Poor free-throw shooting and porous defensive play has the South Carolina State men's basketball team mired in a three-game losing streak.

Through nine games this season and 15 dating back to last year, Allen University has yet to celebrate a victory.

Something has to give tonight at 7 p.m. when the Bulldogs play host to the winless Yellow Jackets at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

"It's a huge game for us because we need to get back on the winning track," SCSU head coach Tim Carter said.

The Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing two-game swing through the Tar Heel State of North Carolina. Against North Carolina State, SCSU shot a woeful 29.7 percent from the field and were outrebounded 46-35 in a 74-49 loss. Two nights later, the Bulldogs' free-throw bugaboos resurfaced as they connected on just 3-9 from the charity stripe on a night they shot 52.2 percent from the field in a 87-76 defeat.

SCSU's 58.9 free-throw percentage and 80.9 points per game allowed ranks last in the MEAC.

"We've hit a bad spell," he said. "Defensively, we haven't been guarding people well.

A major bright spot in the two setbacks was the improved play of forward Jason Flagler. The Bulldog junior has led the team in rebounding in four straight games and is coming off a season-high 21-point effort against UNC-Asheville.

"Flag has really tightened his game up from a standpoint where Flag does what he does best," Carter said. "He'll compete, he'll take good shots and play against players who outsize him. I don't have any, any problems with his play."

Junior college transfer forward Jason Johnson has also provided steady play in the post, averaging 14 points in his last four games. Where head coach Tim Carter is seeking more production is in the backcourt where he installed Thomas Bookman as the starting point guard in place of Jessie Burton against UNC-Asheville and got 14 points and four assists.

"Right now, as long as Bookman continues to play like he is, we're going to stick with him," Carter said. "Jessie is really struggling running the team right now."

Newcomer Phillip Adams is also expected to see more playing time in his fourth outing since joining the team off the football squad.

Tonight marks a "Homecoming" for Allen head coach Tim Gates and assistant coach Travis Williams. A boys' basketball coach at C.A. Johnson High School for 19 seasons, where he won a state title, Gates spent eight years as a volunteer and later a top assistant at SCSU. Williams was a former All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference forward who helped the Bulldogs reach their first NCAA Tournament during the 1989-90 season under Cy Alexander, played in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets and served as a Bulldog assistant under former head coach Ben Betts.

Both men, along with Cecil Green, were unceremoniously dismissed in 2006 by Betts, who soon after resigned to become an assistant at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to his role as head coach, Gates is Allen University's athletics director and Williams serves as a cross-country and track and field assistant.

Sophomore forward Hiram Carolina leads the Yellow Jackets in scoring at 16 points and seven rebounds per game, followed by forward Joshua Williams whose averaging 11.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

SCSU will have an eight-day layoff before heading to the Port City for a two-night tournament at the College of Charleston. SCSU will open against James Madison before facing either the College of Charleston or Mercer.

We thought we'd have five legitimate wins so far," Carter said. "These guys have given us everything they've asked for. We're going through a phase right now. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to be more successful."

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

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