Box Score

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Livingstone men's basketball team failed in its bid Saturday to sweep the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls, as it fell 66-60 in the regular-season finale.

Three Blue Bears scored in double figures Saturday, led by junior guard Jarred Stockton who had 18 points.  Senior forward Megail Cannon finished with 15 points.  Sophomore forward Greg Henry scored 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds.

The first half proved to be another classic battle between the Blue Bears and the Golden Bulls.  Livingstone grabbed an early 3-2 lead, but Johnson C. Smith came back to take a 6-3 lead and continue to lead at 11-5.  Livingstone battled back from the six-point deficit to get within one at 12-11 with 10:52 left in the first half. 

The Golden Bulls went back up 15-11, but the Blue Bears were again able to battle back and regain a 19-18 advantage with 5:20 left in the opening half.  Johnson C. Smith closed the first half on an 8-3 run and took a 26-22 lead into the break.

Jarred Stockton was the leading scorer for the Blue Bears in the first half, notching 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc and two free throws.  Greg Henry also added six points and six boards but also recorded three fouls in the first half. 

The second half Saturday was just as exciting as the first.  Livingstone took its first lead of the second half at 30-29 with 16:57 left in the contest.  The Golden Bulls then went on a 6-0 run to grab a 35-30 lead; a lead the Blue Bears couldn't overcome.

Livingstone trailed by as much as eight points in the second half with 8:05 left in the contest, but the Blue Bears' fight was far from gone.  With 4:40 left in the second half the Blue Bears trailed by only three points, but another run by the Golden Bulls, this time 6-0, gave them an insurmountable nine-point lead with less than a minute on the clock.  Johnson C. Smith converted their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. 

The Blue Bears finished the regular season at 11-14 overall, 8-11 in the conference and 3-6 in the western division.  Johnson C. Smith improved to 18-9 overall, 12-8 in the CIAA and 6-4 in the division.

The Blue Bears will now wait to see who they will play in the first round of the CIAA Tournament.  Livingstone will play on Wednesday, but time and opponent are still to be decided.  Check www.bluebearathletics.com on Sunday to find out who your Blue Bears will face.