JACKSON, Tenn. – In a thrilling matchup at the J.F. Lane Gymnasium, the Lane College Dragons secured a hard-fought 79-71 victory over the Benedict College Tigers. The game featured an exciting back-and-forth contest, with the lead changing three times and the score tied on four occasions.
Lane (1-5, 1-0 SIAC) was led by Christopher Matthews, who exploded for 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including five three-pointers. Matthews also grabbed seven rebounds and contributed two assists in a stellar performance. Christopher Hood also made a significant impact, finishing with 22 points, going 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. William Henderson added 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Rico Sain II scored 11 points and dished out four assists.
Benedict (0-6, 0-2 SIAC) was led by Parker Grant, who had 17 points and five rebounds, despite struggling with his shooting (5-of-16 from the field). Johnny Taylor Jr. also had an impressive outing with 16 points and six assists, while Tariq Shepherd added 15 points, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Zaire Rogers came off the bench to provide a scoring spark, finishing with 10 points in 15 minutes of play.
The first half saw both teams exchanging blows, with Lane leading 35-32 at the break. Lane shot 43.75% from the field in the first half, but their accuracy improved significantly in the second half, as they connected on 56% of their shots, including 40% from beyond the arc. Benedict, meanwhile, struggled with their shooting in the second half, hitting just 35.9% from the field after an efficient 50% performance in the opening half.
The Dragons were able to take control in the second half, utilizing their superior free-throw shooting (87.5% in the second half) and fast break points (21 for the game) to build a lead that Benedict couldn’t quite overcome. The Tigers fought hard, especially with a strong second-half effort, but ultimately came up short, as they were outscored 44-39 in the final 20 minutes.
Lane’s defense also played a crucial role, forcing Benedict into 20 turnovers while holding the Tigers to just 35% from three-point range. In contrast, Lane’s offense capitalized on 12 points off turnovers and dominated in the paint with 30 points.
Key Stats:
- Benedict: 23-57 FG (40.4%), 7-20 3PT (35.0%), 18-27 FT (66.7%)
- Lane: 28-57 FG (49.1%), 6-19 3PT (31.6%), 17-23 FT (73.9%)
