|
Black College Sports Online |
|
BRONCOS LOOK TO REBOUND AGAINST ST. AUG’S Alex Podlogar FSU seeks to keep pace in CIAA’s Southern Division Broncos on Blast Basketball Report preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kog94qnksrQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL FAYETTEVILLE, NC – The Fayetteville State Broncos followed up their stunning victory against Johnson C. Smith with a loss on Monday night to a red-hot shooting Shaw. Now, the Broncos look to get back on the winning track, and at the same time, move up in the CIAA standings. Fayetteville State returns to the hardwood – and to the road – to take on St. Augustine’s at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Raleigh. The Broncos (9-9, 5-5, 1-2) hit the road again after three straight games at home in Felton J. Capel Arena, a stretch in which they finished 2-1. Should the Broncos pick up a win over the Falcons (6-12, 4-5, 1-2), they could keep themselves in the hunt for a higher seed out of the Southern Division. Coming into Saturday’s games, four teams are tied with one division victory, with St. Augustine’s as one of them. Despite the 89-78 loss to Shaw, the Broncos have been playing well of late, evidenced by their hallmark 77-73 victory over the Golden Bulls last Saturday. Fayetteville State ranks second in the CIAA in scoring with 79.1 points per game, and features six players averaging more than 9 ppg for the season. Among those is Tim Plummer (Jr., Apex, NC), who has emerged in the last two weeks as one of the most athletic players in the conference. Plummer has raised his average to 9.1 ppg to go with 4.6 rebounds per game, which ranks third on the team and first for a guard. Plummer also leads the team in steals with 2.0 a game, which ranks third in the CIAA and just ahead of teammate Andre Best (So., Raleigh, NC). While Plummer has been electric and a human highlight reel, the Broncos are getting production throughout the lineup. Ariel Robinson (Sr., Coral Springs, FL) continues to lead the team in scoring with 11.3 ppg since returning from an ankle injury, while Sidney Evans (Jr., Durham, NC) consistently adds 11.2 ppg and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. Tyrell Tate (Fr., Raleigh, NC), the reigning CIAA Rookie of the Week, scored a career-high 21 points in a win over Virginia State and adds 9.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg. St. Augustine’s ranks just 12th in the CIAA in scoring, with 62.8 ppg, but allows opponents an average of just 69.5 ppg. The Falcons are led by Joel Kindred’s 13.8 ppg while Shaun Washum adds 9.8 ppg and a team-high 5.2 rpg. Kindred is second on the team in rebounding with 4.8 a game. Alex Podlogar |