SPARTANBURG, S.C. – On a night in which both teams entered with winning streaks on the line, it was the Converse University men's basketball team prevailing with an 86-79 win over Livingstone inside the Weisiger Center.
With the win Converse improves to 5-5 overall on the season and they pick up their second non-conference victory of the season. The win also gives the Valkyries their fourth consecutive win, which extends their school record for longest win streak. Redshirt senior guard
Jordan Warlick (Irmo, S.C.) scored his 1,000-career point in the win on Monday night as well.
Livingstone won the opening tip-off and Teon Tiller found Detionne Leach for the first points of the game for either side.
Uzziah Dawkins (Spartanburg, S.C.) scored on the Valkyries opening possession to tie up the game and seconds later Warlick scored the go-ahead basket for Converse.
The Valkyries offense got off to a hot start as they used an 8-1 run to suck the momentum away from the Livingstone offense early in the period. Coming out of the first media timeout break, the Valkyries held a 14-5 advantage over the Blue Bears. However, the timeout seemed to come as an opportune time for the Blue Bears as they immediately went on a 5-0 run to pull back within five-points of Converse.
For the majority of the half the two teams traded baskets and slogged through the 25 combined fouls called in the opening period of action. With 3:39 to play in the first half,
Kevin Vance made a layup off a pass by
Sigurd Lorange. The basket finally gave the Valkyries a little bit of breathing room with a 10-point edge at 37-27.
Converse continued to counter Livingstone's baskets with baskets of their own, by the Blue Bears were still able to chip away at the Valkyries lead. Converse went into the halftime intermission with a 42-36 advantage over Livingstone.
Paul Tako hit a three-pointer coming out of the halftime break and the Valkyries were once again clinging to a three-point lead over Livingstone.
Earl Burgess III (Spartanburg, S.C.) scored the first points of the second half for Converse. With 15:38 to play in the game, Lorange made a mid-range jumper to put the Valkyries up 11-points.
The Valkyries lead was short lived, however, as Livingstone went on a 9-0 run to pull within a pair of the Valkyries at 54-52.
Bosko Bojovic halted the Blue Bears momentum by scoring the next eight points for Converse and putting the Valkyries back up top by double-digits.
Converse held onto the double-digit lead for multiple minutes, but once again the Blue Bears hung around and started to chip away at the Valkyries lead. Then with 1:29 to play Pharoah Lassiter made a layup for Livingstone and the Blue Bears were back within five points of Converse. The Valkyries made their free throws down the stretch and sealed their fourth straight win of the season.
Uzziah Dawkins led the team in points (21), assists (8) and tied for the team lead in steals with three each. Bojovic finished second on the team with 16-points off the bench and Warlick contributed 12-points in the win for the Valkyries. Burgess III led the team with 10-rebounds in the game.
Next Up:
The Valkyries will be back at home this Wednesday evening against Francis Marion. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. inside the Weisiger Center.
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