Dec. 3, 2011

Final Stats

LAURINBURG, N.C. -- Entering Saturday's game, St. Andrews boasted an offense that was averaging more than 80 points per game with six players scoring in double figures for the season.

But a deeper look at those statistics revealed one potentially fatal flaw -- those six players all averaged more than 22 minutes per game.

And against the tremendous depth that Alphonza Kee and the Fayetteville State Broncos have spent three years building, it was paramount for the Broncos to exploit that flaw.

They did.

Six Fayetteville State players scored in double figures -- 11 of the 15 players who saw action made the scoring summary -- as the Broncos used a huge second half to wear down the Knights 94-72.

John Herrington (Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.) led the Broncos with 15 points to go with six rebounds in his return to the lineup, while Tyrrel Tate (So., Raleigh, N.C.) added 14 points to pace the Broncos (2-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak with the convincing victory. Sidney Evans (Sr., Durham, N.C.) chipped in 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Anthony Shelton (Fr., Cary, N.C.), Travis Marcus (So. Washington, D.C.) and Jarmel Baxter (Sr., Davidson, N.C.) each had 10 points.

But it wasn't easy -- at least not at first.

Ryan Streater scored 16 of his game-high 21 points as St. Andrews (3-6) took control of the first half in the last 4 minutes of the period.

After Seth Hawkins buried a 3 to build Fayetteville State's largest lead at 35-29 with 4:34 to go in the first half, St. Andrews responded with a brisk 14-1 run to take its largest edge, 43-36. Streater and Michael Dunkins, who had 12 points by the break, each hit 3-pointers to spark the run, leading to the Knights taking a 45-38 advantage into the half.

But the break -- and the continuous pressure by the Broncos -- turned the game back into Fayetteville State's favor.

The Broncos were relentless in the second half, using a 41-15 onslaught in the first 13-plus minutes of the period to take control of the game. Fayetteville State quickly regained the lead less than 5 minutes into the second half and continued to pour it on. The Broncos used a 33-12 stretch to build their lead to 79-60 with 6:48 to go.

Fayetteville State, which shot 59 percent from the field for the game, finished the second half with a momentous 56-27 edge, playing perhaps its best half of basketball thus far this season.

Dunkins added 16 points for the Knights while Anotnio Moffitt had 15 and Ross Williams had 10.

Fayetteville State returns home to Felton J. Capel Arena to host CIAA foe Virginia Union in a nonconference matchup at 7 p.m. on Dec. 12.