Box Score SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The top-seeded King University men's basketball team ran into a hot Southern Wesleyan University team in a Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Championship semifinal on Saturday evening. The Tornado fell behind the fourth-seeded Warriors in the first half, and couldn't dig out of the hole in the second half, falling 92-77.
THE BASICS
FINAL: No. 4 Southern Wesleyan 92, No .1 King 77
LOCATION: Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium; Spartanburg, S.C.
RECORDS: King 23-7; Southern Wesleyan 19-11
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
- Southern Wesleyan shot 66.7 percent from the floor and 77.8 percent from three-point range in the first half while holding King to 13.3 percent from the floor and 10.0 percent from long range.
- The Warriors used a 14-0 run early in the first half to open up a 24-6 lead before a Mike Salomon three got the Tornado back on the board.
- The Tornado deficit grew to 46-16 with two minutes remaining in the half following a 20-3 Warrior run.
- Southern Wesleyan held a 53-18 lead at the break.
Second Half
- Southern Wesleyan grabbed their largest lead of the game at 55-18 in the opening minute of the second half, their largest lead of the game.
- King tried to work their way back, but every time the Tornado got some momentum going, the Warriors were there with a key basket.
- The Tornado scored 10 straight points down the stretch, but it wasn't enough as the deficit was too large for the Tornado to overcome.
- Southern Wesleyan took the game 92-77, shooting 56.9 percent from the floor while holding King to a 35.7 field goal percentage.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Jordan Floyd led King with 40 points, scoring 37 in the second half.
- Floyd went 14-25 from the floor and 5-for-7 from three-point range.
- Salomon followed with 19 points and nine rebounds.
FOR THE FOES
- Solomon Smith and Ta'Jay Dunlap led Southern Wesleyan with 22 points apiece.
- Smith snared seven rebounds and went 10-for-12 from the floor while Dunlap added nine rebounds.
- Clenzo Ross added 15 points and Jalen Lowery chipped in with 11 points.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Floyd now has eight 40-point games this season and 19 with at least 30 points.
- He now has 1,900 career points, becoming the first Tornado to reach the 1,900-point plateau.
UP NEXT
- King will await the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection Show on Sunday night at 10:30 to see if they will receive and at large bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship.
- Southern Wesleyan will take on Belmont Abbey College in the Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Championship final on Saturday.
