Salisbury, NC- — In front of a packed crowd inside William Trent Gymnasium, Livingstone College battled throughout but ultimately came up short in a 77–69 loss to Johnson C. Smith in CIAA play. The matchup featured seven ties and eight lead changes, but a slow second half proved costly for the Blue Bears.
Livingstone opened the game with strong offensive rhythm, shooting an impressive 51.7% from the field in the first half and taking a narrow 39–38 lead into the locker room. However, Johnson C. Smith responded after the break, outscoring the Blue Bears 39–30 with efficient shooting and a steady transition attack.
James Nipper led Livingstone with 19 points, delivering an efficient 7-for-9 performance while adding 5 rebounds.
a {
text-decoration: none;
color: #464feb;
}
tr th, tr td {
border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;
}
tr th {
background-color: #f5f5f5;
}
Erick Coffey added 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, while
Kenneth Tyree Jr. chipped in 8 points and 3 assists to help guide the offense.
Livingstone's bench provided a strong spark with 24 total points, highlighted by:
The Blue Bears also won the rebounding battle 34–31, but second-half shot production and turnovers limited momentum. Cold perimeter shooting (2-for-10 from three in the second half) allowed Johnson C. Smith to pull away as the clock wound down.
The Golden Bulls was led by a standout performance from Trey Pettigrew, who finished with 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists, guiding the Golden Bulls on both ends.
Despite several late pushes, Livingstone was unable to regain control as Golden Bulls maintained its lead in the closing minutes.
The Blue Bears will look to bounce back on Tuesday, February 10th, when they travel to Winston‑Salem State. Tip‑off is set for 7:30 p.m., following the women's game.
