BOONE — Justin Forrest hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give Appalachian State a come-from-behind, 60-57 win over Texas State on Saturday.
The Bobcats held a 36-31 lead at intermission and pushed to eight points less than two minutes into the second half. Alonzo Sule’s jumper with 8:45 to play gave Texas State a 55-48 lead, but the Bobcats would not score again until Isiah Small scored at the basket to tie the Mountaineers at 57-57 with 1:22 to play.
Texas State called time out after Forrest’s 3, but Caleb Asberry missed his last-second 3-point attempt to tie.
O’Showen Williams scored 19 points after hitting 4 3s. Forrest had 14 points and seven assists for Appalachian State (14-11, 8-6 Sun Belt Conference). Hunter Seacat added 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Texas State scored a season-low 21 second-half points. Caleb Asberry had 11 points and six rebounds for the Bobcats (15-10, 8-6). Mason Harrell added 11 points. Marlin Davis had a career-high 11 assists.
The Mountaineers evened the season series against the Bobcats with the win. Texas State defeated Appalachian State 82-57 on Jan. 11. Appalachian State takes on Georgia State on the road on Thursday. Texas State plays Arkansas-Little Rock at home on Thursday.
Lyons scores 33, sets record as Furman tops WCU
CULLOWHEE — Jordan Lyons scored 33 points and Furman defeated Western Carolina 82-73 on Saturday, setting records for both Lyons and the Paladins.
It was the 91st win for Lyons, the most for any player in program history and the Paladins reached 20 wins for the fourth-straight season, the longest streak for the school.
The game was tied at 60 until Lyons hit a jumper at the 8-minute mark, kick starting the first-place Paladins (20-5, 10-2 Southern Conference) to their fifth straight win. Lyons had 11 points down the stretch and Furman went 10 of 15 from the foul line.
Andrew Brown and Matt Rafferty, who finished their careers last season, both had 90 wins.
Onno Steger had 24 points for the Catamounts (15-8, 7-5). Mason Faulkner added 22 points. Carlos Dotson had 12 rebounds.
The Paladins improve to 2-0 against the Catamounts for the season. Furman defeated Western Carolina 83-79 on Jan. 15. Furman will pursue its sixth straight win on Wednesday when the team travels to Samford. Western Carolina plays UNC Greensboro on the road on Wednesday.
Shepherd scores 26 to lift Charlotte over UTSA
CHARLOTTE — Jordan Shepherd scored 26 points as Charlotte extended its home win streak to nine games, topping UTSA 91-84 on Saturday.
Shepherd shot 5 for 7 on 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds.
Malik Martin had 19 points for Charlotte (14-9, 8-4 Conference USA), which notched its 12th home victory, a school record. Jahmir Young added 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Drew Edwards had 13 points and seven rebounds.
The 91 points were a season best for Charlotte, which also posted a season-high 20 assists.
Keaton Wallace had 27 points for the Roadrunners (11-14, 5-7). Jhivvan Jackson, who came in as the nation’s second-leading scorer at 27.1, added 25 points but missed his first 11 3-point attempts before sinking his only one with under four minutes to go. He did have a team-high eight rebounds. Luka Barisic added 14 points.
Charlotte matches up against North Texas on the road on Thursday. UTSA takes on Marshall at home on Thursday.
Palmer scores 21 to carry NC Central past Coppin State
BALTIMORE — Deven Palmer had a season-high 21 points as North Carolina Central narrowly beat Coppin State 68-63 on Saturday.
Jibri Blount had 19 points and nine rebounds for NC Central (11-12, 7-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), which won its fourth straight game. Jordan Perkins added 11 points.
Koby Thomas had 17 points for Coppin State (7-18, 3-7). Andrew Robinson added 14 points and Ibn Williams had 10. Brendan Medley-Bacon had a career-high seven blocks plus seven points, 15 rebounds and four assists.
NC Central plays Morgan State on the road on Monday. Coppin State plays Maryland Eastern Shore at home on Monday.
Henderson Jr. leads Campbell over Presbyterian
BUIES CREEK — Sophomore Cedric Henderson Jr. scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double as Campbell topped Presbyterian 79-62 on Saturday.
Henderson added three assists and two steals for the Fighting Camels (12-12, 3-9 Big South Conference). Cory Gensler added a season-high 20 points, hitting 7 of 9 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Jordan Whitfield scored 10 with four assists. Joshua Lusane handed out six assists as Campbell snapped its five-game losing streak.
Cory Hightower had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Blue Hose (9-16, 6-6). Chris Martin added 11 points.
The Fighting Camels evened the season series against the Blue Hose with the win. Presbyterian defeated Campbell 85-79 on Jan. 20.
Bethune-Cookman upends NC A&T
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Leon Redd and Wali Parks scored 17 points apiece as Bethune-Cookman defeated North Carolina A&T 78-73 on Saturday.
