January 25, 2021 – West Point, GA. –
Point University in West Point, Georgia, has been making waves in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) after winning their tenth straight game, placing them at the top of their conference. On Jan. 13, the second Top 25 Coaches Poll for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) was taken and the Skyhawks were not yet ranked although they have received the most votes since 2012. In the upcoming poll, the Skyhawks have earned a spot in the Top 25.
This season the Skyhawks have gone 16-3 overall and 12-3 in conference play. Not only is that record impressive, the Skyhawks have shown a lot of team strength. Against the Union College Bulldogs on Jan. 5, the Skyhawks were trailing by 11 with under four minutes left on the clock. Then through a series of three-pointers and a put-back shot by teammates Corey Bowen, Willie Lucas and Lorenzo Freeman, the game was forced into overtime where the Skyhawks ultimately won 100-92. This impressive comeback and OT battle shows the teamwork and skill strength that the team possesses.
In their most recent win against Bryan College, who the Skyhawks lost to earlier in the season, the Skyhawks didn’t just win, they dominated.In the second half the Skyhawks pulled away from the Lions. Five Point players racked up double digit points, R.J. Selman; Willie Lucas; Gentrell Taylor; Corey Bowen; and Lorenzo Freeman. To have so many players in double digit scoring means that the team is reaching levels of success the Skyhawks have not seen in a while.
Part of the Skyhawk’s success can be attributed to coach Jake Deer. Deer is in his second season as Point’s head coach, before Deer joined the program the Skyhawks had an .209 average record from 2013-2019. In the last two seasons Deer has changed this to a 15-15 record last year and the Skyhawks currently have a 16-3 record for the 2021 season. It is a known fact that you can have all the talent in the world and but without the right coaching leadership the desired results are not possible. Coach Deer has been the leadership that the program has needed in order to see such strides of success.
Saturday the Skyhawks played against another earlier loss, Montreal College. This time the Skyhawks came out victorious, winning 99-92. A game that was well fought and went into overtime. During play there were seven lead changes and the score tied six times. This alone shows that as a team the Skyhawks are not easily pushed down. They come to win, and they remain competitive until the clock runs out. This game Bowen, Reeves, Selman, Freeman, Smith and Lucas all breeched double-digit scoring. Bowen alone racked up 20 points for the Skyhawks in this spectacular win. The last two games have allowed Point to upset two of their three losses and advance to 12-3 in conference play and 16-3 overall, proving their place in NAIA rankings.
Tuesday, Jan. 26 the Skyhawks will face Reinhardt University and hope to keep the streak. The next NAIA Coaches Poll rankings will be the following day on Jan. 27, the Point Skyhawks are well deserving of a spot on the rankings for their team strength, winning record, and skills that have already put them at the top of the AAC standings.
