BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY (Courtesy of Carroll Smith)

(BOWIE, Md.) The Virginia Union Panthers pounced all over Bowie State, beating the Bulldogs 73-60 to sweep the regular season series. With the win, Virginia Union takes a strong hold on the division, improving to 4-0 in the East, 7-2 in the CIAA and 11-3 overall.

Four-of-five Virginia Union starters scored in double figures with Brandon Byerson leading the way with 17 points. Younger brother Braxton Byerson scored 14 points on four-of-six shooting and pulled down seven rebounds. Other starters to score in double figures include Branden McDonald and Gregg Thondique with 11 points apiece. Thondique pulled down a game-tying 12 rebounds for the Panthers.

Virginia Union scored at a 56 percent clip in the game, making 56 percent in the first 20 minutes (15-of-27) and an identical 56 percent (14-of-25) in the second half. Bowie State shot a disappointing 34 percent from the field (23-of-68) in the ball game.

Junior Cassin Diggs (Williamsport, PA, Williamsport, University of Pittsburgh) led Bowie State with 15 points on six-of-10 field goal shooting and senior Curtis Massey (Upper Marlboro, MD, Largo, Dodge City CC) scored 13 points. Junior Duke Crews (Hampton, VA, Bethel, Univ. of Tennessee) just missed a double-double, scoring none points and hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds.

The loss drops the Bowie State Bulldogs record to 9-7 overall, 6-3 in the CIAA and 2-2 in the Eastern Division. Next up for Bowie State, a 5 p.m. nationally televised home game against Johnson C. Smith on Sunday, January 25th.