ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- Fayetteville State (12-6, 7-2 CIAA) fought back from a 47-45 deficit after the third quarter to knock off Claflin (9-7, 5-4 CIAA) 62-55 on the road Saturday. The Broncos had two players score in double figures, led by Keayna McLaughlin, who had 19 points. KaNyah O'Neal tacked on 15 points and three steals from the bench, and Morgan Graham added seven points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. The Fayetteville State defense held Claflin shooters to only 36 percent from the field, including 30 percent from three-point range.
After falling behind 8-7, Fayetteville State went on a 5-0 run with 45 seconds left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from KaNyah O'Neal, to take a 12-8 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Fayetteville State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 12 points.
The Broncos could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 30-28. Claflin continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 38-34 advantage before Fayetteville State went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a three from McLaughlin, to grab a 39-38 lead with 4:59 to go in the third. Claflin responded to seize a 47-45 lead entering the fourth quarter. Fayetteville State knocked down four three-pointers in the quarter to score 12 of its 17 total points.
Claflin kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 50-47 advantage before Fayetteville State went on a 10-0 run, finished off by KaNyah O'Neal's three, to seize a 57-50 lead with 4:42 to go in the contest. The Broncos held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 62-55 win.
Nya Morris was the standout player for Claflin, scoring 23 points on 9-16 shooting, including 3-6 from beyond the arc, and grabbing five rebounds. Despite her efforts, Claflin couldn't maintain their lead in the fourth quarter as Fayetteville State's defense forced 20 turnovers and held the Panthers to only 36 percent shooting from the field. The Broncos' bench also made a significant impact, contributing 19 points to the team's total.
The Broncos will play the rescheduled game against Livingstone on Tuesday, January 28th at Capel Arena in Fayetteville, NC. Tip-off is 5:30 PM. Follow the action at fsubroncos.com/gameday.
