RICHMOND, VA -- After a slow start, the Bowie State women's basketball team could not find its offensive groove on Wednesday night as the Bulldogs dropped a 70-52 road decision to the Virginia Union Lady Panthers in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Northern Division action.

The Bulldogs (11-8, 5-4 CIAA, 0-2 North) had two players score in double figures, led by Robyn Howard, who had 15 points. Anii Harris tacked on 10 points and two steals and Saniha Jackson added eight points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Despite the loss, BSU pulled down 36 rebounds in Wednesday's game compared to Virginia Union's 34, led by Jackson's nine boards. The Bulldogs also cleaned up the offensive glass, turning 11 rebounds into eight second chance points.

How It Happened
BSU kept it close in the first quarter, but entered the second frame down 15-11. The Bulldogs lost ground in the second quarter and faced a 28-22 halftime deficit.

Virginia Union (13-6, 6-3 CIAA, 2-0 North) continued increased its lead after halftime, building a 32-23 advantage before the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Howard, to trim its deficit to 32-30 with 5:54 to go in the third. VUU countered and stretched its lead to 46-36 heading into the fourth. Bowie State knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 14 total points.

The Lady Panthers kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 68-45 advantage before Bowie State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Howard's three, to shrink the deficit to 68-50 with 1:42 to go in the contest. The Bulldogs were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 70-52.

Game Notes

» The Bowie State bench came alive by adding 17 points to its scoring output.
» Bowie State lost despite a 36-34 rebounding advantage.
» BSU cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Howard led the Bulldogs with 15 points.
» BSU got a team-high nine rebounds from Jackson.

Up Next
The Bulldogs will make the trip to Elizabeth City, N.C. on Saturday, Jan. 27 for a 2 p.m. road game against Elizabeth City State.

For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.