NEW YORK, NY - Gregg Thondique sunk two free throws with 21.7 seconds left to lift Virginia Union to a 52-51 Big Apple Classic victory over Bowie State.

Bowie State (4-4, 2-2 CIAA) scored the first four points of the Third Big Apple Classic but Virginia Union countered with a 10-0 run to open an early Panthers lead. Virginia Union took its largest lead of the first half at 19-12 only to have Bowie State put together a 7-0 run and tie the game at 19 on a steal and layup by junior Andrew Engel. Delmar Carey shifted the advantage back to Bowie State on a stick back with 22.0 remaining only to have Gregg Thondique answer with a jumper to knot things up at 21-21 just before the first half ended.

Virginia Union (3-3, 1-2 CIAA) turned the ball over six times in the first half and Bowie State committed five turnovers. Bowie State played a strong inside game outscoring the Panthers 16-4 in the paint. BSU's Bulldogs led the overall first half glass war, outrebounding VUU's Panthers 19-17.

Neither team shot very well from the Madison Square Garden floor in the first half. Virginia Union hit 7-of-24 from the field (29%), 3-of-11 behind the 3-point line and 4-of-7 in free throws (57%). Bowie State shot slightly better, connecting on 9-of-26 from the field (35%) and 3-of-6 from the free throw line (50%).

Junior Andrew Engel scored a team-high 13 points to pace the Bulldogs. Fellow junior Cassin Diggs scored 12 points before fouling out and senior Curtis Massey added 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in the setback.

Virginia Union's Panthers were led by Braxton Byerson with 14 points and his brother Brandon Byerson added 13 points. The win was Virginia Union's third in the Big Apple Classic. Thondique finished the game with 11 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds. Virginia Union will play one more game before the Christmas break, traveling to Augusta (Ga.) State – Saturday, December 13th.