Taking a 0-28 team to a 15 win season in less than four years is an accomplishment that is pretty hard to miss. This is something Horace Broadnax was able to do with the Savannah State University men’s basketball program. Something even more compelling was Broadnax’s ability to do this with the second lowest basketball budget in all of Division I (339 out of 340)! But what does it really mean in comparison to the rest of college basketball?

Broadnax’s 2009 season produced argubly the best Dollar-Per-Win ratio in modern college basketball. With 15 wins and a budget of $376,968, it came to roughly $25,131 per win. This may sound like a lot, but when you compare Coach Broadnax to his colleagues it is pretty apparent he may be the best bang for your buck in college basketball. Compared to the likes of big names like Howland, Williams, Self, and Donovan, Broadnax’s productivity is astounding. The bottom line is for less than one tenth the cost of the coaches just named, Horace Broadnax can get you a win.

One point of hot contention is whether completely turning around a program or doing it on such a meager budget is greater accomplishment? Regardless, Horace Broadnax has proved himself amongst the coaching ranks. It is hard to imagine what this guy could do with a little financial support and a program with an already well-established tradition as some of the heavy hitters listed above possess. The only disparity in Broadnax’s case is in the wins columns. His 15 wins is less than the generously budgeted basketball powerhouses mentioned above were able to achieve. This raises the question, how did Broadnax compare to coaches with the same number of wins?

Above is a chart reflecting teams with similar records to Broadnax’s tigers in 08-09. Remarkably all these team except for one spent over ten times as much on their programs to achieve the same number of wins or less. This is reflected in the average price per win column. Broadnax’s price-per-win- was at least 1/11^th the cost than that of Knight, Hill Jr., Lickliter, and McDermott yet he was able to win at least as many games as these coaches. In the case of Iowa, Broadnax’s price-per-win was less than 1/13th the price-per-win of Todd Lickliter!

Looking at the schools, it is evident there is a disparity in conference schedule strength. However, considering the talent and funding these programs receive compared to Savannah State, Broadnax and the Tigers greatly outperformed in comparison. All of these schools are ranked in the top 65 in division one funding compared to Savannah State’s 339^th ranking, yet the win column is the same? Clearly, Broadnax has done a superior job coaching Savannah State and making the most out of his situation.

Let us take the analysis a step further and make it even more relevant. How does Broadnax compare to a set of mid-major programs with similar RPI and even similar athletic budgets? Take the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Western Division. During the 2008-09 season, all six head coaches in the division failed to lead their programs to as many wins (15) as Broadnax did.

Despite the lack of financial support, Broadnax maximized his resources by winning 15 games and achieving a winning season at the University for the first time in 25 years!  This is clearly a testament to Broadnax’s coaching ability and resourcefulness.

Broadnax’s ability to make a lot of out a little makes him an attractive pick for athletic directors.  His average price-per-win (basketball budget/total wins) was a mere $25,131. Comparing Broadnax to coaches in the MAC conference whose budget was at least 3 times the size of his reveals just how impressive a feat this really was.  He won more games than any MAC West coach and his price-per-win was less than ¼ of all MAC West coaches last season.  The numbers don’t lie.

Skeptics of Broadnax’s accomplishment will point to the disparity of competition between Savannah State and MAC West teams. Yet such an assertion is completely false as Savannah State ended with a higher RPI (255) than its closest competing MAC West School, Ball State – a 262. In fact, Savannah’s RPI finish was well over 50 spots higher than the MAC West average because of a stronger-strength of schedule. This makes their 15-win season all the more impressive when weighed against the MAC West schools’ performances.

* Information on athletic budgets, wins and losses, and RPI were obtained through: http://www.bbstate.com, http://www.statsheet.com, http://realtimerpi.com/*

On Tuesday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m. EST Fox College Sports presents LIVE coverage of the tournament championship game between Bradley University of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and Old Dominion University of the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA).

Bradley’s Chris Roberts provided the You-Tube classic moment with his 75-foot buzzer beater, to send the Braves into Wednesday’s semifinal matchup against visiting Pacific.

