SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Fayetteville State battled back from a double-digit second-half deficit and briefly reclaimed the lead in the fourth quarter, but Bloomsburg held on down the stretch to defeat the Broncos 61-54 Saturday afternoon in the CIAA/PSAC Challenge at Heiges Field House.
The loss moved Fayetteville St. to 0-2 on the young season, while Bloomsburg improved to 1-1.
After trailing 33-29 at halftime, the Broncos used a strong third-quarter surge to erase a nine-point deficit. A three-point play by Samantha Ward and a three-pointer from the sophomore guard helped spark a 14-6 run that tied the game at 45 entering the fourth quarter.
The momentum continued early in the final period when Nyla Powell converted a layup and Ar'Mani Reid added another basket to give Fayetteville State a 51-47 advantage with 8:33 remaining.
However, Bloomsburg answered with a decisive 13-2 run behind the play of Kelly Leszczynski and Alexis Ferguson, regaining control of the contest. The Broncos tied the score at 53-53 on two free throws from Jahniya Marion with 4:31 left, but were held to just one point over the next four minutes as Bloomsburg closed the game at the foul line.
Marion led Fayetteville State with 17 points off the bench, shooting 4-of-10 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Powell recorded nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Ward added eight points and Reid chipped in seven.
The Broncos forced 20 turnovers and collected 12 steals, but struggled offensively, shooting 34.7 percent from the field and committing 19 turnovers of their own.
Bloomsburg was paced by Kelly Leszczynski, who finished with 19 points, while Alexis Ferguson added 14 points, five rebounds and five steals. Maddison Maynard scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the victory.
Fayetteville State will open CIAA play on Thursday, Nov. 19, when the Broncos travel to face Elizabeth City State at 5:30 p.m. in Elizabeth City, N.C. Follow the action and all Fayetteville State athletics updates at FSUBroncos.com and on the Broncos' social media platforms.
