RALEIGH, NC --The Shaw men's basketball team used a late spurt to tie the game at 51-51 before coming up short in a 60-53 loss to the Virginia Union University Panthers at home Wednesday night inside C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.
The Bears (14-13, 7-8) had two players score in double figures, led by Jamari Roberts, who had 12 points and two steals. Amir Waddell tacked on 10 points and six rebounds and Jeremiah Pope added eight points.
Led by Roberts' three offensive rebounds, Shaw did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in eight second chance points.
The Shaw defense caused its share of mistakes in Wednesday's game, forcing 15 Virginia Union turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 16 points on the other end of the floor. Roberts' two steals led the way individually for the Bears.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 5-4 advantage, Shaw went on an 8-0 run with 17:59 left in the first half to increase its lead to 13-4. The Bears then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 30-27 advantage. Shaw relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 30 points.
Virginia Union proceeded to take a 46-35 lead before Shaw went on a 10-0 run, finished off by Roberts' layup, to shrink the deficit to 46-45 with 7:07 to go in the contest. Virginia Union responded and outscored the Bears the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 60-53 completing the season sweep.
Game Notes
» The Shaw defense forced 15 turnovers.
» Shaw cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
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Jamari Roberts led the Bears with 12 points.
» Shaw got a team-high six rebounds from Amir Waddell.
Up Next
The Bears will close out the regular season Saturday, February 18 as they travel to Elizabeth City State University. Tip-off is slated for 4 PM.