“CollegeInsider.com is excited to be partnering with Fox College Sports to televise the inaugural championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament,” said GAME, Inc. President Jason Belzer, whose agency worked with CollegeInsider.com in putting the tournament together.  “With the limited number of available spots in the NCAA and NIT, the CIT rewards deserving college basketball programs with the opportunity to continue playing in the post season after successful regular season campaigns. It is an exciting time in college basketball and we’re thrilled to bring a little bit of March Madness to Fox College Sports.”

The championship game broadcast crew includes; Kyle Macy (Color) as well as GAME, Inc. clients Chris Munson (Play-by-Play) and Horace Broadnax (Analyst). GAME, Inc. President Jason Belzer will join a half-time panel that also includes Rick Byrd (Head Coach – Belmont University) and selection committee member Riley Wallace (Former Head Coach – University of Hawaii).

The game can also be streamed for free on www.foxsports.com Tuesday night.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (12-11) vs. Texas-Pan American

Raye Bailey scored 19, including four 3-pointers, to lead Savannah State to a 64-58 win over Texas-Pan American Monday night. Chris Linton had 12 points and Jovonni Shuler along Tracy Rankins each scored eight for Savannah State (12-11). Savannah State led 27-22 at the half.

#8 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (20-2) vs. Depaul

Jerel McNeal scored 26 points and No. 8 Marquette beat DePaul 76-61 on Tuesday night for its 12th straight victory, matching its longest winning streak in seven years. The Golden Eagles (20-2, 9-0), the Big East’s only undefeated team, had trouble putting away DePaul but did enough to send the Blue Demons (8-15, 0-10) to their 10th straight loss and keep them winless in the conference.

North Carolina Central (Henry Dickerson) (2-23) vs. North Carolina State

North Carolina State got an 87-59 victory over North Carolina Central on Tuesday night. The Wolfpack (12-8) outrebounded the Eagles 52-14. North Carolina Central (2-23) jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first 3:30 by hitting its first four shots. However, N.C. State went on a 39-11 run in the next 10 minutes to take a 41-21 lead. The Eagles never got closer than eight points in the second half as the Wolfpack pulled away with a 13-0 run. Jamar Briscoe scored 28 points to lead North Carolina Central.

Norm Duke and teammate Liz Johnson won the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship in dominating fashion. Duke called his 31st career Professional Bowlers Association title “the easiest I’ve ever won” and that was because he and partner Liz Johnson were nearly perfect in running away with the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship at the National Bowling Stadium.

Johnson, the first and only woman to advance to the title match in a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour event, and Duke defeated Jennifer Petrick of Canton, Ohio, and Steve Harman of Indianapolis, 274-180, in the title match to split the $50,000 first prize.

See the full article here: http://www.pba.com/news/feature.asp?ID=1121

1/31/09

#8 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (19-2) vs. #23 Georgetown

Having taken down yet another of the Big East’s big names, No. 8 Marquette goes into February undefeated in the conference and oozing confidence. The Golden Eagles used a second-half surge to put away Georgetown (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP) 94-82 on Saturday — the fifth straight loss for the reeling Hoyas. The victory leaves Marquette (19-2, 8-0), tied for the conference lead with No. 7 Louisville. Jerel McNeal scored 26 points in perhaps his most complete game of the season, adding 11 assists, six rebounds, five steals and three blocks while committing only three turnovers.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (11-10) vs. Southeast Missouri (Rodney Hamilton) (3-20)

