PETERSBURG, VA --The Virginia State men's basketball team got a 32-point performance from the bench on the way to an 80-72 victory against the Chowan Hawks at home Thursday.

The Trojans (6-7) had four players score in double figures, led by Jacob Cooper, who had 15 points, seven assists and two steals. William Hopkins tacked on 14 points and Tim Uzochuwku chipped in as well with 13 points and four steals.

Virginia State utilized great ball movement in Thursday's game, piling up 16 assists on 24 made field goals. Cooper's seven assists paced the Trojans and Jared White also contributed with three assists of his own.

The Virginia State defense caused its share of mistakes in Thursday's game, forcing 19 Chowan turnovers while committing 14. Those takeaways turned into 25 points on the offensive end of the floor. Uzochuwku's four steals led the way individually for the Trojans.

How It Happened

After falling behind 12-3, Virginia State went on an 11-0 run with 15:01 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Hopkins, to take a 14-12 lead. The Trojans then added four points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 37-31 advantage. Virginia State did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 22 of its 37 points close to the basket.

Virginia State kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Uzochuwku's layup, to grow the lead to 60-48 with 9:31 to go in the contest. The Hawks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Trojans still cruised the rest of the way for the 80-72 win. Virginia State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 17 of its 43 total points.

Game Notes

» Virginia State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Virginia State tallied 16 total assists in the game.
» The Virginia State bench came alive by scoring 32 points to its scoring output.
» 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 15 points.
» Virginia State got a game-high 11 rebounds from Davian Coleman.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.