Elizabeth City, NC – The Regent University Men's Basketball team hit the road Wednesday night for a match-up with USCAA member Mid-Atlantic Christian University. This game would be a rematch from a few weeks ago, when the Royals won on a last second three-pointer at home. However, tonight would be a test against a Mustangs team that was coming off an upset win the previous night and looking to keep that streak going.
MACU started the scoring to begin the first half, quickly jumping out to a four-point lead. However, Freshman JT May (Jasonville, IN) would find a cutting Junior Darrin Clark (Suffolk, VA) for Regent's first basket of the game. After a defensive stop, Junior Anthony Chenault (Portsmouth, VA) and Sophomore Antoine Brown (Chesapeake, VA) trimmed the lead to four and then a Clark layup forced a MACU timeout with the score 11-9. Regent would give up a few shots, until Sophomore Micah Eastman (Virginia Beach, VA) drained a three, which was followed by an offensive put back by Freshman Damien Walters, Jr. (Matthews, VA). Freshman Brandon Williams (Windsor, NC) converted a turnaround jumper but after some back-in-forth defensive steals, the Royals found themselves trailing 26-16. However, layups by Clark and Junior Joshua Vogt (Rochester, NY) trimmed the deficit, but as they headed into the locker room, Regent would trail 38-27.
Clark began the scoring for the Royals to start the second half with back-to-back driving layups. On the next possession, Williams grabbed an offensive rebound and went up strong to the basket to get the deficit under double-digits. However, the Mustangs had an answer and eventually increased their lead to 15 points. Clark free throws and a Walters layup helped keep Regent within striking distance and then that was followed by a Brown offensive put back. Brown would hit his first three of the game on the next possession and then Clark converted an old-fashioned three-point play to keep the scoring going. A few minutes later Eastman converted his own three-point play and then Clark hit a three-pointer from the wing to cut the score to 65-54. With six minutes remaining Brown found a cutting Walters to pull to within nine points and then on an inbound play under the basket, he found Eastman who made the shot and the free throw, but the Royals could not mount a comeback, falling by a final score of 85-73.
Clark finished the game with a single-game school scoring record of 32 points, while Eastman added 14 points and was 7 for 8 from the free throw line.
Regent will be back in action on Friday, February 14th when they travel to Georgia for a match-up with Toccoa Falls College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm.
