PETERSBURG, VA --The Bowie State women's basketball team fought back from a 50-44 deficit after the third quarter to knock off the Virginia State Trojans (15-5, 8-2 CIAA, 3-1 North) 69-61 on the road Wednesday night in VSU Multipurpose Center.

The Bulldogs (14-6, 8-2 CIAA, 3-1 North) had three players score in double figures, led by Mia Smith, who had a career high 31 points, six rebounds and three steals. Destiny Ryles tacked on 15 points and two steals and Ayasha Thomas helped out with 11 points, five assists and three steals off of the bench for BSU. BSU's offense was very productive from beyond the arc, making eight threes on 19 attempts (42.1%). Smith was the most prolific shooter for the Bulldogs, draining five treys in the contest.

Bowie State's defense held Virginia State to only 18.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs also limited Tiyanna James to 0-of-7 shooting from downtown and six points in the game.

How It Happened
Bowie State started out the scoring by going on a 6-0 run, culminating in a three from Smith, to take an early lead with 8:09 left in the first quarter. The Bulldogs then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 12-10. The Bulldogs continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 30-24 halftime deficit.

After intermission, BSU cut its deficit to 41-38 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a three from Smith, to grab a 44-41 lead with 2:51 to go in the third. Virginia State responded to seize a 50-44 lead entering the fourth quarter. Bowie State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 20 points in the paint.

VSU kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 55-48 advantage before Bowie State went on a 9-0 run, finished off by Smith's three, to seize a 57-55 lead with 5:44 to go in the contest. The Bulldogs kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 69-61 win. BSU fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 25 points.

Game Notes
» The Bulldogs rallied from a six-point 50-44 third quarter deficit to pick up the win.
» The Bulldogs shot well from three-point range, knocking down eight of 19 long range attempts.
» Smith, Ryles, and Thomas combined to account for 83 percent of the Bulldogs points.
» BSU defense forced 23 turnovers.
» Smith led the Bulldogs with a career-high 31 points.
» BSU got a team-high nine rebounds from Beulah Odiong.

Up Next
Bowie State will return home to host CIAA opponent Bluefield State on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m. inside A.C. Jordan Arena in Bowie, Md. The game will be a celebration of 50th Anniversary of Women's Basketball Tournament in the CIAA, as well as Alumni Appreciation Day. The Bulldogs have a record of 1-3 against Big Blue, winning their last meeting against B-State 70-63 on Feb. 19, 2024.

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