Box Score WASHINGTON, DC – The Virginia State University women's basketball team suffered a 71-64 loss to host the University of the District of Columbia in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at UDC Gym.
The Trojans (7-4) was outscored by UDC in all four quarters, but a late 12-2 run in the 4th quarter that allowed UDC to come away victorious. VSU, ranked No. 8 in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll, used a 7-0 run to start the 4thquarter and took their first lead (57-56) since the final seconds of the 1st quarter. The Firebird when outscored VSU, 15-7, over the final five minutes of regulation.
VSU shot 41-percent from the field but made only 65-percent (11-of-17) of its free throws. The Trojans were led by forward Chrisanna Green with game-highs of 22 points and 13 rebounds to go with three assists and three steals. Yazmen Hannah also added 11 points.
UDC overcame 32-percent field goal shooting with a 53-31 rebounding advantage, nearly double as many free-throws (21-11), and a 16-6 edge in 2nd chance points.
A UDC three-pointer at the 6:45 mark broke an early 2-2 tie, but the Trojans edged a 9-2 run over the next three minutes. Hannah capped the run with a layup at the 3:21 mark to put the visitors up, 11-7 – what would be their largest lead of the game.
UDC trailed 13-9 as the clock ticked under one minute remaining in the 1st quarter when Thomas buried another three-pointer, then picked VSU's Shalyn Washington's pocket for a steal on the other end and dished to Mia Boyd for an easy layup to put the Firebirds back up, 14-13.
Virginia State answered on the ensuing possession with a layup to go back up, 15-14, but then a shooting foul was called on VSU's Autumn Hopson as she defended Roy's half-court surge just before the buzzer. Roy was awarded three foul shots, and she cashed in on all three to put UDC on top, 17-15 to end the opening period.
In the 2nd quarter, UDC still controlled a one-possession lead, 23-20, with under seven minutes left when Coombs knocked down her 2nd three-pointer of the quarter and Boyd added a layup to give the Firebirds their largest lead of the day, 28-20. VSU answered right back though with eight straight points, culminating in an Asia Timmons three-pointer to force a 28-all tie with 3:24 left before halftime. After a UDC timeout though, the Firebirds went on to out-score the Trojans 6-2 for the remainder of the quarter, and took a 34-30 lead into the break.
UDC scored the first points of the 3rd quarter on a layup off of a feed by Lloyd, to take a six-point advantage, 36-30. Minutes later, the Firebirds still led 40-34, but later Hannah would twice cut the deficit to two with consecutive layups. At the four-minute mark, a pair of Timmons free throws brought VSU within one, 43-42, but Roy responded with four straight points, followed by a Thomas three-pointer to cap a 7-0 Firebirds surge that padded the lead back up to eight, 50-42. UDC would control a six-point lead, 56-50 heading into the final period.
Beginning with an Aja Robertson jumper 10 seconds into the period, Virginia State embarked on a 7-0 burst to claim its first lead since the seven-second mark in the first quarter. Taja Clark's three-pointer at the 6:18 mark put VSU in front, 57-56, to gain momentum.
UDC still trailed, 59-57 as the clock ticked under four minutes to play, but at the 3:50 mark, Natasha Roy knocked down an elbow jumper to force the 6th and final tie of the game. Then, following a Thomas steal, Boyd made a tremendous cut to the basket and received a beautiful feed from Lloyd for another easy layup to put UDC ahead for good, 61-59. Those two buckets were the beginning of a 12-2 run by the Firebirds that catapulted them from down two points, to up eight, 69-61. UDC would then coast to a seven-point victory, 71-64.
Next up, the Trojans will return to the court in the New Year as they will travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to face the Rams of Winston-Salem State University in a CIAA conference matchup on Thursday, January 10th at 5:30 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on VSU women's basketball, visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojan Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.
