Benedict Downs Paine In Season Finale
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Benedict) – The Benedict College Tigers wrapped up the 2016-17 regular season with a 78-49 victory over Paine College on Monday night in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
The Tigers improved to 15-11 overall and 12-5 in the SIAC. Paine falls to 2-22 overall and 0-16 in the SIAC.
Brandon Morris led the Tigers with 21 points, while Umar Frost scored a season-high 18 points to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds. Seniors Kel Robin and Quayshun Hawkins scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, in their final regular-season home game. Senior Christopher Spencer scored seven points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Tigers held the Lions to an opponent’s season-low 25.4 percent shooting. Benedict had a commanding 54-34 rebounding advantage.
Benedict went on an 18-0 run early in the game to take a 25-5 lead midway through the first half and never looked back. The Tigers had a 39-25 lead at the half. Benedict used an 11-2 run late in the game to push the lead to 71-43 with two and a half minutes left in the game.
Benedict now has a half-game lead in the race for the top spot in the SIAC East Division over Clark Atlanta, Fort Valley State and Claflin. Benedict will play an exhibition game against Carver College on Wednesday before next week’s SIAC Tournament in Birmingham, Ala.
