LINCOLN, PA (February 23, 2019) - The Virginia State University men's basketball team defeated the Lions of Lincoln University to officially clinch the 2019 CIAA Northern Division Title. The 66-59 victory over the Lions gave the Trojans their 2nd consecutive divisional title.
THE BASICS
Matchup| Virginia State vs. Lincoln
Score| 66 (VSU), 59 (LUPA)
Trojans Record| 24-4, 16-1 CIAA, 9-1 North
Lions Record| 14-14, 7-10 CIAA, 3-7 North
GAME OVERVIEW
Cedric Wiggins started the Trojans opening 7-0 run with a shot from behind the arc in the first seconds of the contest. The Trojans maintained the lead in the first half by outscoring the Lions in field goals (37.5 to 24.1) and in 3 pointers (22.2 to 15.4) while recovering more rebounds (24 to 20) than the home team. At halftime VSU held a 26-16 lead over Lincoln.
VSU held strong to a double-digit scoring gap for majority of the second half as the team collectively added to the board. Despite LUPA outscoring VSU in the second half (43 to 40), the Trojans opening momentum pushed them ahead for the 66-59 victory.
GAME LEADERS
Leading the Trojans with 11 points was Brandon Holley, followed by Cyonte Melvin and William Veddar with 10 points each. . Armond Griebe took control of the Trojans recoveries with 8 rebounds.
Gevon Arrington and Zahrion Blue of the Lions lead their team with 15 and 10 points respectively.
NORTHERN DIVISION CHAMPS
Under the leadership of Head Coach Lonnie Blow, Jr. , the Trojans have earned 3rd CIAA Northern Division Title since Blow's arrival in the summer of 2013. Alongside their 2019 division title, VSU clinched the honor in 2016, the same year they won the CIAA Championship, and in 2018 when they hosted the NCAA Regional Playoffs.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will travel to Charlotte, NC for the 2019 CIAA Basketball Tournament where they will play the winner of the Elizabeth City State v. Winston-Salem State game on Wednesday, February 27 at the Bojangles Arena.
STAY CONNECTED
For more information on the VSU men's basketball team, visit govsutrojans.com and follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.
