On Monday, February 10, the Virginia Union University men's basketball team faced a tough setback as they fell to Fayetteville State University 68-61 in a hard-fought matchup at Barco-Stevens Hall in Richmond, Va. Despite leading the charge for most of the game, the Panthers couldn't hold on in the final minutes, allowing the Broncos to edge them out.

Key Players Shine
The Panthers' offense was led by DJ Mitchell, who scored a game-high 21 points, showcasing his scoring ability both inside and outside. Malachi Dark also contributed significantly, adding 13 points to the team's total. Bobby Gardner, the talented freshman, chipped in with 10 points, continuing to show promise as he gains valuable experience in the season.

In addition to strong offensive play, Jonathan King stood out on the defensive end, grabbing 11 rebounds to lead the team and help maintain possession throughout the game.

Coach Jay Butler's Reflections
After the game, Head Coach Jay Butler reflected on his team's performance. "I thought we did a good job bouncing back off a tough road loss to compete against one of the top teams in the conference, Fayetteville State. We wanted to control the tempo of the game, and I thought we did a good job for about 33 minutes. Then, FSU made some key plays down the stretch to pull away at the end," Butler said.

He continued, emphasizing the importance of closing out games: "We must find a way to close out games and limit our mental mistakes to beat the top teams in the conference. DJ Mitchell and Malachi Dark continue to give us the scoring punch inside and out that we need to pull out these hard-fought close games. Freshman Bobby Gardner is getting better each game, and I expect him to give us strong play going into the tournament."

Looking Ahead
The Panthers will look to bounce back and build on their improvements when they host Bowie State University at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, at Barco-Stevens Hall. As the team continues to refine their game and learn from close losses, every matchup is a chance to build momentum for the upcoming tournament.