Central State University faces off against the University of the District of Columbia Saturday afternoon a tthe UDC Sports Complex in Washington D.C. the Marauders escaped our nations capital with a win thanks to a strong second half. With the Firesbirds only winning one game all season, they were the clear underdogs, however, they gave the stronger Marauder team a run for their money.
Cole Prophet led the team in scoring with 16 points. Prophet went 6-10 from the floor with three from long range. Damone Pledger scored 8 points and recorded a game high 12 rebounds. The sophomore forward also recorded a block and 2 steals which also led the team. Robert Harris had a strong performance scoring 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The Firebirds shocked the Marauders in the first half as they had control of the lead for entire half. The Firebirds started off with a 5 point run then Wesley Jones hit a three to make it a 2 point lead. The Firebirds fired right back and went on another tear scoring 7 unanswered points. They had a nine point lead early against the 6th ranked Marauders. UDC surprisingly led by as much as 11 points with 7 minutes left to go in the half. In the last five minutes of the half the Marauders battled back scoring 13 points to the Firebirds 4. Central State trailed by one point after the first half.
At the 18:30 mark, in the second half, the Marauders grabbed the lead for the first time when Robert Harris made a lay-up inside the paint. The Firebirds came right back with a 7 point run to take the lead again by 5 points. At the 14:19 mark the score would be tied for the final time 40-40. From that point, Wesley Jones hit back-to-back three-pointers to take the lead by 6. UDC went on a 5 point rally to cut the lead down to one and that's as close as they would get. The Marauders fired off 9 unanswered points to extend their lead to 10 points with 6 minutes left. With 4 minutes left on the clock, the score was 60-53 in favor of the Marauders, and that would be the final score. The Firebirds couldn't find the basket late in the game as they missed 7 shots in the closing minutes.
Central State improves their record to 19-5 and UDC suffers their 17th loss of the season. More importantly the Marauders keep their bid for the NCAA tournament alive with their win on Saturday.
The Marauders take on 10th ranked St. Joseph's College on Monday night. This is absolutely a must win game for Central State. With only the top 8 teams advancing to the NCAA tournament, the Marauders cant afford to lose another game. They are currently ranked 6th in their division, so a win Monday night will put the Marauders in good position to play for a national championship.
Cole Prophet led the team in scoring with 16 points. Prophet went 6-10 from the floor with three from long range. Damone Pledger scored 8 points and recorded a game high 12 rebounds. The sophomore forward also recorded a block and 2 steals which also led the team. Robert Harris had a strong performance scoring 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The Firebirds shocked the Marauders in the first half as they had control of the lead for entire half. The Firebirds started off with a 5 point run then Wesley Jones hit a three to make it a 2 point lead. The Firebirds fired right back and went on another tear scoring 7 unanswered points. They had a nine point lead early against the 6th ranked Marauders. UDC surprisingly led by as much as 11 points with 7 minutes left to go in the half. In the last five minutes of the half the Marauders battled back scoring 13 points to the Firebirds 4. Central State trailed by one point after the first half.
At the 18:30 mark, in the second half, the Marauders grabbed the lead for the first time when Robert Harris made a lay-up inside the paint. The Firebirds came right back with a 7 point run to take the lead again by 5 points. At the 14:19 mark the score would be tied for the final time 40-40. From that point, Wesley Jones hit back-to-back three-pointers to take the lead by 6. UDC went on a 5 point rally to cut the lead down to one and that's as close as they would get. The Marauders fired off 9 unanswered points to extend their lead to 10 points with 6 minutes left. With 4 minutes left on the clock, the score was 60-53 in favor of the Marauders, and that would be the final score. The Firebirds couldn't find the basket late in the game as they missed 7 shots in the closing minutes.
Central State improves their record to 19-5 and UDC suffers their 17th loss of the season. More importantly the Marauders keep their bid for the NCAA tournament alive with their win on Saturday.
The Marauders take on 10th ranked St. Joseph's College on Monday night. This is absolutely a must win game for Central State. With only the top 8 teams advancing to the NCAA tournament, the Marauders cant afford to lose another game. They are currently ranked 6th in their division, so a win Monday night will put the Marauders in good position to play for a national championship.