FAYETTEVILLE, NC --Talia Trotter put the Fayetteville State women's basketball team ahead for good with 58 seconds to go the extra period to give the Broncos a 71-68 win over the Lincoln (PA) Lions at home Saturday.
The Broncos (12-1, 5-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Aniylah Bryant, who had 27 points, four assists and six steals. Morgan Graham tacked on 13 points, six rebounds and four blocks off the bench and Trotter helped out with 12 points, four assists and two steals.
The Lions (7-4, 3-1) leading scorer, Ciani Montgomery, led the team with 32 points.
Fayetteville State shared the ball well in Saturday's game, racking up 16 assists on 29 made field goals. Bryant's four assists paced the Broncos and Trotter also chipped in with four assists of her own.
The Fayetteville State defense was a problem in Saturday's game, forcing 26 Lincoln (PA) turnovers while committing 22. Those takeaways turned into 21 points on the offensive end of the floor. Bryant's six steals led the way individually for the Broncos.
How It Happened
Fayetteville State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 14-4 at the end of the first quarter.
Lincoln (PA) kept adding to that lead, building a 22-8 advantage before Fayetteville State went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Amina Miles, to narrow its deficit to 22-15. The Broncos continued to chip away, reducing the Lincoln (PA) lead to 24-20 heading into the break.
Lincoln (PA) continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 34-25 advantage before Fayetteville State went on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Keayna McLaughlin, to trim its deficit to 34-32 with 2:52 to go in the third. The Broncos continued to reduce the Lincoln (PA) lead, shrinking it to 38-37 by the end of the third quarter. Fayetteville State knocked down three three-pointers in the quarter to score nine of its 17 total points.
Fayetteville State came out of the third quarter break clicking on all cylinders, going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Trotter's layup, to seize a 44-38 lead with 8:03 to go in the fourth. The Lions then fought back to even things up at 56-56 and send the game to overtime. Fayetteville State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 19 points in the paint.
Lincoln (PA) then snagged a 68-60 advantage with 2:24 left in the first overtime before Fayetteville State responded by going on an 11-0 run to seize a 71-68 lead with seven seconds to go in the period, a score which would hold for the rest of the game.
Game Notes
» The Broncos rallied from a one-point 38-37 third quarter deficit to force the game into overtime.
» The Broncos held the Lions to only 37 percent shooting from the field.
» Fayetteville State recorded 16 total assists in the game.
» The Fayetteville State bench made an impact by scoring 24 points to its scoring output.
» The Fayetteville State defense forced 26 turnovers.
» The Broncos were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying six blocks as a team.
» Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Aniylah Bryant led the Broncos with 27 points.
» Fayetteville State got seven rebounds from both Keayna McLaughlin and Amina Miles.
The Broncos will be back at Felton J. Capel Arena to face off against Virginia Union on Thursday, January 11th with tip-off beginning at 5:30pm.
