Orangeburg, SC- Virginia State University delivered a dominant performance, defeating Claflin University 84-70 in a game that was marked by strong shooting and efficient ball movement. Virginia State controlled the game from start to finish, never trailing and building a lead as large as 20 points in the second half.

Virginia State's offense was led by Tim Uzochuwku, who scored 16 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. His all-around performance also included 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 28 minutes. Jacob Cooper contributed 15 points, going 4-of-6 from the field, including 1-of-1 from three-point range, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals in 32 minutes. Dajour Rucker played a key role with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three-point range.

Other contributors included Clint Wright Jr., who scored 9 points with 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, and Daryl Mackey Jr., who added 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 20 minutes. Off the bench, Pharaoh Lassiter contributed 8 points, helping to extend Virginia State's lead in the second half.

Virginia State shot efficiently, finishing at 51.7% from the field (30-of-58), 53.8% from three-point range (7-of-13), and an excellent 85% from the free-throw line (17-of-20). Their success in the paint was also evident, outscoring Claflin 42-38 in that category.

Claflin struggled to find consistency on offense, particularly in the first half. They shot just 31.25% from the field (10-of-32) and 15.38% from three-point range (2-of-13). Although they improved in the second half, shooting 44.83% from the field and 16.67% from three-point range, their comeback attempt fell short.

Gregory Spurlock led Claflin with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, but he was unable to get going from three-point range, finishing 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. Damerius Wash also contributed 13 points, but his shooting was inconsistent (4-of-12 from the field). John Whitehead III added another 13 points, hitting 3-of-10 from three-point range, but he too struggled to find a rhythm during the game.

Claflin's free-throw shooting was one of the few bright spots, as they finished at 75% (21-of-28). However, despite a strong performance at the charity stripe, they were unable to overcome their poor shooting from the field, especially from three-point range where they finished just 15.8% (3-of-19).