Charlotte, NC - Livingstone defeated Johnson & Wales Charlotte 74-73 in men's basketball on Monday night.

The Wildcats raced out to a 17-5 lead in the game's first eight minutes. They made seven of their first eleven shots, including two three pointers. Livingstone slowly whittled away at the JWU lead in the final twelve minutes of the first period, evntually taking an eleven point lead of their own to the locker room. The Blue Bears connected on seven of seventeen 3 pointers in the first half.

It was JWU's turn to cut into a deficit in the second half. The Wildcats methodically shrunk the Livingstone lead until a Malcolm Warthem layup with 4:19 to play put JWU ahead 64-63. The Wildcats led by three at 70-67 with 100 seconds remaining, but Livingstone scored seven straight points over the next minute and twenty-six seconds to go up 74-70. Ethan Smith made a late 3 pointer to pull the Wildcats to within one, but the Blue Bears ran out the final seconds.

Warthen led JWU with 18 points off the bench. Nantambu Calhoun scored 14 points, while Smith and Jaylen Benson-Hollinhead had 9 each.

Johnson & Wales next travels to Laurinburg, NC on Wednesday, February 12th to take on Saint Andrews at 6:00pm.