PETERSBURG, VA --Morgan Graham secured a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds to help the Fayetteville State women's basketball team defeat the WBCA ranked #18 Virginia State Trojans 78-69 on the road Saturday. This Bronco win gave the Trojans their first loss of not only the conference but also the season.
In addition to Graham's strong outing, the Broncos (8-1, 2-0) were led by Aniylah Bryant, who had eight points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals, and by Keayna McLaughlin, who added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Fayetteville State shared the ball well in Saturday's game, racking up 16 assists on 28 made field goals. Bryant's five assists paced the Broncos.
Fayetteville State's defense held Virginia State to only 20 percent shooting from beyond the arc and 32.8 percent from the field.
Mihjae Hayes led Virginia State (9-1, 2-1) with 16 points and 7 assists.
How It Happened
After falling behind 3-0, Fayetteville State went on a 6-0 run with 9:24 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Amina Miles, to take a 6-3 lead. The Broncos then maintained that lead and entered the quarter-break with a 21-18 advantage. Fayetteville State did most of its first-quarter damage in the paint, scoring 14 of its 21 points close to the basket.
Fayetteville State kept its first-quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 9:08 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Daziyahna Wilson, to increase its lead to 29-20. The Trojans cut into that lead, but the Broncos still enjoyed a 43-38 advantage heading into halftime. Fayetteville State saw non-starters score 10 of its 22 total points off the bench in the quarter.
Fayetteville State continued to preserve its halftime lead before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Bryant, to expand its lead further to 56-48 with 4:02 in the third. Before the third period was over, the Broncos added one point to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 62-53 edge. Fayetteville State played well near the basket, scoring 16 of its 19 points in the paint.
Fayetteville State kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run to grow the lead to 73-63 with 52 seconds to go in the contest. The Trojans narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Broncos still cruised the rest of the way for the 78-69 win. Fayetteville State took advantage of three Virginia State turnovers in the quarter, scoring four points from those takeaways.
Game Notes
» Morgan Graham notched an impressive double-double for the Broncos with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
» The Broncos held the Trojans to only 32.8 percent shooting from the field.
» The Broncos never trailed after taking a 21-18 first quarter lead.
» Fayetteville State recorded 16 total assists in the game.
» Fayetteville State had a stellar day defensively, holding Virginia State to 20 percent from beyond the arc on 20 attempts.
» Morgan Graham contributed on the defensive end with seven blocks in the contest.
» Fayetteville State had a 50-27 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Broncos were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying eight blocks as a team.
» Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Morgan Graham led the Broncos with a game-high 20 points.
» Fayetteville State got a game-high 14 rebounds from Morgan Graham.
Then women and men will travel to Bluefield, West Virginia for a conference match against Bluefield State on Monday, December 18. The women's game begins at 5:30 pm with the men to follow at 7:30 pm.
