Perron resigns from St. Andrews basketball
June 29, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC—St. Andrews Presbyterian College Athletic Director Howard Reichner announced that Head Basketball Coach Rob Perron has resigned to return to Pfeiffer University, effective immediately.
“I have known Coach Perron as a student and as a men’s basketball coach,” said Reichner. “I have the greatest admiration for his work ethic and his concern for his student-athletes. We all wish him the very best at Pfeiffer.”
Perron will be returning to Pfeiffer to work as an assistant men’s basketball coach under Dave Davis, who Perron worked for prior to coming to St. Andrews.
“I’m going back to Pfeiffer as it’s a better opportunity for me and my family and to work for whom I consider one of the best coaches in the business,” stated Perron.
Perron served as the head coach of the Knights basketball team for the past three seasons accumulating a 27-59 record after inheriting a 2-25 team in July of 2002. In his first season Perron lead St. Andrews to the third round of the CVAC Basketball Tournament. The 2004/05 season was Perron’s best with the Knights. The team finished with 12 wins, its most in six years. St. Andrews began the season with its best start in its NCAA era with a 5-1 mark. Perron coached three CVAC Players of the Week, two CVAC All-Conference and one CVAC All-Tournament players in his three seasons at SAPC.
“I am very grateful for my opportunity at St. Andrews as it’s a great place with great people,” continued Perron. “I’m looking forward to going back to Pfeiffer, where they have an unbelievable winning tradition but I will be pulling for St. Andrews in all of their games except for the two against Pfeiffer.”
“I will miss the student-athletes and St. Andrews will hold a special place in my heart as a graduate.”
St. Andrews will begin a national search for a new head coach starting immediately and Assistant Coach Richie Schueler has been named Interim Coach. |
Erskine men’s basketball holds off St. Andrews
February 26, 2005
DUE SOUTH, SC—Key free throws by Erskine’s Matt Odom, Jay Waring, and T.J. Taylor in the final minute ended a St. Andrews rally and gave the Flying Fleet a 69-63 Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference victory over the Knights Saturday in Belk Arena.
Erskine completed the regular season with a 13-14 overall record and 10-10 CVAC record, its first non-losing conference record in the CVAC’s 10-year history. The Fleet tied for fourth in the conference, but will be the 6 th seed in the tournament and host No. 11 Coker Monday at 7 p.m. in the first round of the CVAC tournament.
No. 9 seed St. Andrews finished the regular season 12-15, 6-14 in the conference, and will play Monday against No. 8 seed Anderson College at 7:00 p.m. The Knights defeated Anderson in both regular season meetings.
Erskine led by 14, 47-33, with ten minutes remaining, but Chad Eichelberger’s 3 pointer cut the Fleet’s margin to 61-58 with 45 seconds to play. Odom, Waring, and Taylor each hit two free throws and Jason Winecoff scored on a layup to sew up the win for Erskine.
Craig Williams paced Erskine with 24 points, followed by Reed Long with 14 and Odom with 12.
Eichelberger’s 19 points led St. Andrews. Taiwon Grooms had 12 points and David Truesdale 10 for the Knights. |
Knights drop home finale to Mount Olive, 80-62
February 24, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC—Nationally ranked No. 15 Mount Olive College held off an early scare by host St. Andrews on ‘Senior Knight’ as the Trojans won the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men’s basketball contest 80-62 in Harris Court Thursday.
The Trojans, who are also ranked third in the East Region, improved to 23-3 overall and 17-2 in the CVAC. The 23 wins ties Mount Olive’s record of most wins in one season. The Knights fell to 12-14 and 6-13.
St. Andrews came out with high intensity and a three-pointer by senior guard David Truesdale (Charlotte, NC) provided the Knights with an early 9-5 lead. SAPC held a two-point advantage going into the final three minutes of the first half.
The Trojans finished off the half with a 14-6 run to take a 35-31 halftime lead that they never relinquished.
Senior forward Bryson Graves (Eden, NC) started the scoring in the second half with a lay-up almost three minutes into half that cut the Knights deficit to two at 35-33. It was the closest St. Andrews got as Mount Olive went on an 11-2 run to open up a double-digit lead.
A Melvin Creddle ( Newark, NJ) field goal at the 9:30 mark gave the Trojans its largest lead, 57-39. Mount Olive stayed out front and coasted to the 18-point victory.
