ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. -- Elizabeth City State dropped a CIAA contest to Bowie State, 71–54, on Wednesday evening at the R.L. Vaughan Center.

The Vikings moved to 4–16 overall and 1–10 in conference play, while Bowie State improved to 13–7 overall and 6–5 in the CIAA.

Elizabeth City State trailed 17–10 at the end of the first quarter and 38–20 at halftime. Bowie State extended its lead in the third quarter, entering the final period ahead 66–40. The Vikings responded with a stronger fourth quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 14–5, but were unable to overcome the deficit.

Tionna Pettus led Elizabeth City State with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting and a perfect 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line, while also adding six rebounds and two blocks. Alexis Staton contributed 10 points, including two three-pointers, and grabbed six rebounds. Jada Clark added nine points and two steals.

Elizabeth City State finished the game shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. The Vikings also recorded 33 rebounds and received 11 points from the bench.

Bowie State was led by Mia Smith, who scored a game-high 24 points..