FAYETTEVILLE, NC -- Jayla Irvin scored 22 points and Robyn Howard had 11 more, but the Bowie State women's basketball team (9-6, 3-2 CIAA) fell to the Fayetteville State Broncos (11-1, 4-0 CIAA) 71-54 on the road Thursday evening inside Felton J. Capel Arena in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) cross division action.
Led by Irvin's 22 points, Howard added a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds - her first of the season while Katerra Myers added nine points and 11 rebounds. Myers pulled down six offensive rebounds to lead an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Bowie State, grabbing 17 boards and turning them into 10 second chance points.
BSU's defense held FSU to only 36.5-percent shooting from the field, including 16.7-percent from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs also limited the Broncos top scorer Aniylah Bryant to just 4-of-14 shooting in the game.
How It Happened
After falling behind 11-8, Bowie State went on a 5-0 run with 3:09 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Howard, to take a 13-11 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. BSU relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 13 points.
The Bulldogs could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 24-20.
Fayetteville State continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 31-20 advantage before Bowie State went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Irvin, to trim its deficit to 31-25 with 4:58 to go in the third.The Broncos countered and stretched its lead to 47-37 heading into the fourth. Bowie State turned four offensive rebounds into four second chance points on the way to scoring 17 total points in the quarter. Bowie State would not pull any closer in the fourth.
Game Notes
» Howard notched a double-double for the Bulldogs with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
» The Bulldogs held the Broncos to only 36.5 percent shooting from the field.
» Irvin, Howard, and Myers combined to account for 78-percent of the Bulldogs points.
» Bowie State played solid perimeter defense, holding Fayetteville State to 17 percent from beyond the arc on 18 attempts.
» The Bowie State defense forced 13 turnovers.
» BSU cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Irvin led the Bulldogs with a game-high 22 points.
» Howard grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to lead BSU and Myers added 11.
Looking Ahead
Bowie State will remain on the road the next two games at St. Augustine's (Jan. 6) and Shaw (Jan. 13) for the HBCU Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Invitational in South Carolina.
For the most up-to date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