Daniel Northern had a career high 27 points and a career-tying 18 rebounds to lead Tennessee Tech to a 91-75 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Kevin Murphy also had a career high with 16 points for Tennessee Tech (11-10, 5-6 Ohio Valley), with Frank Davis adding 15 points and Alfred Jones 11 for the Golden Eagles. Kenard Moore scored 21 for Southeast Missouri (3-20, 0-12), Jaycen Herring had 17 and Calvin Williams had 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Golden Eagles led 11-1 four minutes into the game but went into halftime up by only four, 35-31. Tennessee Tech took command in the first five minutes of the second half by outscoring the Redhawks 23-6 to take its largest lead at 58-37. Tennessee Tech shot 72 percent from the field in the second half.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (7-14) vs. Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic held Louisiana-Lafayette without a double-figure scorer in a 63-47 win on Saturday night, the Owls’ first Sun Belt Conference win of the season. The Owls shot just 39.5 percent from the field (17 of 43) in the win, but the Ragin’ Cajuns (7-14, 4-6) hit 26.9 percent (18 of 67). Florida Atlantic also hit 25 free throws versus nine for the Ragin’ Cajuns, along with going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Louisiana-Lafayette hit just 2 of 38 from 3-point range. Louisiana-Lafayette’s Travis Bureau, who came in shooting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, made just 1 of his 10 attempts from long range.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (11-11) vs. North Carolina Central (Henry Dickerson) (2-22)

Chris Linton scored 13 points and Savannah State picked up its first road win of the season with a 67-51 victory over North Carolina Central on Saturday night. The Tigers (11-11) won for the first time in 11 games away from home and sent the Eagles (2-22) to their fifth consecutive loss. Savannah State led 29-28 at halftime, but outscored North Carolina Central 38-23 in the second half, going 14 of 24 from the field (58.3 percent). The Tigers scored 20 of the first 24 points in the second half for a 48-33 lead with 10:17 remaining in the game. Savannah State outrebounded the Eagles 38-18. Jovonni Shuler added 12 points and Arnold Louis scored 11 points and had nine rebounds for Savannah State. Linton also added eight rebounds. Jamar Briscoe led North Carolina Central with 28 points.

Wisconsin-Green Bay got a 83-72 victory over Illinois-Chicago in a Horizon League game on Wednesday night. The Flames led 37-36 at halftime before Green Bay got hot from behind the arc. Ryan Tillema added 18 points for Green Bay (16-6, 8-2), which sank 9-of-14 3-pointers in the second half. Robo Kreps paced the Flames (10-10, 3-7) with 17 points.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (10-11) vs. Allen

Chris Linton scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as each Savannah State player scored in a 77-43 rout over Allen University on Wednesday night. The Tigers (10-11) went into halftime with a 30-26 lead, but outscored the Yellow Jackets (3-17) by 30 points in the second half. Savannah State shot 80 percent from the field (20-for-25) in the second half — 68.1 percent for the game. A dunk by Anthony Jones, who finished with 13 points, put Savannah State ahead 52-33 with 10:17 left. The Tigers later scored 11 straight points to claim a 73-41 advantage, capped by Tracy Rankins‘ jumper with 2:02 remaining in the game.

Southeast Missouri (Rodney Hamilton) (3-19) vs. Jacksonville State

Jacksonville State snapped a six-game losing streak with a 78-68 win over Southeast Missouri on Thursday. Southeast Missouri (3-19, 0-11) remained winless in conference play and ran its losing streak to 11 despite 23 points from Calvin Williams and 19 from Kenard Moore. The Redhawks never led by more than two points in the game, and Jacksonville State scored the first seven points of the second half to open up a 39-28 lead. Southeast Missouri got within 3 points with about 13 minutes remaining, but Jacksonville State pulled away down the stretch.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (10-10) vs. Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois got a 75-58 win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday night. Eastern Illinois never trailed after pulling ahead 2-1 in the first minutes of the game. Eastern Illinois held Tennessee Tech (10-10, 4-6) leading scorer Daniel Northern, who averaged 11.7 points, to six free throws and 0-for-4 shooting from the field. Tennessee Tech shot 31 percent, and the Panthers outrebounded the Golden Eagles 44-39. Eastern Illinois led 33-20 at halftime. Kevin Murphy led Tennessee Tech with 11 points.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (7-13) vs. Middle Tennessee State

Middle Tennessee State held off Louisiana-Lafayette 83-76 on Thursday night. Leading 66-52 with 6:19 left, the Blue Raiders (13-8, 7-3 Sun Belt Conference) made 17 of 24 free throws — but no field goals — the rest of the game, but the Ragin’ Cajuns could get no closer than six. Middle Tennessee State was 27 of 36 from the foul line for the game. The Blue Raiders scored no points in the final 3:52 of the first half, but still led 33-30 at halftime. Courtney Wallace had 15 points, Ryan McCoy 14 and Travis Bureau 11 for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (10-15) vs. Austin

The Vipers snuck past the Toros 109-104 on Friday night. The Vipers were led by Trent Strickland, who had 27 points and 7 rebounds. Alpha Bangura also contributed 23 points and 7 rebounds in the victory.

