Feb. 26, 2010

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Survive, fight and advance.

Those three words were written on the wall of the Fayetteville State locker room prior to its 66-61 win over Virginia State on Friday.

Thanks to a double-double from Deja Middleton and 14 points from point guard Danielle Russell, that's exactly what the Broncos (19-9) did.

"We know that we're the best team in the CIAA," Middleton said. "If we work hard at it and put our mind to it we can basically do anything we want."

In the first half, the Broncos backed up Middleton's words.

FSU took its first lead with 14 minutes left in the opening half and built a 16-point cushion, 43-27, at intermission.

"At halftime I told each of the ladies that VSU is an excellent basketball team," FSU head coach Eva Patterson-Heath said. "They were going to make a run."

VSU made Patterson-Heath look prophetic.

Spurred on by Leslie Phillips, Angela Brown and Morgan McGill the Trojans eliminated their halftime deficit with a 22-5 run over the first 11 minutes of the second half. In fact, VSU (22-6) briefly took a 54-53 lead with 8:16 remaining in the game.

"I told my young ladies when we went into the locker room 43-27 that a lot of people think this game is over," Trojans head coach James Hill said. "We've been in this before... yes we fell short, but it shows that this team has no quit in it by no means."

Two quick baskets by Russell pushed FSU's lead to three with 6:40 left and kept the Broncos on top for good.

"We couldn't give up," Russell said. "This is my last year and I had to do what I had to do to get the lead back up. "

Brown and Phillips had 14 points and eight rebounds each while McGill added 14 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

VSU, who won the Eastern Division and has the best record in the CIAA, will likely be selected to play in the NCAA Division II Tournament when the pairings are announced on March 7.

Hill isn't worried about the Trojans' seeding though.

"Regardless, you have to come to play," he said. "You can play the blind academy and if you don't come to play you can get beat. If we have to play the No. 1 team (in the region) then so be it."

Added Phillips: "This game tonight, it was a battle. It's just going to push us over the hump to get us to the NCAAs. I think everybody woke up and is ready for anybody that steps on the floor with us."

Middleton led FSU with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Mercedes Humphries and L'oreal Price had seven each while Tiffany Haywood tallied 10 points and six rebounds. Humphries provided FSU with an early spark, making her first three shots including a 3-pointer.

"On the bench the assistant coaches tell us to be ready to shoot," she said. "Every time I got the ball I just looked at the basket and it was on target."

FSU will play in the CIAA Championship game on Saturday at 9 p.m. The Broncos will face Bowie State.

Russell, a senior who played 31 minutes and was visibly tired following the game, said fatigue won't be a factor in the title game.

"We just have to get pumped in the locker room," she said. "I want a ring."

FSU and the Bulldogs split during the regular season with each team winning on its home floor.