MOUNT OLIVE, NC (November 16, 2019)- The Virginia State University men's basketball team took a day 2 UMO Pickle Classic loss to the Bulldogs of Barton College with a final score of 88-78.

The loss moves the Trojans to a 3-2 overall record, while the Bulldogs are now 2-3 on the season.

First Half
The scoring gap remained close during the half as both teams battled to take control of the game. Going shot for shot, the Trojans stayed in the game from the advantage of 2^nd chance points (14), bench points (16) and points in the paint (24).

Seeming to be equally matched, the score tied 7 times. The final tie of the half was a result of a 3-pointer by VSU's Jarron Santos, allowing the Trojans to enter the locker room at halftime with a 39-all score.

Second Half
After the beginning minutes of the second half, several missed shots put the Trojans in a scoring deficit for the remainder of the contest.  Although VSU tried to battle back in final minutes, they ultimately took an 88-78 loss to the Barton Bulldogs.

Leaders
Francis "BJ" Fitzgerald and Andrew Corum controlled the Trojans scoring with 18 and 16 points respectively. William Vedder secured his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Bulldogs.

Although Barton took control of the points off of turnovers (18-10), VSU took charge of the bench points (39-6), points in the paint (36-34), 2^nd chance points (17-10) and fast break points (12-8).

Up Next
The Trojans will travel to Charlotte, NC to take on the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University on November 21. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm at Brayboy Gymnasium.

Stay Connected
For the most up-to-date information on VSU men's basketball, please visit www.govsutrojans.com, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports and on Instagram VSUtrojans_1882.