Livingstone men fall to Virginia State

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 9, 2017

By David Shaw
sports@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Livingstone’s men’s basketball team was administered a dose of CIAA tough love Sunday afternoon.

The Blue Bears were simply home-schooled by defending league champion Virginia State and fell, 82-67, at New Trent Gym.

“When they hit us in the mouth, we didn’t respond,” coach James Stinson said after Livingstone’s modest two-game winning streak was curbed. “Instead of executing our offense, we tried to take the easy way out by taking 3-pointers and long jump shots without trying to get the ball inside. We’re not that kind of team.”

Livingstone (4-9, 1-3) shot 40 percent from the field but never mounted a sustained attack. Sophomore forward David Duncan hit seven of 10 field goal attempts and scored a team-best 16 points. Teammates Ramel Belfield (12) and Jimmy Wilson (10) gave the Blue Bears three scorers in double figures.

“It just wasn’t enough,” Duncan said. “We let them jump out on us and didn’t put up enough fight to get back into it.”

VSU (11-3, 3-1), in the midst of a three-game road swing, has captured wins at Winston-Salem State and Livingstone in the past four days. The Trojans turned an early defensive spark by guard Kevin Williams into a bonfire, opened a double-digit lead and never let LC back in the game.

“Kevin has the quickest hands I’ve ever seen,” winning coach Lonnie Blow said. “He anticipates so well. That spark he provided was really important today. It gave us some margin to work with.”

Williams, a 5-11 senior from Franklinton, N.C., triggered a 13-2 first-half run that turned VSU’s 6-4 paper-cut lead into a 19-6 hemorrhage. He made three steals and scored nine points during the flurry — three on a home run ball from the left corner, four on runaway layups and the last two when he stole the ball near midcourt and went airborne for an industrial-strength jam.

“That was just me trying to make a play,” Williams said with a post-game grin. “But it started with defense. That was the mindset we brought into the game. I’m good at anticipating what opposing players are going to do.”

The visitors built a 45-29 halftime lead that ballooned to 79-56 in the waning moments when teammate Walter Williams turned a steal into another earthquake dunk — the Trojans’ fourth of the game.

“What we try to do is get out in transition,” Blow said after VSU knocked down seven 3-pointers and shot 48 percent from the field. “We were good at that today. On defense, I think out half-court pressure gave them some problems.”

Problems like not attacking the basket. “It was like us not enforcing our will because they were enforcing their will,” Stinson said. “We stopped looking for open people and started taking the first shot that was available. We have to fix that.”

The solution would seem to be a victory against visiting Chowan tonight.

“We’ll have to start with intensity and end with intensity,” said Duncan. “And somehow get the win.”

NOTES: VSU, which beat the Blue Bears in last February’s CIAA championship game, completes its road trip with a match at Johnson C. Smith tonight. … The Trojans placed four scorers in double figures, led by Cyonte Melvin’s 16 points. Kevin Williams finished with 14 points, five steals and four assists. … LC’s Wilson and Roger Ray had quiet games, combining for just 16 points. Duncan blocked two shots.

 

VIRGINIA STATE (82) — Melvin 16, Moore 15, K.Williams 14, Granberry 11, W.Williams 8, Wright 4, Woodard 4, Gregory 4, Brown 2, Corum 2, Terry 1, Murphy 1.

LIVINGSTONE (67) — Duncan 16, Belfield 12, Wilson 10, Bailey 8, Ray 6, Burhannon 4, Bond 3, McClendon 3, Livingston 2, Bultus 2, Gaston 1, Lundy, Standback, Lowe, Jinad.

Virginia State      45    37 — 82

Livingstone         29    38 — 67