INDIANAPOLIS, Iowa — Ketron Shaw scored 15 and Jaylen Alston had a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to pace Winston-Salem State to a 64-47 victory Saturday in NBA's HBCU Classic.
Issac Parson added 10 assists for the Rams (17-8, 11-5 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association).
Tahj Harding led Virginia Union (11-17, 6-9 CIAA ) with 11 points. The Panthers struggled to score most of the second half.
The game between the two NCAA Division II teams from the historically Black universities was played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the same court as the NBA All-Stars will play on Sunday night.
Former Virginia Union standout Ben Wallace, a four-time NBA All-Star, was among those introduced to the crowd. Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, also was in attendance.
Kevin Durant, the All-Star from the Phoenix Suns, said it’s huge for the two teams to have the stage.
“It’s an opportunity for people around the country to see the type of talent they have at HBCUs,” Durant said. “There’s a lot of hidden gems there, great coaching, great talent up and down the board. If we can give them the platform to showcase their talents and skills, we need to do so. So I’m excited for them. Hopefully, this becomes an annual thing and we start to see more and more talent come out of HBCUs.”
BIG PICTURE
Virginia Union: After winning two in a row, the Panthers have now lost three in a row.
Winston-Salem State: The Rams previously beat Virginia Union 65-56 on Nov. 19 in the Small College Hall of Fame game in Uncasville, Connecticut. Winston-Salem leads the all-time series
UP NEXT
Virginia Union: At Elizabeth City State on Wednesday
Winston-Salem State: At Johnson C. Smith on Thursday
