Golden Bulls playing with the attitude of CIAA contender

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Javon Anderson (0) stepped up for Johnson C. Smith against Winston-Salem State with 18 points in the Golden Bulls' 79-70 win.

Johnson C. Smith basketball is in a good spot heading into the stretch run of the CIAA schedule.

The Golden Bulls are a surprising 10-4 after Saturday’s 79-70 win against Southern Division rival Winston-Salem State in their most significant win in three seasons. JCSU not only won its fourth straight game – all at Brayboy Gym, where the Golden Bulls are 9-1 – they took down a Rams team that was unbeaten in conference games.

“That’s probably the best executed game plan that we’ve conducted this year,” coach Steve Joyner said. “I think they’re growing up; I think they’re maturing and getting a little bit better, but we are fighting for consistency.”

The Golden Bulls, who are 5-2 in the CIAA, played their most complete game of the season against WSSU, leading by as many as 19 points and connecting on 49.2% of their shots 29-of-59), including 53.1% in the second half when they broke the game open. As they’ve done most of the season, JCSU spread the offensive wealth with four players hitting double figures led by Avery Huggins’ 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Javon Anderson came off the bench for 18 while the backcourt of Ezekiel Cannedy and Cedric Patterson chipped in 14 and 10 respectively. The Golden Bulls’ defense frustrated WSSU (11-4, 5-1), which connected on 25-of-61 shots (41%).

“Now we have to take that on the road,” Joyner said. “That’s a little different preparation.”

That road starts on Jan. 15 with a date at St. Augustine’s (8-8, 4-2) for a MLK Day matinee. Seven of the Golden Bulls’ remaining 11 games are away from Brayboy. JCSU is 1-3 outside Charlotte, so contending for the Southern Division title will require road success.

“We’re trying to develop a championship attitude, not just play a game,” he said. “We’re trying to think about how to prepare ourselves for the end of the year when we’re playing for position in the tournament and we’re still playing for a division championship – all those things in front of us we’re playing for. We’re maturing. The question is whether we can hold on to it, that championship attitude that we’re looking for.”

That JCSU is still a contender in the South is a surprise considering the Golden Bulls were picked to finish next to last in the preseason coaches’ poll. The unexpected is a good thing after two subpar seasons.

“Coaches are always surprised how things turn out, especially when you have so many new people,” said Joyner, who is four wins shy of the 600 victory plateau and North Carolina’s winningest active coach regardless of division. “From that standpoint, I am surprised, but from the standpoint of what we recruited and what we knew we had available to us, it was a matter of whether we could put it together. We are surprised but happy we’re coming together as a group.”

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