By Cardell Dudley
A late game sequence to decide the outcome pretty much summed up the game in its entirety. Down by three with 20 seconds left and with time ticking away, Bowie States senior guard Cam Knox received the ball about 35 feet away from the basket. Knox squared his defender up, let the shot fly.....nothing but net, tying the score at 61. As the Bowie State gym went crazy, Virginia State freshman guard Tyler Peterson drove the lane and drew a timely foul with five seconds left in the game. Peterson calmly stepped to the line and knocked down 1 of 2 free throws to win the game as Bulldog Zafir Williams desperation shot hit the side of the backboard. In a battle for first place in the competitive CIAA North, it simply came down to who would make less mistakes. The team who did would walk out victorious, Virginia State made more plays and less mistakes. "We missed layups, missed free throws and turned the ball over and that's a bad combination when you're trying to win a close basketball game", said Bowie State Head Coach Darrell Brooks. Virginia State committed just 5 turnovers compared to Bowie States 12. Virginia State with the win improved to 14-5 overall( 8-2 CIAA, 5-0 in the CIAA North) and are now riding a six game winning streak. The Trojans were led by sophomore forward Elijah Moore with 17 points, senior guard Lamar Kearse 12 points and back-up guard Xavier Parham 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assist. Bowie State had their four game winning streak snapped and dropped to 16-6 overall (8-2 in CIAA, 3-1 in the CIAA North). The Bulldogs were led by senior guard Cameron Knox 18 points, junior guard/forward Julian Livingston 11 points and junior guard Justin Beck 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Watch the thrilling finish below, full game highlight is coming soon.
Bowie State Head Coach Darrell Brooks
Virginia State's senior guard Lamar Kearse (left) and center Te'Quan Alers