GLENVILLE, W. Va. – The Virginia State Trojans end their season to the Huskies of Bloomsburg University, 75-57 Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Jesse R. Lilly Gymnasium on the campus of Glenville State College.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game and they were a very good outside shooting team. I think we dug ourselves into a deep hole in the first half and we had to fight so hard and that's something we talked about all year, getting into a hole and then fighting back at the end and always falling short." – Coach James Hill, Jr.
Overall, the Trojans out rebounded Bloomsburg (42-39), but the Huskies outshot the Trojans (44.8 –percent to 33.8 –percent), and hit a higher percentage from the free throw line (86.7 -percent to 55.6 –percent).
Junior, Tiffanie Adair (Spartanburg, VA) led the Trojans with 18 points stated "Second half we woke up, it was just a matter of adjustments, slowing the game down to our tempo."
Senior, Lamesha Deal (Norfolk, VA) followed with 14 points, grabbing six rebounds and collecting a total of five steals which was half of the Trojans steals for tonight's game. Senior, Shakirah Gray (Philadelphia, PA) chipped in 7 points off the bench.
The lost ends the Trojans season with a 25-3 overall, while Bloomsburg, now 25-4 will face the Pioneers of Glenville State College on Saturday.
The Trojans held an early lead, but Bloomsburg would finally get on the board with a three-pointer by Taylor Kaminski to put the Huskies over the Trojans and from there Bloomsburg never looked back.
The Huskies would go on a 9-0 run off of VSU's turnovers. Gray's basket would end the Huskies run as they trailed 13-7 with fewer than twelve minutes to go in the first half.
Both teams exchanged baskets throughout the remainder of the first half, as the Trojans began to trail by as many as 16 points at the 2:58 mark.
VSU lingered behind as Bloomsburg shot 46.7 –percent (14-30) from the field and 54.5 –percent (6-11) from behind the arc leading to the locker room over the Trojans at intermission, 38-20.
To start off the second half Jocelyn Ford drains a three pointer to put the Huskies up 41-20 but Jessica Lyons (Upper Marlboro, MD) answered the call with a three pointer of her own to spark the Trojans.
The Trojans fought their way back into the game with a couple of baskets from both Adair and Lyons to bring the score 57-52 with just under four minutes remaining in the game.
Bloomsburg scored the next 6 points to extend their lead back to double digits over the Trojans. The Huskies gain the momentum back as Bloomsburg defeated the Virginia State, 75-57.
Deal stated "In the game tonight we started off okay but then we became a little shaky so we had to figure out what we needed to do to stop their shooters." "This was my overall best season at Virginia State and in my basketball career." –Lamesha Deal (CIAA Player of the Year).
