Greenwood, S.C. (Nov. 19, 2023)- The Virginia State University men's basketball team traveled down to Lander University for the first meeting between the teams since the 2001-02 season. The Trojans would drop the first game 75-69 and would drop today's matchup 83-55. 

Lander would score the first four points of the game in 59 seconds, before VSU would go on a 13-1 run over the next four minutes. Over the next eight minutes LU would go on a 22-4 run that would last from the 14:09-8:24 marks in the first half. Two foul shots for Dajour Rucker would spark an eight to two run that ended with four points from Kendall Bynum, which made the score 29-24 with four minutes left in the half. 

Over the final two minutes both teams' defense would tighten up, with the only difference being Lander knocking down back-to-back three pointers at the 1:29 and 1:08 marks. Tremere Brown scored the final bucket of the half, making the halftime deficit only 11 points, 39-28 for the Trojans. 

Over the first six minutes of the second half minutes the Bearcats would hold on to a double-digit lead on all but two occasions when Bynum hit a lay-up and jumper to make the score 45-36 and 47-38 respectfully at 14:35. The Trojans would never get back within single digits as the closest they ever got would be by 12 points (54-42) after a Brown lay-up with just under 12 minutes left. 

Bynum led the team with 12 points, next was Imhotep George with 11 points and Brown was the last Trojans in double-digit scoring at 10. Chris Hampton would pull down a team high 10 rebounds. The Trojans move to 1-2 overall and Lander improves to 2-1. Next for VSU will be the UNC Pembroke Give Thanks Tournament as they play UNC Pembroke on Saturday Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 26 against Chowan at 1 p.m.