Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan took down the Chowan Hawks in a 117-108 final score during an overtime thriller on Saturday evening.
The Warriors shot 58.9% from the field and were 45.5% from beyond the arc on Saturday. Jaquay Randolph led the team with a crushing 49 points to break the school record for points scored in a game. Behind him, both Will Little and Josh Parker picked up 20 points. Ashton Williams also scored double digits with 10 points. The Warriors had 10 assists in the game with Parker leading the team with four.
Defensively, the Warriors totaled 34 rebounds with Jaquay Randolph recording 10 to gain another double-double game. Randolph, Valdy Zephir and Jamarras McCray each had two blocks awarded to them. The Warriors stole the ball away from the Hawks five times.
Game Vitals
Final: Southern Wesleyan 117, Chowan 108
Records: Southern Wesleyan (9-12 / CC 6-8) Chowan (12-10 / CC 10-4)
How It Happened
A layup out of the hands of Damien Robinson put the Hawks on the board first on Saturday afternoon. However, the Warriors answered as Jaquay Randolph laid the ball up into the basket. Back-to-back baskets by Will Little put Southern Wesleyan on top by one just a couple minutes into the game. Josh Parker got the ball under the basket to Valdy Zephir. Zephir laid the ball up into the basket to give the Warriors a three point lead. With just under fifteen on the clock, Israel Powell knocked down a three pointer, but Will Little answered with a three pointer of his own. Malachi Cooper stole the ball away from Joseph Lezeau II and went coast-to-coast to lay the ball up into the basket to give the Warriors a ten point lead. Chowan countered as Markell Hollis and Powell got up back-to-back baskets. Jamarras McCray wove past the Hawks and laid the ball up into the basket. With just over eight minutes on the clock, Ashton Williams stepped beyond the arc and hit a three pointer to extend the Warriors lead to 39-26. Damien Robinson slammed the ball into the basket, but the Warriors answered as Williams got under the basket to lay the ball up. With just over three minutes on the clock, Josh Parker hit a three pointer to allow the Warriors to extend their lead to twenty. In the final seconds of the quarter, Jaquay Randolph laid the ball up into the basket to give them a 59-40 point lead going into the locker room.
The Hawks went on the offensive early as Damerius Summers hit a mid-range shot. Chowan would not stop their attacks as Summers slammed it into the basket to put them within ten points of the Warriors. Valdy Zephir slammed the ball into the basket for a dunk. However, a three by Eric Gordon Jr allowed the Hawks to continue to chip away at the Warriors lead. Josh Parker hit a mid-range shot. Chowan went on the attack as Summers looked for a dunk, but Jamarras McCray was there to block the ball from the basket. The Hawks would not relent as William Hynes laid the ball up into the basket. Ashton Williams pulled down a rebound and sent the ball down the court to Will Little. Little stepped around the defense and laid the ball into the basket to allow the Warriors to regain their eleven point advantage. Jaquay Randolph stepped around the Hawks and laid the ball up into the basket. Ashton Williams put up a mid-range, but the Hawks countered with a mid-range of their own out of the hands of Markell Hollis. Josh Parker tipped the ball over to Randolph who stepped around the Hawks' defense and laid the ball up into the basket. Chowan countered with layups by Summers and Gordon. Chowan pressed on as three pointers by William Hynes allowed the Hawks to tie the game up eighty-eight. Josh Parker laid the ball up, but the Hawks continued to battle as a layup by Markell Hollis tied the game up once again. In the final seconds of the second half, Jaquay Randolph passed the ball out to Will Little. Little stepped back and knocked down a three pointer. However, Markell Hollis was fouled while making a shot to earn the and-one basket and force the game to go into overtime.
Southern Wesleyan won the opening jump ball in the beginning of the overtime period as Malachi Cooper grabbed the ball and quickly went down the court to lay it up into the basket. However, a foul by the Warriors sent Markell Hollis to the charity stripe where he made both shots seconds later. The Warriors would not back down as Josh Parker and Jaquay Randolph each got up layups. With seconds on the clock, a foul by the Hawks sent Randolph to the charity stripe. Randolph knocked down one of his shots to break the school record of points scored in a game by a single individual. A mid-range at the buzzer by Jamarras McCray allowed the Warriors to take the game in a 117-108 final score.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will remain at home on February 10 as they welcome the Erskine Flying Fleet to Historic Tysinger Gymnasium for a 7pm tip-off. They will then travel to Pembroke, NC to take on the UNC Pembroke Braves on February 14 and to Bristol, TN on February 18 to take on the King Tornado. The Warriors will host the Belmont Abbey Crusaders on February 21.
