Wake Tech Pulls Away Late to Defeat Statesmen

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA — Richard Bland College battled throughout but could not overcome a late push from Wake Technical Community College, falling 67-77 on Thursday evening. The Statesmen drop to 3-13 overall, 2-9 in conference play.

The Statesmen started strong, taking a 23-15 lead after the first quarter behind efficient offense and strong defensive energy. Wake Tech responded in the second quarter, outscoring RBC 14-24 to take a narrow halftime advantage. The teams played even in the third quarter before Wake Tech used a 21-point fourth quarter to secure the road win.

Richard Bland struggled from the field overall, shooting 26.5% (22-for-83) and 20.8% (11-for-53) from three-point range, while also going 12-for-27 (44.4%) from the free throw line. Despite the shooting struggles, RBC controlled the glass with a 40 rebound effort and forced 16 steals defensively.

Micala Poe led the Statesmen offensively with 16 points, knocking down three three-pointers. Leila Estrada and Keeva Heggins each added 13 points, with Estrada connecting on three shots from beyond the arc and grabbing five rebounds.

Nyah Barnwell contributed eight points, while Hazel Veloz added seven points and seven rebounds. Arianna Zepeda filled the stat sheet with 11 assists, six steals, and seven rebounds. La'Niah Thornton and Marin Curtin helped anchor the rebounding effort, combining for 12 boards.

The Statesmen will look to regroup and bounce back in their next conference matchup, on Sunday, February 8^th vs Louisburg College. Tip-off is set for 1pm, with sophomore day activities happening prior.

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