BOWIE, Md. - In the second of a three-game homestand, Bowie State welcomed Virginia State University inside the A.C. Jordan Arena on Saturday afternoon and captured an 86-81 double-overtime victory against the division leading Trojans.
 
The victory improved the Bulldogs record to 14-9 overall, 6-4 in conference play, and 2-1 within the division. While the Trojans three-game winning streak ended as they fall to 15-7 overall, 9-2 in conference play, and under .500 (1-2) within the division.
 
"I am really pleased with how tough we played today and we told our guys before the game whichever bigs played better would win the game", said Bowie State Head Coach Darrell Brooks. "I thought our big guys did a tremendous and an obviously the play of Cam was huge."
 
Although the first half was competitive and close with Bowie State holding a slight 33-31 lead heading into halftime, a buzzer-beater layup made by Ryan Jones, was the kind of intriguing basketball that explained the second half.
 
It started with both teams tied at 60 apiece with 3:21 remaining. David Belle would make two free throws to give Bowie State the lead, until Williams Vedder answered with a jump shot at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
 
At the 2:33 mark in overtime with Virginia State up 69-66, Cameron Hayes (Upper Marlboro, Md.) knocked down two free throws, and Juwan Smith added two made free throws of his own. You would think the game was over with Bowie State escaping with a 70-69 win until Daniel Lual knocked down a 3-pointer and gave Virginia State back the lead.
 
Then as the building erupted with Trojan fans screaming, Haynes made them hush with a jump shot at the buzzer, sending the game into double overtime. The Bulldogs were able to expand their lead with Haynes knocking down two big shots, and Juwan Smith's scope layup to give Bowie State breathing room with a 10-point lead 82-72.
 
Virginia State would answer, like they did the entire game, with two back-to-back baskets to cut the lead down to six points. And then the lead was chopped to three, but it was when David Belle knocked down a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 26 seconds left, which ultimately put the game away.
 
Hayes, who scored his 1,000th career point at the 4:08 mark of the first half, led the Bulldogs in scoring with 27 points; two points shy from his season-high. Senior Juwan Smith (Lexington Park, Md.) followed up with 16 points. Junior Kani Coles (Baltimore, Md.) added 14 points, and senior David Belle (Hyattsville, Md.) chipped in 10 points.
 
Junior William Vedder led Virginia State in scoring with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Sophomore Francis Fitzgerald's 17 points, Junior Daniel Lual Rahama's 15 points, and Junior Ryan Jones' 10 points.
 
As a team, the Bulldogs shot 41 percent (29-of-70) from the field, 35 percent (7-of-20) from long-distance and made 80 percent (21-of-26) of its free throws. The Trojans shot 47 percent
(30-of-64) from the field, 21 percent (4-of-19) from long-distance and made 77 percent (17-of-22) of its free throws.
 
Bowie State will look to get another win when they play host to Elizabeth City State University, in conference matchup at home on Wednesday (February 5) at 7:30 p.m.