In a rematch of last year’s CIAA men’s championship game, Bluefield State flips the script, putting an end to Virginia State’s hopes of repeating as conference kings.
Fighting through some late adversity, the Big Blue came away with a 71-66 wire-to-wire victory, punching their ticket to the championship game.
The Big Blue got their first win against Virginia State since January 2025, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series, including a pair of games this season.
Myles Pierre was named the game’s MVP, scoring 23 points, including hitting 17-of-18 free throw attempts.
Anthony Davenport chimed in with 14 points, shooting 71% from the field, including three three-pointers. Meanwhile, Ellija Preddy added 10 points and four assists.
Jacob Cooper led the Trojans with 12 points and three steals while Davian Coleman put up 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks.
Coming into this game after a day off following its tournament opener against Lincoln (PA), Virginia State came out sluggish, finding itself in an early double-digit deficit.
The Trojans shot just 17% from the field in the first half compared to 42% by the Big Blue, with 18 of Bluefield State’s 27 points coming in the paint.
As Virginia State head coach Lonnie Blow describes it, his team’s early deficit simply came down to them not being ready to play.
“This game is more mental than physical; you have to be mentally ready to play when the game starts,” said Coach Blow. “We started the game extremely poorly and had to play catch-up ball all night long. That’s not the way to play basketball; that’s a tough way to live. We fought back, fought hard down the stretch in the second half, but we kind of waited too long to start playing with a sense of urgency. When that happens, you go home.”
The second half was a completely different story for VSU, as they were able to find open lanes to the basket, leading to open shots, creating opportunities in the perimeter.
However, Bluefield State continued to have an answer, hitting timely shots to keep the defending champions at bay.
With 1:14 remaining, the Big Blue took a nine-point lead, seeming to have taken the Trojans’ best punch with the victory in hand.
That turned out not to be the case, as Virginia State made a furious rally thanks to a pair of high difficulty three-pointers by Jarod White to bring the game within a possession in the final seconds.
A three-pointer to tie the game rimmed in and out, and missed free throws turned the lights out on Virginia State’s chances to repeat as champions.
Bluefield State will now advance to the CIAA championship game, awaiting the winner of the semifinal contest between Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith.
The irony of the potential to face Fayetteville State, a team coached by former Bluefield State head coach Devin Hoehn, is not lost on current Bluefield State head coach Luke D’Alessio, a former coach at Fayetteville State.
“It’s going to be really crazy if Fayetteville State wins. I don’t know what to tell you about that one,” said Coach D’Alessio. “I’m sure that’s the one that everyone would like to see because the storyline is unbelievable. I mean, I can’t even believe it. Fayetteville State is a terrific team; to me, they’re the best team in the conference because of the experience they have. They’re a really good veteran team, and they’re coached well. We look forward to whatever team we’re playing and the challenge ahead of us.”
