PETERSBURG, VA -- Cress Worthy collected 20 points to help lead the Fayetteville State men's basketball team over the Virginia State Trojans (5-3 overall), 63-60, on the road Wednesday night in the Virginia State Multipurpose Center.
Worthy added two steals to his 20-point game to lead the Broncos (4-6 overall). Kaleb Coleman helped out with 12 points and seven rebounds and Marcus Elliott chipped in with seven points coming off the bench.
Coleman pulled down two offensive rebounds to lead the Fayetteville State offense which grabbed 11 boards and turned them into 20 second chance points.
The Fayetteville State defense caused its share of mistakes in Wednesday's game, forcing 13 Virginia State turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 12 points on the offensive end of the floor. Darryl Myers led the way individually for the Broncos with three steals.
How It Happened
After falling behind 24-16, Fayetteville State went on a 5-0 run with 9:23 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Jacob Crutchfield, to narrow its deficit to 24-21. Virginia State answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Broncos down 34-30 entering halftime.
After intermission, Fayetteville State came back to even it up at 39-39 before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Elliott's jumper, to seize a 45-39 lead with 12:44 to go in the contest. The Trojans narrowed the margin somewhat before Francis Fitzgerald nailed a three-pointer with 6.9 seconds left in the game for a 60-59 lead for the Trojans. The Broncos advanced the ball, putting it in the hands of Worthy, who was 0-2 in threes and 6-16 in field goals. Cress Worthy put a spin move on his defenders and eyed his turn-around three at the top of the key swish the nets with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. Following an errant VSU inbound pass, Worthy was fouled and sank 1-of-2 free throws for the 63-60 win. Fayetteville State capitalized on nine Virginia State turnovers in the period, collecting 10 points off those turnovers.
Game Notes
» The Broncos held the Trojans to only 37 percent shooting from the field.
» The Fayetteville State defense forced 13 turnovers.
» Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
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Cress Worthy led the Broncos with a game-high 20 points.
» Fayetteville State got a team-high seven rebounds from
Kaleb Coleman.
Fayetteville State will host Virginia State in a conference double-header on Saturday, December 17 at 4:00 pm. Admission is FREE for ALL patrons during the holidays. Clear bag guidelines will be enforced.
