Second Half Cold Spell dooms Men's Basketball
WILBERFORCE, OHIO - The Wiley University men's basketball team could not build on a strong first half in a 63-59 loss to Wilberforce University Friday in the first game of a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) crossover at Gaston Lewis Arena.
The Wildcats (3-5, 1-3 HBCUAC) fall for the third consecutive game and surrender a double-digit lead for the fifth time this season. They fall to 0-2 in road games.
Wiley shot well in the first half - hitting 17 of 27 shots and five of nine 3-point attempts. Wiley trailed after a scoring spurt by the Bulldogs. Baskets by Tayvion Fisher helped tie the score. Bobby Baker III gave the Wildcats its first lead with a 3-pointer with 12:55 left in the half. Demarius Pitts hit a 3-pointer and a jumper to put Wiley ahead 27-20 with 8:21 remaining. A 3-pointer by Devon Barshow increased the advantage to 11 with 4:34 left in the first half. Wiley led by as many as 16 after a 3-pointer by Fisher with 2:32 left and held a 12-point lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Wildcats only made three field goals in nine minutes. It missed three shots and turned the ball over once. Wilberforce took advantage of Wiley's struggles and took a 51-48 lead with 10:23 left in the game. Wiley only hit two of its next six shots and turned the ball over four times, which increased the deficit to five. A layup by Pitts and a 3-pointer by Barshow cut the margin to one with 1:16 left. The Wildcats missed two go-ahead baskets and turned the ball over twice.
They shot 7-for-24 in the second half (29.2 percent) and only hit one of 10 three-point attempts. Wilberforce hit eight of 17 shots and took advantage of 14 fouls called on the Wildcats, hitting 15 of 19 free throw attempts. Wiley only got six free throws, hitting five. It outshot Wilberforce 47.1 to 35.6 percent. The Bulldogs held a 32-29 edge on the glass and a 13-10 advantage in the turnover battle.
Pitts led the team with 15 points, adding three rebounds and an assist. Devon Barshow followed with 12 points and a team-high six rebounds. Baker scored a career-high 12 points off the bench. Fisher contributed 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
The Wildcats will return to the court against Rust College at 6 p.m. Saturday at Athletes in Action Headquarters. The Bearcats picked up their second win of the season against Oakwood University on Tuesday.
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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