The Trojans shot 47.5% from the field while St. Andrews went 38.1%. MOC had 12 steals on 23 Knights turnovers.
Sophomore guard Elton Coffield (Williamston, NC) had a game-high 19 points including five treys. Junior guard Victor Young (Goldsboro, NC) and senior forward Sharome Holloway (Phoenix, AZ) followed with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Young and Holloway each grabbed eight rebounds. Creddle chipped in with seven points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds.
Truesdale led the Knights with 12 points. Senior forward Will Livingston (Charlotte, NC) drained 11 and junior forward Chad Eichelberger (Atlanta, GA) tallied 10 points. Truesdale, Livingston and Eichelberger all had seven boards.
Seniors’ Truesdale, Livingston, Graves and guard Mike Smith (Washington, DC) were honored before the game.
St. Andrews finishes the regular season with a trip to Due West, SC, on Saturday in a showdown with CVAC rival Erskine College at 7:30 p.m. |
Lees-McRae downs Knights, 72-67
February 19, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC—The St. Andrews Presbyterian College men’s basketball team went ice cold from the floor late allowing visiting CVAC rival Lees-McRae to steal a 72-67 victory in Harris Court Saturday. The Bobcats snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 7-17 overall and 4-13 in the conference while the Knights fell to 12-12 and 6-11.
Lees-McRae controlled most of the first half, jumping out to its biggest lead of the game early, 29-15. The Bobcats never trailed in the first 20 minutes and carried a 41-32 lead into the locker room.
The Knights would not go away easily and rallied all the way back to tie the game at 54-54 with just over nine minutes remaining. A David Truesdale (Charlotte, NC) lay-up with 4:15 on the clock gave SAPC a 62-59 advantage. The Knights could not hold onto the lead missing its final six field goal attempts and turning the ball over three times in the final four minutes.
The Bobcats took advantage of the St. Andrews’ miscues, converting on a trey, three lay-ins and several free throws to take the five-point victory.
Aaron Dugger (Elizabethton, TN) led Lees-McRae with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Henri Williams (Kingsport, TN) bucketed 16 with four from the arc and Shawn Zellers (Lagro, IN) tallied 12 points. Antwon Brown (Gary, IN) had a game-high 13 rebounds.
Truesdale led the Knights with 15 points. Charlotte natives Will Livingston and Bobby Short followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Livingston recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds.
The Knights travel to Wilson, NC, for a CVAC match-up with Barton College on Monday at 7:30 p.m. |
Erskine out shoots Knights, 75-57
February 17, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC—Sophomore forward Craig Williams (Paris, KY) was two assists shy of a triple-double in Erskine’s 75-57 victory over host St. Andrews Thursday in CVAC men’s basketball action. The Flying Fleet improved to 10-13 overall and 7-9 in the conference while the Knights fell to 12-11 and 6-10.
Erskine ended the first half with a 17-5 run over the final seven minutes to take a 37-25 halftime lead. The Fleet hit seven of its 13 three-pointers in the first half and only turned the ball over four times in the opening 20 minutes.
SAPC fought hard in the second half but could never cut the deficit to less than nine points. A late TJ Taylor (Gastonia, NC) trey gave the Flying Fleet its largest lead of the game, 74-54, before settling for the 18-point victory.
Erskine converted on 28-of-58 (48.3%) field goals attempts while St. Andrews went 21-for-55 (38.2%). The Fleet also hit 44.8% of its shots from behind the arc. Erskine held the rebounding advantage, 36-32.
Williams finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and one steal. Teammate Reed Long (Piedmont, SC) also bucketed 21 and Taylor finished with 15.
Charlotte, NC, natives David Truesdale and Bobby Short led the Knights with 16 points apiece. Truesdale pulled down eight rebounds and Chad Eichelberger (Atlanta, GA) provided six points, four rebounds and three blocks.
The Knights host CVAC rival Lees-McRae College on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. |
Truesdale Named CVAC Player of the Week for 2nd Time
February 15, 2005
THOMASVILLE , NC— David Truesdale of St. Andrews Presbyterian College (12-10 overall, 6-9 CVAC) has been selected as the NCAA Division II Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference (CVAC) men’s basketball Player of the Week.
