Virginia Union University's Tahj Harding, a junior from Lincoln Heights, Oh., who is majoring in Special Education, scored 19 points as VUU downed Mansfield University 69-60 on the first day of the CIAA-PSAC Conference Challenge on Saturday, November 11, in Millersville, Pa.

It marked the first win of the 2023-24 season for the Virginia Union Men's Basketball Team.

VUU.s Josiah Freeman, a junior from Manassas, Va., who is majoring in Business Analytics, added 17 points while Joshua Caine,  a freshman from Waldorf, Md., who is majoring in Computer Information Systems, grabbed nine rebounds.

On the second day of the Challenge, Harding scored 25 points while Jakobe Williams scored 18 points, but host Millersville University defeated the Panthers 80-71 on Sunday, November 12.

Freeman also added 11 points while Harding had seven rebounds.

"It was good to get our first win of the season against a solid Mansfield team," said VUU Head Men's Basketball Coach Jay Butler.  "On the next day,  we got off to good start against a very good Millersville team, but we couldn't hold on to the lead and close the game out. I thought Tahj Harding had a good weekend with scoring and rebounding. Josiah Freeman is starting to shoot the ball well and Jakobe Williams is making the adjustment at point guard, plus giving us some scoring punch from that position. I was very pleased this weekend with freshman Travis Vaughn (from Bel Air, Md., and majoring in Criminal Justice) and Joshua Caine. They both came off and gave us some good minutes against Mansfield. Hopefully as we get more games under our belt we can play more consistently on both ends of the floor and continue to develop more chemistry with this new group of players this year."

Virginia Union now travels to Uncasville, Conn., to face Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in the first round of the Chris Paul CP3 Classic at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 18.