Men's Basketball pulls away against Dillard

Wiley University men's basketball player Tayvion Fisher provided 21 points off the bench; Delor Johnson contributed 19 to lead the Wildcats to a 69-56 victory over Dillard University in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game Friday at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Wildcats (8-9, 4-5 GCAC) move into a tie for fifth in the conference and secure the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bleu Devils. It's the third time they've overcome a first-half deficit.

Fisher made six shots and was 5-for-8 from 3-point territory to record a new career-high. He added three rebounds and three assists. Johnson hit nine shots and went 5-for-7 in the second half. Devon Barshow recorded 10 points and seven steals.

Wiley outshot Dillard 39.3 to 35.2 percent. It was outrebounded 40-35 but won the turnover battle 21-12. Eleven of Wiley's takeaways came off steals - leading to 24 points. 

The Wildcats trailed by as many as seven in the first half. Barshow stole the ball twice. He dunked the first steal and set up a dunk for Johnson to cut the margin to three. A 3-pointer and two free throws by Fisher tied the game at 24 with 3:19 left in the second half. Dillard hit two 3-pointers to increase the margin to five. Two layups by Johnson narrowed the gap to one at halftime.

An early turnover by Dillard sparked a nine-point run for the Wildcats in the second half. Tre Booker hit two shots, Brayden Bradshaw made a layup, and a steal by Barshow set up a jumper by Johnson - giving the Wildcats a 40-35 lead.

With 12:41 remaining, Fisher hit two 3-pointers, with his second set up by Shamir Mosley's steal. Wiley increased its lead to nine. Fisher hit a layup and 3-pointer, pushing the advantage to 14 points with 10:31 remaining. The Wildcats led by as many as 18. They held the Bleu Devils to a 27.6 shooting percentage in the second half.

Wiley will continue its homestand on Saturday against Southern University at New Orleans. The Knights fell 78-64 against Philander Smith University on Thursday.

For more coverage on the Wildcats visit Men's Basketball - Wiley University (wileyathletics.com)

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