Shaw rallies, tops J.C. Smith in dramatic finish to grab share of CIAA South title

Johnson C. Smith wanted an outright CIAA South title for its seniors, but Shaw had other ideas.

The Bears’ Krishaun Myers’ 3-point dagger with 7.2 seconds left lifted Shaw to a dramatic 78-75 win Saturday at Brayboy Gym to earn a share of the division championship and the second seed at next week’s tournament in Charlotte. The Bears (20-8, 8-2) trailed by as many as 13 in the first half but turned the tide in the second with aggressive defense.

“It was a tale of two halves,” Golden Bulls coach Steve Joyner said. “I thought we won the first half but certainly couldn’t hang on in the second half. They corrected all advantages I thought we had in the first half.”

Myers, who scored a game-high 21 points off the bench, was the difference for Shaw. He hit 6-of-12 shots and his drives to the hoop earned him free throw opportunities, and he converted 8-of-9. J.C. Smith (18-10, 8-2) faltered down the stretch while the Bears picked up steam.

“They picked up their intensity,” Joyner said. “We emotionally got out of the ball game and we had to pay for that.”

Three who mattered

▪  Krishaun Myers scored 17 of his game-high 21 points after the break, including the game-winner.

▪  Robert Davis dropped a team-high 18 points for J.C. Smith on 6-of-14 shooting.

▪  Arthur Bennett added 14 points for the Golden Bulls, including a perfect 6-of-6 for 12 points in the second half.

Observations

▪  Shaw forced 16 J.C. Smith turnovers, converting them into 22 points.

▪  Shaw’s bench, thanks to Myers, outscored the Golden Bulls’ reserves 31-8.

▪  Both teams connected on at least half their shots, with Shaw going 29-of-58 and J.C. Smith hitting 28-of-54.

Worth mentioning

▪  J.C. Smith earns a first-round bye with the win.

▪  The division championship is the 10th in J.C. Smith history and eighth with Joyner as head coach.

▪  Six seniors played their final home game at Brayboy, including starters Davis, Bennett and Christian Kirchman (17 points, 5 assists).

This story was originally published February 24, 2018 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Shaw rallies, tops J.C. Smith in dramatic finish to grab share of CIAA South title."