PETERSBURG, VA --Kendahl Spearman scored 27 points and Sydney Roberts added 22, but the Virginia State women's basketball team fell to the Bluefield State Lady Blues 91-87 at home Saturday.

Spearman and Roberts' stellar scoring performances led the Trojans (14-5, 8-3) in the contest. Spearman tacked on four steals and Roberts added six assists. Tamia Darden also helped out with 11 points and two steals.

Gabrielle Gerald pulled down five offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Virginia State, grabbing 14 boards and turning them into 11 second chance points.

Virginia State forced 32 Bluefield State turnovers. The Trojans turned those takeaways into 31 points on the offensive end of the floor. Spearman's four steals led the way for Virginia State.

How It Happened

After falling behind 1-0, Virginia State went on a 9-0 run with 9:29 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Roberts, to take a 9-1 lead. The Trojans then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 19-15 advantage. Virginia State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 14 of its 19 points close to the basket.

Virginia State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 2:15 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Spearman, to increase its lead to 37-31. The Lady Blues cut into that lead, but the Trojans still enjoyed a 37-34 advantage heading into halftime. Virginia State forced 10 Bluefield State turnovers in the period and turned them into six points.

Virginia State then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Lady Blues 68-55 entering the fourth. Virginia State scored six fast break points in the quarter.

Bluefield State kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 75-59 advantage before Virginia State went on an 8-0 run to shrink the deficit to 75-67 with 5:35 to go in the contest. The Trojans kept their comeback going, but Bluefield State managed to hold on for the 91-87 win. Virginia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 32 points in the paint.

Game Notes

» The Virginia State bench came alive by scoring 27 points to its scoring output.
» The Trojans turned 32 turnovers into 31 points on the offensive end.
» Virginia State lost despite a 36-31 rebounding advantage.
» The Virginia State defense forced 32 turnovers.
» Virginia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game.
» Kendahl Spearman had a game-high 27 points and Sydney Roberts added 22.
» Virginia State got a team-high eight rebounds from Gabrielle Gerald.

This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.