Men's Basketball allows first half lead to slip away in Homecoming Loss
The Wiley University men's basketball team pulled out to a double-digit lead in the first half in front of a standing-room-only crowd for its 2024 Homecoming game. Ultimately, it committed too many fouls in a 70-66 loss to Arkansas Baptist College on Saturday.
The Wildcats (0-2) fall on Homecoming for the second consecutive season. They were penalized with 26 fouls, while 13 were called on Arkansas Baptist. The fouls gave the Buffaloes 35 free throw attempts, which they converted 24. Wiley hit 10 of 13.
Trailing 20-17 with nine minutes remaining in the first half, Devon Barshow missed a 3-pointer but Bates grabbed the rebound. Demarius Pitts paid off the second chance opportunity with a game-tying 3-pointer off a pass from Tayvion Fisher.
Fisher gave Wiley the lead with a layup. Pitts stole the ball and slammed it. Bates followed with a steal and laid it in to give Wiley a six-point lead. The Wildcats scored 16 unanswered points to hold a 33-20 advantage. Arkansas Baptist made a layup to end the run with 3:55 left in the first half. Wiley led 43-32 at halftime.
The Wildcats committed six fouls in the first five minutes of the second half. This helped the Buffaloes dwindle a 13-point lead down to three. Wiley maintained its advantage until 9:35 when Arkansas Baptist tied the game from the charity stripe. Jalen Bates briefly gave the lead back to Wiley with a layup. The Buffaloes tied it and took their first lead since nine minutes left in the first half on a steal.
Pitts hit a 3-pointer to give Wiley a 59-58 lead with eight minutes remaining. It missed its next three shots and turned the ball over three times. The Buffaloes took advantage and went on an eight-point run to take a seven-point lead. Barshow hit a 3-pointer and Pitts made two shots to cut the margin to one with 1:48 remaining. The Wildcats missed two shots and turned the ball over twice.
Fisher led the Wildcats in scoring with 22 points, for his second consecutive game with 20 or more. He added three rebounds and two assists. Pitts followed with 18 points on an 8-for-12 shooting performance, adding five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Bates led the team with six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Wiley will head to Austin, Texas, for the Austin Area Urban League HBCU Classic on November 8 and 9 in the Austin Convention Center. It will open against Huston-Tillotson University on November 8 and close with its Highway 80 rival Jarvis Christian University on November 9.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/mbkb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
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