BOX SCORE

(ELIZABETH CITY, N.C.) Bowie State University dodged a bullet in the final seconds of the game and squeaked out a 53-51 CIAA Eastern Division victory against Elizabeth City State University. The win completes the season sweep over the Vikings and improve the Bulldogs record to 13-7 overall, 11-5 in the CIAA and 3-1 in the East.

Elizabeth City State (11-12, 6-11 CIAA, 1-4 East) appeared primed and ready to even the season series, jumping out to a 14-5 lead by the 14:41 mark of the opening period. Elizabeth City State held a 10-point lead twice in the first half, before Bowie State mounted a comeback behind the play of senior Duke Crews (Hampton, VA, Bethel, Univ. of Tennessee).

With Bowie State trailing 21-11 midway through the first half, Crews put the Bulldogs on his back, scoring 10 points to cap off a 12-2 run. Bowie State's Bulldogs used that momentum and took a narrow 29-28 advantage into halftime.

Elizabeth City State's B.J. Williams hit a 3-pointer to pull the Vikings even at 31-31 early in the second half and regained the lead (36-35) at the 13:03 mark after a Paul Goldsmith layup. The lead would change hands two more times before Crews out Bowie State in front to stay at 43-42, making one of two free throws.

Bowie State pushed their lead to seven (52-42) but the Vikings of Elizabeth City State would not go away quietly. ECSU's Quintin Spady stroked a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left on the R.L. Vaughn Center clock but BSU senior Armond Hill (Silver Spring, MD, Springbrook, Montgomery - Rockville C.C.) answered by converting one-of-two free throws.

Williams scored a layup and added a free throw with 12 seconds remaining in the game to pull the Elizabeth City State Vikings within two at 53-51. Bowie State missed a pair of free throws on its next possession giving Elizabeth City State one more shot at pulling off a victory. Angelo Sharpless missed a jumper just inside the 3-point line and Goldsmith grabbed the offensive rebound. Goldsmith took a short end line jumper with two second remaining but the game tying field goal missed its intended target.

“We're always happy to win a game and this was a tough environment to play in”, said Bowie State first-year head coach Darrell Brooks. “Our guys worked really hard and I thought we did a tremendous job in the defensive end, but we have to get better from the free throw line.”

Bowie State converted just 10-of-26 from the free throw line (4-of-16 in the second half), which translated into 39 percent. The long ball didn't work very well for Bowie State either as the Bulldogs went 1-for-8 behind the arc.

The Bulldogs defense held Elizabeth City State to 29 percent field goal shooting on the night, with the Vikings making 19-of-66 from the field. As a team, Bowie State blocked 10 Vikings shots with sophomore Travis Hyman (Annapolis, MD, Old Mill, Prince George's C.C.) being personally responsible for seven.

Crews paced Bowie State's Bulldogs with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and two assists. Hyman scored 10 Bulldogs points and grabbed six rebounds while Hill pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

Trent Bivens was the only Elizabeth City State player to reach double-figure scoring, tallying 14 points to go along with six rebounds. Goldsmith was the games top rebounder with 11.

The Bowie State Bulldogs are scheduled to play at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania – Thursday (February 11) at 5:30 p.m., weather permitting. Elizabeth City State travels to Virginia Union – Thursday for a 7:30 contest in VUU's Barco-Stevens Hall.