PETERSBURG, VA --The Virginia State women's basketball team got a 41-point performance from the bench, but fell 74-55 to the Virginia Union Panthers at home Saturday.
The Trojans (17-7, 11-5) had two players score in double figures, led by Tamia Darden, who had 18 points and seven rebounds. Michaela Lane tacked on 10 points and six rebounds from the bench and Gabrielle Gerald added nine points and seven rebounds.
Gerald pulled down five offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Virginia State, grabbing 17 boards and turning them into 23 second chance points.
Virginia State forced 15 Virginia Union turnovers. The Trojans turned those takeaways into 10 points on the offensive end of the floor. Maya Ellis led the way individually with two steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 2-0, Virginia State went on a 5-0 run with 8:13 left in the first quarter to take a 5-2 lead. The Trojans then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 16-15 advantage. Virginia State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring eight of its 16 points close to the basket.
The Trojans could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 31-27.
Virginia State's deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Trojans faced a 50-41 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Virginia State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 14 points in the paint.
Virginia State could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 74-55. Virginia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 12 of its 14 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Virginia State bench came alive by adding 41 points to its scoring output.
» Tamia Darden and Michaela Lane came off the bench to score 18 and 10 points, respectively.
» The Virginia State defense forced 15 turnovers.
» Virginia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Tamia Darden led the Trojans with 18 points.
» Virginia State got seven rebounds from both Gabrielle Gerald and Tamia Darden.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
