CHARLOTTE, NC- The Virginia State University men's basketball team took down the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University on January 9 with a final score of 75-62.

The matchup moved the Trojans to a 12-3 overall record, 4-1 in the conference.

Senior Kevin Williams controlled the game securing 21 points. Senior Elijah Moore grasped 17 points, while junior Waymond Wright stepped in with 11 points. Taking charge of the Trojans rebounds was junior Richard Granberry with 10 recoveries.

JCSU was led by Christian Kirchman with 16 points, while Robert Davis and Gabon Williams each collected 6 rebounds.

After landing the first shots of the game and taking the lead, JCSU's excitement was short lived. The Trojan took control of the court 3 minutes into the contest. Play by play, point by point, VSU extended the scoring gap. A 3-point shot by Kevin Williams gave the Trojans an early double-digit lead, with 13:04 left in the half. Keeping the Golden Bulls at a distance, VSU did not give the home team a chance to make a comeback. With 1:04 left until halftime, Wright gave the Trojans a 20 point advantage with a shot from behind the arc. VSU entered the locker room at halftime with a leading score of 52-29.

The game continued to rule in favor of the Trojans in the second half. Capitalizing off of the Golden Bulls turnovers and missed shots, VSU was able to make major plays. Junior Trey Brown stepped in with a 3-pointer, extending the lead to 30 points for the Trojans with 12:01 on the clock. JCSU attempted to bounce back with under 5 minutes left in the matchup. Although they managed to chip away at the scoring gap, VSU came out victorious with the 75-62 win.

The Trojans had an edge over the Golden Bulls in points off turnovers (20-18), points in the paint (25-20), and fast break points (9-6).

VSU ended the matchup shooting 47.3 percent (26-55) from the field, 52.6 percent (10-19) from behind the arc, and 61.9 percent (13-21) at the line, while JCSU ended the game shooting 31.4 percent (22-70) from the field, 28.6 percent (10-35) from behind the arc, and 88.9 percent (8-9) at the line.

The Trojans will take on their I-95 rivals, the Panthers of Virginia Union University, on January 15 for their annual Freedom Classic. Tip-off is set for 7pm at the Richmond Coliseum. Tickets for the event are on sale at the VSU Athletics Department.

VSU will continue to work hard to prepare for the 2017 CIAA Basketball Tournament on February 20-25 in Charlotte. NC.

For more information on VSU Trojans men's basketball, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030