening period. Overall, the game featured six ties and 13 lead changes.

Over the final 20 minutes of action, Bowie State led by as much a seven (56-49) only to allow Johnson C. Smith to regain the lead at 59-58 at the 11:56 mark.

A trey and two-point field goal by sophomore Byron Westmorland (Baltimore, MD, Mergenthaler, Baltimore City C.C.) shifted the advantage back to the Bowie State side of the Brayboy Gymnasium scoreboard.

The lead would change three more times over a stretch of 11 minutes with Trevin Parks giving the JCSU Golden Bulls the lead for good (76-75) on a three-point field goal with 42 seconds left in the game. A pair of free throws each by Johnson C. Smith's Earl Jackson and Ronald Thornhill sealed the victory for the Golden Bulls.

Hyman scored a career-high 21 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six blocked shots to pace BSU's Bulldogs. Three other Bowie State players scored in double figures, which included Gavin (16), Westmorland (15) and senior Eric Vann (Clinton, MD, Gwynn Park, Prince George's C.C.) (10).

Johnson C. Smith was led by Parks with a game-high 25 points followed by Thornhill with 17 points and Delonta Boyd added a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds.

After a long bus ride home, Bowie State will have little time to rest before returning to action – Saturday (January 22nd), hosting the Chowan Hawks at 7:30 pm in BSU's A.C. Jordan Arena.