By Staff
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Free throws kept the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks around for a while.
Once that part of their game dried up, so did their chances of catching the Bishop State Wildcats in Thursday's 76-52 home-court loss.
JDCC's eighth straight loss combined with L.B. Wallace's upset win over Southern Union put the Warhawks' postseason hopes near extinction.
Bishop State (5-8 in the ACCC and 10-12 overall) built a 19-11 lead over the first 10 minutes and stretched it to 39-24 at halftime.
JDCC's deficit would have been much worse had it not been a 13-for-14 effort from the free throw line in the first half. The Warhawks scored just 11 points from the field in the first half.
JDCC hit just four more charity tosses the rest of the way. While its offense from the field picked up a little bit, the Wildcats still extended their lead to 56-39 by the midway point of the second half. Bishop State then outscored JDCC 20-13 over the last 10 minutes.
Donald Smith led the Warhawks with 16 points.
At JDCC
Bishop State 39 37 - 76
JDCC 24 28 - 52
BISHOP STATE (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Pace 7-0-1-15; Hill 1-3-1-12; Finklea 2-2-2-12; Lucious 5-0-1-11; Williams 1-0-4-6; Fore 1-0-2-4; Payne 2-0-0-4; Bowie 2-0-0-4; Owens 2-0-0-4; Toliver 0-0-2-2; Kersh 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 24-5-13-76)
JDCC (2FG-3FG-FT-TP) Smith 3-1-7-16; Griffin 4-0-4-12; Edmonson 2-0-5-9; Johnson 2-1-0-7; Rodgers 0-1-1-4; Martin 1-0-0-2; Tunberg 1-0-0-2 (Totals: 13-3-17-52)