ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. -- Elizabeth City State put together its most complete performance of the young season on Saturday afternoon, rolling past Converse University 89–59 at the R.L. Vaughan Center. It was the Lady Viking's first home contest of the season, feeding off the home court advantage in their first time playing inside the newly renovated Vaughan Center. 

After trailing 22–19 at the end of the first quarter, ECSU flipped the game entirely with a dominant defensive second period—holding Converse to just five points on 8.3 percent shooting by holding the Valkyries to shoot just 1 for 11 from the field. The Vikings carried a 39–27 lead into halftime and never looked back, outscoring the Valkyries 20–16 in the third and erupting for 30 points in the final quarter to seal the 30-point win.

Freshman Kailyn Young led all scorers with 19 points off the bench, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and adding three rebounds. Jada Clark posted another strong outing with 18 points, four assists, and three steals, while Trinity Smith delivered an efficient 13-point, six-rebound performance on 6-of-8 shooting.

ECSU's offensive balance highlighted the afternoon, with seven players scoring at least seven points. The Vikings shot a season-best 53.4 percent from the floor and 53.3 percent from three (8-for-15), while turning Converse's 18 turnovers into 27 points. The bench contributed 34 points, continuing to establish itself as one of ECSU's biggest strengths.

Defensively, the Vikings held Converse to just 6-of-11 from the free-throw line and limited their outside shooting to 26 percent. Despite a strong 18-point effort from Converse's Tatiana Brown, ECSU controlled the game's tempo from the second quarter on.

Up Next for ECSU
The win capped a strong weekend of basketball and set the tone for ECSU's return to play on at home December 1 against UNC Pembroke.