George L. Jones

The Selma Times-Journal

Concordia College basketball coach Anthony Rutledge said earlier in the season if his team could get back to .500, it would be all right.

The Hornets hit that statement dead on after ending their regular season with a three-game winning streak.

A 79-55 home victory over Oakwood College Monday night has the Hornets (13-13) awaiting word on their second consecutive bid to the USCAA national tournament in Broken Arrow, Okla.

Deonte Williams led the team with a double-double, scoring 17 points and pulling in 10 rebounds. Ronald Cooper scored 15 points and had eight assists. Both Roddrice Griffin and Demitrius Fleetion had 10 points and five assists.

“We got a chance to play everybody, and everybody played well,” Rutledge said. “Now we’re looking forward to a bid to the national tournament. We won’t play again until Feb. 25.”

Playing with a practically brand new roster because of academic ineligibility to several players, the Hornets have gelled quickly.

The streak began with a 79-67 win over Pensacola Christian College on Friday, and then a 55-53 win over Tennessee Temple on Saturday. Both games were on the road.

The team’s success is due primarily, Rutledge said, to its commitment to defense. One of the biggest examples of that is Fleetion, who averaged eight steals in the first two games of the streak.

“We finished the season strong, and that’s what we looked for,” Rutledge said. “This has given us the opportunity to go back to the nationals, and we should be better this time. What this team has done is outstanding.”