Queens still can’t find a way to beat rival as rally comes up short in SAC tournament
Queens rallied from 11 points down Sunday with 4 minutes, 36 seconds left, but came up short, 77-75, as the Royals (28-3) fell for the third time this season to Lincoln Memorial (30-1) in the South Atlantic Conference tournament championship.
Todd Withers led the Royals, ranked No. 5 in Division II, with 18 points and also pulled down seven rebounds. Jalin Alexander scored 17 points with eight rebounds. Daniel Carr added 14 points and Shaun Willett 10.
Dorian Pinson led the top-ranked Railsplitters with 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Kamaran Calhoun added 19 points and Cornelius Taylor 16.
Queens’ only losses this season have been to Lincoln Memorial.
Elsewhere
Radford 55, Liberty 52: Carlik Jones made a long 3-pointer at the buzzer in the Big South Conference championship, earning the Highlanders (22-12) their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009. Jones led the host Highlanders with 13 points and six assists. Travis Fields Jr. added 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3 and Ed Polite Jr. and Devonnte Holland had 11 each.
Scottie James had 20 points, 16 after halftime, and 13 rebounds to lead the Flames (20-14), who lost to Radford for the third time this season. Lovell Cabbil added 15 points, but missed a 3-pointer to set up the Highlanders’ final possession. He also was defending Jones on his game-winner.
Western Carolina coach resigns: Larry Hunter, 68, said he is stepping down, one day after the Catamounts lost to Furman in the Southern Conference Tournament quarterfinals to finish 13-19. His 702 career victories include 397 at the Division I level with 12 seasons at Ohio and 13 at Western Carolina.
His only NCAA Tournament appearance as a Division I head coach came in 1994 with the Bobcats and future NBA player Gary Trent. Ohio lost 84-72 to Indiana, coached by Bob Knight.
Late Saturday
Virginia Union 83, Johnson C. Smith 52: Four players hit double figues as the Panthers (18-14) overwhelmed the Golden Bulls (20-11) in the CIAA men’s championship game at the Spectrum Center. Todd Hughes led Virginia Union with 22 points, followed by Andre Walker’s 19. William Jenkins added 16 points and Kory Cooley 13.
J.C. Smith (20-11) struggled on offense, managing only 31.7 percent shooting (19-of-60) and a season-low points scored. Robert Davis, the CIAA’s player of the year, paced JCSU with 12 points.
CIAA all-tournament team: Kory Cooley (MVP), Virginia Union; Richard Granberry, Virginia State; Omari George, Bowie State; Todd Hughes, VUU; Roddric Ross, J.C. Smith; Robert Davis, JCSU; Cameron Burhannon, Livingstone; Jonathan Curtis, JCSU; Willie Gillmore, Fayetteville State; Quincy January, Saint Augustine's.
This story was originally published March 4, 2018 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Queens still can’t find a way to beat rival as rally comes up short in SAC tournament."