FAYETTEVILLE, NC -- Caleb Simmons scored 30 points to help lead the Fayetteville State men's basketball team past the Virginia Union Panthers 71-58 at home Saturday. Virginia Union is now 4-6 overall and 0-2 in CIAA play.

Before the game, a commemorative ball was presented to Caleb Simmons for reaching 1,000 career points during the Virginia State game in Petersburg, VA on November 30th.

The Broncos (6-2 Overall, 0-0 CIAA) had three players score in double figures, led by Simmons, who had a double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Ezekiel Cannedy tacked on 18 points and seven rebounds, while Tairell Fletcher helped out with 10 points and six assists.

Fayetteville State utilized fantastic ball movement in Saturday's game, piling up 15 assists on 24 made field goals. Fletcher's six assists were the most for the Broncos.

The Fayetteville State defense held Virginia Union shooters to just 39.6 percent from the field. The Broncos also kept Che Evans to 3-of-12 shooting and nine points in the game. Dalyaun Mitchell led the Panthers with 17 points, shooting 5-8 from the field, 2-3 from beyond the arc, and 5-6 from the free throw line.

After falling behind 13-6, Fayetteville State went on a 10-0 run with 12:34 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Jayden Beloti, to take a 16-13 lead. The Broncos then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 34-33 advantage. Fayetteville State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 34 points.

After a slow start of 0-5 from the 3-point line, Cannedy hit his first point on the free throw line at 4:54 left in the 1st half. He went on to score 18 points for the game. Regarding his slow start, Cannedy commented, "It's really just confidence. My teammates on the bench just refilled me with that confidence. They tell me I'm the best shooter in the gym, act like it. So I try to get my confidence up and keep going."

Virginia Union proceeded to take a 52-51 lead before Fayetteville State went on a 12-0 run, finished off by Cannedy's three, to seize a 63-52 lead with 4:57 to go in the contest. The Broncos kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 71-58 win.

Caleb Simmons notched an impressive double-double for the Broncos with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Fayetteville State found success from three-point land, knocking down nine treys in the game. The Broncos held the Panthers to only 39.6 percent shooting from the field. Fayetteville State recorded 15 total assists in the game. Caleb Simmons, Ezekiel Cannedy, and Tairell Fletcher combined to account for 82 percent of the Broncos' points. Fayetteville State had a 40-32 edge on the boards in the win. The Broncos were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, tallying five blocks as a team. Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game. Caleb Simmons led the Broncos with a game-high 30 points. Fayetteville State got a game-high 11 rebounds from Caleb Simmons.

Head Coach Luke D'Alessio praised his team's performance and resilience throughout the game. "They pride themselves on rebounding and we out-rebounded them 40-32. And they play a unique style that nobody else plays. They are well coached and have some really good players."