The Saint Augustine’s College men ended their regular season in grand fashion Thursday with a 106-75 non-conference basketball rout of Morris College.
The Falcons finished the regular season at 19-6 overall including 9-1 in the friendly confines of Emery Gymnasium. Morris discovered first hand why the Falcons are tough at home.
The Falcons scored 61 points in the second half to turn the contest into a rout. The 61 points were the second-most points the Falcons scored in a half this season, just shy of the 68 points they scored in a half against Columbia Union on Dec. 15, 2005.
Junior guard/forward Claude Neeley scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in the second half including several explosive dunks that delighted a lively crowd. One dunk was a breakaway two-handed slam that was thrown down with thunderous force. He also made 3 three-pointers.
Neeley excelled at other facets as well. He dished out a team-high 8 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds. Junior forward Nicholas King scored 16 points from the outside including 4 three-point shots and added 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
Carl Gervais scored 15 points in the paint, his best output since scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against Paine College on Nov. 26, 2005. He also added 4 steals and 5 rebounds.
Freshman guard Derrick Green, playing his best game as a Falcon, had season-highs of 14 points and 8 assists including 2 three-point baskets. Junior guard Barry Jones scored 12 points from the perimeter.
Sophomore forward Deon Dixon did yeoman’s work on the boards. He grabbed 9 rebounds, tying King for team honors, and scored 7 points. Junior guard Wakim White scored 7 points and junior center Terry Sumter scored 6 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. For Morris (6-15), Joseph Hayward scored 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
The Falcons shot 60 percent in the second half as they outscored Morris College 61-39. The Falcons led 45-36 at halftime before pulling away. Now they will await the result of the Johnson C. Smith-North Carolina Central game in Durham on Saturday (Feb. 25). If Smith loses, then the Falcons win the CIAA Western Division. Either way, the Falcons will get a first-round bye in the CIAA Tournament which starts March 1 for the men.
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