Virginia State used a balanced scoring effort and a late surge to outlast Bluefield State to win a postseason championship.
After the Trojans trailed at halftime, Jacob Cooper and Jared Clawson led a relentless second-half comeback that led to a 69-66 win on Saturday in the Black College Invitational Championship game.
Cooper powered Virginia State with 29 points, seven assists and three steals, while Clawson added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds. Davian Coleman also chipped in nine points and five rebounds, and Amare Wimbush provided another nine points off the bench as the Trojans outscored Bluefield State 41-30 in the second half.
Virginia State showed poise down the stretch
Bluefield State was led by Ellija Preddy’s 20 points, followed by Myles Pierre with 12 and Anthony Davenport with 10. But Virginia State’s defense tightened when it mattered most, and the Trojans controlled the paint by finishing with a 34-16 edge in points in the lane.
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The Trojans also turned Bluefield State’s mistakes into points, scoring 17 points off turnovers and getting 22 bench points in a game that stayed close until the final minute.
Virginia State’s poise at the line and timely shot-making allowed it to close on a 10-0 run over the final minute and a half, sealing a hard-earned win.
