Statesmen Split Road Stretch with Win at Wake Tech, One-Point Loss at Gaston

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — Richard Bland College men's basketball battled through two tightly contested road games last week, earning a 63-60 comeback victory at Wake Technical Community College before falling in a 62-63 heartbreaker at Gaston College on Saturday.

On Wednesday, the Statesmen erased a halftime deficit and locked in defensively late to secure a road victory over Wake Tech. Richard Bland trailed 26-31 at the break but outscored Wake Tech 37-29 in the second half behind efficient offensive execution and strong defensive pressure.

Andy Ramirez paced the Statesmen with 26 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line while adding six rebounds and four steals. Doyle Brown added 16 points, five assists, and five steals in an all-around performance.

Jermaine Coston Jr. dominated the glass, pulling down 17 rebounds while adding 13 points and three blocks. As a team, RBC controlled the rebounding margin 41-30 and forced 23 Wake Tech turnovers, turning defensive pressure into transition opportunities. Jahi Bowden contributed six points and six steals off the bench to help seal the road win.

Saturday afternoon, the Statesmen followed with another strong performance but came up just short in a one-point loss at Gaston College. Richard Bland trailed 30-32 at halftime and matched Gaston nearly possession for possession in the second half but could not complete the comeback in the closing moments.

Ramirez again led the offense with 22 points, six steals, and four assists. Aleksandar Bihler added 18 points and six rebounds, while Coston Jr. recorded another dominant rebounding performance with 17 boards to go with nine points and four steals.

The Statesmen shot 88.9 percent from the free throw line and won the rebounding battle 40-36, but Gaston capitalized at the line and made key plays late to secure the narrow victory.

Richard Bland (7-9, 3-5) continues conference play looking to build on its defensive intensity and rebounding strength moving forward. The Statesmen are set to host the Rhinos of Gaston College on Saturday, February 14^th at 2pm.

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