FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville State's defensive pressure and balanced contributions carried the Broncos to a 57–45 win over Claflin on Thursday night inside Capel Arena. The victory moves FSU to 15–2 overall and 9–1 in the CIAA, while the Panthers drop to 9–7 and 5–4 in conference play.
Talia Trotter paced the Broncos with 12 points, four assists and four steals, while Nyah Wilkins filled the stat sheet with four points, six rebounds, four assists and five steals. KaNyah O'Neal added eight points and three steals, helping the Broncos force 29 Claflin turnovers that converted into 26 points.
Amina Miles' work on the offensive glass highlighted Fayetteville State's second‑chance presence. FSU tallied 10 offensive rebounds—two from Miles—and turned them into nine points. The Broncos' bench delivered 18 points, giving the lineup a lift in key stretches.
Claflin was led by Ashari Lewis, who posted 13 points and seven rebounds. Ryian Howard added 10 points off the bench, and Olivia Randolph controlled the boards with a game-high 10 rebounds, but the Panthers were limited to 28.3 percent shooting and struggled to withstand FSU's defensive pressure.
After falling behind 3–2 early, the Broncos responded with a 6–0 run capped by a Trotter bucket to take control. They held an 11–8 edge at the end of the first quarter, powered by eight points scored in the paint. FSU continued to apply pressure in the second period, forcing nine turnovers and taking a 23–19 lead into the half.
The Broncos opened the third quarter with an 8–0 run sparked by Alivia Evans, extending the advantage to 31–19. Despite a brief Claflin push, Fayetteville State maintained a 37–27 lead heading into the fourth. FSU then surged ahead with a 9–0 fourth‑quarter run—again punctuated by an Evans three-pointer—to create a comfortable 54–32 cushion. Claflin trimmed the margin late, but FSU's strong perimeter shooting in the final period (four threes) sealed the win.
The Broncos never trailed in the second half, highlighted by 19 steals and holding Claflin to just six made threes on 20 attempts.
The Broncos now shift their focus to their next matchup, traveling to Winston‑Salem State on Saturday, February 7th, for games scheduled at 2 and 4 p.m. The previously postponed game against Shaw has been rescheduled for February 9, with tip‑offs set for 6 and 8 p.m.
