FAYETTEVILLE, NC --Fayetteville State delivered a wire‑to‑wire performance that was equal parts stingy defense and balanced depth, overwhelming Shaw 73–37 at Capel Arena. The win moved the Broncos to 16–3 overall and 10–2 in the CIAA, while the Bears slipped to 7–13, 5–8 CIAA. The night also belonged to junior guard Talia Trotter, who scored her 1,000th career point amid a tidy, team‑first stat line that steadied FSU's attack from the opening tip.
Fayetteville State made its intentions clear immediately, racing to an 8–0 start and never looking back. The Broncos imposed their will on both ends, contesting shooters and swallowing rebounds to take a 16–9 lead after one. Their second unit kept the pace and physicality humming, and by halftime the margin had swelled to 39–18 after a 9–0 burst early in the second quarter broke the game open. Any chance of a rally evaporated in the third period when FSU strung together a 17–0 run to push the cushion to 56–19, a sequence defined by relentless paint touches, quick outlets, and a defense that allowed little more than one‑and‑done possessions.
Trotter orchestrated the night with the patience and poise of a floor general, finishing with 10 points and five assists while punctuating the win with her milestone bucket. Around her, the Broncos' depth took center stage. Nyah Wilkins patrolled the glass with purpose, stacking eight rebounds to go with six points. Samiyah Barker provided a spark with seven points and two steals, and Jashontae Harris added seven points, each seizing their moments as part of a bench mob that outscored Shaw's reserves 37–18. Kelis Carmon did the dirty work and then some, collecting seven rebounds, swiping two steals, and rejecting two shots—a microcosm of the defensive identity that fueled the blowout.
The numbers told the same story that unfolded to the eye. Fayetteville State assisted on 18 of 30 field goals, moved the ball with clarity, and hammered the interior for 38 points in the paint. The Broncos ran at every sensible opportunity, piling up 24 fast‑break points, and dominated the glass 50–31, including 15 offensive rebounds that blunted any Shaw momentum. On the other end, they turned 13 forced turnovers into 11 points and held the Bears to 20.6 percent shooting from the field and 15.8 percent from deep (3–for‑19). Shaw's Mikyah Finley led the visitors with 10 points, with Skylar Adams and D'Ayzha Atkinson contributing nine apiece, while Mahogany Collins battled for nine rebounds—all efforts that never quite cracked FSU's defensive shell.
Fayetteville State now turns its attention to a high‑profile home date on Thursday, February 12 against Livingstone, when the Broncos headline Title IX Night at 8 p.m. inside Capel Arena (the men's game precedes at 6 p.m.). With momentum in hand and a milestone freshly minted, the Broncos will look to carry the same defensive edge and depth‑driven balance into an important February stage.
