INDIANAPOLIS — Ketron Shaw scored 15 points and Jaylen Alston had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead Winston-Salem State to a 64-47 victory over Virginia Union on Saturday in the NBA 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 for most of the second half.
The game between the two historically black colleges and universities was played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the same court where 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. Also present was Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris. He spoke earlier Saturday at a basketball clinic, as did some WNBA players, for girls ages 7 to 17.
Emhoff does not hide his love for basketball; He has been a Los Angeles Lakers season ticket holder for years. In her 2019 memoir, Harris revealed that Emhoff initially reached out to her via a text message he sent her from a Lakers game.
Kevin Durant, who will represent the Phoenix Suns in Sunday's All-Star Game, said it's huge for both teams to have the stage.
“It's an opportunity for people across the country to see the type of talent they have at HBCUs,” Durant said. “There are a lot of hidden gems there, great coaching, great talent across the board. If we can give them the platform to showcase their talents and abilities, we have to do it. So I'm excited for them. Hopefully, this turns into something annual and we started to see more and more talent coming out of HBCUs.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
