Brooklyn, NY- CIAA conference play began for the Trojans on Dec. 15 in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center. Virginia State took on their I-95 rivals, Virginia Union, for the 2013 Big Apple Classic. The Trojans dropped the ball against the Panthers, with a final score of 81-69.

In the first half, it took a while before the Trojans got on the board with a field goal from Lamar Kearse with just under 15 minutes in regulations.   Things began to look better for the Virginia State, as Amiel Terry secured a layup to tie the game 17-17.   The Trojans took the lead over the Panthers for a brief period, keeping the score within three points, before the Panther saw an opportunity to tie the game at 23-23. At half time, the score was 32-26 with Virginia Union leading.

Virginia State attempted to close the scoring gap in the second half by staying within four points of the Panthers.  Unfortunately, it was not enough to close the game out. 

Team high scorers for the game were Christopher Grier who stepped up in the second half to hit 12 points giving him 18 points for a game high.  Lamar Kearse was not too far behind with 11 points for the second half and a game high of 13 points.  The loss gives Virginia State a 7-3 record overall.

The Trojans will travel to Wilson, NC to take on Barton College on Dec. 18 for a non-conference game at 7:00 pm.