Dec. 2, 2007
Box Score
Wingate, NC- The Bronco men's basketball team broke into the win column by topping the Caldwell College Cougars 74-64 on day two of the 2007 OrthoCarolina Classic Saturday night in Cuddy Arena.
The Broncos' "big three" were the high scorers in the victory. Junior guard Andy Gebru led the FSU attack with 24 points, shooting 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the field. Gebru drained five threes on the night (three in the first half). Senior guard Phillippe Harris added 18 points for the Broncos. Senior guard Jamel Austin chipped in with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Senior forward B.J. Suchy led the Caldwell attack with a game-high 26 points, hitting 10-for-15 attempts from the field. He also led the team with six rebounds.
The Cougars took a 23-18 lead on a three-pointer from junior Carl Augustin. Fayetteville State responded with a 12-1 run, getting threes from Gebru and Harris. FSU extended the lead to seven at 33-26 on a tip-in from freshman forward Derek Holmes.
Another three from Gebru right before halftime gave the Broncos a 41-35 lead heading into intermission. Fayetteville State shot 64 percent from the field in the first half, while going five-for-11 from three point range. The Cougars shot 50 percent from the field, while hitting three-of-eight three-point field goals.
Fayetteville State came out still hot in the second half, draining two threes and a lay-up, taking a 49-39 lead. Caldwell had the answer, going on an 11-1 run. A lay-up and a jumper from sophomore Sam Cricelli tied the game at 50.
The Broncos scored the next six points, with Gebru scoring five of them. A Gebru dunk with 8:08 remaining gave Fayetteville State a 63-55 lead. A Suchy three-point play cut the lead to five with 6:49 remaining. A pair of free throws from Harris stretched it back to seven points. The lead would not go below six the rest of the way, with Fayetteville State converting four free throws in the final minute.
The Broncos shot 55 percent from the field in the game, while going nine-for-22 from beyond the arc. FSU held a 30-22 edge on the boards; they committed 19 turnovers, compared to Caldwell's 15.
With the win, Fayetteville State improves to 1-3 overall on the season and the Cougars fall to 1-2 overall. The Broncos travel to Richmond, VA for a CIAA match-up against Virginia Union University, Tuesday, December 4th at 7:30 pm.