Senior guard David Truesdale averaged 17.3 points per game this week leading the Knights to two CVAC wins in three games. Truesdale, who is fourth in the CVAC in scoring, had 13 points and 5 rebounds in a close 67-66 loss to Belmont Abbey College. The Charlotte, NC native sparked the Knights past Queens University of Charlotte, 94-87, with 26 points, seven rebounds, three steals, a block and an assists. Truesdale went 7-for-11 from the field in that game and helped the Knights end a five-game losing streak. Truesdale continued with his good play in the Knights 61-56 win at Anderson College tallying 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. With the two victories St. Andrews has its most wins (11) in five years and most conference victories (5) in four years. The Knights would go on and win its third straight game on Monday night, a 76-66 victory over Coker, with Truesdale leading the way with 19 points. |
Knights’ men’s basketball bites Coker, 76-66
February 14, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC— Five St. Andrews men’s basketball players scored in double digits as the Knights defeated visiting Coker College, 76-66, in CVAC play on Valentine’s Day in Harris Court. SAPC has won three straight improving to 12-10 overall and 6-9 in the CVAC while the Cobras fell to 6-16 and 4-11.
After Coker grabbed an early 7-2 lead, St. Andrews went a 17-0 run that included three 3-pointers put the Knights on top for good.
A Jason Fulwood (Cumming, GA) trey with 6:55 showing cut the Cobra deficit to 21-16 but the Knights finished the half with a 14-7 run to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.
St. Andrews pulled out to its biggest lead of the game, 47-31, early in the second half. Coker did not give in and a Jay Farrow (Sanford, NC) lay-up cut the Knights lead to four, 56-52, with 6:48 remaining. J.C. Harris (Baton Rouge, LA) quickly put SAPC back on top by 12 with a steal and a lay-up that finished an 8-0 run.
Mark Duncan (Graham, TX) kept the Cobras in range with two consecutive late three’s that sliced the lead to 71-66 with 1:46 on the clock. However, Coker would go on to miss its final three shots and the Knights sealed the 10-point victory at the free throw line.
David Truesdale (Charlotte, NC) had a game-high 19 points for St. Andrews. Will Livingston ( Charlotte, NC) bucked 14; Bryson Graves (Eden, NC) tallied 12; and Harris and Chad Eichelberger (Atlanta, GA) added 10 apiece. Harris supplied seven assists, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
St. Andrews won the battle of the boards, out rebounding Coker 40-26. Graves, Truesdale and Eichelberger all grabbed eight for the Knights.
Duncan led the Cobras with 17 points. Fulwood and Farrow followed with 13 and 11, respectively. Michael Pierce (Whiteville, NC) chipped in with 10 points and Jamie Jenkins (Columbia, SC) led all rebounder’s with nine.
The Knights host CVAC rival Erskine College on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. |
Knights take down Anderson, 61-56
February 12, 2005
ANDERSON, SC— St. Andrews Presbyterian College took the lead with 7:44 to play and managed to hang on for a 61-56 victory over Anderson College in a CVAC game Saturday afternoon at the Abney Center.
St. Andrews, 11-10 overall and 5-9 in the CVAC, led 36-35 at the half, but Anderson outscored the Knights 15-9 in the first 11 minutes of the second half to take a 50-45 lead with 8:51 remaining.
Anderson, 9-12 overall and 7-8 in the CVAC, held St. Andrews without a field goal during a six-minute span to increase its lead from 44-43 to 50-45. Osvaldo Haynes had two field goals during that run for the Trojans.
But then the Trojans went cold. Anderson did not score for three minutes and St. Andrews took advantage. Joseph Harris and Chad Eichelberger both made field goals and the Knights converted six free throws to seize a 55-50 lead with 5:51 remaining.
Anderson got to within one, 57-56, with 2:18 remaining and had two chances to tie in the final minute, but the Trojans came up empty.
St. Andrews was led by David Truesdale and Bryson Graves with 13 points apiece. Eichelberger just missed a double-double with eight points and 12 rebounds.
Anderson's John LeSueur led all scorers with 14 points, all in the first half. Alfred Boykin scored 11 and Haynes chipped in 10 for Anderson.
