Ettrick, Va. (Nov. 30, 2023)- The Virginia State University men's basketball team returned home for the first time in almost a month as they opened conference play against Fayetteville State University. The Trojans were upended by the Broncos by a final score of 72-62. 

VSU would get their first lead of the game with a three pointer by Imhotep George to make the score 9-8 at the 13:45 mark. Over the next five minutes the teams would play to a 16 all tie with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. FSU would end the half with an 18-10 run that saw them take a 34-26 lead into the break. Tyreek Williams and Tremere Brown both scored four points for VSU. 

Over the first four minutes of the second half the Trojans exploded for a 12-3 run that started with back-to-back threes by Williams and capped off with a monstrous dunk by Chris Hampton giving VSU a one-point advantage, 38-37. The teams would find themselves knotted at 47 with just over 12 minutes left in the game. The Broncos would answer by scoring 13 of the next 15 points over the next 4 and a half minutes to make the score 60-49. Fayetteville State would hold on to the double-digit lead for the last nine minutes and would escape with a road victory in the conference opener for both teams. 

Williams was the only Virginia State player in double figures with 15 points and Brown was the next highest scorer at eight points with also bringing down six rebounds to tie for the team lead. Kendall Bynum had a well-rounded game with six points, five assists and five rebounds. 

With the loss VSU is now 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the CIAA and Fayetteville State improves to 3-5 and 1-0 in the CIAA. The Trojans hit the road for another conference matchup against St. Augustine's on Saturday December 2 at 4 p.m.