INDIANA, PA (March 17, 2019)- The Virginia State University Trojans men's basketball team put up a fight in the final seconds of their matchup against West Liberty University in the 2019 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament Semifinals. VSU was not able to battle back, falling to the Hilltoppers in a close 82-80 contest.

THE BASICS
EVENT| 2019 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Championship
DATES| March 16-17 &19, 2019
LOCATION| Kovalchick Complex
HOST| Indiana University of Pennsylvania
MATCHUP| No.3 Virginia State vs. No. 2 West Liberty
SCORE| VSU 80 – WLU 82
 
Click HERE for the post game press conference
 
FIRST HALF
VSU controlled the court early, forcing West Liberty to play at the Trojans pace. Securing the first possession of the contest, Jalen Jackson made the first shot of the game from behind the arc for the Trojans. Cedric Wiggins would soon secure a 3-point play to give the Trojans a 10-2 lead.

At the first media timeout of the matchup, the Trojan dominated the court with a score of 15-6 over WLU. VSU made a team effort as the points were evenly disbursed among the squad. During the game, the Trojans extended the score by as much as 10 points.

As the clock ticked way, the Hilltoppers applied more pressure to close the scoring gap.

Going into the locker room at halftime, VSU held a 47-44 lead over WLU. Jahmere Howze and Jalen Jackson were equally matched, leading the Trojans with 9 points each.

SECOND HALF
VSU returned to the court on a mission to defeat the Hilltoppers. The Trojans continued to run the seamless plays they reviewed in practice, keeping West Liberty on their toes. The scoring gap decreased as the Hilltoppers landed numerous shots from behind the arc. With 4:25 on the clock, WLU came back to tie the game 71-all, then jumped ahead for a 73-71 lead.

Both teams called much needed timeouts as the game continued, giving them space to run strategic plays.

Teetering within one point of a tie after a solid 3-pointer from Brandon Holley, the Trojans had 11 seconds to turn the game around. After sending WLU to the line for 2, the Trojans trailed 82-79. Jalen Jackson gave the Trojans their final point of the game, bringing the score to 82-80, when he went to the line. A missed 3-point shot at the buzzer ended the Trojans season with a final score of 82-80.
 
TROJAN LEADERS
VSU was led by Cedric Wiggins with 14 points, followed by Jalen Jackson with 13. Brandon Holley chipped in 12 points, while Cyonte Melvin tallied 11 points. Andrew Corum rounded out the double digit scoring with 10 points. Corum and William Veddar controlled the board with 7 rebounds each.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The Trojans rounded out their record breaking season with a 28-5 overall record, collecting the most single season wins in program history. During the season, the team raked in 16 consecutive wins, also the most in program history. Of the programs 4 NCAA appearances, 3 have been under the leadership of head coach Lonnie Blow, Jr. This season marked the second straight year Coach Blow has led the team to the NCAA semifinals.

"I am so proud of these guys," said Coach Blow. "Through adversity, they worked hard this season. I love each and every one of them."

All of the seniors left their mark on the 2018-19 men's basketball team. Of the seniors, Cyonte Melvin played all four years at VSU. He not only earned his 1000^th point this season, but won his 100^th game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament. "When you play you have to leave it all out on the floor," said Melvin. "Every team is not invited to play at the NCAA Tournament, so you can't take it for granted."

Overall, the Trojans had an outstanding year after securing the CIAA Championship and advancing to the NCAA Regional Semifinals.

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.