Staff report

SALISBURY — There’s strength in numbers.

Livingstone’s men’s basketball team plays lots of people, lots of bodies, and superior depth proved to be the difference in a 102-91 CIAA win against Chowan on Monday night.

Chowan (10-4, 3-3) got 89 points from four players, with Demetrius Sanders getting 26, Timothy Bing 23, Gus Rowland 22, and Dean Joyner 19.

Sanders and Rowland played 40 minutes each at New Trent Gym.

But Livingstone played 13 men (Chowan played seven) and got points from 11. Roger Ray had 28 points and 10 assists for the Blue Bears. Malik Smith scored 22.

Livingstone (8-6, 2-4) appeared to be in trouble when Chowan surged to a 10-point lead at 35-25 five minutes before halftime.

But the Blue Bears closed the half with a 23-11 burst to take a 48-46 lead to the break. In that rush right before the half, Smith had a three-point play and a 3-pointer, while Ray also nailed a key 3-ball.

That spree was the turning point. Livingstone put up 54 in the second half, including three 3-pointers by Ray. The Blue Bears shot 57 percent in the second half.

For the game, Livingstone shot 47 percent. The Blue Bears had a small edge in turnovers (17-14) and won the boards (48-38).

But the biggest stat was a 27-2 advantage in points off the bench.

It was a tough road swing through the Southern Division for the Hawks, who lost at J.C. Smith on Thursday and also at Winston-Salem State on Saturday.

 

CHOWAN (91) — Sanders 26, Bing 23, Rowland 22, Joyner 19, Portic 2, Kelly, Mayhan.

LIVIGSTONE (102) — Ray 28, Smith 22, Carpenter 12, L. Elmore 7, N. Elmore 7, Dupree 6, McNeill 6, Harris 6, Handley 4, Fykes 3, Grant 1, Parker, Tate.

Chowan                 46   45   — 91

Livingstone          48   54   — 102