PETERSBURG, VA --The Virginia State women's basketball team kept Shaw to just 20 percent from deep in a 4-for-20 shooting performance on the way to a 63-45 victory over the Bears at home Tuesday.

The Trojans (7-3, 2-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Kendahl Spearman, who had 14 points and two steals. Sydney Roberts tacked on 12 points and three steals and Gabrielle Gerald helped out with 10 points and two steals from the bench.

Gerald pulled down two offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Virginia State, grabbing 11 boards and turning them into six second chance points.

Virginia State's defense held Shaw to only 20 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 32.2 percent from the field.

How It Happened

After playing to a 2-2 tie early in the game, Virginia State went on an 8-0 run with 7:08 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Roberts, to take a 10-2 lead. The Trojans then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 17-12 advantage. Virginia State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 17 points close to the basket.

Virginia State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 6:08 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 27-14. The Trojans kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 31-18 advantage heading into halftime. Virginia State dominated in the paint, scoring 10 of its 14 points close to the basket.

Virginia State wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a three from Tamia Darden, to expand its lead further to 38-18 with 8:05 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Bears had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Trojans still entered the fourth quarter with a 47-29 edge. Virginia State played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.

The Trojans then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Virginia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its 16 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» The Trojans held the Bears to only 32.2 percent shooting from the field.
» The Trojans never trailed after taking a 17-12 first quarter lead.
» Virginia State had a stellar day defensively, holding Shaw to 20 percent from beyond the arc on 20 attempts.
» The Virginia State bench made an impact by scoring 29 points to its scoring output.
» Kendahl Spearman and Gabrielle Gerald came off the bench to score 14 and 10 points, respectively.
» The Trojans forced 26 Shaw turnovers while committing only 15 on the other end.
» Virginia State had a 33-32 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Virginia State defense forced 26 turnovers.
» Virginia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Kendahl Spearman led the Trojans with a game-high 14 points.
» Virginia State got five rebounds from both Gabrielle Gerald and Tamia Darden.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.