By: James Scott, VSU Sports Information
Kenny Mitchell (junior/ Stone Mountain, GA) recorded his third double-double of the season in a 66-63 win for the Trojans against the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith in Ettrick, VA on Tuesday, January 24th. Mitchell led the Trojans to their third win at home with a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds.
The Trojans came out in the first half striking basket after basket from three-point land. Ibn Rassoull (senior/ East Orange, NJ) and Khalil Tate (sophomore/ Washington, DC) made back-to-back treys from deep putting the Trojans ahead early 8-7. Both teams kept the game close as neither team lead by more than five points. The Trojans imposed their will on the defensive end, scoring 14 first half points off of Golden Bulls' turnovers. The Golden Bulls controlled the paint in the opening half outscoring the Trojans 12-2. With time running down in the first half JCSU's Trevin Parks made two free-throws extending his team's lead to 29-24 going into the half.
Johnson C. Smith went on a 6-0 run fresh out of halftime, increasing their lead to eleven points, their biggest of the game (35-24). VSU's head coach Darryl Jacobs, called a quick 30-second timeout to regroup his Trojans' hoping to ignite some type of defense. The Trojans finally found their own bull in the paint, as the guards found center Kenny Mitchell on several assists.
Mitchell was a dominant force in the paint scoring five straight baskets for the Trojans. He scored only 7 points in the first half, but exploded for 19 second half. Mitchell finished the game with 26 points and 10 rebounds on 9 of 19 from the field and a perfect 7 of 7 from the free-throw line.
During Mitchell's offensive display the Trojans chipped into the Golden Bulls lead with each possession. With 11:40 left to play in regulations Virginia State's Mike Bynum (junior, Norfolk, VA) nailed a trey from deep to give the Trojans their first lead of the second half (42-40).
Down the stretch the Golden Bulls tried their best to extend the game by fouling the Trojans, but Virginia State made them pay making their free throws to close the game. In the final minute of the game, VSU's DeVonte' Williams (freshman, Hampton, VA) made five free-throws to seal the Trojans' third home victory of the season. The Trojans outscored the Golden Bulls 42-34 in the second half.
The Trojans (3-14, 2-5) will travel to Elizabeth City, NC and face the Vikings of Elizabeth City State on Saturday, January 28th at 5:00 pm.
