Final Stats
SALISBURY, NC – The Livingstone men's basketball team won the 2011 Highway 52 Shootout Saturday with an exhilarating 80-69 victory over the Pfeiffer University Falcons.
Junior forward Nasir Austin, who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, led the Blue Bears with 22 points. Senior forward Greg Henry, also an All-Tournament selection, finished with 12 points and three boards with four steals. Also in double figures with 11 points was junior Tyler Johnson, senior Quintin Redfern and sophomore Mark Thomas.
The Blue Bears got off to a rough start Saturday as Pfeiffer jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and extended its lead to seven points at 13-6 with 14:06 left in the first half. The Falcons continued to lead by seven at 20-13 with 9:09 on the clock, but Livingstone rattled off a 13-3 run to take its first lead of the game at 26-23 with 6:01 to play in the opening half.
Despite the sluggish start for the Blue Bears, they were able to close the first half on a positive note. Livingstone led by one with 2:29 left in the half, but a 14-5 run by the Blue Bears gave Livingstone a 44-34 lead at the half.
Livingstone's momentum from the end of the first half continued into the start of the second as the Blue Bears extended their lead to 15 less than three minutes out of the break. With 14:36 left in the contest, Livingstone led by 14, 57-43, but Pfeiffer was primed to make a big run. In just over two minutes, the Falcons had the Blue Bear lead down to four at 57-53.
The Blue Bears weathered the Pfeiffer charge for a while, but the Falcons eventually got the deficit down to one with 4:32 left in the game. Livingstone's next possession, after Pfeiffer got within one, came down to an inbounds play with two seconds on the shot clock. Nasir Austin hit a fade-away jumper as the shot clock expired, giving Livingstone a big momentum boost going into the game's final minutes.
After the Blue Bears regained a three-point edge on Austin's shot, they went on an 8-1 run to open up a 10-point advantage with 1:16 left in the game which sealed the victory for Livingstone.
Livingstone had a solid night shooting, connecting on 47.4 percent of its shots from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only one of its 10 attempts. The Blue Bears dominated in the paint, outscoring the Falcons 44-22 down low and winning the rebounding battle 38-27.
The Blue Bears will head onto the road for their next contest against Limestone. Livingstone will take on the Saints in Gaffney, SC at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 19.