Led by Haynes' game-high 13 rebounds, Anderson won the boards, 51-42. Twenty-three of Anderson's rebounds were off the offensive glass. Both teams struggled from the field. St. Andrews shot 37 percent, while Anderson managed just 32 percent. The second half was even worse with St. Andrews shooting 26 percent and Anderson 25 percent.
The free-throw line once again was costly for Anderson, which made just 7 of 13 from the stripe. St. Andrews was 17-for-23 from the line. Anderson's 56 points was its lowest point total since Jan. 13 when the Trojans scored 58 points in a victory over Belmont Abbey.
The Knights look to make it three in a row when they host CVAC rival Coker College on Valentine’s Day at 7:30 p.m. |
Knights defeat Queens with hot shooting
February 10, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC—Four different St. Andrews players scored in double digits and the team shot 55.2 percent from the field to defeat Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference foe Queens University of Charlotte, 94-87, in men’s basketball action Thursday on Harris Court.
The Knights (10-10 overall, 4-9 CVAC) squeaked out a narrow 37-35 halftime lead after a fast paced first half. There were six lead changes and four ties before SAPC held a late five-point advantage. Timon Farley (Charlotte, NC) hit a three-pointer as time expired in the first half to cut the Royals (9-13, 6-9) deficit to two at intermission.
St. Andrews took command of the game out of the locker room with a 16-8 run to start the half and never looked back. Senior guard David Truesdale (Charlotte, NC) hit a three-pointer with seven minutes to go to give the Knights its largest lead of the game, 75-57. St. Andrews held off a late Queens’ rally with good ball movement and shooting.
The Knights finished the game shooting 32-for-58 (55.2%) from the field and 8-for-13 (61.5%) from the arc.
Truesdale led St. Andrews with 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Charlotte natives Will Livingston and Bobby Short bucketed 18 apiece and Bryson Graves added 14. Livingston just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. J.C. Harris (Baton Rouge, LA) contributed with seven rebounds, six points, five assists and two steals.
Esau Eatman (Durham, NC) led the Royals with 21 points. Farley and B.J. Timmons (Burlington, NC) tallied 19 and 13, respectively.
“We talked during pre-game about totally dominating a game as the guys don’t understand that because St. Andrews has lost for so long,” said Head Coach Rob Perron. “Tonight we did it. The second half was evidence of that.”
The Garinger trio (Truesdale, Short and Livingston) came up huge for us with 62 points,” continued Perron. “J.C. Harris played his best game of the year. He played like a point guard distributing the ball well, engineering our drives and harassing their (Queens) point guard. Chad (Eichelberger) didn’t shoot well but got a lot of rebounds and his presence inside made a big difference on defense.”
Perron picked up win number 10 tonight, which marked the most in one season in his three year career at St. Andrews. Perron inherited a 2-25 team and is proud to know that the program is moving in the right direction.
The Knights travel to Anderson College on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. |
Moreira hits game-winner over St. Andrews
February 7, 2005
BELMONT, NC— Rafael Moreira drilled a three-pointer with six seconds left, capping a late comeback as Belmont Abbey (8-13 overall, 7-7 CVAC) knocked off St. Andrews (9-10, 3-9) 67-66 at the Wheeler Center Monday night.
The Crusaders took an early lead in the first half thanks to strong three-point shooting, as they hit five treys in the first nine minutes of play. Three of those came from Greg LaVann, and Belmont Abbey raced to an 18-9 lead with 11:08 left. St. Andrews answered by scoring the next 10 points, and took a 19-18 lead with 5:39 left. The Crusaders answered that run by scoring back-to-back baskets to regain control, and they would eventually take a 30-26 lead to the half.
Belmont Abbey took their largest lead of the half when Damien Humphrey hit a three with 13:59 left, giving the Crusaders a 42-35 advantage. When it looked as though Belmont Abbey might cruise to victory, St. Andrews dug in, scoring eight straight points over the next 2:33, and the Knights took a 43-42 lead off two David Truesdale free throws with 11:26 left. Belmont Abbey regained the lead shortly after that, and its lead grew to 54-49.
St. Andrews began to find their range. The Knights hit three three-pointers during a 14-3 run that gave them its biggest lead, 63-57, with just 2:36 left. Belmont Abbey continued to work the ball to Moreira, who hit a lay-up and two free throws to cut St. Andrews’ lead to 63-61 with 1:46 left. After two free throws by Truesdale, Moreira answered with a driving dunk that brought the crowd to their feet, and the Crusaders trailed 65-63 with 1:07 left.
