The Yellow Jackets finished with a 6-6 overall record and a 2-3 record against SIAC opponents.
Columbia, S.C. – With a 92-85 loss to the Benedict Tigers on Saturday, March 6, the Yellow Jackets finished at .500 in their inaugural season in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) of the NCAA's Division II.
Virgil Lackey (JR/Cincinnati, OH) led all players scoring 25 points, with Darius Williams (JR/Sumter, SC) behind him as the second-highest scorer with 20 points. Lackey corralled a team-high eight rebounds and blocked a game-high three shots, and the Jackets starting guard Marcus Cohen (SR/Tampa, FL) led all players with nine assists while playing nearly the entire game. Lackey, Williams, and Cameron Sembly (SR/Indianapolis, IN) combined for 59 points.
The Jackets collectively had a strong day at the foul line, making 19 of 23 attempts. Despite the absence of senior Maleek Taylor (SR/Riverdale, GA), strong performances from several players and timely scoring kept the game within reach for the Yellow Jackets as they continued to display the relentless effort they have all season.
With 2:21 left in the first half, Maurice Moore (JR/Tampa, FL) stepped up with a layup to tie the scoring at 37. Later at the 8:20 mark of the second half, the Jackets rallied to retake the lead from the Tigers when Eddie Clary (SR/Norcross, GA) swished a three-pointer to make it 72-71 in the Jackets favor.
Head Coach Jason James, assistant coaches Shawn Jones, Levelle Gerrald, and Tim Linnear, and the Jackets players have a lot to be proud of from the teams' first season in the SIAC. They fought through adversity during the pandemic season no matter who was available and represented Allen University the right way by playing every game hard and with pride.
The Jackets' camaraderie and team chemistry were apparent every game. Virgil Lackey delivered a thunderous dunk in the final game of the season that excited the bench to no limit. The players truly loved taking the court alongside one another and offer a huge thank you to the seniors who will move on from the program for their outstanding leadership and hard work.
Next season, the Yellow Jackets hopefully welcome fans back to the buzzing John Hurts Adams Gym and showcasing their talented roster and tenacious effort they showed throughout the 2021 season.
