Men’s Basketball Out-Muscles Davidson, 70-57
1/15/2013 4:03:59 AM | Men's Basketball
VIDEO: Post-win interview with Coach Charlton "C.Y." Young
VIDEO: Post-win interview with junior guard Eric Ferguson
VIDEO: Post-win interview with junior guard Brian Holmes
VIDEO: Dunk by junior forward Marvin Baynham -- 1-14-2013
VIDEO:Dunk by junior guard Eric Ferguson -- 1-14-2013
PHOTO GALLERY: Georgia Southern 70, Davidson 57 -- 1-14-2013
BOX SCORE (PDF)
STATESBORO, GA. – Georgia Southern Men’s Basketball handed Davidson its first league loss with a 70-57 triumph at Hanner Fieldhouse. The Eagles never trailed in the game en route to their first SoCon victory of the season. Senior C.J. Reed scored a game-high 16 points while the defending SoCon Media and Coaches players of the year, De’Mon Brooks and Jake Cohen scored just 6 and 10 points, respectively for the Wildcats.
“The key to our success tonight was getting off to a hot start,” said Head Coach Charlton “C.Y.” Young. “We really wanted to come out and deliver the first blow and play with energy. I really want to thank our students and the City of Statesboro for bringing a lot of energy tonight. We play like a different team when the students are here. Tonight it was a Georgia Southern environment and it made a difference for our guys.”
Reed dropped 16 points in the game while dishing off five assists in the victory that snapped an 11-game skid against Davidson. It was the first GSU win against the Wildcats since February 21st, 2006. Eric Ferguson scored 14 points with three blocks and a pair of steals.
Georgia Southern improves to 7-10 overall and 1-3 in SoCon play with the team’s fourth victory at the friendly confines. Davidson falls to 9-7 overall and 4-1 in league play. GSU also improves to 7-28 all-time against the Wildcats.
Marvin Baynham had one of his best nights of the season as he scored 12 points. The total was just one shy of a career-high, set against Appalachian State in his freshman year. Cleon Roberts led the Eagles in rebounding for the first time in his career with six boards. As a team, Georgia Southern out-rebounded Davidson 34-30.
Chris Czerapowicz scored 13 points to lead the Wildcats while Brooks and Cohen were held to 16 combined points. Brooks’ six point effort was his lowest total this season and just the third time this year.
Sophomore Kameron Dunnican garnered his first career start against the Wildcats after a career-game against Wofford on Saturday. The sophomore scored five points along with a block and three rebounds against the Wildcats.
The Eagles got off to their best start of the season, out-scoring Davidson 18-8 in the first seven minutes of the game, shooting 72% from the field in the early minutes of the game. Davidson struggled in the same span, shooting just 27% from the field while going 0-for-4 from downtown to start the contest.
Georgia Southern would lead by as many as 12 points with 13:33, but improved shooting by the wildcats would cut the lead to just five at the five minute mark in the first half. The Wildcats would get within two late in the first half, but a pair of free throws with 0.7 seconds remaining gave the Eagles a 35-31 halftime edge.
At halftime, Georgia Southern honored its student-athletes who posted a 3.0 GPA in the fall 2012 semester.
The Wildcats stayed within striking distance early in the second half, but an 11-2 run by the Eagles with just better than 10 minutes remaining in the game took the lead back to 11 points. Baynham scored four of the nine points in the run with the first two coming on a thunderous dunk at the 13:30 mark.
A layup by Bussey with 4:49 remaining gave the Eagles a 13-point lead. It was the largest advantage for the Eagles in SoCon play this season and the largest deficit in league play for the Wildcats.
GSU ran the lead out to 16 in the final minute of play as the Eagles set the cruise control late. A fast break dunk by Ferguson with 1:14 remaining blew the lid off of Hanner Fieldhouse as the Eagles took the 13-point win. The only teams that have beaten Davidson by more than 13 points this year were Gonzaga (14) and Duke (17).
Next up for the Eagles is the second in a string of three-straight home games. Georgia Southern hosts College of Charleston for the final time as conference foes on the hardwood. Thursday night’s game starts at 7 p.m. Georgia Southern Athletics will honor its SoCon Champions of 2012 as the Football, Softball, Women’s Soccer and Volleyball teams will be recognized at halftime.
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