After a stop, Moreira hit one of two free throws to cut the lead to 65-64 with 21 seconds left, then Bobby Short hit one of two free throws for the Knights to give them back a two-point lead. The Crusaders brought the ball up court, and Steve Williams drove the lane and found Moreira open at the top of the key, and Moreira drilled a three to give Belmont Abbey the lead 67-66. Taiwon Grooms shot with two seconds left missed badly, and the Crusaders had earned their third straight victory.
Moreira scored the final 12 points for Belmont Abbey, and 20 of his 21 came in the second half. LaVann finished with 17, and Humphrey added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Crusaders.
Short and Will Livingston had 14 each for St. Andrews, while Truesdale added 13. Chad Eichelberger and Grooms bucketed nine and eight points, respectively. Grooms grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
The Knights host CVAC rival Queens University of Charlotte on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. |
Knights fall to Limestone, 76-65
January 31, 2005
LAURINBURG, NC—The Limestone College men’s basketball team hit 11 of its 14 three-point attempts against host St. Andrews on Monday night as the Saints defeated the Knights 76-65 in Harris Court. Limestone improved to 10-8 overall and 6-5 in the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference while SAPC fell to 9-8 and 3-7.
A Chad Eichelberger dunk with 11:35 left in the first half gave the Knights a 16-14 lead. Brandon Shipman answered for the Saints with one of his four 3-pointers on the next possession putting Limestone ahead for the rest of the game. The Saints ended the first half with a 27-11 run to take a 41-27 halftime advantage.
Another three by Shipman in the early stages of the second half gave the Saints its largest lead of the game, 50-33. St. Andrews never quit and went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 52-45 with 11 minutes to go. Alex Bailey kept Limestone out in front with three from long distance in the next couple of minutes helping extend the lead back to 17. The Saints hit free throws down the stretch and cruised to the 11 point victory.
Limestone finished the game going 24-for-44 (54.5%) from the field, 11-for-14 (78.6%) for the arc and 17-for-21 (81.0%) from the free throw line. St. Andrews could not find its touch from down town only hitting on 1-of-11 (9.1%) three-point attempts.
Shipman led the Saints with 24 points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists. Marquintus Jones and Bailey followed with 18 and 12 points, respectively. Shawn Poppie tallied eight rebounds and eight assists.
Eichelberger finished with a team-high 14 points for the Knights. David Truesdale added 12 points and Bryson Graves bucketed 10.
St. Andrews will visit CVAC rival Pfeiffer University on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. |
Regionally ranked Mt. Olive defeats St. Andrews, 80-65
January 27, 2005
MT. OLIVE, NC— Sharome Holloway hit 11-of-14 free throws and led four players in double figures with 18 points as regionally sixth-ranked Mount Olive defeated St. Andrews 80-65 in Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference men’s basketball Thursday at College Hall. The win is the Trojans’ fifth in a row and 12th in their last 13 games.
Mount Olive (14-2 overall, 8-1 CVAC) scored the first seven points of the game and led from start to finish. Holloway hit four free throws during a run of six unanswered points as the Trojans built the lead to double digits at 22-12 with 8:50 left in the first half. St. Andrews (9-7, 3-6) got as close as seven, but Mount Olive extended the lead to 17 points as Victor Young’s alley-oop dunk with 2:05 remaining capped a 10-2 run. The Trojans went into the locker room with a 43-28 halftime lead.
St. Andrews pulled within 13 points early in the second half, but four consecutive free throws by Holloway and a basket by Young gave the Trojans a 19-point lead with 13:01 left in the game. Mount Olive took its biggest lead at 72-48 on the third of four three-pointers by Elton Coffield, who scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half. Both teams emptied their benches in the final four minutes of the game as St. Andrews closed the final gap to 15 points.
Elijah Rouse scored 12 points for the Trojans and shared game-high honors with eight rebounds. Maurice Horton finished with eight points, ending his streak of double-figure games at 10.
St. Andrews was led by Will Livingston with 17 points and Bryson Graves with 16 points. The played without leading scorer David Truesdale, who did not make the trip due to a flu bug. Benny Zacharias scored a career-high seven points.
St. Andrews plays host to Erskine College on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in CVAC action. |
