BALTIMORE, MD — The Bowie State women's basketball team came up just short Friday night, falling 86-83 to Fayetteville State in the CIAA semifinal at CFG Bank Arena.

The Bulldogs led by nine at halftime and controlled much of the opening 20 minutes, but the Lady Broncos used a late second-half push to escape with the narrow victory.

Bowie State set the tone early, knocking down a jumper in the paint just 13 seconds into the game. The Bulldogs established themselves inside with strong rebounding and interior play, while also stretching the defense with timely perimeter shooting.

Despite a brief Fayetteville State surge midway through the first half, Bowie State maintained its composure and carried a 41-32 lead into the locker room.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle. FSU gradually chipped away at the deficit before taking its first late lead with 1:33 remaining. BSU answered immediately with a steal and fast-break layup to give the Bulldogs an 83-82 edge with 23 seconds left.

However, Fayetteville State responded with a layup on the ensuing possession to reclaim the lead, and two free throws in the closing seconds sealed the 86-83 decision.

Bowie State Top Performers
Malaka Cobb
22 points
4-of-8 from three-point range
3 steals

Mia Smith
15 points
6 rebounds
2 blocks

Mayah Garner
14 points
5 rebounds
3 assists

Afia Owusu-Mensah
12 points
2 three-pointers
2 steals

Sydney Anthony
8 points
7 rebounds
4 assists

For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sports teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.