ELIZABETH CITY, NC (Dec. 15, 2018) – Sophomore guard Justin Faison, who poured in a game-high 23 points, hit a buzzer-beating jumper to lift Elizabeth City State to a heart-stopping 66-65 CIAA win over St. Augustine's in the Robert L. Vaughan Center.
 
In a tense game which featured a dozen lead changes and five ties, it was Faison who struck the final blow in a frantic closing two-and-a-half-minute sequence.
 
Faison, who equaled his career high with 24 points Thursday's win over Shaw, hit four of eight 3-point tries and added a team-high four assists while junior center Tyjhai Byers posted 17 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots.  Sophomore guard Shykeef Daniels, who figured heavily in the closing minutes, connected on five of seven shots from the floor on his way to 10 points and five rebounds.
 
Senior guard Tyre Gathright, who paced the Falcons with 20 points, hit two of his four 3-point jumpers in the final 2:10 and nearly pulled the game out for St. Augustine's (2-8, CIAA 0-4).  He dropped in a shot from beyond the arc to give the Falcons a 60-59 lead before Faison put ECSU up by two just 30 seconds later.
 
Falcon junior guard Jquwan Ruffin, who finished with 16 points, knotted the game with 33 seconds left at 62-62.
 
Daniels answered by scoring inside with 25 seconds left but missed the free throw which would have put the Vikings ahead by three. 
 
The miss set up a 3-pointer by Gathright with only four seconds left on the clock, setting up Faison's game-winner after a timeout by ECSU head coach Shawn Walker.
 
Freshman guard Donte Edwards chipped in nine points for St. Augustine's while senior forward D.J. Harrison scored seven points with a team-high six rebounds.
 
IN THE FIRST HALF, Faison nailed three of four shots from beyond the arc on his way to dozen points while Gathright fueled the Falcons by hitting two treys to notch 10 points as the Vikings battled for a 32-28 edge.
 
Gathright wrapped a pair of 3-point jumpers around a trey by Edwards to put St. Augustine's up 15-14 with 10:19 on the clock and set up a see-saw sequence of six lead changes over the next three and a half minutes.
 
A layup by Daniels with 6:19 remaining started a 9-3 ECSU run capped by a free throw and back-to-back 3-point baskets by Faison that gave the home team a five-point lead.
 
ECSU hosts Fayetteville State Monday in a CIAA doubleheader.  The Viking women's take on the Broncos at 5:30 p.m. before the men battle Fayetteville State at 7:30 p.m. to close out a six-game homestand.