Nov. 15, 2008
Box Score
Shepherdstown, WV - The Fayetteville State University men's basketball team opened the regular season with an impressive 92-85 win over Shepherd University in the Clarion Hotel Tip-off Tournament Saturday night inside the Butcher Center.
All the Broncos scored in this contest and five finished with double-digit point totals. Senior guard Darshawn Johnson and junior forward Davon Hood each had a team-high 14 points.
The score was tied for the fourth time at 20 with 12:41 remaining in the first half. The Broncos went on a 12-1 run over the next three minutes to place the Rams in a permanent deficit. Despite Fayetteville State being in early foul trouble, Shepherd only converted 11 free throws off 29 attempts in the first period.
FSU led 51-36 at halftime. Sophomore guard Ariel Robinson scored seven of his 12 points in the initial period. Robinson also closed the contest with eight rebounds and two steals.
A free throw off a continuous by Johnson with 5:46 remaining gave FSU a 15-point advantage (the largest lead of the game). Shepherd made a push towards the end and eventually cut the Broncos' lead to just five. But neither time, nor Fayetteville State's defense would allow the Rams to draw any closer.
Shepherd was paced by guard Jonathan Motichka's 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Motichka was 7-of-9 from the field and 5-of-6 from behind the arc. Forward Justin Jarman had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Rams.
The Broncos established an inside presence on both sides of the floor with senior James Wooten and newcomer, transfer junior Eddie Brown. Wooten pitched in 10 points off 5-of-6 shooting from the field and Brown was 4-of-4 from the field and the free throw line for 12 points. Brown also pulled down three boards and blocked two shots.
Two other new faces to this Broncos squad, junior forward Jason Thompson and junior guard Marquise Elliott, both dropped eight points coming off the bench in the victory. Fayetteville State got 47 points from their reserves compared to just 19 bench points for Shepherd.
The Broncos will return to the Butcher Center on Sunday, November 16th to face Central State (Ohio) University in the Clarion Hotel Tip-off Championship Game. The contest is schedule to begin at 4:00 pm.
