Here is a recap of all the CIAA women’s basketball action during Saturday’s full slate of games.
Shaw 63, Virginia Union 59
Top Performer: Shaw F Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes 12 points, seven rebounds
The Shaw Bears overcame a slight scare to notch a 63-59 win over the Virginia Union Panthers. Entering the fourth quarter up 15 points, the Bears held a double-digit lead for the first five minutes of the final period.
That was until Virginia Union began to make a run, trimming the deficit down to two points with 11 seconds remaining. Shaw held off VUU, sealing the win at the free throw line.
Bowie State 65, St. Augustine’s 63
Top Performer: BSU G Anii Harris 22 points, three steals
An inspired second-half rally lifts the Bowie State Bulldogs over the St. Augustine’s Falcons 65-63. The Bulldogs trailed through the entire first three-quarters of this game, with the deficit peaking at 19 points. Powered by a 19-8 run, the Bulldogs took their first lead in the fourth quarter. After St. Augustine’s briefly took the lead back, BSU sealed the win on a go-ahead three-pointer by Jayla Irvin in the final minute.
Virginia State 51, Winston-Salem State 48
Top Performer: VSU G Tiyanna James 13 points, seven steals
In a sloppy game that featured 52 total turnovers, the Virginia State Trojans came out with their fourth victory in a row, beating the Winston-Salem State Rams 51-48. Both teams struggled shooting from deep, going a combined 3/32 from three-point range. Building off a 6-0 run to end the first half, VSU held pace, maintaining the lead for the entirety of the second half.
Elizabeth City State 55, Livingstone 52
Top Performer: ECSU G Dy’Jhanik Armfield 15 points, five rebounds, three steals
The streaking Elizabeth City State Vikings extended their win streak to three games following a 55-52 win over the Livingstone Blue Bears. In a fourth quarter in which both teams combined for 22 free throw attempts, the Vikings sealed the win, scoring all their final eight points from the charity stripe.
Johnson C. Smith 54, Bluefield State 51
Top Performer: JCSU G Najah Lane 15 points 7/8 from the field
The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls got back in the win column with a 54-51 win over the Bluefield State Big Blue. After building a 17-9 lead in the first quarter, Bluefield State went cold from the field the rest of the way, shooting a combined 28% over the last three quarters (40% in the first). Meanwhile, Johnson C. Smith saved its best for last, scoring a game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter on 54% shooting.
Fayetteville State 71, Lincoln (PA) 68
Top Performer: FSU G Aniylah Bryant 27 points, six steals, four assists
Fayetteville State extended its conference-high eight-game win streak with a 71-68 overtime win over Lincoln (PA). It was a rough start for the Broncos, who scored just four points on 2/13 shooting in the first quarter. Over the next three quarters, they slowly climbed back into the game, improving their shooting percentage each quarter.
Incredible victory alert! Fayetteville State University’s Women’s Basketball team secured a stunning win against Lincoln University in overtime 71-68! pic.twitter.com/wn7LOehF4t
— FSU Broncos (@FSUBroncos) January 6, 2024
This peaked in the final period, in which they shot 64%, taking their first lead of the game in the process. A three-pointer by Lincoln’s Ciani Montgomery with 37 seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime. After building an eight-point lead, Lincoln began to get sloppy, committing four turnovers in the final two minutes and missing two critical free throws, leading to their loss.
