Box Score RALEIGH, NC- The Chowan University men's basketball team complete their first sweep of CIAA Southern Division opponents in program history with a 59-58 win over Saint Augustine's University on Thursday evening. The contest marked the eighth straight victory for the Hawks and seventh consecutive setback for the Falcons. Chowan improves to 13-3 overall and 6-0 in league play with the win while Saint Augustine's slips to 5-11 overall and 0-6 against CIAA competition. The Hawks' eight-game win streak ties the longest win streak for the program, originally achieved in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.
Kortez Smith drained 17 points in the win while
Joe Goodwin added 14 points for Chowan in the victory.
Jeremy Smith,
Kortez Smith and
Josh Mellette each grabbed five rebounds for the Hawks.
Anthony Gaskins and Quincy January each netted 19 points apiece for the Falcons in the setback.
The contest featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes over the course of the competition.
Marquis Hines opened the contest with a layup for the Falcons and January added a basket to leave the Hawks trailing 4-0 early in the first half. After battling through nine ties in the first twenty minutes of play, a layup by
Kortez Smith at the buzzer gave the Hawks a narrow 29-27 lead heading into halftime.
Chowan clung to the lead in the first five minutes of the second half before a free throw and jumper by Hines along with a basket by January gave the Falcons a 38-33 edge with 14:28 left to play.
The Falcons maintained control for nearly the entire second half before a late run shifted the momentum in favor of the Hawks. With Saint Augustine's holding a 58-52 advantage,
Kortez Smith single-handedly orchestrated a 7-0 run with a three-pointer, jumper, and a layup to send the Hawks ahead 59-58 with 1:09 on the clock. The Falcons were unable to capitalize in their final possession of the contest, resulting in the win for the Hawks.
Chowan begins CIAA Northern Division play on Saturday as the Hawks travel to compete against Elizabeth City State University. Tip-off is slated for 4:00pm.
