Virginia Union University's Jonathan King, a junior from Akron, Oh., who is majoring in Business Analytics, scored 16 points, but Florida Southern University defeated the Panthers 79-62 on the first day of the Small College Basketball Classic on Saturday, November 4, in Lakeland, Fla.

VUU's Tahj Harding, a junior from Lincoln Heights, Oh., who is majoring in Special Education, added 15 points while teammate Joshua Caine, a freshman from Waldorf, Md., who is majoring in Computer Information Systems, added 14 points.

"You've got to take your hat off to Florida Southern," said VUU Head Men's Basketball Coach Jay Butler.  "You can tell that they have a lot of guys returning from a team that won 19 games last season.  They're a very experienced team.  We were blessed to have won 24 games last year, but we've only got two guys who have returned from that team, so it was a tough first game for us."

Virginia Union will now face Emporia State University on the second day of the Small College Basketball Classic at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 5, in Lakeland, Fla.