Not only are Prince George’s County products Darren Clark and Jay Gavin the leading scorers for the Bowie State University men’s basketball team, they have also become good friends and roommates this semester.

The Prince George’s pair have been the primary offensive catalysts as Bowie State has started the season with a 9-2 record (1-1 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association). Clark is averaging 18.7 points per game, and Gavin adds 16.7 per contest. In five of the Bulldogs’ games this season Clark has led the team in scoring, and Gavin has led the way four times.

“We’re both seniors and we know the rest of the team is looking up to us to be leaders,” said Clark, a Largo High School graduate. “Now that we’re roommates, we spend more time together. We play some video games, watch movies and basketball and just hang out. We’ve developed a good chemistry and that’s helped us on the court, too. We’re hoping that we can continue winning and win the CIAA and win the region tournament.”

Gavin, a Bishop McNamara graduate, said that in addition to breaking down opponents, the two have chosen to disagree over which NBA player is the best in the league. Clark sides with LeBron James of the Miami Heat while Gavin is firmly in Los Angels Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s camp.

“We get along really well and I think the only thing we ever debate is Kobe or LeBron,” Gavin said. “He’s been a good friend and a good roommate. Coach [Darrell Brooks] is counting on us to be senior leaders and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

“On any given night they can both score 20, but if one guy is off the other one will step up and produce,” Brooks said. “They’re both seniors and they both know what I expect from them. They have to be leaders. They’re both accepted that responsibility and that’s good to know because we play in a tough conference and their teammates have to know who they can look up to in tough situations.”

Clark and Gavin helped propel Bowie State to a strong start this season while junior forward Byron Westmoreland was sidelined with an injury. Westmoreland, a 6-foot-4 Baltimore native who averaged 13.4 points per game last season, missed five games in December, but returned to action Dec. 30. Westmoreland is averaging 16.8 points per game in six games this season, including a team-high 24 on Monday night as the Bulldogs lost 70-69 at Winston-Salem State.

The Bulldogs are back in action with two games in three days in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday against Shaw University and Saturday against St. Augustine's College. Bowie State, ranked No. 15 in the latest National Association of Basketball coaches NCAA Division II poll, returns home Monday night for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff against Livingstone College.

tblack@gazette.net