ATLANTA, GA --The Shaw men's basketball team shot 52.9 percent from three-point range on the way to a 78-70 victory against the LeMoyne-Owen Magicians at Friday.
The Bears (1-3) had three players score in double figures, led by Jeremiah Pope, who had 17 points. DJ Thomas added 17 points and two steals and Caleb Simmons helped out with 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals.
Shaw out-rebounded LeMoyne-Owen 34-31 in Friday's game, paced by Simmons' nine boards. The Bears also collected 11 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second chance points.
The Shaw defense was a problem in Friday's game, forcing 18 LeMoyne-Owen turnovers while committing 15. Those takeaways turned into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Jason Robinson's four steals led the way individually for the Bears.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 15-8 advantage, Shaw went on a 7-0 run with 13:55 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Simmons, to increase its lead to 22-8. The Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 44-36 advantage. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 44 points.
Shaw kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run to grow the lead to 72-59 with 8:28 to go in the contest. The Magicians narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Bears still cruised the rest of the way for the 78-70 win. Shaw capitalized on 10 LeMoyne-Owen turnovers in the period, collecting nine points off those turnovers.
Game Notes
» The Bears made over half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down nine of 17 shots.
» Shaw never trailed on the way to a 78-70 victory.
» Shaw had a 34-31 edge on the boards in the win.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
