RICHMOND, VA --The Bowie State women's basketball team (16-9, 10-3 CIAA, 5-2 North) went into the half beating Virginia Union (17-5, 10-2 CIAA, 6-1 North) 35-32, but could not pull away in the second half and fell 68-62 to the Panthers on the road Thursday inside Barco-Stevens Hall.
The Bulldogs had two players score in double figures, led by Destiny Ryles, who had 20 points and two steals and Beulah Odiong who tacked on 10 points. Senior Ayasha Thomas added eight points and three steals.
BSU's defense caused its share of mistakes in Thursday's game, forcing 21 Virginia Union turnovers while committing 14. Those takeaways turned into 25 points on the offensive end of the floor. Thomas' three steals led the way individually for the Bulldogs.
How It Happened
After falling behind 15-14, the Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run with 1:04 left in the first quarter to take a 20-15 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Bowie State did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 12 of its 20 points close to the basket.
The Bulldogs kept its first quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 7:25 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Odiong, to increase its lead to 30-20. The Lady Panthers cut into that lead, but the Bulldogs still enjoyed a 35-32 advantage heading into halftime. Bowie State dominated in the paint, scoring 10 of its 15 points close to the basket.
BSU then lost its advantage in the third quarter and trailed the Panthers 53-48 entering the fourth. BSU's bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled five of the team's 13 third-quarter points.
Virginia Union kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 57-51 advantage before Bowie State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Ryles' layup, to shrink the deficit to 57-56 with 6:41 to go in the contest. The Lady Panthers responded and outscored the Bulldogs the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 68-62. Bowie State fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 14 points.
Game Notes
» BSU's defense forced 21 turnovers.
» Ryles led the Bulldogs with 20 points and five rebounds.
» The Bulldogs were 15-21 (71.4%) from the free-throw line.
Up Next
Bowie State will conclude its road stint with a trip to Bluefield, WV, to face the Bluefield State University on Saturday, Feb.15 at 2:00 p.m. inside the Ned Shott Gymnasium.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
