PETERSBURG, VA --The Virginia State men's basketball team went into halftime tied with Fayetteville State 30-30, but took control in the second half to knock off the Broncos 79-77 at home Thursday.

The Trojans (5-5, 1-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Jacob Cooper, who had 22 points and four assists. Jared Clawson added 16 points from the bench and Davian Coleman helped out with a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Virginia State grabbed 42 rebounds in Thursday's game compared to Fayetteville State's 33, led by Coleman's 13 boards. The Trojans also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 16 rebounds into 14 second chance points.

The Virginia State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Thursday's game, forcing 19 Fayetteville State turnovers while committing 16. Those takeaways turned into 26 points on the other end of the floor. William Hopkins led the way individually for the Trojans with two steals.

How It Happened

After falling behind 7-5, Virginia State went on a 6-0 run with 14:52 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Cooper, to take an 11-7 lead. Fayetteville State then responded to tie things up at 30-30 heading into halftime. Virginia State got the job done in the paint in the first half, scoring 16 of its 30 points close to the basket.

Fayetteville State then snagged a 73-65 advantage before Virginia State responded by going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Clawson's three, to even the score at 73 all with 1:24 to go in the contest. The Trojans kept the rally going and took the lead for good on Cooper's three-pointer with 00:05 left to grab the 79-77 victory. Virginia State capitalized on 12 Fayetteville State turnovers in the period, collecting 21 points off those turnovers.

Game Notes

» Davian Coleman notched a double-double for the Trojans with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
» Virginia State outscored Fayetteville State 49-47 in the second half after a halftime tie to pick up the victory.
» The Trojans held the Broncos to only 40 percent shooting from the field.
» The Virginia State bench came alive by adding 32 points to its scoring output.
» Virginia State had a 42-33 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Virginia State defense forced 19 turnovers.
» Virginia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Jacob Cooper led the Trojans with 22 points.
» Virginia State got a game-high 13 rebounds from Davian Coleman.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.