PETERSBURG, VA --Kendahl Spearman and Tamia Darden combined to score 39 total points - 69.6 percent of Virginia State's points - but the Trojans fell to the Benedict Tigers 58-56 at home Friday.
Spearman led the Trojans (17-9) with 22 points, six rebounds and two steals. Darden tacked on a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Jada Coleman chipped in as well with five points.
Virginia State collected 40 rebounds in Friday's game compared to Benedict's 36, led by Darden's 11 boards.
Virginia State did a great job disrupting Benedict shots in the contest, coming away with six blocks. Michaela Lane's five rejections led the way individually for the Trojans.
How It Happened
Virginia State started out the scoring by going on a 12-0 run to take an early lead with 5:25 left in the first quarter. The Trojans then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with an 18-15 advantage. Virginia State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 18 points close to the basket.
The Trojans could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 35-30.
After intermission, Virginia State cut its deficit to 38-35 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Coleman, to grab a 41-38 lead with 6:04 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Tigers had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Trojans still entered the fourth quarter with a 48-47 edge. Virginia State knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter to score 12 of its 18 total points.
Benedict then erased the Virginia State lead in the game's final quarter for a 58-56 comeback victory. Virginia State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring six of its eight points in the paint.
Game Notes
» Tamia Darden notched a double-double for the Trojans with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
» The Trojans held the Tigers to only 30 percent shooting from the field.
» Kendahl Spearman, Tamia Darden, and Jada Coleman combined to account for 79 percent of the Trojans points.
» Virginia State lost despite a 40-36 rebounding advantage.
» The Trojans were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Kendahl Spearman led the Trojans with a game-high 22 points.
» Tamia Darden and Michaela Lane led Virginia State with a game-high 11 rebounds each.
This article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
