Going into Thursday night, it was clear Wallace Community College Selma’s men’s basketball team had improved greatly this year. After another gigantic win — and the biggest of the Patriots’ season thus far — it looks like the team is only getting better.

Wallace (10-4) knocked off undefeated Shelton State (11-1) 72-70 in a back and forth game. Shelton entered the game as the only unbeaten team remaining in the Alabama Community College Conference and the Buccaneers were ranked No. 15 in the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Division I poll.

“It’s huge for us and it will probably take us into our conference season knowing we can beat one of the best teams in the north conference as well as one of the better teams in the nation,” said Wallace coach Duane Evans.

The Buccaneers had two chances to tie it on the final possession, but both of Kevin Murphy’s shots were off the mark and the Patriots survived.

Wallace had lost two straight games going into Thursday’s game, including a nine-point defeat at Shelton a week ago. Evans said this one was an important one if the Patriots were going to get back on track.

“We came out this time and corrected a lot of mistakes we made the first game. We came out and ran out and ran our offense better than we have all season long,” Evans said.

To win this one, they had to tough it out.

Neither team led by more than five the entire way and the teams spent most of the second half within one basket one of one another. Carlton Osborne was fouled on a 3-pointer and knocked down all three free throws to pull Shelton within 62-61 with just over a minute left.

Wallace’s Zavieun Jackson responded with a difficult shot in the lane to put Wallace back up three. Shelton again pulled within one before Gene Davis made one of the biggest shots of the night — a 3-pointer from near the top of the key that put Wallace up four.

“I’ve got to step up in big moments,” Davis said. “There have been plenty of big moments this season so far that I’ve stepped up in. We had a situation in practice where we practiced late game situations like that and it’s paying off. Practice makes perfect.”

Davis came into the game in the top five in the ACCC in points per game, and he’s Wallace’s leading scorer on the season. He scored 17 points on Thursday.

“He’s exactly the person we wanted taking that shot in the last minutes of the basketball game for us,” Evans said.

Davis knocked in a free throw on Wallace’s next possession to extend the lead to five, but Shelton chipped away and got back within two.

There were some nervous moments in the final minute as Wallace survived a poor inbounds pass and called two timeouts to get the ball in. Evans wasn’t happy about that, but he was proud of the way his team found a way to hold on.

Jackson, who scored 17 points, played a big part in that as he played defense on back to back shot attempts by the Buccaneers to help the Patriots get the final stops they needed.

“He forced a bad shot and I blocked it and that was the end of it right there,” Jackson said.

Wallace hosts Gadsden State on Friday night. The women’s game starts at 5 p.m. and the men will play at 7:30 p.m.
Shelton 85, Wallace 44 (Women)

Shelton State rolled past Wallace Community College Selma 85-44 Thursday night and kept its undefeated record intact. The Buccaneers led by 31 at halftime and coasted to their 13th straight win.

Wallace was led by Amber Ward, who scored 21 points on the night. She was the only Patriots player in double figures.

“They are the Uconn of Alabama women’s basketball JUCO,” said Wallace coach Herman Turner of Shelton State, who is ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA. “They have good athletes, they are well-disciplined and they are well-coached. Our downfall this year has been coughing the ball up. We’ve been turning it over and I hope we can learn from this game and move forward.”