1/24/09

#10 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (17-2) vs. Depaul

Jerel McNeal had 21 points and six rebounds and Lazar Hayward added 16 points and 17 rebounds in a 79-70 victory over the Blue Demons on Saturday that kept the Golden Eagles undefeated in the Big East. McNeal’s defense has been one of the biggest reasons Marquette (17-2, 6-0) is off to its best start ever in conference play, topping a 5-0 mark 16 years ago when the Golden Eagles were known as the Warriors and played in the Great Midwest.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (10-9) vs. Tennessee State

Alex Davis scored 21 points to lead Tennessee Tech to an 86-78 win over Tennessee State on Saturday night. Daniel Northern added 16 points for the Golden Eagles (10-9, 4-5 Ohio Valley Conference). Davis also went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles led by three points at the break and outscored the Tigers 49-44 in the second half. Tennessee Tech won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Tigers 37-29. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series between the schools 25-20.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (7-12) vs. South Alabama

Randell Daigle hit a 3-pointer as time expired to lift Lousiana-Lafayette to a 67-65 win over South Alabama on Saturday night. Travis Bureau led the Ragin’ Cajuns (7-12, 4-4 Sun Belt Conference) with 18 points. Chris Gradnigo scored 13 and Daigle chipped in with eight. With 20 seconds left, Bureau made one of two attempts to give Louisiana-Lafayette a 64-62 lead. Following a team timeout, South Alabama sank a 3-pointer with two seconds left to put them up by one. Then Daigle responded with a 3-pointer to win the game.

Southeast Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-18) vs. Murray State

Murray State had four players in double figures in an 80-55 rout of Southeast Missouri State on Saturday night. Jaycen Herring and Calvin Williams scored 16 points apiece to lead the Redhawks (3-18, 0-10), who have dropped 10 straight games. The Racers hit 12 of 18 free throw attempts, while the Redhawks went just 8 of 17 from the line. Murray State also hit eight shots from beyond the arc compared to one for the Redhawks. Holloway hit five of those 3-pointers. Murray State led by eight points at the break, and went on a 16-0 run during a four-minute span midway through the second half to pull away.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (13-7) vs. Florida Atlantic

Yima Chia-Kur scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Arkansas State headed off an upset by Florida Atlantic in a 62-60 victory Saturday. Donald Boone added 13 points for ASU (13-7, 5-4 Sun Belt Conference). The Red Wolves had a comfortable 10-point lead going into the half with 35-25 on the scoreboard. But the Owls (4-17, 0-9) pushed ahead with superior shooting in 3-pointers in the second half making 42.9 percent to ASU’s 33.3 percent. Arkansas State was 0-0 in free throws in the final period.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (10-9) vs. Wright State

Wright State got a 57-31 victory on Saturday night. Scott Vandermeer had 10 points for the Flames (10-9, 3-6), who hit just 11-of-42 shots from the field for 26 percent. The Flames trailed just 34-25 at the 13:26 mark of the second half but the Raiders scored 23 of the game’s final 29 points.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (2-21) vs. Chicago State

Chicago State routed North Carolina Central 103-63 on Saturday night. Chicago State dominated the boards, with 62 points in the paint, compared with just 20 by North Carolina Central (2-21). The Cougars led 59-31 at the half. Chicago State made 17-of-33 field goal attempts, or 56 percent, compared with 11-of-34, or nearly 36 percent, for the Eagles. Philip Branch had 15 points and Vincent Davis added 13 for North Carolina Central.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (9-11) vs. Utah Valley

Utah Valley turned in a collective effort and beat Savannah State 55-39 Satuday afternoon. Utah Valley (9-8) took a 24-19 lead into the half and never looked back as they cruised to the 16-point victory. A quick Wolverine run extended the lead to 10 early in the second half and the Tigers would come no closer as they dropped to 9-11 on the season. Raye Bailey, Anthony Jones and Rashad Hassan led the Tigers in scoring with eight points apiece while Jones also chipped in with eight rebounds.

