Statesmen Surge Past Caldwell, Fall Short in Semifinals

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — The Richard Bland College Men's Basketball team delivered a strong showing in the Region 10 Tournament, earning a quarterfinal victory before falling in the semifinals to conclude the 2025-26 season.

RBC opened postseason play on March 12 with an impressive 97-83 upset win over Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute inside Statesmen Hall. The Statesmen put together one of their most complete offensive performances of the season, shooting 50 percent from the field and an efficient 54.2 percent from three-point range. Richard Bland used a balanced attack and strong second-half surge to pull away, outscoring Caldwell 57-54 after taking an 11-point lead into halftime. Aleksandar Bihler led the way with a dominant 30-point performance on 10-of-13 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, while adding five rebounds and four assists. Andy Ramirez followed with 22 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, narrowly missing a triple-double. Doyle Brown contributed 17 points, and Jermaine Coston Jr. added 14 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double effort. Off the bench, Jude Angervil provided a spark with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting. RBC's ball movement and defensive presence were key, finishing with 27 assists, nine steals, and six blocks in the win. The victory advanced the Statesmen to the Region 10 semifinals on March 13, where they faced Gaston College.

Despite a strong second-half push, Richard Bland fell 72-84 to Gaston to end its season. Gaston built an early advantage, taking a 22-40 lead into halftime. RBC responded with a much-improved offensive effort in the second half, scoring 50 points, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. Aleksandar Bihler once again led the Statesmen with 25 points and 11 rebounds, recording a double-double. Jermaine Coston Jr. added 24 points, knocking down six three-pointers, while also pulling down 10 rebounds. Doyle Brown finished with 12 points, and Andy Ramirez added six points, six rebounds, and two steals. The Statesmen were limited to 34.9 percent shooting from the field and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc, while Gaston controlled the glass with a 34-54 rebounding advantage.

Richard Bland concludes the 2025-26 season with a 12-13 overall record and a 6-8 mark in Region 10 play.

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