Columbia, SC – Benedict College outscored Shaw University 28-20 over the first 20 minutes, then survived an even 36-36 second half to hold on for a 64-56 win over the Bears Tuesday night at Benedict College.
The Tigers jumped out early, building leads of 16-6 and 22-9 with 7:10 left in the first half before Shaw started chipping away. A three-pointer from Brandon Faison trimmed the deficit to 26-20 with just over a minute left in the half – as close as the Bears would get before the break.
Shaw came out of the locker room and immediately cut it to 28-24, but Benedict answered to push the lead back to double digits at 36-25 with 16:27 remaining, then extended it to 43-30 with 10:13 left. The Bears refused to fold. A layup from Tyler Williams with 6:04 on the clock made it 51-43, and the margin kept shrinking from there.
With 1:57 to play, Corey Rutherford buried a three to pull Shaw within two, 57-55 – the Bears’ best look at the lead all night. But a turnover on the ensuing possession killed the momentum, and Benedict calmly answered with a three of its own at the 41-second mark to push the lead back to a possession the Bears couldn’t erase. Final: Benedict 64, Shaw 56.
Faison led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Caleb Simmons added 10 – the only two Bears in double figures. Brandon Smith paced Benedict with 17. Shaw shot a season-low 37.3% from the field and lost the turnover battle 19-14, the difference in a game decided by single digits.
The loss drops Shaw to 1-2 on the season, while Benedict picked up its first win. The Bears return home Saturday, November 20, to open their home slate against Carolina University. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. inside historic C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium.