Ettrick, Va --The Virginia State women's basketball team rallied from a 10-point deficit at 48-38 with 3:46 left in the third quarter to knock off the Virginia Union Panthers 68-66 on the road Saturday

The Trojans (11-4, 5-2) had two players score in double figures, led by Maya Ellis, who had 19 points, six rebounds and three steals. Kendahl Spearman tacked on 14 points off the bench and Skylar White added six points and five assists.

Virginia State forced 22 Virginia Union turnovers while committing 17 themselves in Saturday's game. The Trojans turned those takeaways into 17 points on the offensive end of the floor. Ellis' three steals led the way for Virginia State.

How It Happened

After jumping out to a 5-3 advantage, Virginia State went on a 7-0 run with 5:26 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Tamia Darden, to increase its lead to 12-3. The Trojans then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 16-14.

Virginia State fought back to tie the game at 22-22 before going on a 7-0 run to take a 29-22 lead. The Panthers then came roaring back to take a 33-32 lead heading into halftime.

Virginia Union continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 48-38 advantage before Virginia State went on a 9-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Darden, to trim its deficit to 48-47 with 2:17 to go in the third. The Trojans kept the rally going and took control on a Darden free throw with 00:02 left for a 51-50 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Virginia State knocked down three three-pointers in the quarter to score nine of its 19 total points.

Virginia Union proceeded to take a 61-58 lead before Virginia State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Spearman's layup, to seize a 63-61 lead with 3:30 to go in the contest. The Trojans held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 68-66 win. Virginia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 17 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» The Trojans shot well from three point range, knocking down six of 15 long range attempts.
» The Virginia State bench came alive by adding 32 points to its scoring output.
» The Virginia State defense forced 22 turnovers.
» Maya Ellis led the Trojans with a game-high 19 points.
» Virginia State got a team-high six rebounds from Maya Ellis.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.