ELIZABETH CITY, NC --The Fayetteville State men's basketball team defense forced 19 turnovers, but fell 65-59 to the Elizabeth City State Vikings (4-7 overall, 1-0 CIAA) on the road Thursday.

The Broncos (5-6, 1-1) had two players score in double figures, led by Tyler Foster, who had 14 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Tairell Fletcher added 13 points and Caleb Simmons added nine points and two steals.

D'Marco Baucum pulled down three offensive rebounds to lead the Fayetteville State offense which grabbed 11 boards and turned them into 14 second chance points.

The Fayetteville State defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Thursday's game, forcing 19 Elizabeth City State turnovers while committing 18. Those takeaways turned into 26 points on the offensive end of the floor. Foster's three steals led the way individually for the Broncos.

How It Happened

After jumping out to an 11-6 advantage, Fayetteville State went on an 8-0 run with 14:24 left in the first half to increase its lead to 19-6. The Broncos then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 35-29 advantage. Fayetteville State did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 20 of its 35 points close to the basket.

Elizabeth City State proceeded to take a 50-47 lead before Fayetteville State went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Marcus Elliott's three, to seize a 53-50 lead with 9:12 to go in the contest. Elizabeth City State re-asserted control, outscoring the Broncos 15-6 the rest of the way to hand Fayetteville State the 65-59 loss.

Game Notes

» The Fayetteville State defense forced 19 turnovers.
» Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Tyler Foster led the Broncos with 14 points.
» Fayetteville State got a team-high seven rebounds from Sean Tony Hauser.

Fayetteville State will travel to Bluefield West Virginia on Monday, December 18 for its first match-up against Bluefield State since 2009.

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