ELIZABETH CITY, NC --The Virginia State men's basketball team shot 50 percent from three-point range on the way to a 71-59 victory against the Elizabeth City State Vikings on the road Saturday.

The Trojans (12-9, 5-4) had four players score in double figures, led by Jared White, who had 17 points. Tim Uzochuwku added 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks and Jacob Cooper chipped in as well with a double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.

Virginia State utilized excellent ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 16 assists on 25 made field goals. Cooper's 11 assists were the most for the Trojans.

The Virginia State defense held Elizabeth City State shooters to just 35.2 percent from the field, including 29.4 percent from three-point range. The Trojans also kept Trevor Smith to 4-of-14 shooting in the game. The Vikings did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only seven offensive rebounds and scored 12 second chance points while Virginia State pulled down 28 defensive rebounds.

How It Happened

After falling behind 15-12, Virginia State went on a 15-0 run with 10:08 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Jared Clawson, to take a 27-15 lead. The Trojans then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 32-24 advantage. Virginia State capitalized on eight Elizabeth City State turnovers in the period, turning them into 14 points on the other end of the floor.

Following intermission, Virginia State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 49-39 before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by White's three, to grow the lead to 58-39 with 8:35 to go in the contest. The Vikings narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Trojans still cruised the rest of the way for the 71-59 win. Virginia State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 21 of its 39 total points.

Game Notes

» Jacob Cooper notched a double-double for the Trojans with 12 points and 11 assists.
» The Trojans made half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down six of 12 shots.
» The Trojans held the Vikings to only 35.2 percent shooting from the field.
» Virginia State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Virginia State recorded 16 total assists in the game.
» Jacob Cooper collected 11 assists for Virginia State.
» The Virginia State bench made an impact by scoring 38 points to its scoring output.
» Jared White and Jared Clawson came off the bench to score 17 and 10 points, respectively.
» The Virginia State defense forced 15 turnovers.
» Jared White led the Trojans with a game-high 17 points.
» Virginia State got a team-high seven rebounds from Amare Wimbush.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.