Bucs Pull Away Late; Extends Winning Streak

TUSCALOOSA - The Shelton State Community College men's basketball team pulled away from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in the final four minutes, to post a 65-55 win at the Umphrey Center on Monday night. 

Shelton State (8-1) outscored Copiah Lincoln 13-2 in the final 4:16 to secure its fifth straight win. 

The back-and-forth game featured 12 lead changes and eight ties with both teams trading baskets down the stretch. 

Freshman King Larkin (Paul Bryant HS) put the Bucs ahead to stay with a layup with 4:16 left in the game. 

Larkin finished with 12 points (4-8 FG) and five rebounds. He has 63 points and 21 rebounds in his last five games.

Sophomore DJ Hamlett (Hillcrest HS), who finished with a career-high 19 points, made six straight free throws down the stretch to seal the win. 

"I give all the credit to (assistant coach) Marcus Anthony and working with him in the gym everyday," Hamlett said. "He's made a big impact on my game. It paid off tonight."

The Bucs made 24-of-29 (.828) free throws in the win. The 24 free throws and free throw percentage were both season highs. Hamlett made all eight foul shots. 

"We shoot free throws every day and try to stay focused at the line," Hamlett added. "We've been working on free throws."

Shelton State led 29-27 after grind-it-out first half. 

The Bucs shot 18-for-52 (.346) from the field on Monday, including 5-for-17 (.294) beyond the arc.

Copiah-Lincoln (4-5) made 24-of-57 (.421) shots from the floor. 

The rebounding was knotted at 35-35, but the Wolves outscored the Bucs 38-24 in the paint.

Sophomore Shah Hall (Hillcrest HS) led the Bucs with 10 rebounds. 

Tyrell Bowles paced Co-Lin with 13 points and 15 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the year. 

He are After a break for Thanksgiving, Shelton State returns to action on Monday, Dec. 1 at East Mississippi. The women's game begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7:30 p.m.