NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Wesley College men's basketball team shot 51 percent from the floor and 84 percent from the free throw line as the Wolverines defeated Bridgewater State University, 88-78, in the semifinals of the Holiday Inn Captains Shootout hosted by Christopher Newport University.
Wesley (5-4) led by as many as 10 in the first half, but a 12-4 run by the Bears (4-4) to close the half tied the score at 39-39. BSU senior guard Judah Jackson (Everett, Mass.) scored seven of his game-high 21 points during the run.
The second half featured eight ties and lead changes with the last coming on a layup by Bridgewater State sophomore guard Shawn Yard (Brockton, Mass.) with 9:21 to go that knotted the score at 56-56. A pair of free throws by Darrell Johnson (New Castle, Del.) on the Wolverines' next trip down the floor started an 18-6 Wesley run that put the Wolverines back in control of the game.
The Bears pulled to within seven, 80-73, but Wesley hit 8-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win.
Rudy Thomas (Milton, Del.) and Kevin Johnson (Smyrna, Del.), who combined for 12 of Wesley's 18 points in the team's game changing run, paced the offense with season highs. Thomas netted 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Johnson, meanwhile, knocked down 6-of-7 field goals for 18 points.
Chris Douglas (Landover, Md.) scored 15 points on 5-of-10 from the floor and added five assists and three steals on the night. Paul Reynolds (Smyrna, Del.) sank 6-of-7 field goals on his way to 14 points and led the team with eight boards.
Along with his 21 points, Jackson added four assists and a pair of blocked shots for the Bears. Senior forward Nicholas Motta (Fairhaven, Mass.) ended his night with 20 points, eight boards, two assists and three steals. Senior center Samuel Johnson (North Chelmsford, Mass.) scored 15 points and led the team with nine rebounds while matching Jackson's team best with a pair of blocks.
Bridgewater State dished out 21 assists on 32 field goals in the game, but Wesley took control of the game by limiting the Bears to just 41 percent shooting in the second half.
Wesley, meanwhile, hit 54 percent in the final 20 minutes to finish the game at 29-of-57. The Wolverines also sank 21-of-25 free throws in the second half and ended the day 26-of-31 from the charity stripe. Bridgewater connected on 9 of 14 free throw attempts and shot just 5-for-21 (24%) from three-point range.
With the win, Wesley will play the winner of the Christopher Newport/Frostburg State match up in the other semifinal on December 29 at 7:30 PM. Bridgewater will compete in the consolation game at 5:30.
Notes: With his 21 points, Jackson moved past John McSharry (1,230 points from 1971 to 1975) into 13th place on the Bears' all-time scoring list. Jackson now has 1,238 points in four seasons at BSU....With his 20 points, Motta moved past Derek Savas (1,063 points from 1998 to 2002) into 22nd place on the Bears' all-time scoring list. Motta now has 1,074 points in four seasons at BSU.