By: FVSU Office of Sports Information
The start of the second half of the 2010-11 basketball season for Fort Valley State University (FVSU) did not quite go as planned last night when the Wildcats met the Thorobreds of Kentucky State University (KSU) in the Exum Center on the KSU campus. In women's action, the Lady Wildcats suffered their first conference loss of the year, 45-43. In men's play, the Wildcats fell 70-58.
While the Lady Wildcats had an opportunity to push the game into overtime with just seconds remaining, a missed free throw with four seconds left prevented extension of play. On a night when no Lady Wildcat scored in double figures, the game featured five ties and five lead changes.
One of the determining factors in win by the Thorobrettes of KSU was their ability to take advantage of 21 FVSU turnovers. While the Lady Wildcats actually forced more turnovers by the Thorobrettes (26), KSU did a better job of converting FVSU mistakes into points. KSU scored 19 points off of FVSU turnovers while the Lady Wildcats managed only 11 points off of Thorobrette miscues.
Senior guard Samara Billings led FVSU in scoring with nine points. Kendra Evans added eight while Brandi Haynes chipped in seven. KSU's Cortney Matthewis was the game's leading scorer with 12 points.
The loss drops the Lady Wildcats overall record to 5-6 and they are now 4-1 in conference play. The Thorobrettes increased their season mark to 6-2 and they are 5-1 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action.
For the Wildcats, last night's game was a test of fortitude. While FVSU was never able to claim a lead, the contest presented several opportunities for the Wildcats to break the resilience of the Thorobreds. On three separate occasions, the Wildcats were able tie the game and try to push the Thorobreds into the uncharted territory of having to play from behind. However, on each occasion, a Wildcat surge was rebuffed by KSU.
In a game that was decided by only 12 points, the Wildcats need only look internal for the possible reason for the loss. By converting just seven of 21 free throw shots, the missed 14 points from the charity stripe was a contributing factor in the FVSU loss.
Sophomore Brandon Davey led FVSU in scoring with 15 points along with 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Desmond Lofland finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Reservists Standford Stephens contributed 10 points in 20 minutes of play.
William Marsh led KSU in scoring with 17 points. The Thorobreds also got 15 points from Tony Johnson, 14 from Kevin Smith, and 10 from Alex Summerville.
The Wildcats are 2-7 overall and 2-3 in the SIAC. The Thorobreds elevated their season mark to 5-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
The road trip for FVSU continues on Thursday, January 6th from Jackson, Tn. when the Wildcats meet the Dragons of Lane College. The Lady Wildcats and Lady Dragons begin play at 5:30 p.m. with men's action to follow. Live broadcast coverage can be heard on the Wildcats Sports Network (WFVS 104.3FM in Fort Valley, Ga. or on the internet www.fvsu.edu).
-Wildcats Athletics-
