PETERSBURG, VA --The Virginia State women's basketball team got a 43-point showing from the bench on the way to a 67-54 victory against the Lander Bearcats at home Saturday.
The Trojans (3-2) had four players score in double figures, led by Sydney Roberts, who had 12 points and three steals. Skylar White added 12 points off the bench and Gabrielle Gerald chipped in as well with 11 points and eight rebounds off of the bench.
Gerald pulled down six offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Virginia State, grabbing 11 boards and turning them into 13 second chance points.
The Virginia State defense held Lander shooters to just 30.6 percent from the field. The Trojans also kept Quadaija Langley to 3-of-13 shooting and eight points in the game.
How It Happened
After falling behind 9-2, Virginia State went on a 7-0 run with 5:16 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from White, to tie the game at nine. The Trojans then proceeded to grab an 18-15 lead heading into quarter number two. Virginia State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 18 points close to the basket.
Virginia State built that first quarter lead to 29-24 before going on a 10-0 run starting at the 1:34 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Gerald, to increase its lead to 39-24, a score that would hold until halftime. Virginia State dominated in the paint, scoring 14 of its 21 points close to the basket.
Virginia State continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 12-0 run to expand its lead further to 51-26 with 2:39 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Bearcats had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Trojans still entered the fourth quarter with a 54-35 edge. Virginia State took advantage of seven Lander turnovers in the quarter, scoring eight points off of takeaways.
Virginia State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Kendahl Spearman's layup, to grow the lead to 63-41 with 6:31 to go in the contest. The Bearcats narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Trojans still cruised the rest of the way for the 67-54 win. Virginia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 13 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Trojans held the Bearcats to only 30.6 percent shooting from the field.
» The Trojans never trailed after taking an 18-15 first quarter lead.
» The Virginia State bench made an impact by scoring 43 points to its scoring output.
» Skylar White and Gabrielle Gerald came off the bench to score 12 and 11 points, respectively.
» Virginia State had a 33-30 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Virginia State defense forced 23 turnovers.
» Virginia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Sydney Roberts and Skylar White led the Trojans with 12 points each.
» Virginia State got a team-high eight rebounds from Gabrielle Gerald.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
