Strong Defensive Effort Falls Short for Men’s Basketball

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA - The Richard Bland College men's basketball team moves to 11-14 overall, 3-5 in conference play after hosting Spartanburg Methodist in a heartbreaker Saturday afternoon.

After a strong defensive effort on both sides, Richard Bland took an early, 29-26 lead at the break. The Pioneers outscored the Statesmen 29-25 in the second half and Richard Bland would come up just short, falling 54-55 at the final buzzer.

Martin Kawa led Richard Bland with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and one block. Noryen Lasley chipped in with 11 rebounds, nine points, and one steal. Kevon West and Larry Howell had eight points each. West added seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals while Howell added six rebounds and two steals. Ibrahim Kourouma added seven points, Kelby Saunders Jr. six points and 13 rebounds, and Kahihl Venable two points in the loss.

Richard Bland went 61.1% from the charity stripe, 28.2% from the field, and 17.6% at the perimeter.

The Richard Bland College men's basketball team next hosts Brunswick Community College on Sunday, February 12^th in a 3pm tip-off.