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

The Vikings fell to 4-16 overall and 1-10 in conference play, while Bowie State improved to 13-7 and 6-5 in the league. Despite the final score, ECSU continued to compete throughout the contest and closed the game with a solid fourth quarter performance.

Senior guard Tionna Pettus led Elizabeth City State with 19 points and six rebounds, connecting on 6-of-10 shots from the field and going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Alexis Staton added 10 points and six boards, while Jada Clark contributed nine points for the Vikings.

Bowie State built an early advantage, taking a 17-10 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 38-20 at halftime. The Bulldogs added 28 points in the third period to maintain control of the game.

ECSU found a better rhythm offensively in the second half, shooting 55.6 percent in the third quarter and finishing strong by outscoring Bowie State 14-5 in the final period. The Vikings held a 33-23 rebounding edge and connected on 40 percent of their three-point attempts.

Turnovers proved costly for Elizabeth City State, as Bowie State converted Viking miscues into 33 points on the night. Mia Smith paced the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points.

Elizabeth City State will return home to the R.L. Vaughan Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, hosting Virginia Union for Winter Homecoming: Rep Your Organization.