Malik Maitland added 15 points with six assists and Isaiah Bailey had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Bethune-Cookman (11-12, 5-4 Mid-Eastern Conference).
Bethune-Cookman led by 13 points at halftime and held the lead throughout the second half. A 3-pointer from Fred Cleveland Jr. drew first-place North Carolina A&T within single digits, 70-61 with 3:32 remaining in the game. About a minute later, Cleveland hit another 3-pointer to close the gap to 71-67 and Andre Jackson made it 71-69 with a layup at the two-minute mark.
The Wildcats responded with two free throws by Redd and Jordan Preaster dunked for a six-point lead that wasn’t threatened in the final minute.
Tyrone Lyons had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Aggies (12-13, 8-2), whose five-game win streak was broken. Cleveland and Jackson had 14 points apiece, Jackson with six assists. Ronald Jackson had 17 rebounds and eight points.
Cornwall leads Gardner-Webb over SC-Upstate
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Jaheam Cornwall had 21 points as Gardner-Webb rolled past South Carolina Upstate 88-57 on Saturday.
Nate Johnson had 17 points and six rebounds for Gardner-Webb (9-14, 5-6 Big South Conference). Eric Jamison Jr. added 16 points. Justin Jenkins had 12 points.
The Spartans’ 29.5 field goal percentage represented the worst mark by a Gardner-Webb opponent this season.
Everette Hammond had 18 points for the Spartans (10-15, 5-7). Tommy Bruner added 13 points. He also had seven turnovers but only one assist. Thomas Booker had eight rebounds.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs improve to 2-0 against the Spartans on the season. Gardner-Webb defeated South Carolina Upstate 83-67 on Jan. 18. Gardner-Webb plays High Point at home on Monday. South Carolina Upstate matches up against Charleston Southern at home on Monday.
Sheffield’s 31 leads Elon past College of Charleston
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Marcus Sheffield scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Elon knocked College of Charleston out of a tie for the league lead with a 72-65 victory on Saturday.
Sheffield, a graduate transfer from Stanford, went 11 of 12 from the foul line to match his Elon high but was four points shy of his collegiate high as a Cardinal sophomore in 2016-17.
The Phoenix (9-17, 5-8 Colonial Athletic Association) bolted out to a 27-14 lead in the first half by knocking down six 3-pointers. The Cougars charged back and only trailed 32-30 at the half.
Brevin Galloway opened the second half with a 3-pointer for College of Charleston and 2 1/2 minutes later Grant Riller hit a 3-pointer to give the Cougars a four-point lead. Sheffield had seven points in a 10-0 run and the Phoenix never trailed again and went up by 12 with three minutes left on three free throws by Hunter Woods.
Elon finished 11 of 28 behind the 3-point arc and 8 of 25 inside.
Riller had 26 points for College of Charleston (15-10, 9-4) and Osinachi Smart 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Newton, Gardner help ECU beat Tulane
NEW ORLEANS — Jayden Gardner scored 20 points, freshman Tristen Newton added 18 points and a season-high nine rebounds, and East Carolina ended its seven-game road losing streak, getting past Tulane 81-67 on Saturday.
Gardner also had nine rebounds. Tyrie Jackson had 11 points for East Carolina (10-14, 4-7 American Athletic Conference). Brandon Suggs added 11 points.
Christion Thompson had 21 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five steals for the Green Wave (10-13, 2-9), who have now lost seven straight games. K.J. Lawson added 20 points. Nic Thomas had 10 points.
The Pirates improve to 2-0 against the Green Wave this season. East Carolina defeated Tulane 81-62 on Jan. 25. East Carolina plays Tulsa on the road on Wednesday. Tulane plays Temple at home on Wednesday.
UNC Wilmington edges William & Mary
WILMINGTON — Mike Okauru and Ty Gadsden combined to score 29 points and North Carolina-Wilmington turned back William & Mary 70-64 on Saturday.
Okauru hit 5 of 11 shots from the floor and scored 15 for the Seahawks (8-18, 3-10 Colonial Athletic Association), who snapped a three-game slide. He added four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Gadsden sank 4 of 8 shots, scoring 14 with three assists and four steals. Marten Linssen came off the bench to score 10.
Nathan Knight paced the Tribe (16-10, 8-5) with 16 points and 13 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season, tops in the nation. Andy Van Vliet and reserve Miguel Ayesa added 12 points apiece, while Luke Loewe scored 10.
UNC Wilmington, which trailed 35-34 at the half, shot 48% from the floor but only 27% from 3-point range (3 of 11). The Seahawks hit 15 of 20 foul shots. William & Mary made half of its 50 shots and 8 of 25 from distance (32%). The Tribe made 6 of 10 free throws.
