(BOWIE, MARYLAND – )  Junior Tyrah Lusby scored Bowie State’s last 11 points of the second half (13 points overall) to seal a Lady Bulldogs 69-66 divisional win over the Lady Panthers of Virginia Union.  The win evens Bowie State’s division record at 2-2 and improves the Lady Bulldogs to 11-5 overall and 7-3 in the CIAA.

            Virginia Union (6-7, 3-5, 2-1) opened up a 15-6 lead by the 13:23 mark of the first half and pushed its lead to 25-15 with 7:48 left in the period.  However, three big 3-point buckets by sophomore Tracy Cole and a pair of two-point field goals by junior Allyson Swailes, pulled the Lady Bulldogs into a 31-31 tie with 3:08 remaining before the half.  Bowie State and Virginia Union remained even for the rest of the first half and entered their respective locker rooms all tied at 35.

            Bowie State began the second half with a 6-0 run and maintained the lead until Virginia Union’s Denae Kennedy put the Lady Panthers in front 47-46 midway through the period.  The lead changed hands two more times before Cole’s lay-up and free throw tied the game at 56-56 with 6:04 left to play.  A pair of free throws by sophomore Markeya Watson followed by a Lusby lay-up, gave Bowie State a four point lead with 5:28 remaining on the clock.  The Lady Panthers pulled even at 62 courtesy of a pair of free throws by Ciara Alston and a lay-up by Kennedy.  Unfortunately, time was not on Virginia Union’s side, leaving the Lady Panthers no choice but to foul to conserve the last 3:08.  Over the final 3:08, BSU’s Lusby stuck seven-of-eight free throws to close out the game.

            The BSU Lady Bulldogs were paced by Cole and Swailes with 18 points each.  Swailes also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, marking her ninth double-double of the season.  Virginia Union was led by Kennedy’s 16 points. 

            Bowie State returns to action – Saturday, January 27^th as they host Johnson C. Smith’s Lady Golden Bulls at 5:30 p.m. in BSU’s A.C. Jordan Arena.  Virginia Union will host those same Lady Golden Bulls – Thursday (11/25) in VUU’s Barco-Stevens Hall.