ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Elizabeth City State men's basketball battled to the final horn but fell in overtime to Claflin University, 77–69, Monday afternoon inside the R.L. Vaughan Center.

The Vikings (1–7, 1–3 CIAA) erased a five-point halftime deficit with a strong second-half push, outscoring the Panthers 32–27 to force overtime tied at 63. Down 60-63 with five seconds remaining, ECSU's Braylon Wheeler found an open Donovan Flamer, who drilled a deep three to tie the game at the end of regulation. ECSU struggled to find offense in the extra period, however, managing just six points as Claflin pulled away.

Trevor Smith led ECSU with a game-high 16 points, adding five assists and three steals. Flamer posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Wheeler chipped in 10 points, four assists, and two steals in 39 minutes of action.

ECSU won the battle on the offensive glass (10 offensive rebounds) and scored 18 second-chance points, keeping the contest tight throughout regulation. The Vikings also received solid contributions from the bench, led by Khyrie Staten with nine points and Daniel Nixon with six.

Claflin was paced by a balanced attack, with Braylon Jackson scoring 13 points off the bench and Xavier Tubbs-Matthews adding 12. The Panthers' bench proved to be the difference, accounting for 44 points, including timely scoring in overtime.

Elizabeth City State heads in to Christmas Break with their next matchup against Mount Olive on New Years Eve at 2 pm inside the R.L. Vaughan Center.