Charleston, W.Va., basketball players charged

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Three University of Charleston basketball players were dismissed from the Division II team Wednesday after police said the men were charged in a downtown robbery.

Charleston police filed a criminal complaint alleging two people were struck and robbed of cash and a credit card early Sunday. The card was later used to make purchases at a fast-food restaurant and a convenience store.

Terrell Lipkins, 20, of Canton, Ohio; Robbie Dreher, 22, of Greenville, S.C., and Quincy Washington, 22, of Florence, S.C., each were charged with first-degree robbery, Kanawha County Magistrate Court records showed. Lipkins, the team's leading scorer, also was charged with four counts of credit card fraud.

They were held on bond Wednesday. Jail records didn't indicate whether they had attorneys.

School president Ed Welch called the alleged conduct "deplorable" and in violation of university policy.

"They have been evicted from the residence halls, removed from the university's basketball team, and further campus disciplinary actions are in progress," Welch said. "We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities as they continue their investigation."

Lipkins led the Golden Eagles with 17.4 points and 4.6 assists per game in the 2012-13 season. Dreher was the third-leading scorer at 11.1 points and Washington was fifth at 8.9.

Dreher played at Winthrop for two seasons, leading the team in scoring in 2010-11. He left the team after an April 2011 arrest and pleaded guilty last year to second-degree assault and battery. He was sentenced to probation.