FAYETTEVILLE, NC -- Aniylah Bryant needed 17 points to surpass the 1000-point plateau and that's exactly what she scored as the Fayetteville State women's basketball team avenged its only conference loss with a 64-56 victory over the Golden Bulls at home Thursday.
The Broncos (20-2, 13-1) had two players score in double figures, led by Bryant, who had 17 points and three steals. Keayna McLaughlin added 10 points and three steals and Morgan Graham added five points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Following a missed JCSU free throw in the fourth quarter, Ashara Hayes grabbed the defensive rebound and dished it to Bryant who proceeded to race down the court ensuring her enshrinement into the Broncos 1000-point Club.
The Golden Bulls (11-9, 8-5) were led by Ashlei Kirven who scored 13 points as well as 16 rebounds. Kelis Carmon also had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Talia Trotter pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second-chance opportunities for Fayetteville State, grabbing 15 boards and turning them into 12 second-chance points.
Fayetteville State forced 27 Johnson C. Smith turnovers while committing 17 themselves in Thursday's game. The Broncos turned those takeaways into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. McLaughlin led the way individually with three steals.
How It Happened
Fayetteville State kept it close in the first quarter but entered the second frame down 13-9.
Fayetteville State then cut the Golden Bulls lead to 22-19 before going on a 7-0 run to take a 26-22 lead. The Golden Bulls cut into that lead, but the Broncos still enjoyed a 27-24 advantage heading into halftime. Fayetteville State dominated in the paint, scoring 12 of its 18 points close to the basket.
Fayetteville State wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 5-0 run to expand its lead further to 32-24 with 7:11 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Golden Bulls had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Broncos still entered the fourth quarter with a 37-34 edge. Fayetteville State took advantage of seven Johnson C. Smith turnovers in the quarter, scoring three points off of takeaways.
Fayetteville State kept its lead intact before going on a 6-0 run to grow the lead to 48-39 with 4:53 to go in the contest. The Golden Bulls narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Broncos still cruised the rest of the way for the 64-56 win. Fayetteville State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 16 of its 27 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Broncos held the Golden Bulls to only 25.5 percent shooting from the field.
» Fayetteville State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Fayetteville State had a stellar day defensively, holding Johnson C. Smith to 16 percent from beyond the arc on 19 attempts.
» The Fayetteville State bench came alive by scoring 22 points to its scoring output.
» The Broncos forced 27 Johnson C. Smith turnovers while committing only 17 on the other end.
» The Fayetteville State defense forced 27 turnovers.
» Fayetteville State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Aniylah Bryant led the Broncos with a game-high 17 points.
» Fayetteville State got a team-high 11 rebounds from Morgan Graham.
The Broncos will travel to Winston-Salem State on Thursday, February 15th to face off against the Rams with tip-off beginning at 5:30pm.
