ELIZABETH CITY, NC -- Elizabeth City State men's basketball showed strong second-half fight but came up against Johnson C. Smith, falling 82-72 on Saturday afternoon at the R.L. Vaughan Center.

The Vikings trailed 38–31 at halftime but made several runs in the second half, trimming the deficit to one possession multiple times. Despite shooting 53.6 percent from the field after the break and getting 41 second-half points, ECSU couldn't fully overcome JCSU's efficiency at the free-throw line. The Golden Bulls went 31-for-39 at the stripe, including 20-for-22 in the second half, which ultimately proved to be the difference.

Senior guard Jaquantae Harris led ECSU with 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals in an all-around performance. Trevor Smith added 13 points, knocking down two threes, while freshman Daniel Nixon provided a spark off the bench with seven points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

ECSU's depth showed again as the bench contributed a season-high 42 points, highlighted by scoring bursts from Terence Thorbs (7 pts), Donovan Flamer (5 pts), and CJ McCord (3 pts).

Johnson C. Smith countered with efficient shooting across the board, hitting 52.3 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Bulls' Trey Pettigrew fueled their offense with 20 points, including 14-of-17 from the line, while Jamauri Bryant added 16 points and eight rebounds.

ECSU finished the afternoon shooting 44.4 percent overall and 47.1 percent from three, while going 16-of-20 at the free-throw line. The Vikings outrebounded JCSU 26–24 and posted a 15–5 advantage in second-chance points but were unable to slow the Golden Bulls' repeated trips to the stripe.

Up Next for ECSU
The loss drops ECSU to 0–4 before the start of conference play. The Vikings begin CIAA action on December 4 against Fayetteville State at home.