Jan. 27, 2007
Final Stats
RICHMOND, VA- In a game that saw 4 ties and 4 lead changes in the waning minutes, the Virginia Union University Panthers held on for a 73-70 win over Elizabeth City State University Saturday evening in Barco-Stevens Hall.
Because of their 11-point halftime advantage the Vikings held the lead more than half of the second stanza. After the Panthers fought back to tie the game with 9:56 to go, they would get their first lead of the second half via two Greg Thondique free throws at the 8:49 mark. As Virginia Union and ECSU are the top two rebounding teams in the conference, it would figure that the game would come down to who controlled the boards. Remarkably, for the game, the Vikings dominated the glass (44-29). However, unfortunately the most important rebounds managed to elude them. Down the back stretch of the game, the Panthers pounded the offensive glass on five different occasions to give themselves key second chance scoring opportunities. And they would capitalize on each of them. LaKeith Blanks had two of those boards, the second of which he rebounded his own 3-point miss for a put-back and that would represent the game's final tie at the 6:47 mark.
The next Panther to rebound and put-back his own miss was Chris Greene with 2:17 to go and Virginia Union took a 72-68 lead. On the Vikings' next possession, their last basket would come on a Shakiem Mitchell tip-in with 1:54 to go. After that neither team would convert from the floor and after a missed shot and foul by the Vikings sent Steve Miller to the line, he would hit one of two free throws for the final point spread.
Anthony Hilliard and C.J. Pigford scored 19 points apiece to lead ECSU while Anthony Butler played a key role off the bench for the Vikings with a career high 17 points.
The Panthers (11-3, CIAA 8-5) had five score in double figures with Thondique finishing with a team high 18 points. Brad Byerson posted the evening's only double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds along with 7 assists and 3 blocked shots.
The Vikings (9-9, CIAA 5-6) will travel to Bowie, MD to take Bowie State University on Tuesday, January 30th. Game time is slated for 7:30pm at A.C. Jordan Arena. For more information on ECSU Athletics, visit www.ecsuvikings.com.
