Vol State’s men’s basketball team won its first game of the season Tuesday, Nov. 9

Last updated on November 13, 2021

By Ryan Hanna

Volunteer State Community College’s men’s basketball team played its first games of the season last week. It earned its first win during the fourth game, Tuesday, Nov. 9., against Gadsden State Community College. 

The Pioneers bested the Gadsden State Cardinals 86-81, completing a 12-point comeback in the fourth quarter. The team relied on good defense and wearing out the other team’s starters to come back and secure the first win of the season.  

“We played hard and fast with good defense,” Head Coach Rusty Melvin said of the win. “You get them tired, take away their bench players and make good shots, play defense, that’s how you win games. You can’t win in this league if you don’t play defense,” he said. 

Offensively, the team was led by five performers who all posted ten points or more in Tuesday night’s game. The players were Forwards Terrance Cross and Jaylan Clemmons, Guards Kailon Benton-Hamilton and Kaden Paul and Center Brennon Marsh.

Overall, Coach Melvin said they shot the ball better Tuesday and had better coverage on defense. The team’s Twitter account provided the final update after the game, saying, “Vol State defeats Gadsden State 86-81. Good win for the Pioneers.” 

Cross is currently second on the team in points with 43. He sits behind the only point guard Peyton West, who has 48 points so far. Benton-Hamilton is third with 35 points, while Paul and Marsh round out the top five scorers with 32 and 29, respectively. 

Vol State will travel to Cleveland State Community College Saturday for the official conference play opener. The two-game road series finishes Wednesday, Nov. 17, with a stop at Dyersburg State Community College. The games are slated for 3 p.m. central and 6:30 p.m. 

Students can visit the Vol State Athletics website for in-depth statistics of last week’s games. The schedule of future games is also viewable.