File photo courtesy of Daily Mountain Eagle
By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
It was “bombs away” for the Cardinals last Friday.
The Gadsden State mens basketball team knocked down a school-record 22 three-point baskets
en route to a 116-78 win over Lurleen B. Wallace in an Alabama Community College Conference Tournament play-in game last Friday (Mar. 1) at Beck Field House.
North No. 4 seed Gadsden State (18-11) plays South No. 1 seed Coastal Alabama-South on Tuesday, Mar. 5, in the ACCC Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 5, at Lawson State in Birmingham.
GSCC sophomore guard Xavier Malcolm (pictured above at center), who currently ranks seventh in the conference in scoring, netted 25 of his game-high 28 points in the first half. Gadsden State held a 58-27 lead at the half and led by as many as 40 points in the second half.
The Saints defeated Gadsden State in overtime, 91-86, earlier this season.
“We had planned to go inside-out (against L.B. Wallace), but they gave us the outside shot,” said Gadsden State head coach Deddrick Tarver. “We had been practicing our 3-point shooting, which paid off tonight. Our goal was to get off to a fast start, and we did. I would like to thank the fans, community and the school for their support this season.”
The Cardinals (19-11) went on a 19-3 run during the first 3:30 of the game, and Wallace never recovered. Gadsden State forced several turnovers on the way to its 31-point lead at intermission.
The second half was almost a carbon copy of the first. The Cardinals continued their hot outside shooting, burying 12 more 3-point baskets. Every player on the Gadsden State roster scored.
Jeremiah Harris scored 19 for the Cardinals, followed by Norman Kelley with 16 and Lagarrius Wigley with 14. Landon Johnson added eight points off the bench.
Roger Davis led the Saints with 20 points, while Yuseff Carpenter chipped in 11.