Fisk upsets Dillard in GCAC men’s basketball quarterfinals, 74-70

TOUGALOO, Miss. – Long range shooting secured the first upset of the 2023 Hope Credit Union GCAC Men’s Basketball Championship on Friday afternoon between Dillard University and Fisk University.

In the end, No. 6 Fisk pulled the upset, 74-70, over No. 3 Dillard.

The physical first half started with an early offensive burst from the Bleu Devils before Fisk used three consecutive threes, two coming from Ralph Davenport, to gain its first lead. The score was stalemated at 11 apiece for several minutes until Davenport connected on his third three-pointer of the half. The momentum started to shift in the Bulldogs’ favor, as they went on an 11-2 run before the half’s midpoint.

The Bulldogs’ defense and strong long-range shooting propelled them to the lead as four players contributed to the long-range arsenal of the Bulldogs. The Bleu Devils, who struggled to break the ice off their own rim late, had difficulty containing the streaking Bulldog offense, which poured in points from both the interior and behind the arc. Fisk headed to the locker room with a 35-27 lead over Dillard.

The second half was more of the same as the Bulldogs continued to outpace Dillard offensively. The early portion of the frame saw the Bleu Devils still have a lid on its basket and Fisk increased the pace of the game by scoring on multiple fast break possessions. Dillard’s First Team All-GCAC honoree Kenyon Duling tried to provide a spark as the scoring gap continued to grow but it wasn’t enough down the stretch. The Bulldogs advance to the semifinal round with the 75-70 victory..

Four Bulldogs posted double digit tallies, led by All-Defensive Team selection Michael Ashley with 15, followed by 12 points apiece from All-GCAC First Team honoree Tyon Thompson, Devyn Payne and Davenport.

Dillard’s Ty’Ohn Trimble, who earned GCAC All-Defensive Team honors, led with 14 points while Tyrus Crawford finished with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. All-GCAC Second Team selection Raheem Carter added 12 points and Quinerious Jones posted 10 points.

The sixth-seeded Fisk Bulldogs will face the No. #2 Philander Smith College Panthers on Saturday, February 25 at 2 p.m. in the semifinals of the 2023 Hope Credit Union GCAC Men’s Basketball Championship.