Louisiana-Lafayette (Robert Lee) (6-11) vs. UAB

Alabama-Birmingham placed six players in double figures to beat Louisiana Lafayette 97-62 on Monday night. UAB (11-7) led 51-20 at halftime and built the margin to as many as 41 points in the second half. Chris Gradnigo scored 14 points, all in the second half, to lead the Ragin’ Cajuns while Tyren Johnson added 12 points and Corey Bloom had 10. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-11) played without leading scorer Travis Bureau (15.4 ppg), who has a lingering groin injury.

1/20/09

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (9-10) vs. Jacksonville

Jacksonville got a 69-56 win over Savannah State on Tuesday night. Rashad Hassan led the Tigers (9-10) with 19 points and Chris Linton added 10. The Dolphins, who led by one point at the break, trailed 32-31 to start the second half after Linton’s jumper. That would be the Tigers’ last lead. The Dolphins went 22-for-27 on free throws, while the Tigers hit just 8 of 18 from the line. Jacksonville also hit 7 of 16 shots from beyond the arc compared to a 2-for-10 mark for Savannah State.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (9-14) vs. Anaheim

The Vipers got a 117-113 win over the Anaheim Arsenal on Tuesday night. The Vipers were led by Trent Strickland who put up 28 points in the win and also added 6 boards. Jared Jordan also had a strong performance for the Vipers with 18 points and 12 assists.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (2-18) vs. Central State (Ohio)

The Eagles got their 2^nd win of the season in a 74-68 win over Central State on Friday. The Eagles were led by guard Jamar Briscoe who scored 21 points in the contest. Guard Bryan Ayala also added 14 points and 9 assists.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Clay Moser) (8-14) vs. Tulsa

The Vipers got a 104-100 win over the Tulsa 66ers on Friday night. The Vipers were led by strong performance from Trent Strickland who scored 19 points and added 9 rebounds. Alpha Bangura also helped the Vipers by scoring 20 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.

1/17/09

#14 Marquette (Scott Monarch) (16-2) vs. Providence

No. 14 Marquette rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half and beat Providence 91-82 on Saturday night. Lazar Hayward scored 25 points, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:10 left, and Jerel McNeal also scored 25 as Marquette (16-2, 5-0 Big East) extended the best start of its tenure in the Big East. The Golden Eagles last started 5-0 in the conference when they were a member of the Great Midwest in 1992-93.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (9-8) vs. Murray State

Daniel Northern scored 13 points to lead Tennessee Tech to a 61-55 win over Murray State on Saturday night. Northern, who also grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots, was the only player to score in double figures for the Golden Eagles (9-8, 3-4 Ohio Valley Conference). After Tennessee Tech led 34-27 at halftime, the teams traded leads throughout the second half until the Racers’ Isacc Miles scored on a layup to tie the score at 52-52 with 1:55 left in the game. But the Golden Eagles went on a 9-3 run from that point, hitting 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Tennessee Tech got its revenge over Murray State with the win, as the Racers won the last matchup in the OVC tournament’s opening round last season.

Southeast Missouri State (Rodney Hamilton) (3-16) vs. Eastern Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give them a 74-71 win over Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Jaycen Herring led Southeast Missouri (3-16, 0-8) with a season-high 25 points. With 23 second remaining in regulation and EKU ahead 71-69, Eastern Kentucky missed the front end of a one-and-one. On the next possession, Herring grabbed his own rebound and made a floater in the paint to tie the score at 71-71 with three seconds left. After a time out, Eastern Kentucky passed the ball the length of the court to set up the game winner. Eastern Kentucky made 14 of 36 3-pointers while Southeast Missouri made just 7 of 19.

Arkansas State (Elwyn McRoy) (12-6) vs. South Alabama

South Alabama defeated Arkansas State 74-67 in Sun Belt Conference play Saturday. South Alabama was ahead by only two points at the halftime with 30-28 on the scoreboard. While ASU (12-6, 4-3) outshot its opponent overall in free throws with 74.1 percent to South Alabama’s 61.8 percent, the victors fared better in field goals and 3-pointers. Donald Boone led for Arkansas State with 17 points. JeJuan Brown added 14, and Daniel Bryant scored 11 points.

UIC (Tracy Dildy) (9-8) vs. #18 Butler

Hayward hit seven 3-pointers and tied his career-high with 25 points as Butler (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) mounted a second-half comeback for a 59-52 victory over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Tori Boyd scored 13 points, Robo Kreps had 11 and Scott VanderMeer had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Flames (9-8, 2-5). Butler used a 13-4 run to pull within four points, then went on a 7-0 run to take a 43-42 lead with 8:26 remaining.

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (2-19) vs. Chowan

Chowan hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left to give them a 72-70 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday night. With the Hawks leading 69-68 with :52 seconds left, Stevy Worah-Ozimo hit a jump shot to put the Eagles up 70-69 with 0:33 left. The Eagles (3-18) were led by Jamar Briscoe with 31 points, including 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Worah-Ozimo chipped in 13 points, and Vincent Davis and Bryan Ayala each added 10 for the Eagles. The Eagles, who hit 3 of 9 3-pointers in the first half which they led 29-27, made just 16.7 percent (2 of 12) from long range in the second.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (9-9) vs. Longwood

Longwood got an 86-76 victory over Savannah State on Saturday. Leading 41-36 at halftime, Longwood opened the second half on a 6-0 run for a 47-36 advantage with 18:30 remaining. Savannah State (9-9), which had won two straight games, cut the lead to 77-73 on Tracy Rankins’ layup with 1:41 left, but Longwood hit a 3-pointer for an 80-73 advantage and they sealed the win at the line. Anthony Jones led Savannah State with 21 points. Rankins finished with 12 points and Jovonni Shuler added 11.

Tennessee Tech (Steve Payne) (8-5) vs. Eastern Illinois

Alex Davis had career highs with 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead Tennessee Tech to a 67-60 victory over Eastern Illinois on Monday night. Daniel Northern added 10 points and 11 rebounds, but the Golden Eagles (8-5, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference) had to hold off Eastern Illinois (5-9, 2-2) after building a 16-point lead. Tennessee Tech held a 64-48 advantage with 4:33 left in the game, but the Panthers twice cut the advantage to six points in the final minute before the Golden Eagles went 3 of 4 from the line. Tennessee Tech built its lead on a 16-1 run in the second half. DJ Lindsay added 15 points, Will Barnes scored 13 points and Frank Davis had 10 for the Golden Eagles.

Southeast Missouri (Rodney Hamilton) (3-12) vs. Jacksonville State

Jacksonville State defeated Southeast Missouri State 71-66 on Monday night. The Gamecocks (8-4, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference) jumped out to a 13-2 lead with 15:34 left in the first half and led 41-24 at halftime. The Redhawks (3-12, 0-4) closed the deficit to 69-66 with 9 seconds left to play on two Bijon Jones free throws, but Jacksonville hit clutch free throws to seal the game for the Gamecocks. Calvin Williams led the Redhawks with his second straight double-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.

1/6/09

NCCU (Henry Dickerson) (0-17) vs. Colgate

Colgate got a 68-58 win against North Carolina Central on Tuesday night. Jamar Briscoe led the Eagles (0-17) with 15 points and Bryan Ayala added 13. The Eagles, whose last win came on March 15 in last season’s finale, hit just 3 of 17 attempts from beyond the arc in the loss. The Raiders were 2-for-8 from long range. Colgate shot 56.1 percent from the field (23 of 41) in the game compared to a 36.4 percent mark (20 of 55) for N.C. Central. The Raiders, who led by nine points at the break, started the second half on a 12-6 run.

Savannah State (Horace Broadnax) (7-8) vs. Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State glided past Savannah State on Tuesday night by a score of 83-56. Savannah State was led by Forward Chris Linton, who posted 16 points and 6 rebounds in the Tigers’ losing effort. Rashad Hassan came off the bench to add 12 points.